Audio problems with HTML5 since latest Chrome updates on Android

Hi Ashley,

Thank you for your reply. 

For my tests I am using the latest storyline 2 version (on trial at the moment) and the HTML5 output is working corretly on desktop version of chrome (tried also with chrome canary).

It was working right on chrome on Android but seems like one of its latest updates broke something).

I had unfortunately not the opportunity to try on ios/safari yet.

Here I am attaching a story file that you can check. The audio stop being played since 2nd multiple choice slide. 

Just let the movie play until it switches to the next slide (the skip buttons i've added are for debugging purpose, but you can see that if you're using them the audio works on 2nd slide).

Thanks a lot for your help !

Thanks Marc for sharing - what version of Android are you running as well? I tested on Chrome 44 and using Android 4.4 and I saw the same behavior and as you mentioned it only seems to be the latest update of Chrome. I've shared this with our QA team for additional review but I don't have a time frame to offer in regards to when I'll hear back so in the meantime, are you able to revert to an earlier version of Chrome? 

Thanks a lot for your feedback.

I tested it on android 5.0 so it seems it's not related to the android version. I think, like you said,  that it's the latest or one of the latest  version of chrome they pushed on the play store that brought this issue.

Some changes must have been made in the way they handle html5 or audio playback. I tried to find a changelog for the last chrome version but without much success.

I had already removed chrome updates on my test mobile and it works flawlessly. But my concern is that if we're going to use storyline 2 for our projects, we can't really ask people to downgrade their chrome versions :)

Again, thanks a lot for your help!

Thanks Marc - we'll keep you posted here with any additional information or updates but I can't offer a timeframe for that. Perhaps since the buttons you included allow it to work normally you could instruct the users to utilize that button to advance? You could set it at a state of disabled until the media completes or similar. 

Hi all,

Storyline 2 Update 7 was released yesterday and includes a fix for the issue mentioned here. You can read the entire release notes and download the update here.  

Hi Ashley,

Thanks for the update on this issue. Unfortunately, I downloaded and installed the update and re-published a test story. The problem is still present. Have you tested with the story I had attached here ?

Thanks a lot for your help.

Edit: re-attached the sample story file so you can test it on latest chrome on android

Marc

Hi Marc, 

Thanks for reattaching the file - I didn't test that specific file, but ran through it this AM and saw the issue is still present. I've opened up a case on your behalf so that our team can more fully investigate this issue in your particular file, as perhaps it didn't entirely match the issue that was fixed as a part of update 7. You'll be hearing from someone on our Support team shortly. 

Allright, thanks a lot.

Maybe there's something wrong with how I'm doing the things but as it was working with previous versions of chrome on android... I'm a bit lost :)

Correct - and since it works in other environments in the HTML5 output we'll want to take a better look at it. 

Hey Ashley,

same problem. This is thread is 2 months old and even though we have a real big problem!

Google Chrome is supported from articulate: http://en-au.articulate.com/support/storyline-2/system-requirements-for-articulate-storyline-2

(In the system requirements is the latest Chrome Version for android recommended!)

I've already opened a support ticket (#00677439). Miker wrotes that he cannot offer if the problem will be resolved.

If thats true Articulate has to change the  system requirements and the advertisement. All learners of our customers use android devices and it doesn't work.

Evelyn

yes :(

If the problem can't be resolved, Articulate should indeed stop advertising support for html5 export at least for android devices... 

Thanks Marc and Evelyn for sharing those thoughts here - I shared your comments with our QA team so that they're aware of your thoughts here and if I have any additional information to share I'll update here. 

Thank you for your help Ashley!

Hi all,

I just wanted to include an update here regarding the issue with audio stopping while viewing HTML5 output on Android in Chrome 45 or later. Our QA team has continued to investigate this issue and found it's an issue within Google (Issue 518863 here). We've reached out to them in regards to a fix and you can also vote for that issue using the "star" feature. 

Our team is going to continue investigating potential fixes on our end and will also keep you posted here if we hear back from Google. 

Hello Ashley,

thanks for the update! Could you please inform us how we could use the "star" feature?

Regards,

Evelyn

Hi Ashley,

Thanks a lot for the feedback. It looks promising. I hope chrome dev will revert this change or that there is some way to "anti-idle".

I've starred the issue on the issue page.

Evelyn: You can click on the star at the bottom of theissue page to vote for the issue so there is more chance it will be fixed... :)

Thanks Marc!

Hi Evelyn,

Glad Marc was able to chime in here - you'll need to have a Google account to star it...and if you have more than one Google acct. ;-) 

We'll keep you posted here if we hear any other updates from our request to Google and feel free to pass the word along to others who may want to star it. 

Hello @all, hello Ashley,

does anybody has a solution or a workaround for that?

@Ashley: You had written that your team is going to continue investigating potential fixes on storyline end. Please give us an update. Thank you!

Evelyn

Hi Evelyn,

Our team continues to press Google in regards to the issue documented here on their end - but currently we have no updates. If you have a Google account you can also "star" or vote for this issue on their site. 

Our team also is still investigating potential fixes within Storyline - so once I have any additional information to share on our end or if we hear from Google our team will be sure to update the thread. 

Hi, 

I am having issues with sound not playing in Chrome on a Windows 7 PC too, is this the same issue? I'll revert to Flash output for the time being if it is. Sounds just simply does not play on some slides (others fine!) Thanks

Hi Kevin,

It sounds similar to that issue documented on Google's site, and our team continues to look into any other fixes/workarounds in addition to reaching out to Google for additional updates.  

It the sound isn't playing on only some slides, it may be a different issue and I'd look at testing those audio files in brand new file or based on the Google issue if you don't have any activity on the slide is that when the audio stops? If you'd like us to take a look we're also happy to - you can share the .story file here using the "add attachment" button or you can always send along to our Support engineers. 

Hi, the audio plays (In HTML5) version sometimes, and other times not! Some is along with an action being taken others are playing through the entire slide. Playing the Flash version (even in Chrome) has no such issues.  So I'd say its not the story file or the content that's causing the issue, rather the compatibility with Chrome. We've recently implemented Chrome as our browser for all e-learning to avoid crashing issues in Flash with large courses (especially Video) and we're intending to FORCE html5 by editing the Index. HTML file names before uploading to LMS. Sadly due to the audio issues we may have to stick with Flash for the time being.

Understandable Kevin - and if you do want us to take a look, please feel free to let us know. We'll also keep folks posted in this thread in regards to any additional information/updates.