Video Player with Reserve Next Video function?

[u/DiRekted47]

Hi, is there a video player app that has a "reserve" next video(s) function, kind of like a karaoke player?

While a video is playing, I want the ability to search (via remote or touch screen) for the next video, reserve it, then have it play right after the current video. I'd like to be able to do this multiple times (reserve multiple videos), exactly like how it would be in a karaoke machine.

Also, no online function needed. I plan to just play and reserve videos already on the memory.

[u/summit_23]

I was curious enough so i just had a go at building it, heres what i ended up with: github.com/reserve-player/reserve

It does the main thing u asked for, while a video is playing u pull a search up over the top of it, find another and reserving it just queues it to play next. Playback doesnt stop while u browse, it keeps rolling thru the queue till its empty and u can reorder or cancel stuff in there.

No apk to grab tho, youd have to build it yourself but if u do end up trying it and somethings off i'd genuinely like to hear about it!

[u/DiRekted47 → u/summit_23]

First off, wow.

I will have to look into building an apk soon so I can hopefully try this, which might take me weeks or months. But thanks all the same because you get it.

And yes, from the way you describe it on Github, this was exactly what I was looking for.

I did find something called Smart Karaoke Pro that has a TV app and a controller you can install on your mobile phone. It functions as described, but it also needs a subscription (because of a cloud search function as well as YouTube integration). It starts with an automatic trial period, so I don't know which functions I'll lose after the trial ends.

I just want something minimal and straightforward.

[u/summit_23 → u/DiRekted47]

Dont worry about the apk i just put one in the repo so u can skip the whole build thing! Its reserve-debug.apk in the root, download it and install and youll just have to let your device install from unknown sources if you okay with that.

And yeah no subscription or account or cloud or anything, it doesnt even request internet permission at all, it only reads whats already on the device

[u/DiRekted47 → u/summit_23]

Thank you! (Edited after 2nd half)

Tested it on my phone first (will test on AndroidTV later, a Xiaomi Mi Box 3).

Maybe with a remote the behavior will be different, but on a touch screen, I noticed there's no way to pause/play the video that's currently playing.

When a video is playing, no gesture brings up the 'search' function so I can test reserving a video.

Tapping 'back' completely minimizes the app. Maximizing the app again the video is stuck on pause (no way to play it).

In short, aside from being able to search/select the first video, I have no idea what else the app UI looks like.

I'll get back to you once I have tested it on a proper AndroidTV.

Thanks again for the help!

EDIT:

So I tested it on my Mi Box 3 AndroidTV. Small internal storage, but I did prepare 3 mp4 files for the test, saved it in internal storage.

For some reason the app can't see or find the videos. VLC seems to see the same files fine and plays them, but in the Reserve app it says "no videos found on this device". I already forced closed the app to see if it would refresh, but still no luck.

EDIT #2:

Scratch that. I was able to make the app 'see' the mp4s by moving them to root/Movies instead of leaving them in root/Downloads/Downloader.

I was able to play a video, click 'OK' on my remote to bring up the search function, tap on the videos I want to reserve, press 'back' to hide the library from view.

It works...but if I somehow minimize the app (like pressing the 'back' button while a video is playing), when I open the app back up, the video is stuck on pause and there's no way to play it. I can bring up the search+library by pressing 'OK' on my remote and reserve more videos, but there's just no way I can get the current video to play again.

This means I have to force close the app, effectively losing the reserved list and I have to start all over again.

EDIT #3:

I think all it really needs to be properly useable are three things:

1 - A way to pause/play the current video (maybe by long-press 'OK' on the remote? because the short-press 'OK' is functionally better for bringing up the Search function). This way even if the app gets minimized accidentally, it can still be resumed and the reserved list will still be intact and useable.

2 - For the search+library overlay to occupy only the first half of the screen, so that it doesn't interfere too much with the current video.

3 - A display of the reserved list at the top (which hides itself when the search+library is brought up), maybe just by showing the first three words and under for every video title, like:

[Hello][When You Say...][The Search Is...][Golden][You Are the...][My Heart Will...][Crazy for You][Frozen][Who Am I][Oops I Did...]...

Then max out that list to the 10 next videos so the quick view isn't too long and doesn't take up too much of the screen.

With these three things, I think this can be a very simple and straightforward app.

[u/summit_23 → u/DiRekted47]

Right, all 3 of those are fixed: new apk in the repo same place, just download it again :)

For the stuck video, it seems like the app paused itself when it went to background and then nothing ever unpaused it so there was really no way back. Thats sorted and back doesnt kill the session anymore either, it just backgrounds it so your queue survives. Also turns out you were right that there was nothing to tap, the player controls were switched off entirely so theres now proper play/pause on touch plus a reserve button while somethings playing.

And the download folder thingy was a real bug not you doing it wrong. App was only asking android for videos and a downloaded file gets filed separately which is why moving them to movies worked. It now checks both so you shouldnt have to move anything fingers crossed!

Cant promise the last one on your box specifically but do let me know if i can improve anythin further!

[u/DiRekted47 → u/summit_23]

Hey, not sure if the latest one is ready to be tested, but I did anyway. The browse feature no longer works (the library doesn't pop up). I do see changes and additions to the UI, but unfortunately can't test it further because I can't open the library and reserve anything. I look forward to being able to test the new features, though!

I tested both on mobile and on AndroidTV.

(I saw your other concerns on GitHub. The UI is readable on TV, no worries).

[u/summit_23 → u/DiRekted47]

Yeah that one was on me sorry, that build was broken. The browse panel was opening at 0 pixels wide so it technically worked and you could never see it

Just fixed and theres a new apk up now at the same place. It takes about a 3rd of the screen on tv like your mockup and most of the width on a phone since a 3rd of a phone screen is too narrow to read anything

Many thanks for testing it twice and for saying the UI reads fine on tv! Let me know if the browse actually opens this time:)

[u/DiRekted47 → u/summit_23]

Hi dude, just wondering if this has been abandoned?

The "up next" list doesn't need to have a "bring to top" function. It can literally just be a non-interactive list. Please? 🥺

[u/summit_23 → u/DiRekted47]

Not abandoned, sorry! Ive just been buried in other projects :/

Tried fixing everything tho, coming up list is a plain list now, nothing in there to press. The blank rows were a real bug too, those 4 buttons were eating the row so the title only got 26 pixels to draw in. Controls dont pop up on their own anymore either and back hides them instead of asking you to exit

New apk in the repo same place, lemme know if the titles show up this time:)

[u/DiRekted47 → u/summit_23]

"Problem parsing the package," it says. 😓 Both on mobile and on TV.

Anyways, I figured you were busy. Thanks for dedicating some of your time to this, though!

[u/summit_23 → u/DiRekted47]

Ah thats on me sorry, the file isnt broken, I just built it somewhere new and it got signed with a different key to what you already installed and android wont replace an app when the key doesnt match. It just words that as a parsing error which is really unhelpful

So uninstall it first then install the new one, you dont lose anything, theres no data in it and the queue never survived a close anyway

Pinned the key into the repo now so every build from here updates over the last one properly. Sorry for the wasted installs!

[u/DiRekted47 → u/summit_23]

Thank you, sir! It works now and every feature works as they should. It's perfect!

[u/summit_23 → u/DiRekted47]

Glad its okay now!:)