Android MediaRecorder - "start failed: -19"

Question

I'm trying to create a video recorder on Android, and I've prepared my code which is supposed to be working - but I constantly get an error message start failed: -19.

Here's my code:

public boolean startRecording() {
    try {
        camera.unlock();
        mediaRecorder = new MediaRecorder();
        mediaRecorder.setOnErrorListener(new MediaRecorder.OnErrorListener() {

                @Override
                public void onError(MediaRecorder mr, int what, int extra) {
                Log.i(TAG, "Error");
            }
        });

        mediaRecorder.setCamera(camera);
        mediaRecorder.setAudioSource(MediaRecorder.AudioSource.MIC);
        mediaRecorder.setVideoSource(MediaRecorder.VideoSource.CAMERA);
        Log.i(TAG, "a");

        mediaRecorder.setOutputFormat(MediaRecorder.OutputFormat.THREE_GPP);
        mediaRecorder.setAudioEncoder(MediaRecorder.AudioEncoder.DEFAULT);
        mediaRecorder.setVideoEncoder(MediaRecorder.VideoEncoder.H263);
        Log.i(TAG, "b");

        mediaRecorder.setMaxDuration(maxDurationInMs); // set to 20000

        String uniqueOutFile = OUTPUT_FILE + System.currentTimeMillis() + ".3gp";
        File outFile = new File(uniqueOutFile);
        if (outFile.exists()) {
            outFile.delete();
        }
        mediaRecorder.setOutputFile(uniqueOutFile);
        mediaRecorder.setVideoFrameRate(videoFramesPerSecond); // set to 20
        mediaRecorder.setVideoSize(sView.getWidth(), sView.getHeight());
        Log.i(TAG, "c");

        mediaRecorder.setPreviewDisplay(holder.getSurface());
        mediaRecorder.setMaxFileSize(maxFileSizeInBytes); // set to 50000
        mediaRecorder.prepare();
        Log.i(TAG, "d");

        mediaRecorder.start();
        Log.i(TAG, "e");

        return true;
        } catch (IllegalStateException e) {
            Log.i(TAG, "f");
            Log.e(TAG, e.getMessage());
            e.printStackTrace();
            camera.lock();
            return false;
        } catch (IOException e) {
            Log.i(TAG, "g");
            Log.e(TAG, e.getMessage());
            e.printStackTrace();
            camera.lock();
            return false;
        } catch (RuntimeException e) {
            Log.i(TAG, "h");
            Log.e(TAG, e.getMessage());
            camera.lock();
            return false;
        }
    }

All the debug logs (from "a" through "d") are printed in log, so it seems that all the steps upto mediaRecorder.prepare() are properly done. Then it catches a RuntimeException with message start failed: -19. There is a similar question, but that doesn't solve my problem.

Is there any other reason to get such an error?

Answer 1

Just found out the bug, in this line:

mediaRecorder.setVideoSize(sView.getWidth(), sView.getHeight());

after commenting out this line, the code runs perfectly!