MediaController positioning over VideoView

Setting the anchor view will only work if the videoview size is known - it will not be upon init. But you can do something like this:

video.setOnPreparedListener(new OnPreparedListener() {
        @Override
        public void onPrepared(MediaPlayer mp) {
            mp.setOnVideoSizeChangedListener(new OnVideoSizeChangedListener() { 
            @Override
            public void onVideoSizeChanged(MediaPlayer mp, int width, int height) {
                /*
                 * add media controller
                 */
                mc = new MediaController(YourActivity.this);
                video.setMediaController(mc);
                /*
                 * and set its position on screen
                 */
                mc.setAnchorView(video);
            }
        });
    }
});

I found really easy solution.

Just wrap the videoView in a FrameLayout then you can add the MediaController to that FrameLayout from code, like this:

    MediaController mc = new MediaController(context);
    videoView.setMediaController(mc);

    FrameLayout.LayoutParams lp = new FrameLayout.LayoutParams(LayoutParams.MATCH_PARENT, LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT);
    lp.gravity = Gravity.BOTTOM;
    mc.setLayoutParams(lp);

    ((ViewGroup) mc.getParent()).removeView(mc);

    ((FrameLayout) findViewById(R.id.videoViewWrapper)).addView(mc);

EDIT: since I posted this answer I ran into a lot of issues with getting it to hide and with controlling its size so what I ended up doing was I just created my own layout with controls that I could animate and work with without headaches

I encounter the same problem recently, using setAnchorView(videoView) will set the controller fully under VideoView instead hovering on the bottom area of it. My VideoView is one third screen in upper area, so the controller end up covering whatever View under VideoView.

Below is the way I end up doing it without writing full-blown custom controller (only overriding onSizeChanged of MediaController to move anchor up) :

Use FrameLayout as an anchor for MediaContoller, wrap it up together with VideoView as below :

<RelativeLayout
    android:id="@+id/videoLayout"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:layout_weight="1.3"
    android:layout_gravity="center"
    android:background="#000000">

    <VideoView
        android:id="@+id/videoView1"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:layout_centerInParent="true" />

    <FrameLayout android:id="@+id/controllerAnchor"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" 
        android:layout_alignParentRight="true" 
        />

</RelativeLayout>

Create custom MediaController that will move FrameLayout up (with MediaController that is anchored to it will follow) when its size changed :

public class MyMediaController extends MediaController
{
    private FrameLayout anchorView;


    public MyMediaController(Context context, FrameLayout anchorView)
    {
        super(context);
        this.anchorView = anchorView;       
    }

    @Override
    protected void onSizeChanged(int xNew, int yNew, int xOld, int yOld)
    {
        super.onSizeChanged(xNew, yNew, xOld, yOld);

        RelativeLayout.LayoutParams lp = (RelativeLayout.LayoutParams) anchorView.getLayoutParams();
        lp.setMargins(0, 0, 0, yNew);

        anchorView.setLayoutParams(lp);
        anchorView.requestLayout();
    }       
}

Use the custom controller above in place of the standard one and then anchor it to the FrameLayout :

protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
{

    //...

    videoView = (VideoView) findViewById(R.id.videoView1);      
    videoController = new MyMediaController(this, (FrameLayout) findViewById(R.id.controllerAnchor));               
    videoView.setMediaController(videoController);      

    //...       
}

public void onPrepared(MediaPlayer mp) 
{
    videoView.start();              

    FrameLayout controllerAnchor = (FrameLayout) findViewById(R.id.controllerAnchor);
    videoController.setAnchorView(controllerAnchor);                
}