IOS Video Compression Swift iOS 8 corrupt video file - ios

Question

I am trying to compress video taken with the users camera from UIImagePickerController (Not an existing video but one on the fly) to upload to my server and take a small amount of time to do so, so a smaller size is ideal instead of 30-45 mb on newer quality cameras.
Here is the code to do a compression in swift for iOS 8 and it compresses wonderfully, i go from 35 mb down to 2.1 mb easily.
func convertVideo(inputUrl: NSURL, outputURL: NSURL)
{
//setup video writer
var videoAsset = AVURLAsset(URL: inputUrl, options: nil) as AVAsset
var videoTrack = videoAsset.tracksWithMediaType(AVMediaTypeVideo)[0] as AVAssetTrack
var videoSize = videoTrack.naturalSize
var videoWriterCompressionSettings = Dictionary(dictionaryLiteral:(AVVideoAverageBitRateKey,NSNumber(integer:960000)))
var videoWriterSettings = Dictionary(dictionaryLiteral:(AVVideoCodecKey,AVVideoCodecH264),
(AVVideoCompressionPropertiesKey,videoWriterCompressionSettings),
(AVVideoWidthKey,videoSize.width),
(AVVideoHeightKey,videoSize.height))
var videoWriterInput = AVAssetWriterInput(mediaType: AVMediaTypeVideo, outputSettings: videoWriterSettings)
videoWriterInput.expectsMediaDataInRealTime = true
videoWriterInput.transform = videoTrack.preferredTransform
var videoWriter = AVAssetWriter(URL: outputURL, fileType: AVFileTypeQuickTimeMovie, error: nil)
videoWriter.addInput(videoWriterInput)
var videoReaderSettings: [String:AnyObject] = [kCVPixelBufferPixelFormatTypeKey:kCVPixelFormatType_420YpCbCr8BiPlanarVideoRange]
var videoReaderOutput = AVAssetReaderTrackOutput(track: videoTrack, outputSettings: videoReaderSettings)
var videoReader = AVAssetReader(asset: videoAsset, error: nil)
videoReader.addOutput(videoReaderOutput)
//setup audio writer
var audioWriterInput = AVAssetWriterInput(mediaType: AVMediaTypeAudio, outputSettings: nil)
audioWriterInput.expectsMediaDataInRealTime = false
videoWriter.addInput(audioWriterInput)
//setup audio reader
var audioTrack = videoAsset.tracksWithMediaType(AVMediaTypeAudio)[0] as AVAssetTrack
var audioReaderOutput = AVAssetReaderTrackOutput(track: audioTrack, outputSettings: nil) as AVAssetReaderOutput
var audioReader = AVAssetReader(asset: videoAsset, error: nil)
audioReader.addOutput(audioReaderOutput)
videoWriter.startWriting()
//start writing from video reader
videoReader.startReading()
videoWriter.startSessionAtSourceTime(kCMTimeZero)
//dispatch_queue_t processingQueue = dispatch_queue_create("processingQueue", nil)
var queue = dispatch_queue_create("processingQueue", nil)
videoWriterInput.requestMediaDataWhenReadyOnQueue(queue, usingBlock: { () -> Void in
println("Export starting")
while videoWriterInput.readyForMoreMediaData
{
var sampleBuffer:CMSampleBufferRef!
sampleBuffer = videoReaderOutput.copyNextSampleBuffer()
if (videoReader.status == AVAssetReaderStatus.Reading && sampleBuffer != nil)
{
videoWriterInput.appendSampleBuffer(sampleBuffer)
}
else
{
videoWriterInput.markAsFinished()
if videoReader.status == AVAssetReaderStatus.Completed
{
if audioReader.status == AVAssetReaderStatus.Reading || audioReader.status == AVAssetReaderStatus.Completed
{
}
else {
audioReader.startReading()
videoWriter.startSessionAtSourceTime(kCMTimeZero)
var queue2 = dispatch_queue_create("processingQueue2", nil)
audioWriterInput.requestMediaDataWhenReadyOnQueue(queue2, usingBlock: { () -> Void in
while audioWriterInput.readyForMoreMediaData
{
var sampleBuffer:CMSampleBufferRef!
sampleBuffer = audioReaderOutput.copyNextSampleBuffer()
println(sampleBuffer == nil)
if (audioReader.status == AVAssetReaderStatus.Reading && sampleBuffer != nil)
{
audioWriterInput.appendSampleBuffer(sampleBuffer)
}
else
{
audioWriterInput.markAsFinished()
if (audioReader.status == AVAssetReaderStatus.Completed)
{
videoWriter.finishWritingWithCompletionHandler({ () -> Void in
println("Finished writing video asset.")
self.videoUrl = outputURL
var data = NSData(contentsOfURL: outputURL)!
println("Byte Size After Compression: \(data.length / 1048576) mb")
println(videoAsset.playable)
//Networking().uploadVideo(data, fileName: "Test2")
self.dismissViewControllerAnimated(true, completion: nil)
})
break
}
}
}
})
break
}
}
}// Second if
}//first while
})// first block
// return
}
Here is the code for my UIImagePickerController that calls the compress method
func imagePickerController(picker: UIImagePickerController, didFinishPickingMediaWithInfo info: [NSObject : AnyObject])
{
// Extract the media type from selection
let type = info[UIImagePickerControllerMediaType] as String
if (type == kUTTypeMovie)
{
self.videoUrl = info[UIImagePickerControllerMediaURL] as? NSURL
var uploadUrl = NSURL.fileURLWithPath(NSTemporaryDirectory().stringByAppendingPathComponent("captured").stringByAppendingString(".mov"))
var data = NSData(contentsOfURL: self.videoUrl!)!
println("Size Before Compression: \(data.length / 1048576) mb")
self.convertVideo(self.videoUrl!, outputURL: uploadUrl!)
// Get the video from the info and set it appropriately.
/*self.dismissViewControllerAnimated(true, completion: { () -> Void in
//self.next.enabled = true
})*/
}
}
As i mentioned above this works as far as file size reduction, but when i get the file back (it is still of type .mov) quicktime cannot play it. Quicktime does try to convert it initially but fails halfway through (1-2 seconds after opening the file.) I've even tested the video file in AVPlayerController but it doesn't give any info about the movie, its just a play button without ant loading and without any length just "--" where the time is usually in the player. IE a corrupt file that won't play.
Im sure it has something to do with the settings for writing the asset out wether it is the video writing or the audio writing I'm not sure at all. It could even be the reading of the asset that is causing it to be corrupt. I've tried changing the variables around and setting different keys for reading and writing but i haven't found the right combination and this sucks that i can compress but get a corrupt file out of it. I'm not sure at all and any help would be appreciated. Pleeeeeeeeease.

Answer 1

This answer has been completely rewritten and annotated to support Swift 4.0. Keep in mind that changing the AVFileType and presetName values allows you to tweak the final output in terms of size and quality.
import AVFoundation
extension ViewController: AVCaptureFileOutputRecordingDelegate {
// Delegate function has been updated
func fileOutput(_ output: AVCaptureFileOutput, didFinishRecordingTo outputFileURL: URL, from connections: [AVCaptureConnection], error: Error?) {
// This code just exists for getting the before size. You can remove it from production code
do {
let data = try Data(contentsOf: outputFileURL)
print("File size before compression: \(Double(data.count / 1048576)) mb")
} catch {
print("Error: \(error)")
}
// This line creates a generic filename based on UUID, but you may want to use your own
// The extension must match with the AVFileType enum
let path = NSTemporaryDirectory() + UUID().uuidString + ".m4v"
let outputURL = URL.init(fileURLWithPath: path)
let urlAsset = AVURLAsset(url: outputURL)
// You can change the presetName value to obtain different results
if let exportSession = AVAssetExportSession(asset: urlAsset,
presetName: AVAssetExportPresetMediumQuality) {
exportSession.outputURL = outputURL
// Changing the AVFileType enum gives you different options with
// varying size and quality. Just ensure that the file extension
// aligns with your choice
exportSession.outputFileType = AVFileType.mov
exportSession.exportAsynchronously {
switch exportSession.status {
case .unknown: break
case .waiting: break
case .exporting: break
case .completed:
// This code only exists to provide the file size after compression. Should remove this from production code
do {
let data = try Data(contentsOf: outputFileURL)
print("File size after compression: \(Double(data.count / 1048576)) mb")
} catch {
print("Error: \(error)")
}
case .failed: break
case .cancelled: break
}
}
}
}
}
Below is the original answer as written for Swift 3.0:
extension ViewController: AVCaptureFileOutputRecordingDelegate {
func capture(_ captureOutput: AVCaptureFileOutput!, didFinishRecordingToOutputFileAt outputFileURL: URL!, fromConnections connections: [Any]!, error: Error!) {
guard let data = NSData(contentsOf: outputFileURL as URL) else {
return
}
print("File size before compression: \(Double(data.length / 1048576)) mb")
let compressedURL = NSURL.fileURL(withPath: NSTemporaryDirectory() + NSUUID().uuidString + ".m4v")
compressVideo(inputURL: outputFileURL as URL, outputURL: compressedURL) { (exportSession) in
guard let session = exportSession else {
return
}
switch session.status {
case .unknown:
break
case .waiting:
break
case .exporting:
break
case .completed:
guard let compressedData = NSData(contentsOf: compressedURL) else {
return
}
print("File size after compression: \(Double(compressedData.length / 1048576)) mb")
case .failed:
break
case .cancelled:
break
}
}
}
func compressVideo(inputURL: URL, outputURL: URL, handler:#escaping (_ exportSession: AVAssetExportSession?)-> Void) {
let urlAsset = AVURLAsset(url: inputURL, options: nil)
guard let exportSession = AVAssetExportSession(asset: urlAsset, presetName: AVAssetExportPresetMediumQuality) else {
handler(nil)
return
}
exportSession.outputURL = outputURL
exportSession.outputFileType = AVFileTypeQuickTimeMovie
exportSession.shouldOptimizeForNetworkUse = true
exportSession.exportAsynchronously { () -> Void in
handler(exportSession)
}
}
}

Answer 2

Figured it out!
Ok so there were 2 problems: 1 problem was with the videoWriter.finishWritingWithCompletionHandler function call. when this completion block gets executed it DOES NOT MEAN that the video writer has finished writing to the output url. So i had to check if the status was completed before i uploaded the actual video file. It's kind of a hack but this is what i did
videoWriter.finishWritingWithCompletionHandler({() -> Void in
while true
{
if videoWriter.status == .Completed
{
var data = NSData(contentsOfURL: outputURL)!
println("Finished: Byte Size After Compression: \(data.length / 1048576) mb")
Networking().uploadVideo(data, fileName: "Video")
self.dismissViewControllerAnimated(true, completion: nil)
break
}
}
})
The second problem I was having was a Failed status and that was because i kept writing to the same temp directory as shown in the code for the UIImagePickerController didFinishSelectingMediaWithInfo method in my question. So i just used the current date as a directory name so it would be unique.
var uploadUrl = NSURL.fileURLWithPath(NSTemporaryDirectory().stringByAppendingPathComponent("\(NSDate())").stringByAppendingString(".mov"))
[EDIT]: BETTER SOLUTION
Ok so after a lot of experimenting and months later I've found a damn good and much simpler solution for getting a video down from 45 mb down to 1.42 mb with pretty good quality.
Below is the function to call instead of the original convertVideo function. note that i had to write my own completion handler paramater which is called after the asynchronous export has finished. i just called it handler.
func compressVideo(inputURL: NSURL, outputURL: NSURL, handler:(session: AVAssetExportSession)-> Void)
{
var urlAsset = AVURLAsset(URL: inputURL, options: nil)
var exportSession = AVAssetExportSession(asset: urlAsset, presetName: AVAssetExportPresetMediumQuality)
exportSession.outputURL = outputURL
exportSession.outputFileType = AVFileTypeQuickTimeMovie
exportSession.shouldOptimizeForNetworkUse = true
exportSession.exportAsynchronouslyWithCompletionHandler { () -> Void in
handler(session: exportSession)
}
}
And here is the code in the uiimagepickercontrollerDidFinisPickingMediaWithInfo function.
self.compressVideo(inputURL!, outputURL: uploadUrl!, handler: { (handler) -> Void in
if handler.status == AVAssetExportSessionStatus.Completed
{
var data = NSData(contentsOfURL: uploadUrl!)
println("File size after compression: \(Double(data!.length / 1048576)) mb")
self.picker.dismissViewControllerAnimated(true, completion: nil)
}
else if handler.status == AVAssetExportSessionStatus.Failed
{
let alert = UIAlertView(title: "Uh oh", message: " There was a problem compressing the video maybe you can try again later. Error: \(handler.error.localizedDescription)", delegate: nil, cancelButtonTitle: "Okay")
alert.show()
})
}
})

Answer 3

Your conversion method is asynchronous, yet doesn't have a completion block. So how can your code know when the file is ready? Maybe you're using the file before it is been completely written.
The conversion itself also looks strange - audio and video are usually written in parallel, not in series.
Your miraculous compression ratio might indicate that you've written out fewer frames than you actually think.