Video Issues on iOS (missing audio)

[dews]

The following plays properly on iPhone X and Android

Video is OK but the audio is missing on: iPhone 5S, iPhone 7+, iPhone 8+ (no other iPhone tested)

Testing using ffmpeg encode settings:

mp4

libfdk_aac

128000

44100

libx264

1200000

1024x768

protected function test_triggeredHandler(event:Event):void
{
  vidClient = new Object();
  vidClient.onMetaData = onMetaData;
  nc = new NetConnection();
  nc.connect(null);
  ns = new NetStream(nc);
  ns.addEventListener(NetStatusEvent.NET_STATUS, onNetStatus);
  ns.client = vidClient;
  videoTexture=Texture.fromNetStream(ns , Starling.current.contentScaleFactor , onTextureComplete)
  ns.play("https://somevideo.mp4");
}
  private function onTextureComplete():void
  {
       videoImage = new Image(videoTexture)
       this.addChild(videoImage)
  }
  private function onMetaData():void
  {
       trace('on net onMetaData');
  }
  private function onNetStatus(event:NetStatusEvent):void
  {
       trace('on net status');
  }

I also found a test stream that you can use to reproduce the issue described above: https://content.jwplatform.com/manifests/yp34SRmf.m3u8

Taken from here: https://developer.jwplayer.com/tools/stream-tester/?playerversion=7

[dews]

Aside from using a native player or stage webview - do we have a workaround here?  Use of a media server or specific encode settings perhaps?

[Colin Holgate]

Your example is an m3u8 files. As I remember it, you read the video entry and query a server to find out the current URL of the video, you don't just play the m3u8.

That aside, StageVideo is the best option for playing video.

[dews]

You are correct - although it does actually play and you can open it using a text editor to see the actual stream URLs.  This just happened to be a link I found that can reproduce this problem.

There's also this taken from a resolved bug related to video on the Starling forum: https://s3.amazonaws.com/flaxbinpic/bunny.mp4

Ack your comment on StageVideo - good to know, ty.

[dews]

I can't be the only one seeing this - this is a skeleton project with just the video on the stage.

Unless of course I'm simply using the wrong codecs.  Would be nice if this doc actually had some content:

Video encoding/transcoding guidelines for Apple iOS with Adobe AIR | Adobe Developer Connection

I'm currently using a preset from here:

Docs | Robots for file encoding and conversion | Transloadit

The presets for iOS like "ipad-high" for example - only plays both video and audio on an iPhone X.

Do any of these codecs work for us?  This one apparently does not: libfdk_aac

Name	Format	Audio codec	Audio bitrate	Audio frequency	Video codec	Video bitrate	Video resolution
aac	mp4	libfdk_aac	128000	44100
alac	ipod	alac	128000	44100
dash-128k-audio	mp4		128000	44100
dash-256k-audio	mp4		256000	44100
dash-32k-audio	mp4		32000	44100
dash-64k-audio	mp4		64000	44100
flac	flac		128000	44100
mp3	mp3	libmp3lame	128000	44100
ogg	ogg	libvorbis
wav	wav	pcm_s16le

[dews]

Ok, using libmp3lame worked for us.  Not iPhone 5 - but I can live with that.

[dews]

Just fyi - libfdk_aac is the codec to stick with..

After months of sporadic issues with missing Audio - I'm no closer to knowing why - but every now and again a build I push out - the audio will be missing on iOS, although the iPhone 5S has NEVER played audio. Wondering if anyone else has/is running into a similar issues?

This has happened with builds from both Windows and MAC - both using FB with recommended settings for JDK etc..

[dews]

Holy cr**!

So, nothing to do with the build - and everything to do with BlueTooth on iOS..  Once the phone connects to an audio source via BlueTooth - then audio only ever plays via BlueTooth until BlueTooth is disabled.  Except for the iPhone 5 - this only ever plays via BlueTooth whether it's actively connected to a BlueTooth device or not.

Marking this as solved - this issue is nothing to do with the codec -and opening another ticket.

[dews · Accepted solution]

Issue resolved - not sure which version! Nothing to do with Blue Tooth or the Silence button..