Android - MediaRecorder start() throw IllegalStateException

Question

I am working on an App that requires recording a video

Here's my partial code

mRecorder = new MediaRecorder();
mRecorder.setVideoSource(MediaRecorder.VideoSource.CAMERA);
mRecorder.setAudioSource(MediaRecorder.AudioSource.MIC);
mRecorder.setOutputFormat(MediaRecorder.OutputFormat.THREE_GPP);
String mFileName = Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory()
            .getAbsolutePath();
mFileName += "/youraudiofile.3gp";
mSurfaceHolder.getSurface();
mRecorder.setPreviewDisplay(mSurfaceHolder.getSurface());
mRecorder.setOutputFile(mFileName);
mRecorder.setVideoSize(320, 240);
mRecorder.setVideoFrameRate(15);
mRecorder.setVideoEncoder(MediaRecorder.VideoEncoder.H263);
mRecorder.setAudioEncoder(MediaRecorder.AudioEncoder.AMR_NB);
mRecorder.setMaxDuration(30000);
try {
mRecorder.prepare();
mRecorder.start();
} catch (IllegalStateException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}

The above code threw IllegalStateException. I have every permission entered in AndroidManifest.xml , I am very sure there's nothing wrong in AndroidManifest.xml.

I have read several solution but none of them working. How can I solve this problem?

log cat provided below

11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000): FATAL EXCEPTION: main
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000): java.lang.IllegalStateException: Could not execute method of the activity
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    at android.view.View$1.onClick(View.java:3624)
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    at android.view.View.performClick(View.java:4117)
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    at android.view.View$PerformClick.run(View.java:17052)
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:615)
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:92)
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:137)
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:4812)
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:511)
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:789)
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:556)
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000): Caused by: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:511)
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    at android.view.View$1.onClick(View.java:3619)
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    ... 11 more
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000): Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: start failed.
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    at android.media.MediaRecorder.start(Native Method)
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    at com.example.camera2.CameraView.startRecording(CameraView.java:149)
11-09 20:47:39.787: E/AndroidRuntime(29000):    ... 14 more

The modified code as follow, even if the setOutputFormat(), setVideoSource(), setAudioSource() appears just above the if {} , setProfile() will throw a RunTimeException. The following code will throw an IllegalStateException same as the previous log

    mRecorder = new MediaRecorder();

    mRecorder.setVideoSource(MediaRecorder.VideoSource.CAMERA);
    mRecorder.setAudioSource(MediaRecorder.AudioSource.MIC);
    String mFileName = Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory()
            .getAbsolutePath();
    mFileName += "/youraudiofile.3gp";
    mRecorder.setPreviewDisplay(mSurfaceHolder.getSurface());

    if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT < Build.VERSION_CODES.HONEYCOMB) {
        mRecorder.setOutputFormat(MediaRecorder.OutputFormat.DEFAULT);
        mRecorder.setAudioEncoder(MediaRecorder.AudioEncoder.DEFAULT);
        mRecorder.setVideoEncoder(MediaRecorder.VideoEncoder.DEFAULT);
    } else {

        if (! isFrontCamera) {
            CamcorderProfile camcorderProfile = CamcorderProfile.get(CamcorderProfile.QUALITY_HIGH);
            mRecorder.setProfile(camcorderProfile);

        } else {
            CamcorderProfile camcorderProfile = CamcorderProfile.get(findFrontFacingCamera(), CamcorderProfile.QUALITY_LOW);
            mRecorder.setProfile(camcorderProfile);
        }

        mRecorder.setVideoSize(720, 480);
    }
    mRecorder.setVideoFrameRate(15);
    mRecorder.setOutputFile(mFileName);
    mRecorder.setMaxDuration(30000);

    try {
        mRecorder.prepare();
        mRecorder.start();
    } catch (IllegalStateException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    } catch (IOException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }

Answer 1

Try to remove this line and check once..

mRecorder.setVideoSize(320, 240);

some of your settings are not worked befor 3.0 so set them like this..

 if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT < Build.VERSION_CODES.HONEYCOMB) {

        mMediaRecorder.setOutputFormat(MediaRecorder.OutputFormat.DEFAULT);
        mMediaRecorder.setAudioEncoder(MediaRecorder.AudioEncoder.DEFAULT);
        mMediaRecorder.setVideoEncoder(MediaRecorder.VideoEncoder.DEFAULT);

    } else {

        if (! isFrontCamera) {
            CamcorderProfile camcorderProfile = CamcorderProfile.get(CamcorderProfile.QUALITY_HIGH);
            mMediaRecorder.setProfile(camcorderProfile);

        } else {
            CamcorderProfile camcorderProfile = CamcorderProfile.get(mFrontCamId, CamcorderProfile.QUALITY_LOW);
            mMediaRecorder.setProfile(camcorderProfile);
        }

        mMediaRecorder.setVideoSize(720, 480);
    }

Answer 2

Do you have in your manifest these permissions:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_VIDEO" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO" / >