getUserMedia Implementation Roadmap

Moved here from Media/getUserMedia; much of this page is out-of-date.

Goal

• Need UI for desktop -- Done

• Implement getUserMedia on Desktop, then Android, then B2G -- Implemented on Desktop, defaults to enabled in FF20 and FF21

• Needed to unblock WebRTC

• Includes the following uses of getUserMedia:

  getUserMedia({picture: true}, onsuccess(Blob blob), onerror);

  getUserMedia({video: true, audio: true}, 
               function (MediaStream stream) { video.mozSrcObject = stream; },
               function (err) { dump("mozGetUserMedia error: " + err); } );

• Appropriate permission, notification and status UIs. - done

Phase 1

• Implement image capture {picture:true} API
  • Android: bug 738528 [Anant]
  • B2G: bug 749886 [Fabrice]

• Define common abstraction "MediaEngine" for device access across multiple platforms.
  • Cross-platform: bug 750943 [Suhas/Anant]
    • (crypt's version in bug 739566)

• Define "chrome" extensions to MediaStreams for privileged JS code (and B2G's) use. This includes CameraControl features (https://wiki.mozilla.org/WebAPI/CameraControl).
  • B2G: bug 752352 [Fabrice]

• Implement a fallback backend for MediaEngine (when hardware support not available, returnMediaStream with white noise, for example).
  • Cross-platform: bug 752351 [Anant]

• Write DOM bindings for getUserMedia (backed with Fallback MediaEngine).
  • Cross-platform: bug 752353 [Anant]
    • (split code from bug 691234 into this one)
    • Dependent on MediaStreams need Notify callbacks:
      • Cross-platform: bug 759908

• Implement MediaEngine backend
  • B2G: bug 740997 [Fabrice] (based on Gonk)

Phase 2

• Define "chrome" extensions to MediaStreams for privileged JS code use. This includes CameraControl features .
  • Android and Desktop: bug(s) to be created

• Implement MediaEngine backends:
  • Android: bug ??? (either based on Android NDK/SDK, or, webrtc.org code).
  • Desktop: bug 691234 [Anant] (based on webrtc.org code).

• Implement image capture {picture:true} API
  • Desktop: bug 749887 [???]
    • (bug 692955 tracking <input> on Desktop, reuse possible. bug 748835 tracking UI).

Phase 3

• Implement permissions, notification & status UI
  • Android: bug 749881
  • B2G: bug 749882
  • Desktop: bug 729522 and bug 748835 -- since the camera/mic UI for WebRTC and Camera API are becoming almost the same, these bugs may now be duplicates [???]

Once UI lands, getUserMedia may be pref'ed on.

Phase 4 and beyond

• Implement file backend for MediaEngine.
• Refactor getUserMedia{picture:true} implementations to use MediaEngine + privileged MediaStreams and CameraControl APIs.