Firebase Storage Video Streaming

I'm working on an app that has video streaming functionality. I'm using firebase database and firebase storage. I'm trying to find some documentation on how firebase storage handles video files, but can't really find much.

There's mentioning in the docs that firebase storage works with other google app services to allow for CDN and video streaming, but all searches seem to lead to a dead end. Any advice?

I think there are several types of video streaming, which could change our answer here:

• Live streaming (subscribers are watching as an event happens)
• Youtube style (post a video and end users watch at their convenience)

Having built a live streaming Periscope style app using Firebase Storage and the Firebase Realtime Database, I pretty strongly recommend against it--we uploaded three second chunks and synced them via the Realtime Database. While it worked (surprisingly well), there was ~5 second latency over very good internet, and it also wasn't the most efficient solution (after all, you're uploading and storing that video, plus there wasn't any transcoding). I recommend using some WebRTC style, built for video transport, and using the Realtime Database for signaling along side the stream.

On the other side, it's definitely possible to build mobile YT on Firebase features. The trick here is going to be transcoding the video (using something like Zencoder or Bitmovin, more here: https://cloud.google.com/solutions/media/) to chop up your uploaded video into smaller chunks of different resolutions (and different formats, iOS requires HLS for streaming, for instance). You client can store chunk information in the Realtime Database (chunk name, resolutions available, number of chunks), and can download said chunks from Storage as the video progresses.

If you want to steam a video from Firebase Storage, this is the best way I found. This will depend on the size of your video file. I'm only requesting 10-30mb files so this solution works good for me. Just treat the Firebase Url as a regular url:

String str = "fire_base_video_URL";
Uri uri = Uri.parse(str);

videoViewLandscape.setVideoURI(uri);
progressBarLandScape.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
videoViewLandscape.requestFocus();
videoViewLandscape.start();

If you want to loop the video:

videoViewLandscape.setOnPreparedListener(new MediaPlayer.OnPreparedListener() {
    @Override
    public void onPrepared(MediaPlayer mp) {
        mp.setLooping(true);
    }
});

And if you want to show a progress bar before the video starts do this:

videoViewLandscape.setOnInfoListener(new MediaPlayer.OnInfoListener() {
    @Override
    public boolean onInfo(MediaPlayer mp, int what, int extra) {
        if (what == MediaPlayer.MEDIA_INFO_BUFFERING_END) {
            progressBarLandScape.setVisibility(View.GONE);
            return true;
        }
        else if(what == MediaPlayer.MEDIA_INFO_BUFFERING_START){
            progressBarLandScape.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
            return true;
        }
        return false;
    }
});

This is not the best way of doing things but it works for me for now until I can find a good video streaming service.

2020: Yes, firebase storage video streaming is easy and possible.

All other questions suggest that you use a protocol like HLS. However, this is only necessary if you develop an app for the Apple AppStore that serves videos that are longer than 10 minutes.

In all other cases, you can simply encode your videos in mp4 and upload them to firebase. Your clients can then stream the mp4 without a problem. Just make sure that your moov atom is at the beginning of your mp4 file. This allows to start playing the video immediately, even if it is not fully loaded. Users can also skip ahead or go back thanks to variable bit requests which are supported by firebase storage.

To test it, just upload a video to your firebase storage and open it in your browser.

You can host HLS videos on Firebase Cloud Storage. It works pretty well for me. The trick is to modify the playlist .m3u8 files to contain the storage folder prefix, and the ?alt=media suffix for each file entry in the playlist:

#EXTM3U
#EXT-X-VERSION:3
#EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:3
#EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:0
#EXTINF:2.760000,
<folder_name>%2F1_fileSequence_0.ts?alt=media
#EXT-X-ENDLIST

You also don't really have to use server-side transcoding, you can have the client who uploads the video do it, and save considerable costs.

I've written a full tutorial with source code here: https://itnext.io/how-to-make-a-serverless-flutter-video-sharing-app-with-firebase-storage-including-hls-and-411e4fff68fa