Java-client: Android Screen-recording not working as expected if the duration of run is lesser than the default or set timelimit

[PavithraNavaneeth]

Description

Android Screenrecording generates zero duration video file; if the test duration is lesser than default recording time limit or set time limit.

Environment

• java client - 6.1.0 & 7.0.0
• Appium server version: 1.10.0
• Desktop OS/version used to run Appium if necessary: Executed in MAC 10.13.6
• Node.js version (unless using Appium.app|exe) or Appium CLI or Appium.app|exe: 11.5.0
• Mobile platform/version under test: Tested against Android 8.1, 9.0
• Real device or emulator/simulator: Same behaviour observed in both

Details

Scenario 1:
Test duration: 60 seconds
Use driver.startRecordingScreen (without any options; default time limit 180 seconds)
Actual result: It generates zero duration mp4 file

Scenario 2:
Test Duration: 60 seconds
Use driver.startRecordingScreen (with time limit option say 150 or 200 seconds)
Actual result: It generates zero duration mp4 file

Scenario 3:
Test Duration: 200 seconds
Use driver.startRecordingScreen (with time limit option say 200 seconds)
When test fails in between say at 70th second or so.
Actual result: It generates zero duration mp4 file

Ecxeption stacktraces

No exceptions or error thrown

Code

driver.startRecordingScreen (without any options)
driver..startRecordingScreen(
new AndroidStartScreenRecordingOptions().withTimeLimit(Duration.ofSeconds(200)));

String video =driver.stopRecordingScreen();
byte[] decode = Base64.getDecoder().decode(video);
String fileName = "AndroidRego.mp4";
String finalPath = "./file-screenshots/"+fileName;
FileUtils.writeByteArrayToFile(new File(finalPath), decode);

Appium logs

Start Recording logs:
[HTTP] --> POST /wd/hub/session/fd449506-2a61-4214-ba69-c72eaea8eb5f/appium/start_recording_screen
[HTTP] {"options":{"timeLimit":200}}
[debug] [W3C (fd449506)] Calling AppiumDriver.startRecordingScreen() with args: [{"timeLimit":200},"fd449506-2a61-4214-ba69-c72eaea8eb5f"]
[debug] [ADB] Device API level: 28
[debug] [ADB] Device API level: 28
[debug] [ADB] Getting all processes with screenrecord
[debug] [ADB] Running '/Users/navanepa/Library/Android/sdk/platform-tools/adb -P 5037 -s emulator-5554 shell ps'
[AndroidDriver] Screen recording has not been previously started by Appium. There is nothing to stop
[debug] [ADB] Getting all processes with screenrecord
[debug] [ADB] Running '/Users/navanepa/Library/Android/sdk/platform-tools/adb -P 5037 -s emulator-5554 shell ps'
[debug] [ADB] Building screenrecord process with the command line: adb -P 5037 -s emulator-5554 shell screenrecord --time-limit 180 /sdcard/1548290374842.mp4
[debug] [ADB] Running '/Users/navanepa/Library/Android/sdk/platform-tools/adb -P 5037 -s emulator-5554 shell ls /sdcard/1548290374842.mp4'
[debug] [ADB] Running '/Users/navanepa/Library/Android/sdk/platform-tools/adb -P 5037 -s emulator-5554 shell ls /sdcard/1548290374842.mp4'
[debug] [W3C (fd449506)] Responding to client with driver.startRecordingScreen() result: ""
[HTTP] <-- POST /wd/hub/session/fd449506-2a61-4214-ba69-c72eaea8eb5f/appium/start_recording_screen 200 446 ms - 12
[HTTP]

Stop Recording Logs:

[HTTP] --> POST /wd/hub/session/fd449506-2a61-4214-ba69-c72eaea8eb5f/appium/stop_recording_screen
[HTTP] {}
[debug] [W3C (fd449506)] Calling AppiumDriver.stopRecordingScreen() with args: [null,"fd449506-2a61-4214-ba69-c72eaea8eb5f"]
[debug] [ADB] Device API level: 28
[debug] [ADB] Getting all processes with screenrecord
[debug] [ADB] Running '/Users/navanepa/Library/Android/sdk/platform-tools/adb -P 5037 -s emulator-5554 shell ps'
[debug] [ADB] Running '/Users/navanepa/Library/Android/sdk/platform-tools/adb -P 5037 -s emulator-5554 pull /sdcard/1548290374842.mp4 /var/folders/xm/cn411d9507970l9859c5snrjpjkmh4/T/2019024-25067-1h3x4w9.4777f/1548290374842.mp4'
[debug] [ADB] Running '/Users/navanepa/Library/Android/sdk/platform-tools/adb -P 5037 -s emulator-5554 shell rm -rf /sdcard/1548290374842.mp4'
[debug] [AndroidDriver] The size of the resulting screen recording is 17.58 MB
[debug] [W3C (fd449506)] Responding to client with driver.stopRecordingScreen() result: "AAAAGGZ0eXBtcDQyAAAAAGlzb21tcDQyAAAMd2ZyZWUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...
[HTTP] <-- POST /wd/hub/session/fd449506-2a61-4214-ba69-c72eaea8eb5f/appium/stop_recording_screen 200 630 ms - 24583344
[HTTP]

[hemantbanafal]

I am also facing this problem for [email protected] and [email protected] but its perfectly working fine for android in [email protected]. But in [email protected] ios video is not playable :(

[hemantbanafal]

@mykola-mokhnach Could you please help us in this issue? Video file recorded with [email protected]+ is not playable. I can only see one change between [email protected] and higher versions is - Recording is not getting stopped before pulling the file from emulator. In [email protected] it kills the screenrecording process before pulling the file.

[xibalba88]

I'm also facing the same problem
Appium version 1.12.1
Android version 8.1+
Works as expected on Android 8.0
_edit_
real devices

[KazuCocoa]

@hemantbanafal
Did _not playable_ mean you could not see it by VLC media player?
Quick Time cannot play correctly even if the format is correct, sometimes.

---

@xibalba88
Was that real device?
I was able to get playable video on Android 8.1 and 9.0 emulator.
The code was https://github.com/appium/ruby_lib_core/blob/fd2cbde5466a144ce8dccfc6cf330b969bcc8fd3/test/functional/android/android/mjpeg_server_test.rb , and I increased the duration over 60 sec.
Appium was current master and 1.12.1.

[KazuCocoa]

ah, sorry, this is not appium repo...
(mine said just this was probably not appium server issue)

[xibalba88]

@KazuCocoa

@xibalba88
Was that real device?

All real devices: Android 9.0 - Pixel, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3 XL, Samsung S9; Android 8.1 - Nexus 5X

[hemantbanafal]

@KazuCocoa

@xibalba88
Was that real device?

All real devices: Android 9.0 - Pixel, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3 XL, Samsung S9; Android 8.1 - Nexus 5X

Have you tried with the beta version. For me it is fixed with the beta version but i have tried only on emulators. Here is the fix : https://github.com/appium/appium/issues/11276

[KazuCocoa]

Appium calls https://developer.android.com/studio/command-line/adb#screenrecord to get screen video.
You can make sure the devices can get screen video correctly.
https://github.com/appium/appium-adb/blob/716d92d39fba87f79f83b404c2143365a1ee6a53/lib/tools/adb-commands.js#L1674 is the args.
If the command does not work well, the root cause is probably the devices.
(And full log is also helpful to assume the cause.)

[xibalba88]

Thanks for the advice @hemantbanafal

Retested with 1.13.0-beta.3 and the issue is resolved there!