When setting the now playing info for playing media in MPNowPlayingInfoCenter we can set artwork. But it seems the Apple API for creating the artwork is crashing on iOS 18 (FB15145734).
On iOS 17 this gave the warning that the completion handler was not run on the main thread.
I've tried to seek help here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/78989543/swift-data-race-with-appkit-mpmediaitemartwork-function/78990231?noredirect=1#comment139277425_78990231
but it seems that it's not possible to override the completion handler and therefor it's up to Apple to fix this issue.
.task {
await MainActor.run {
let nowPlayingInfoCenter = MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.default()
var nowPlayingInfo = [String: Any]()
let image = NSImage(named: "image")!
// warning: data race detected: @MainActor function at MPMediaItemArtwork/ContentView.swift:22 was not called on the main thread
nowPlayingInfo[MPMediaItemPropertyArtwork] = MPMediaItemArtwork(boundsSize: image.size, requestHandler: { _ in
// Not on main thread here!
return image
})
nowPlayingInfoCenter.nowPlayingInfo = nowPlayingInfo
}
}
I'm wondering if there is an alternative method to set the now playing artwork?
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There are significant crash reports coming from iOS 18 users regarding AVKit framework that starts from this line [AVPlayerController _observeValueForKeyPath:oldValue:newValue:] which seems to be coming from iOS internal SDK. There are 2 kinds of crash we found:
UI modification on background thread
From the stack trace it seems like when AVPictureInPictureController is being deallocated and its view is being removed from superview somehow the code is being executed in background thread because there is this line there _AssertAutoLayoutOnAllowedThreadsOnly highlighted before the crash.
But I’ve checked our code that plays around AVPictureInPictureController, in the locations where we would deallocate the object it will always be called on main thread which are insideviewDidLoad and deinit inside UIViewController class. From the log, it seems like the crash happened when user try to open another content when PIP player is active resulting in the current PIP instance will be replaced with a new one. My suspect is the observation logic inside AVPlayerController could be the hint to this issue, probably something broken over there since this issue happened across our app versions on iOS 18 users only.
Unfortunately, I was unable to reproduce this issue yet but one of my colleagues reproduced it once but haven’t been able to do it again since. The reports keep raising each day up to 1.3k events in the last 30 days now.
Over release object
This one has lower reports than the first one but I decided to include it since it might have relevant information regarding the first crash since the starting stack trace is similar. The crash timing seems to be similar to the first one, where we deallocate existing AVPictureInPictureController and later replace it with a new one and also found only in iOS 18 users which also refers to [AVPlayerController _observeValueForKeyPath:oldValue:newValue:]. I also was unable to reproduce this issue so far.
Oh, and both of the issues happened on both iPhone and iPad.
We’d appreciate any advice on what we can do to avoid this in the future and probably any hint on why it could happened.
I have reported this issue with bug number: FB15620734
I also attached one sample crash report for each of the crashes here.
non ui thread access.crash
over release.crash
Capturing more than one display is no longer working with macOS Sequoia.
We have a product that allows users to capture up to 2 displays/screens. Our application is using gstreamer which in turn is based on AVFoundation.
I found a quick way to replicate the issue by just running 2 captures from separate terminals. Assuming display 1 has device index 0, and display 2 has device index 1, here are the steps:
install gstreamer with
brew install gstreamer
Then open 2 terminal windows and launch the following processes:
terminal 1 (device-index:0):
gst-launch-1.0 avfvideosrc -e device-index=0 capture-screen=true ! queue ! videoscale ! video/x-raw,width=640,height=360 ! videoconvert ! osxvideosink
terminal 2 (device-index:1):
gst-launch-1.0 avfvideosrc -e device-index=1 capture-screen=true ! queue ! videoscale ! video/x-raw,width=640,height=360 ! videoconvert ! osxvideosink
The first process that is launched will show the screen, the second process launched will not.
Testing this on macOS Ventura and Sonoma works as expected, showing both screens.
I submitted the same issue on Feedback Assistant: FB15900976
Since iOS/iPadOs/tvOS 18 then we have run into a new problem with streaming of FairPlay encrypted video. On the affected streams then the audio plays perfectly but the video freezes for periods of a few seconds, so it will freeze for 5s or so, then be OK for a few seconds then freeze again.
It is entirely reproducible when all the following are true
the video streams were produced by a particular encoder (or particular settings, not sure on that)
the video must be encrypted
device is running some variety of iOS 18 (or iPadOS or tvOS)
the device is an affected device
Known devices are
AppleTV 4K 2nd Gen
iPad Pro 11" 1st and 2nd gen
Devices known not to show the problem are
all other AppleTV models
iPhone 13 Pro and 16 Pro
If we stream the same content, but unencrypted, then it plays perfectly, or if you play the encrypted stream on, say, tvOS 17.
When the freezing occurs then we can see in the console logs repeating blocks of lines like the following
default 18:08:46.578582+0000 videocodecd AppleAVD: AppleAVDDecodeFrameResponse(): Frame# 5771 DecodeFrame failed with error 0x0000013c
default 18:08:46.578756+0000 videocodecd AppleAVD: AppleAVDDecodeFrameInternal(): failed - error: 316
default 18:08:46.579018+0000 videocodecd AppleAVD: AppleAVDDecodeFrameInternal(): avdDec - Frame# 5771, DecodeFrame failed with error: 0x13c
default 18:08:46.579169+0000 videocodecd AppleAVD: AppleAVDDisplayCallback(): Asking fig to drop frame # 5771 with err -12909 - internalStatus: 315
also more relevant looking lines:
default 18:17:39.122019+0000 kernel AppleAVD: avdOutbox0ISR(): FRM DONE (cid: 2.0, fno: 10970, codecT: 1) FAILED!!
default 18:17:39.122155+0000 videocodecd AppleAVD: AppleAVDDisplayCallback(): Asking fig to drop frame # 10970 with err -12909 - internalStatus: 315
default 18:17:39.122221+0000 kernel AppleAVD: ## client[ 2.0] @ frm 10970, errStatus: 0x10
default 18:17:39.122338+0000 kernel AppleAVD: decodeFailIdentify(): VP error bit 4 has EP3B0 error
default 18:17:39.122401+0000 kernel AppleAVD: processHWResponse(): clientID 2.0 frameNumber 10970 error 315, offsetIndex 10, isHwErr 1
So it would seem to me that one of the following must be happening:
When these particular HLS files are encrypted then the data is being corrupted in some way that played back on iOS 17 and earlier but now won't on 18+, or
There's a regression in iOS 18 that means that this particular format of video data is corrupted on decryption
If anyone has seen similar behaviour, or has any ideas how to identify which of the two scenarios it is, please say.
Unfortunately we don't have control of the servers so can't make changes there unless we can identify they are definitely the cause of the problem.
Thanks, Simon.
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Video
Our iOS/AppleTV video content playback app uses AVPlayer to play HLS video streams and supports both custom and system playback UIs. The Fairplay content key is retrieved using AVContentKeySession. AirPlay is supported too.
When the iPhone is connected to a TV through the lightning Apple Digital AV Adapter (A1438), the app is mirrored as expected.
Problem: when using an iPhone or iPad on iOS 18.1.1, FairPlay-protected HLS streams are not played and a CoreMediaErrorDomain -12035 error is received by the AVPlayerItem. Also, once the issue has occurred, the mirroring freezes (the TV indefinitely displays the app playback screen) although the app works fine on the iOS device.
The content key retrieval works as expected (I can see that 2 content key requests are made by the system by the way, probably one for the local playback and one for the adapter, as when AirPlaying) and the error is thrown after providing the AVContentKeyResponse.
Unfortunately, and as far as I know, there is not documentation on CoreMediaErrorDomain errors so I don't know what -12035 means.
The issue does not occur:
on an iPhone on iOS 17.7 (even with FairPlay-protected HLS streams)
when playing DRM-free video content (whatever the iOS version)
when using the USB-C AV Adapter (whatever the iOS version)
Also worth noting: the issue does not occur with other video playback apps such as Apple TV or Netflix although I don't have any details on the kind of streams these apps play and the way the FairPlay content key is retrieved (if any) so I don't know if it is relevant.
I noticed that AVSampleBufferDisplayLayerContentLayer is not released when the AVSampleBufferDisplayLayer is removed and released.
It is possible to reproduce the issue with the simple code:
import AVFoundation
import UIKit
class ViewController: UIViewController {
var displayBufferLayer: AVSampleBufferDisplayLayer?
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
let displayBufferLayer = AVSampleBufferDisplayLayer()
displayBufferLayer.videoGravity = .resizeAspectFill
displayBufferLayer.frame = view.bounds
view.layer.insertSublayer(displayBufferLayer, at: 0)
self.displayBufferLayer = displayBufferLayer
DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 1) {
self.displayBufferLayer?.flush()
self.displayBufferLayer?.removeFromSuperlayer()
self.displayBufferLayer = nil
}
}
}
In my real project I have mutliple AVSampleBufferDisplayLayer created and removed in different view controllers, this is problematic because the amount of leaked AVSampleBufferDisplayLayerContentLayer keeps increasing.
I wonder that maybe I should use a pool of AVSampleBufferDisplayLayer and reuse them, however I'm slightly afraid that this can also lead to strange bugs.
Edit: It doesn't cause leaks on iOS 18 device but leaks on iPad Pro, iOS 17.5.1
Hi all,
I'm trying to diagnose and resolve an issue with stuttering video playback using the standard AVPlayer. The video in question is a 4K, 39-second file in *.mov format, being played on an iOS device. It's served via a local HTTP server that proxies requests to a backend to fetch and process the content. The project uses end-to-end encrypted storage, which necessitates the proxy for handling data processing. While playback in offline scenarios is smooth, we are encountering issues with smooth playback during streaming. The same video streams smoothly on other platforms using the same connection, so network limitations are not a factor.
On iOS, playback is consistently choppy, with pauses every 1-3 seconds. The video does not appear to buffer adequately for smooth playback.
One particularly curious aspect is the seemingly random pattern of Content-Range requests made by the AVPlayer when streaming the video. Below is an example of the range requests:
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Video
Hi all, we try migrate project to Swift 6
Project use AVPlayer in MainActor
Selection audio and subtitiles not work
Task { @MainActor in let group = try await item.asset.loadMediaSelectionGroup(for: AVMediaCharacteristic.audible)
get error: Non-sendable type 'AVMediaSelectionGroup?' returned by implicitly asynchronous call to nonisolated function cannot cross actor boundary
and second example
`if #available(iOS 15.0, *) {
player?.currentItem?.asset.loadMediaSelectionGroup(for: AVMediaCharacteristic.audible, completionHandler: { group, error in
if error != nil {
return
}
if let groupWrp = group {
DispatchQueue.main.async {
self.setupAudio(groupWrp, audio: audioLang)
}
}
})
}`
get error: Sending 'groupWrp' risks causing data races
Our multimedia application Boinx FotoMagico displays media files of various kinds with a Metal rendering engine. At the moment we still use .bgra8Unorm pixel format and sRGB color space and only render in SDR, which is increasingly a problem, as much of the video content is HDR nowadays (e.g. videos shot on an iPhone). For that reason we would like to switch to EDR rendering with .rgba16Float pixel format and extendedLinearDisplayP3 color space.
We have already worked out how to do this for HDR image files, but still have a technical problem when rendering HDR video files. We are using AVFoundation to get the video frames as CVPixelBuffers and convert them to MTLTexture using a CVMetalTextureCache. MTLTextures are then further processed in various compute shaders before being rendered to screen. However the pixel values in the texture are not what we expected. Video frames appear too bright/overexposed.
In WWDC21 session "Explore HDR rendering with EDR" Ken Greenebaum mentioned:
“AVFoundation does not presently decode HDR formats, such as HDR10, to EDR. Consequently, these need to be adapted for use with EDR rendering. This conversion is straightforward and involves two steps. First, converting to linear light by applying the inverse transfer function. And second, dividing by the medium's reference white.”
https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2021/10161?time=1498
However, the session does not explain, how to get or calculate the correct value for "reference white". We could not find any relevant info on the web. This is why we need DTS assistance. We need the code that calculates the correct value for reference white for any kind of video, whether it is SDR or HDR, and regardless of codec and encoding. I assume that Ken Greenebaum is the best Apple engineer to ask in this case, because he recorded most of the EDR related WWDC sessions in recent years?
We have written a small test app that renders a short sample video (HLG encoding). The window contains two views. The upper view uses an AVPlayerLayer and renders the video natively just like QuickTime Player. The video content looks correct here. BTW, the window background is SDR white, so that bright EDR pixels can be clearly identified, e.g. the clouds just above the mountains in the upper left corner of the sample video. You may need to lower display brightness a bit if these clouds do not appear brighter than the white window background.
The bottom view uses a CAMetalLayer and low-level Metal rendering. The CVPixelBuffers we receive from AVFoundation still need to be scaled down so that SDR reference white reaches pixel value 1.0. Entering a value of 9.0 to 10.0 for reference white in the text field makes it look about right on my Studio Display. But that is just experimental for this sample video file. We need code to calculate the correct value for reference white for any kind of video file!
We have a couple of questions:
SDR videos should probably use 1.0 as reference white, as their encoded pixel values can already be used as is? Is this assumption correct?
Different video encoding of HDR video (HLG, PQ, etc) will probably lead to different values for reference white?
Is the value for reference white constant throughout a video, or can it vary over time, either scene by scene, or even frame by frame?
If it can vary, does the CVPixelBuffer of the current video frame contain all the necessary metadata to calculate the correct value?
Does the NSScreen.maximumExtendedDynamicRangeColorComponentValue also influence the reference white value?
The attached sample project is structured in a way that the only piece of code that needs to be modified is the ViewController.sdrReferenceWhiteValue() function. Please read the comments and the #warning in this function. This is where the code for calculating the reference white value should be inserted.
Here is the download link for the sample project:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4w5gmftav5xhbixu9u6pb/HDRMetalTest.zip?rlkey=n8cm02soux3rx03vplgo6h1lm&dl=0
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Video
We have a Push To Talk application which allow user to record video and audio.
When user is recording a video using AVCaptureSession and receive's an Push To Talk call, from moment the Push To Talk call is received the audio in the video which is being captured is stopped while the video capture is still in progress.
Here after the PTT call is completed, we have tried restarting the audio session, there are no errors that are getting printed but we still don't see the audio getting restarted in video capture.
We have also tried to add a new input for AVCaptureSession we are receiving error that is resulting in video capture stopping, error mentioned below:
[OS-PLT] [CameraManager] Movie file finished with error: Error Domain=AVFoundationErrorDomain Code=-11818 "Recording Stopped" UserInfo={AVErrorRecordingSuccessfullyFinishedKey=true, NSLocalizedDescription=Recording Stopped, NSLocalizedRecoverySuggestion=Stop any other actions using the recording device and try again., AVErrorRecordingFailureDomainKey=1, NSUnderlyingError=0x3026bff60 {Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-16414 "(null)"}}, success
We have also raised a Feedback Ticket on same: https://feedbackassistant.apple.com/feedback/16050598
Hello, I am trying to get the new iPhone 16 pro to achieve 4k 120fps encoding when we are getting the video feed from the default, wide angle camera on the back. We are using the apple API to capture the individual frames from the camera as they are processed and we get them in this callback:
// this is the main callback function to handle video frames captured
func captureOutput(_ output: AVCaptureOutput, didOutput sampleBuffer: CMSampleBuffer, from connection: AVCaptureConnection) {
We are then taking these frames as they come in and encoding them using VideoToolBox. After they are encoded, they are added to a ring buffer so we can access them after they have been encoded.
The problem is that when we are encoding these frames on an iPhone 16 Pro, we are only reaching 80-90fps instead of 120fps. We have removed as much processing as we can. We get some small attributes about the frame when it comes in, encode the frame, and then add it to our ring buffer.
I have attached a sample project that is broken down as much as possible to the basic task of encoding 4k 120fps footage. Inside the sample app, there is an fps and pps display showing how many frames we are encoding per second. FPS represents how many frames we are coming in per second from the camera, and PPS represents how many frames we are processing (encoding) per second.
Link to sample project: https://github.com/jake-fishtech/EncoderPerformance
Thanks you for any help or suggestions.
I see some demo show convert HDR video to SDR Pixelbuffer,such AVAssetReader、 AVVideoComposition 、AVComposition 、AVFoundation.
But In some cases,I want to render HDR Pixelbuffer and record video.
AVCaptureSession *session = [[AVCaptureSession alloc] init];
session.sessionPreset = AVCaptureSessionPresetHigh;
AVCaptureDevice *videoDevice = [AVCaptureDevice defaultDeviceWithMediaType:AVMediaTypeVideo];
if ([videoDevice isVideoHDRSupported]) {
NSError *error = nil;
if ([videoDevice lockForConfiguration:&error]) {
videoDevice.automaticallyAdjustsVideoHDREnabled = NO;
videoDevice.videoHDREnabled = YES; // 开启 HDR
[videoDevice unlockForConfiguration];
} else {
NSLog(@"Error: %@", error.localizedDescription);
}
}
Real-time processing of HDR data requires processing of video frame data (such as filters), ensuring that the processing chain supports 10-bit color depth and HDR metadata. And use imagesBuffer to object tracking, etc.
How to solve this problem?
Hello Apple Community,
We are working on a real-time streaming feature where we receive chunks of raw MP4 data through a custom protocol and store them in a buffer (array). Our goal is to use these data chunks to play a continuous video stream in AVPlayer.
What We've Tried:
Custom URL Scheme with AVAssetResourceLoaderDelegate:
We implemented a custom URL scheme (customscheme://) to serve the buffered data using AVAssetResourceLoaderDelegate.
The method shouldWaitForLoadingOfRequestedResource is called only during the initial allocation. It doesn't get triggered when new chunks are appended to the buffer.
Despite appending new data to the buffer, AVPlayer doesn’t request further chunks from the delegate.
What We Need:
We are looking for a solution where:
The player continuously fetches data from the buffer as new chunks are added.
The playback remains smooth and uninterrupted, even with real-time data being appended.
Ideally, this solution works with AVPlayer while adhering to HLS-like behavior without implementing an HLS server.
Questions:
Is AVAssetResourceLoaderDelegate the right approach for this use case?
If so, how can we ensure shouldWaitForLoadingOfRequestedResource is called whenever new data is available in the buffer?
Are there alternative APIs or recommended patterns for playing real-time MP4 data chunks in AVPlayer?
Would implementing a custom FFmpeg-based player be necessary, or can this be achieved using AVPlayer and its APIs?
We appreciate any guidance, suggestions, or examples that can help us achieve this. Thank you!
I'm experiencing an unexpected behavior with AVURLAsset and cookies. When setting cookies through AVURLAssetHTTPCookiesKey option, they seem to be sent only on the initial request but not on retry attempts.
Here's my current implementation:
let cookieProperties: [HTTPCookiePropertyKey: Any] = [
.name: "sessionCookie",
.value: "testValue",
.domain: url.host ?? "",
.path: "/",
.secure: true
]
if let cookie = HTTPCookie(properties: cookieProperties) {
let asset = AVURLAsset(url: url, options: [
AVURLAssetHTTPCookiesKey: [cookie],
])
}
According to the documentation, AVURLAssetHTTPCookiesKey should apply the cookies to all requests made by this asset. However, when the initial request fails and AVPlayer retries, the cookies are not included in subsequent requests.
Only when I store the cookie with HTTPCookieStorage.shared.setCookie, then it persists.
Questions:
Is this the expected behavior?
If not, what could be causing the cookies to not persist for retry attempts?
Is using HTTPCookieStorage.shared the recommended approach instead?
Environment:
iOS 16+
Using AVPlayer with AVURLAsset
Streaming HLS content
Any insights would be greatly appreciated.
I’ve tried both AVCaptureVideoDataOutputSampleBufferDelegate (captureOutput) and AVCaptureDataOutputSynchronizerDelegate (dataOutputSynchronizer), but the number of depth frames and saved timestamps is significantly lower than the number of frames in the .mp4 file written by AVAssetWriter.
In my code, I save:
Timestamps for each frame to a metadata file
Depth frames to a binary file
Video to an .mp4 file
If I record a 4-second video at 30fps, the .mp4 file correctly plays for 4 seconds, but the number of stored timestamps and depth frames is much lower—around 70 frames instead of the expected 120.
Does anyone know why this mismatch happens?
func dataOutputSynchronizer(_ synchronizer: AVCaptureDataOutputSynchronizer,
didOutput synchronizedDataCollection: AVCaptureSynchronizedDataCollection) {
// Read all outputs
guard let syncedDepthData: AVCaptureSynchronizedDepthData =
synchronizedDataCollection.synchronizedData(for: depthDataOutput) as? AVCaptureSynchronizedDepthData,
let syncedVideoData: AVCaptureSynchronizedSampleBufferData =
synchronizedDataCollection.synchronizedData(for: videoDataOutput) as? AVCaptureSynchronizedSampleBufferData else {
// only work on synced pairs
return
}
if syncedDepthData.depthDataWasDropped || syncedVideoData.sampleBufferWasDropped {
return
}
let depthData = syncedDepthData.depthData
let depthPixelBuffer = depthData.depthDataMap
let sampleBuffer = syncedVideoData.sampleBuffer
guard let videoPixelBuffer = CMSampleBufferGetImageBuffer(sampleBuffer),
let formatDescription = CMSampleBufferGetFormatDescription(sampleBuffer) else {
return
}
addToPreviewStream?(CIImage(cvPixelBuffer: videoPixelBuffer))
if !canWrite() {
return
}
// Extract the presentation timestamp (PTS) from the sample buffer
let timestamp = CMSampleBufferGetPresentationTimeStamp(sampleBuffer)
//sessionAtSourceTime is the first buffer we will write to the file
if self.sessionAtSourceTime == nil {
//Make sure we don't start recording until the buffer reaches the correct time (buffer is always behind, this will fix the difference in time)
guard sampleBuffer.presentationTimeStamp >= self.recordFromTime! else { return }
self.sessionAtSourceTime = sampleBuffer.presentationTimeStamp
self.videoWriter!.startSession(atSourceTime: sampleBuffer.presentationTimeStamp)
}
if self.videoWriterInput!.isReadyForMoreMediaData {
self.videoWriterInput!.append(sampleBuffer)
self.videoTimestamps.append(
Timestamp(
frame: videoTimestamps.count,
value: timestamp.value,
timescale: timestamp.timescale
)
)
let ddm = depthData.depthDataMap
depthCapture.addDepthData(pixelBuffer: ddm, timestamp: timestamp)
}
}
Hi, I am a newbie here.
We have been given a task to build a robotic vision system to capture an immersive video in a hazed environment, which will later be played on Apple Vision Pro. I am thinking of starting with 2 or 4 basic CMOS camera sensors, such as IMX378, AR0144, or VD66GY, and designing an FPGA-based circuit to synchronously capture and store raw frame-by-frame data. Some frame initial processing such as demosaicing and filtering can also be done by the FPGA. Then, I would use software for post-processing to convert the data into a compatible video format for Apple Vision Pro.
Will this idea work? I can handle the raw data capture, but I’m unsure if this approach is feasible and what post-processing software I should use.
Thanks a lot for your suggestions!
Charlie
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Video
I’m currently working on a project where I capture both depth frames and RGB frames using AVCaptureDataOutputSynchronizer. Depth frames are stored as raw binary data and RGB frames are saved with AVAssetWriter.
The issue I’m facing is that AVAssetWriter enforces a fixed framerate, meaning it adds or discards frames to maintain that rate (as I understand it). This causes a desynchronization between the depth and RGB frames, which is a problem because I need each depth frame to be exactly matched with the corresponding RGB frame as they were captured.
How can I ensure that the RGB frames are saved without AVAssetWriter modifying the frame count?
I am creating an app that decodes H.265 elementary streams on iOS.
I use VideoToolBox to decode from H.265 to NV12.
The decoded data is enqueued in the CMSampleBufferDisplayLayer as a CMSampleBuffer.
However, nothing is displayed in the VideoPlayerView. It remains black.
The decoding in VideoToolBox is successful. I confirmed this by saving the NV12 data in the CMSampleBuffer to a file and displaying it using a tool.
Why is nothing displayed in the VideoPlayerView?
I can provide other source code as well.
//
// VideoPlayerView.swift
// H265Decoder
//
// Created by Kohshin Tokunaga on 2025/02/15.
//
import SwiftUI
import AVFoundation
struct VideoPlayerView: UIViewRepresentable {
// Return an H265Player as the coordinator, and start playback there.
func makeCoordinator() -> H265Player {
H265Player()
}
func makeUIView(context: Context) -> UIView {
let uiView = UIView(frame: .zero)
// Base layer for attaching sublayers
uiView.backgroundColor = .black // Screen background color (for iOS)
// Create the display layer and add it to uiView.layer
let displayLayer = context.coordinator.displayLayer
displayLayer.frame = uiView.bounds
displayLayer.backgroundColor = UIColor.clear.cgColor
uiView.layer.addSublayer(displayLayer)
// Start playback
context.coordinator.startPlayback()
return uiView
}
func updateUIView(_ uiView: UIView, context: Context) {
// Reset the frame of the AVSampleBufferDisplayLayer when the view's size changes.
let displayLayer = context.coordinator.displayLayer
displayLayer.frame = uiView.layer.bounds
// Optionally update the layer's background color, etc.
uiView.backgroundColor = .black
displayLayer.backgroundColor = UIColor.clear.cgColor
// Flush transactions if necessary
CATransaction.flush()
}
}
//
// H265Player.swift
// H265Decoder
//
// Created by Kohshin Tokunaga on 2025/02/15.
//
import Foundation
import AVFoundation
import CoreMedia
class H265Player: NSObject, VideoDecoderDelegate {
let displayLayer = AVSampleBufferDisplayLayer()
private var decoder: H265Decoder?
override init() {
super.init()
// Initial configuration for the display layer
displayLayer.videoGravity = .resizeAspect
// Initialize the decoder (delegate = self)
decoder = H265Decoder(delegate: self)
// For simple playback, set isBaseline to true
decoder?.isBaseline = true
}
func startPlayback() {
// Load the file "cars_320x240.h265"
guard let url = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "temp2", withExtension: "h265") else {
print("File not found")
return
}
do {
let data = try Data(contentsOf: url)
// Set FPS and video size as needed
let packet = VideoPacket(data: data,
type: .h265,
fps: 30,
videoSize: CGSize(width: 1080, height: 1920))
// Decode as a single packet
decoder?.decodeOnePacket(packet)
} catch {
print("Failed to load file: \(error)")
}
}
// MARK: - VideoDecoderDelegate
func decodeOutput(video: CMSampleBuffer) {
// When decoding is complete, send the output to AVSampleBufferDisplayLayer
displayLayer.enqueue(video)
}
func decodeOutput(error: DecodeError) {
print("Decoding error: \(error)")
}
}
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Video
I am creating an app that decodes H.265 elementary streams on iOS.
I use VideoToolBox to decode from H.265 to NV12.
The decoded data is enqueued in the CMSampleBufferDisplayLayer as a CMSampleBuffer.
However, nothing is displayed in the VideoPlayerView. It remains black.
The decoding in VideoToolBox is successful. I confirmed this by saving the NV12 data in the CMSampleBuffer to a file and displaying it using a tool.
Why is nothing displayed in the VideoPlayerView?
I can provide other source code as well.
//
// ContentView.swift
// H265Decoder
//
// Created by Kohshin Tokunaga on 2025/02/15.
//
import SwiftUI
struct ContentView: View {
var body: some View {
VStack {
Text("H.265 Player (temp.h265)")
.font(.headline)
VideoPlayerView()
.frame(width: 360, height: 640) // Adjust or make it responsive for iOS
}
.padding()
}
}
#Preview {
ContentView()
}
//
// VideoPlayerView.swift
// H265Decoder
//
// Created by Kohshin Tokunaga on 2025/02/15.
//
import SwiftUI
import AVFoundation
struct VideoPlayerView: UIViewRepresentable {
// Return an H265Player as the coordinator, and start playback there.
func makeCoordinator() -> H265Player {
H265Player()
}
func makeUIView(context: Context) -> UIView {
let uiView = UIView(frame: .zero)
// Base layer for attaching sublayers
uiView.backgroundColor = .black // Screen background color (for iOS)
// Create the display layer and add it to uiView.layer
let displayLayer = context.coordinator.displayLayer
displayLayer.frame = uiView.bounds
displayLayer.backgroundColor = UIColor.clear.cgColor
uiView.layer.addSublayer(displayLayer)
// Start playback
context.coordinator.startPlayback()
return uiView
}
func updateUIView(_ uiView: UIView, context: Context) {
// Reset the frame of the AVSampleBufferDisplayLayer when the view's size changes.
let displayLayer = context.coordinator.displayLayer
displayLayer.frame = uiView.layer.bounds
// Optionally update the layer's background color, etc.
uiView.backgroundColor = .black
displayLayer.backgroundColor = UIColor.clear.cgColor
// Flush transactions if necessary
CATransaction.flush()
}
}
//
// H265Player.swift
// H265Decoder
//
// Created by Kohshin Tokunaga on 2025/02/15.
//
import Foundation
import AVFoundation
import CoreMedia
class H265Player: NSObject, VideoDecoderDelegate {
let displayLayer = AVSampleBufferDisplayLayer()
private var decoder: H265Decoder?
override init() {
super.init()
// Initial configuration for the display layer
displayLayer.videoGravity = .resizeAspect
// Initialize the decoder (delegate = self)
decoder = H265Decoder(delegate: self)
// For simple playback, set isBaseline to true
decoder?.isBaseline = true
}
func startPlayback() {
// Load the file "cars_320x240.h265"
guard let url = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "temp2", withExtension: "h265") else {
print("File not found")
return
}
do {
let data = try Data(contentsOf: url)
// Set FPS and video size as needed
let packet = VideoPacket(data: data,
type: .h265,
fps: 30,
videoSize: CGSize(width: 1080, height: 1920))
// Decode as a single packet
decoder?.decodeOnePacket(packet)
} catch {
print("Failed to load file: \(error)")
}
}
// MARK: - VideoDecoderDelegate
func decodeOutput(video: CMSampleBuffer) {
// When decoding is complete, send the output to AVSampleBufferDisplayLayer
displayLayer.enqueue(video)
}
func decodeOutput(error: DecodeError) {
print("Decoding error: \(error)")
}
}
Context
We develop an iOS/Apple TV app that allows to play HLS+FP Live streams (custom playback UI), some of which use the same FairPlay content key id. All FairPlay content keys are requested to the same content key server.
Implementation
Despite Apple documentation warning to not reuse AVContentKeySessions, we use only one AVContentKeySession for all channels which allows the system to reuse the content key when a content key id is met again. As seen in another thread, people seems to think this is OK.
Issue
When reusing the AVContentKeySession and the user quickly tunes channels multiple times (up to 2 or 3 times per second using gestures), an inconsistency may occur where the content key request for a previous streams is asked to the delegate after a new stream is already being prepared and its AVURLAsset already assigned as the content key session AVContentKeyRecipient. Note that the previous content key recipient is removed before the new one is added.
We also have been reported for crashes (though I haven't experienced it myself) when performing multiple channels tunings which makes us think that the AVContentKeySession should definitely not been reused.
Note: On the other hand if a new AVContentKeySession is used for each stream, the system systematically requests a content key even if previous streams have used the same content key id. In this case, neither the crash nor the inconsistency issue are observed but it dramatically increases the number of calls to the content key server.
Questions
Should AVContentKeySessions definitely not be reused? Otherwise, how to handle the inconsistency issue described above?