FFmpegVideoPlayer.Avalonia 2.5.3

FFmpegVideoPlayer.Avalonia

Self-contained FFmpeg video player for Avalonia UI.

Installation

Basic Installation (Video Only)

dotnet add package FFmpegVideoPlayer.Avalonia

The core package works without any additional dependencies. Audio playback is optional.

FFmpeg Binaries

By default, the NuGet package includes FFmpeg binaries for Windows x64 and macOS ARM64. However, you can:

1. Use your own FFmpeg binaries (recommended to avoid conflicts):

   // In Program.cs or before creating VideoPlayerControl
   FFmpegInitializer.Initialize(customPath: @"C:\ffmpeg\bin", useBundledBinaries: false);
   

2. Disable bundled binaries to reduce package size:

   FFmpegInitializer.Initialize(useBundledBinaries: false);
   // Will search system PATH and common installation locations
   

3. Use bundled binaries (default behavior):

   FFmpegInitializer.Initialize(); // Uses bundled binaries if available
   

Priority order when initializing:

1. Custom path (if provided) - highest priority
2. Bundled binaries (if useBundledBinaries=true and present)
3. System discovery (PATH, common installation locations)

With Audio Support (Optional)

To enable audio playback, also install the OpenTK audio package:

dotnet add package FFmpegVideoPlayer.Audio.OpenTK

Then set the AudioPlayerFactory property on VideoPlayerControl:

using FFmpegVideoPlayer.Audio.OpenTK;
using FFmpegVideoPlayer.Core;

// In your window/control initialization
VideoPlayer.AudioPlayerFactory = (sampleRate, channels) => 
    AudioPlayerFactory.Create(sampleRate, channels);

If AudioPlayerFactory is not set (or set to null), the player will work in video-only mode without crashing.

Troubleshooting Audio Issues

If audio is not working, check the following:

1. OpenAL Native Libraries (Windows): OpenTK 4.x does not bundle OpenAL native libraries on Windows. You need to install OpenAL Soft separately:

   • Download the Windows installer from OpenAL Soft Downloads
   • Install it system-wide (places openal32.dll in System32)
   • OR copy openal32.dll to your application's output directory
   • The AudioPlayerFactory.Create() method will return null if OpenAL is not available, allowing the player to continue in video-only mode

2. Error Handling: The AudioPlayerFactory.Create() method returns null if initialization fails, allowing the player to continue in video-only mode. Check debug output for detailed error messages.

3. Sample Rate/Format: Ensure your media file has a supported audio format. The player will automatically resample to stereo S16 format.

4. Alternative Solutions:

   • If you cannot install OpenAL system-wide, you can download openal32.dll from OpenAL Soft and place it in your application's output directory (next to your .exe)
   • For distribution, include openal32.dll with your application

Try the Example

git clone https://github.com/jojomondag/FFmpegVideoPlayer.Avalonia.git
cd FFmpegVideoPlayer.Avalonia/examples/FFmpegVideoPlayerExample
dotnet run

FFmpegMediaPlayer API

Properties

Methods

Events

Custom Icons

The player uses standard Avalonia shapes for icons by default (no Material.Icons dependency). To use custom icons, implement IIconProvider:

public class MyIconProvider : IIconProvider
{
    public Geometry CreatePlayIcon() => /* your custom geometry */;
    public Geometry CreatePauseIcon() => /* your custom geometry */;
    // ... implement other methods
}

// Then set it on the control
VideoPlayer.IconProvider = new MyIconProvider();

Dependencies

Required

• Avalonia (11.3.6+) - UI framework
• FFmpegVideoPlayer.Core - Core player logic (included)

Optional

• FFmpegVideoPlayer.Audio.OpenTK - Audio playback support (optional, video-only mode works without it)
• Material.Icons.Avalonia - Not required. Icons use standard Avalonia shapes by default.

Platform Support

Note: Bundled binaries are optional. You can use your own FFmpeg installation by providing a customPath to FFmpegInitializer.Initialize(). This avoids conflicts with other libraries and reduces package size.

License

MIT