I think there are several types of video streaming, which could change our answer here:
Live streaming (subscribers are watching as an event happens)
Youtube style (post a video and end users watch at their convenience)
Having built a live streaming Periscope style app using Firebase Storage and the Firebase Realtime Database, I pretty strongly recommend against it--we uploaded three second chunks and synced them via the Realtime Database. While it worked (surprisingly well), there was ~5 second latency over very good internet, and it also wasn't the most efficient solution (after all, you're uploading and storing that video, plus there wasn't any transcoding). I recommend using some WebRTC style, built for video transport, and using the Realtime Database for signaling along side the stream.
On the other side, it's definitely possible to build mobile YT on Firebase features. The trick here is going to be transcoding the video (using something like Zencoder or Bitmovin, more here: https://cloud.google.com/solutions/media/) to chop up your uploaded video into smaller chunks of different resolutions (and different formats, iOS requires HLS for streaming, for instance). You client can store chunk information in the Realtime Database (chunk name, resolutions available, number of chunks), and can download said chunks from Storage as the video progresses.
If you want to steam a video from Firebase Storage, this is the best way I found. This will depend on the size of your video file. I'm only requesting 10-30mb files so this solution works good for me. Just treat the Firebase Url as a regular url:
String str = "fire_base_video_URL";
Uri uri = Uri.parse(str);
videoViewLandscape.setVideoURI(uri);
progressBarLandScape.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
videoViewLandscape.requestFocus();
videoViewLandscape.start();
You can host HLS videos on Firebase Cloud Storage. It works pretty well for me.
The trick is to modify the playlist .m3u8 files to contain the storage folder prefix, and the ?alt=media suffix for each file entry in the playlist:
If you want to create a YT like app, you can first compress the video, I recommend using this library to manage video compression, i recommend the one in this link. I've manage to compress a video of 118 mg to 6 mg in under 42 seconds. It also has a great demo app, just follow the example.
After you get the compressed file upload the file to Storage, in you client app you will play the video url using a player like Exo Player.
2020: Yes, firebase storage video streaming is easy and possible.
All other questions suggest that you use a protocol like HLS. However, this is only necessary if you develop an app for the Apple AppStore that serves videos that are longer than 10 minutes.
In all other cases, you can simply encode your videos in mp4 and upload them to firebase. Your clients can then stream the mp4 without a problem. Just make sure that your moov atom is at the beginning of your mp4 file. This allows to start playing the video immediately, even if it is not fully loaded.
Users can also skip ahead or go back thanks to variable bit requests which are supported by firebase storage.
To test it, just upload a video to your firebase storage and open it in your browser.
this is my exact implementation for it to start a video playing from storage on firebase as soon as the view is open, and then have the view disappear and then addded a button to click after to replay the video.
I have a demo link with the key so you can see it works. any questions hit me up.
you will just have to create a IBAction if you want the button after the video disappears.
To use firestorage to play videos, all you need is the full url to the video. You then pass this url into a video view or exoplayer. No full download is needed. The videoview will stream the content YT style