Android Question Current Approach to Playing YouTube Videos

DawningTruth · Mar 26, 2019

I have been searching the forum to find out what the current methods are for playing YouTube videos. It seems like thee is a choice between WebView, Erel's YouTube Player and Exoplayer.

Which method is currently the best approach for playing YouTube Videos?

Erel · Mar 27, 2019

As far as I remember it is difficult if not impossible to get the direct link which is required for playing the video with ExoPlayer.
YouTube library is probably the best option.

DawningTruth · Mar 27, 2019

Erel said:
As far as I remember it is difficult if not impossible to get the direct link which is required for playing the video with ExoPlayer.
YouTube library is probably the best option.

Thx Erel, as always you are extremely helpful .

In terms of my future need to migrate my app to iPhone, are their similar libraries on that side?

Erel · Mar 27, 2019

There is no similar library in B4i. You should use WKWebView for this. The difference is that WKWebView will behave exactly the same on all devices (this is not the case with Android WebView).

DawningTruth · Mar 27, 2019

Erel said:
There is no similar library in B4i. You should use WKWebView for this. The difference is that WKWebView will behave exactly the same on all devices (this is not the case with Android WebView).

Thx.

moster67 · Mar 28, 2019

You can get the direct links using this library
https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/youtube-dl-extract-direct-urls.100793/
And then Exoplayer should be able to play the video.
However I would not recommend using that library in an app that you publish on Google Play Store for obvious reasons.

DawningTruth · Mar 28, 2019

moster67 said:
You can get the direct links using this library
https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/youtube-dl-extract-direct-urls.100793/
And then Exoplayer should be able to play the video.
However I would not recommend using that library in an app that you publish on Google Play Store for obvious reasons.

Thx Moster,

As the app will be public facing and will utilise Google's services I would prefer to refrain from any TOS violation risks.

Do any of your libraries allow a person to extract the thumbnail of a Video?

moster67 · Mar 28, 2019

No idea - I have never worked with YouTube except for the wrapper I linked to (which I believe is also able to extract a thumbnail)..
Sorry.

DawningTruth · Mar 28, 2019

Thx Anyways

valentino s · May 28, 2019

Please take care of https://developers.google.com/youtube/android/player/ . Google removed my app due to use of youtube embeds in a webview. I removed the embeds, the app is again in the store.

Now I'm looking for a different method (no more a simple embed).

"YouTube library is probably the best option." the library is dated 2013, I guess if it is compliant with Youtube's Tos.

Perhaps the solution is provided in this discussion, I hope it can help someone: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/class-b4x-youtube-v3.58550/page-4#post-652709

DawningTruth · May 28, 2019

valentino s said:
Please take care of https://developers.google.com/youtube/android/player/ . Google removed my app due to use of youtube embeds in a webview. I removed the embeds, the app is again in the store.

Now I'm looking for a different method (no more a simple embed).

"YouTube library is probably the best option." the library is dated 2013, I guess if it is compliant with Youtube's Tos.

Perhaps the solution is provided in this discussion, I hope it can help someone: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/class-b4x-youtube-v3.58550/page-4#post-652709

Thx Valentino, this indeed is a cause for concern as that was the approach I settled on. I just wish there were simple ways to do basic things, without Google making our lives more difficult. I will look up your solution in the link.

DawningTruth · May 28, 2019

DawningTruth said:
Thx Valentino, this indeed is a cause for concern as that was the approach I settled on. I just wish there were simple ways to do basic things, without Google making our lives more difficult. I will look up your solution in the link.

Ok, I remember this one now. It lists videos but does not play them. The ideal solution which I have not seen is a simple embedded video player that can play from a YouTube url like the embedded YouTube in Webview solution.

valentino s · May 28, 2019

DawningTruth said:
Ok, I remember this one now. It lists videos but does not play them. The ideal solution which I have not seen is a simple embedded video player that can play from a YouTube url like the embedded YouTube in Webview solution.

This was my solution I removed. An example: https://www.pregaognigiorno.it/video/index.php

DawningTruth · May 28, 2019

valentino s said:
This was my solution I removed. An example: https://www.pregaognigiorno.it/video/index.php

I see. I did notice that your video is larger than the screen which may affect usability. I managed to get mine fitting the screen, but it used some complicated javascript which basically detected the screen width and then adjusted the size of the video accordingly.

I wonder if the video size issue may have been Google's reason for removing the app, or is it just they want developers to use the Android API?

PS: See my other thread on this topic:

https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/youtube-android-player-api.106198/

valentino s · May 28, 2019

@MarcoRome can you support us ?

The problem is if your library support youtube apis for android and it can be used to play videos inside the app.

The issue raised up by Google seems related to the use of html embed instead of the youtube apis, https://developers.google.com/youtube/android/player/

Here some interesting technical informations I can't verify: https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/software-engineer/using-googles-youtube-api-in-your-android-apps/

Erel · May 28, 2019

You should use YouTube library.

MarcoRome · May 28, 2019

The best solution is suggested by Erel (UP)

valentino s · May 28, 2019

Erel said:
You should use YouTube library.

The one I've found is https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/youtube-library.24818/#content dated year 2013

Is it the latest version ? It seems that youtube's apis for android are more recent.
Thank you all.

Erel · May 28, 2019

Yes. It is a wrapper. See the instructions.

DawningTruth · May 28, 2019

Erel said:
Yes. It is a wrapper. See the instructions.

Thx Erel, you are always so helpful

Thx @MarcoRome

Android Question Current Approach to Playing YouTube Videos

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