How to alternate two VideoPlayer objects to loop a video

Question

Here below is a class I use to loop a video smoothly:

 using System.Collections;
 using UnityEngine;
 using UnityEngine.Video;

 public class MegaPlayer : MonoBehaviour
 {
     private VideoPlayer[] players;
     public RenderTexture targetTexture;
     public string url;

     void Awake()
     {
         players = gameObject.GetComponentsInChildren<VideoPlayer>();
         for (int i = 0; i < players.Length; i++) {
             players[i].source = VideoSource.Url;
             players[i].url = url;
             players[i].playOnAwake = false;
             players[i].waitForFirstFrame = true;
             players[i].isLooping = false;
             players[i].skipOnDrop = true;
             players[i].targetTexture = targetTexture;
         }
     }

     void Start()
     {
         StartCoroutine(Play(0));
     }

     IEnumerator Play(int activePlayer)
     {
         // wait until the video is ready
         players[activePlayer].Prepare();
         while (!players[activePlayer].isPrepared) {
             yield return null;
         }

         // wait until the current video ends
         while (players[activePlayer ^1].isPlaying) {
             yield return null;
         }

         players[activePlayer].Play();

         // wait until the current video has not finished
         int nextPlayer = activePlayer ^ 1;
         while (players[activePlayer].isPlaying) {
             if (players[activePlayer].time >= (players[activePlayer].length / 2)) {
                 players[nextPlayer].time = 0f;
                 break;
             }
             yield return null;
         }

         StartCoroutine(Play(nextPlayer));
     }
 }

I use two VideoPlayer that alternate in playing the same video to reproduce a smooth loop without the short break you hear when using the isLooping property.

The coroutine works 2 times, i.e. each VideoPlayer plays the video as expected... then, the third time, the image remains freezed at the first frame (but the video still works in the background as I hear the musing going). Then, the fourth time the video plays correctly again, and so on. Long story short, after the first two iterations that work fine, the video is played once yes and once no.

Answer 1

Finally I found where the problem was... I forgot to set the texture of the render area before I start the player at line 77. Here below is the working version:

 #region References
 using System.Collections;
 using UnityEngine;
 using UnityEngine.UI;
 using UnityEngine.Video;
 #endregion

 /// <summary>
 /// Provides functionality for playing videos in seamless loops. 
 /// </summary>
 public class PlayerManager : MonoBehaviour
 {
     #region Fields
     private RawImage renderArea;
     private VideoPlayer[] players;
     private double twoThirdOfTheWay;
     public string url;
     public float overlappingLength = .3f;
     #endregion

     #region Methods
     /// <summary>
     /// Called when this script instance is being loaded.
     /// </summary>
     void Awake()
     {
         Texture texture = GetComponent<RawImage>().texture;
         RenderTexture targetTexture = new RenderTexture(texture.width, texture.height, 0);
         Graphics.Blit(texture, targetTexture);

         players = gameObject.GetComponentsInChildren<VideoPlayer>();
         for (int i = 0; i < players.Length; i++) {
             players[i].source = VideoSource.Url;
             players[i].url = url;
             players[i].playOnAwake = false;
             players[i].waitForFirstFrame = true;
             players[i].isLooping = false;
             players[i].skipOnDrop = true;
             players[i].targetTexture = targetTexture;
         }

         renderArea = GetComponent<RawImage>();
         twoThirdOfTheWay = (players[0].length / 3d) * 2d;
     }

     /// <summary>
     /// Called before the first frame update.
     /// </summary>
     void Start()
     {
         StartCoroutine(Play(0));
     }

     /// <summary>
     /// Lets the specified player playback the video referenced by <see cref="url"/>.
     /// </summary>
     /// <param name="activePlayer">The player to start.</param>
     IEnumerator Play(int activePlayer)
     {
         // wait until the video is ready
         if (!players[activePlayer].isPrepared) {
             players[activePlayer].Prepare();
             while (!players[activePlayer].isPrepared) {
                 yield return null;
             }
         }

         int otherPlayer = activePlayer ^ 1;

         // wait until the previous playback reaches the overlapping interval 
         while (players[otherPlayer].isPlaying && players[otherPlayer].time < (players[otherPlayer].length - overlappingLength)) {
             yield return null;
         }

         // associate the render area with the active player and start the playback
         renderArea.texture = players[activePlayer].texture;
         players[activePlayer].Play();

         // let the previous playback end and stop the player
         yield return new WaitForSeconds(overlappingLength);
         players[otherPlayer].Stop();

         // wait until the current playback is 2/3 of the way and then let the other player start
         while (players[activePlayer].isPlaying) {
             if (players[activePlayer].time >= twoThirdOfTheWay) {
                 players[otherPlayer].time = 0f;
                 break;
             }
             yield return null;
         }

         StartCoroutine(Play(otherPlayer));
     }
     #endregion
 }

I hope it helps also someone else :-)

How to alternate two VideoPlayer objects to loop a video

1 Reply

Your answer

Follow this Question

Related Questions