iPhone Stream Recording won't play video

[Taylor]

Hi

We've found an issue regarding iPhone Xs where, after doing a stream recording and playing it back, sometimes the video is frozen and is orientated differently to how it was recorded (audio stream continues to play).

We would go to our hosted WCS Stream Recording demo page and record a video on the iPhone, always keeping the phone orientated upright (Portrait orientation). When playing back the video there's a chance (roughly 50%) that the video's first 2-3 frames are recorded in Landscape (everything rotated 90 degrees) and then freezes while audio continues to play.

Interestingly this only happens on our WCS. When testing it out on https://wcs5-eu.flashphoner.com:8888 I've been unable to replicate the issue.

I'm not quite sure why it's like this on our server. I would be very grateful if you can help us out.

Device/Browser: iPhone Xs (14.3) - Safari

WCS Version: 5.2.859-77d5933902d265bb404f909624a86b50c8e262ec

Flashphoner Properties:

ws.port=80
wss.port=443
stream_record_policy_template={streamName}
periodic_fir_request=true

WCS-Core Properties:

-Xms2g -Xmx2g
-XX:+UseConcMarkSweepGC
-XX:NewSize=256m

 

[Max]

Good day.
We cannot reproduce the issue on iPhone 7, iOS 14.0.1.
But there is a similar issue in iOS Safari browser: it stops sending video packets when is turned right to 90 degrees from portrait to landscape orientation. Please try to lock orientation in iOS Control center and check if the problem is reproduced.

 

[Taylor]

Hi Max

Unfortunately the problem is still reproducible after locking orientation in the control center.

Interestingly on our iPhone it continues to send video packets, even after we deliberately rotate the iPhone. The problem is that on some browsers and video players whenever the orientation changes, thus changing the video dimensions, it sees that as corruption and cannot play past that point, including iOS Safari browser.

I've confirmed the video packets got sent through and saved by playing these videos in the Chrome browser as it can handle the dimensions changing.

Additional:
I've also tested this on iPad (6th generation), iOS 14.2, and can't reproduce the same issue on iPhone, lending more to the possibility that it's exclusively iPhone Xs with the problem.

 

[Max]

We've tested on iPhone7, iOS 14.3 also, and can't reproduce the problem. Seems like it's specific for iPhone Xs.