title: Can't play any video with any technique : android
body: <p>First time working with video on Android.. All code samples I have tried to use render a "can't play this video" message.</p>
  
  <p>Here is one implementation I have been trying:</p>
  
  <pre><code>public class MainActivity extends Activity {
  
   protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState){
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
  
    Uri.parse("http://www.boisestatefootball.com/sites/default/files/videos/original/01%20-%20coach%20pete%20bio_4.mp4");
  
    VideoView mVideoView  = (VideoView)findViewById(R.id.VideoView);
    mVideoView.setMediaController(new MediaController(this));       
    mVideoView.setVideoURI(uri);
    mVideoView.requestFocus();
    mVideoView.start();
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>activity_main.xml</p>
  
  <pre><code>&lt;RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
      xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
      android:layout_width="fill_parent"
      android:layout_height="fill_parent"
      tools:context="com.example.moviedemo.MainActivity" &gt;
  
      &lt;VideoView 
           android:layout_height="fill_parent"
           android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
           android:id="@+id/VideoView" /&gt;
  &lt;/RelativeLayout&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I also tried this one: <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/9765989/streaming-video-with-videoview">Streaming video with videoview</a></p>
  
  <p>and a couple other solutions like those here: <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6040226/play-video-file-in-android">How to play a video file in android?</a></p>
  
  <p>but the result is the same each time. I also tried putting the video from this post: <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3263736/playing-a-video-in-videoview-in-android">Playing a video in VideoView in Android</a> into my assets folder and loading it from there, but I got the same message. (EDIT: This video file isn't compatible with new Androids, but the one in the URI definitely is)</p>
  
  <p>The two videos I've been testing with have both come from sample android code, so I know it can't be a formatting issue. Is there something else that is needed to get a video playing?</p>