MPMoviewPlayerController fullscreen playback rotation with underlying UIViewController with portrait mode only (rotation disallowed)

Question

Hallo,

I have a simple application, which does contain UITabBarController with two UIViewControllers. Both UIViewControllers are portrait only (no rotation allowed).

Answer 1

Hi all I had same problem I resolved it -

Here is my complete code....

You need to first change in appdelegate:

-(NSUInteger)application:(UIApplication *)application supportedInterfaceOrientationsForWindow:(UIWindow *)window
{
if ([[[NowPlaying sharedManager] playerViewController] allowRotation])//Place your condition here
{
    return UIInterfaceOrientationMaskAll;
}
return UIInterfaceOrientationMaskPortrait;
}

Register Notifications for the full screen control:

[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] addObserver:self selector:@selector(moviePlayerWillEnterFullscreenNotification:)
                                             name:MPMoviePlayerWillEnterFullscreenNotification
                                           object:nil];

[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] addObserver:self selector:@selector(moviePlayerWillExitFullscreenNotification:)
                                             name:MPMoviePlayerWillExitFullscreenNotification
                                           object:nil];

Then add line of code in the player controller:

- (void)moviePlayerWillEnterFullscreenNotification:(NSNotification *)notification
{
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^
               {
                   self.allowRotation = YES;
               });
}



- (void)moviePlayerWillExitFullscreenNotification:(NSNotification *)notification
{
self.allowRotation = NO;
[self.moviePlayerController setControlStyle:MPMovieControlStyleNone];

dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^
               {

                   //Managing GUI in pause condition
                       if (self.currentContent.contentType == TypeVideo && self.moviePlayerController.playbackState == MPMoviePlaybackStatePaused)
                   {
                       [self.moviePlayerController pause];
                       if (self.playButton.selected)
                           self.playButton.selected = NO;
                   }
                   self.view.transform = CGAffineTransformMakeRotation(0);
                   [[UIApplication sharedApplication] setStatusBarOrientation:UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait];
                   self.view.bounds = CGRectMake(0, 0, [UIScreen mainScreen].bounds.size.width, [UIScreen mainScreen].bounds.size.height);
               });
}

This code is tested in iOS6 and iOS7 working fine. Thanks

Please let me know if there is any question.....

Answer 2

The MPMoviePlayerViewController has its own function to present videos modally:

NSURL *videoURL = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:video.path];
moviePlayer = [[MPMoviePlayerController alloc] initWithContentURL:videoURL];

//Calls for movie playback once video is finished
[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] addObserver:self
                                         selector:@selector(moviePlayBackDidFinish:)
                                             name:MPMoviePlayerPlaybackDidFinishNotification
                                           object:moviePlayer];
playerView = [[MPMoviePlayerViewController alloc]init];
[moviePlayer setControlStyle:MPMovieControlStyleFullscreen];
[playerView setView:moviePlayer.view];

[moviePlayer.view setFrame: self.view.bounds];  
[self presentMoviePlayerViewControllerAnimated:playerView];

[moviePlayer play];
NSLog(@"playing video view");

Answer 3

You can try to present new UIViewController (with shouldAutorotate YES) modally and add __moviePlayer.view into this controller when it sends MPMoviePlayerWillEnterFullscreenNotification. Do the opposite when moviePlayer exits fullscreen.

Answer 4

Register for MPMoviePlayerWillExitFullscreenNotification and MPMoviePlayerWillEnterFullscreenNotification in app delegate and handle the orientation using an instance variable.

-(void)moviePlayerFullScreen:(NSNotification *)notification
{
    if ([notification.name isEqualToString:@"MPMoviePlayerWillEnterFullscreenNotification"]) {

        self.supportedOrientation=UIInterfaceOrientationMaskAll;

    }
    else if ([notification.name isEqualToString:@"MPMoviePlayerWillExitFullscreenNotification"])
    {
        self.supportedOrientation=UIInterfaceOrientationMaskPortrait;

    }
 }
 - (NSUInteger)application:(UIApplication *)application supportedInterfaceOrientationsForWindow:(UIWindow *)window  {
    return self.supportedOrientation;
}

Answer 5

I have a very similar situation. My app is portrait-only. But I need to show full-screen videos in any orientation, and then get back to the portrait orientation, after the user quits full-screen mode.

Split's method doesn't work for me, because I would like to let user watch the video in fullscreen and embedded, and switch between modes, not loosing the play position, and without any pauses.

I found this workaround:

First, I have a root UINavigationController subclass, that receives all messages regarding rotation.

I forbid the rotation in this controller with:

- (BOOL) shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation: (UIInterfaceOrientation)toInterfaceOrientation {
    return (UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait == toInterfaceOrientation);
}

I am overriding the

- (id) initWithRootViewController:(UIViewController *)rootViewController; method. 

Adding the support for device orientation modifications:

[[UIDevice currentDevice] beginGeneratingDeviceOrientationNotifications];

[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] addObserver: self selector: @selector(receivedRotate:) name: UIDeviceOrientationDidChangeNotification object: nil];

Now I have a handler receivedRotate: - that catches all the device rotations in spite of not auto-rotating to any orientations except portrait:

- (void) receivedRotate:(NSNotification*) notify {
    if(isVideoFullscreen) {
        UIDeviceOrientation toInterfaceOrientation = [[UIDevice currentDevice] orientation];
        [UIView beginAnimations:nil context:NULL];
        [UIView setAnimationDuration:0.4];
        [UIView setAnimationCurve:2];

        if(toInterfaceOrientation == UIInterfaceOrientationLandscapeLeft){
            self.view.transform = CGAffineTransformMakeRotation(-M_PI_2);
            [[UIApplication sharedApplication] setStatusBarOrientation:UIInterfaceOrientationLandscapeLeft];
            self.view.bounds = CGRectMake(0, 0, 1024, 768);
        } else if(toInterfaceOrientation == UIInterfaceOrientationLandscapeRight) {
            self.view.transform = CGAffineTransformMakeRotation(M_PI_2);
            [[UIApplication sharedApplication] setStatusBarOrientation:UIInterfaceOrientationLandscapeRight]; 
            self.view.bounds = CGRectMake(0, 0, 1024, 768);            
        } else if(toInterfaceOrientation == UIInterfaceOrientationPortraitUpsideDown) {
            self.view.transform = CGAffineTransformMakeRotation(M_PI);
            [[UIApplication sharedApplication] setStatusBarOrientation:UIInterfaceOrientationPortraitUpsideDown];
            self.view.bounds = CGRectMake(0, 0, 768, 1024);
        } else if(toInterfaceOrientation == UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait) {
            self.view.transform = CGAffineTransformMakeRotation(0);
            [[UIApplication sharedApplication] setStatusBarOrientation:UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait];
            self.view.bounds = CGRectMake(0, 0, 768, 1024);
        }

        [UIView commitAnimations];
    }

}

I just check the rotations of the device, and rotate my view accordingly.

Then - how do the root controller knows, when the video is fullscreen? Just add two other message handlers to the init:

[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] addObserver:self selector:@selector(willEnterFullscreen:) name:MPMoviePlayerWillEnterFullscreenNotification object:nil];
    [[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] addObserver:self selector:@selector(willExitFullscreen:) name:MPMoviePlayerWillExitFullscreenNotification object:nil];

And the handlers themselves:

- (void) willEnterFullscreen: (NSNotification *) notify {
    isVideoFullscreen = YES;
}

- (void) willExitFullscreen: (NSNotification *) notify {
    self.view.transform = CGAffineTransformMakeRotation(0);
    [[UIApplication sharedApplication] setStatusBarOrientation:UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait];
    self.view.bounds = CGRectMake(0, 0, 768, 1024);    
    isVideoFullscreen = NO;
}

When exiting fullscreen - we restore the portrait orientation. So, this works for me, hope it will help someone.