Video playback buggy on Ubuntu

[James Bozman]

I had been trying to install and use Datasoul on Kubuntu.  One of the problems I was dealing with I thought might be KDE related rather than Datasoul related, so I decided to put it to the test.  I installed Datasoul on a clean install of Ubuntu 12.10, and still see the issue. 

Whenever I try to play a video, I get a black window where the video should be.  I can hear the video play, but cannot see it.  It seems that Datasoul uses two display windows: one for the video and one for the text/image slides.  The text/image window goes to black, but covers up the video window.  You can manipulate the windows so that the video window gets displayed on top, but then you have to do it again to get the text/image window to display.

This is on a brand new install of Ubuntu 12.10.  The only things I have done before performing the test are perform "sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade" and "sudo apt-get install vlc icedtea-plugin".  After experiencing the issue, I installed Kazam to capture the video.  I will attach the video to a reply since when I tried to report this same issue in Kubuntu, I attached the video, but then my topic disappeared.

[James Bozman]

Seems that Google groups doesn't like large uploads.

Ubuntu video here: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xwpqag_datasoul-test-in-ubuntu_tech#.UPHbcFLd7Zs

Kubuntu video here: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xwpqbs_datasoul-test-in-kubuntu_tech#.UPHbnFLd7Zs

[Samuel Lucas Vaz de Mello]

Hi,

I have seen this behavior when using Java 6 instead of 7.

Once we moved to vlc, we are using a new API introduced in Java 7 to control video window overlay and opacity, so if the JVM does not support it you may get the black window. 

Can you check which java version are you using?

Thanks,

 - Samuel

2013/1/12 James Bozman <jboz...@gmail.com>

[James Bozman]

Checked Java version:

:~$ java -version

java version "1.7.0_09"

OpenJDK Runtime Environment (IcedTea7 2.3.3) (7u9-2.3.3-0ubuntu1~12.10.1)

OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 23.2-b09, mixed mode)

:~$ javac -version

The program 'javac' can be found in the following packages:

 * default-jdk

 * ecj

 * gcj-4.6-jdk

 * gcj-4.7-jdk

 * openjdk-7-jdk

 * openjdk-6-jdk

Try: sudo apt-get install <selected package>

Installed openjdk-7-jdk and now get:

:~$ javac -version

javac 1.7.0_09

Problem still persists.

[James Bozman]

I've tried a couple more times on both Ubuntu and Kubuntu with Oracle's Java 7 using the WebUpd8 PPA here: https://launchpad.net/~webupd8team/+archive/java

Problem still persists on both systems. 

[James Bozman]

One more test using Oracle Java 8 and problem still persists.

[Samuel Lucas Vaz de Mello]

So, the problem must be in somewhere else, maybe in X11 or compositing. Which graphics driver are you using? Do you have 3D Effects enabled in the window manager?

I have tested it with ubuntu 12.04 LTS here, I will install a VM with 12.10 here to try it this weekend.

Another option would be change the code to disable the display window (that goes black) when there is a video active. The main drawback for this approach is that you will not be able to use alerts over the videos, but if this is acceptable we can make it a configuration option.

 - Samuel

2013/1/24 James Bozman <jboz...@gmail.com>

[James Bozman]

I have tried it with compositing on and off, and even tried using Lubuntu, which has no compositing.  The computer I have been testing on has Nvidia graphics.  I have tried using both the Nvidia and Nouveau drivers.  I have run the tests using Ubuntu 12.04, 12.10, Kubuntu 12.04, 12.10 and Lubuntu 12.04, 12.10.  I'm not sure why it seems to work properly for you and not me.

My church does not use the alerts, but would not want to take them away from someone else.

We do use video extensively.  We are a small congregation and use videos for all the praise and worship songs.

Is it a stacking issue (z-order)?

Finally, the computer I am using has an AMD Phenom II X4 processor.