What’s new with Google Solid?

Posted by Meher Vurimi, Product Supervisor

Since we launched Google Solid in 2013, we have been working to carry casting capabilities to extra apps and units. We’ve come a great distance. Now, customers can forged to many new units, like TVs, audio system, good shows, and even the newest Pixel Pill. We’re very excited to launch new options that make it extra seamless to forged on Android.

Output Switcher

Android makes transferring media between numerous units– together with telephones to TVs, tablets, audio system, and good shows–simple with Output Switcher. Output Switcher is definitely accessible from the Android System UI and goals to permit cross-device switch and management in a single place for various technical protocols. With Output Switcher 2.0 on Android U, it’s also possible to see improved quantity management, gadget classes, and help for units with customized protocols.

Extra info will be discovered within the Google Solid developer information and Media router.

• Allow Output Switcher in AndroidManifest.xml

<software>
    ...
    <receiver
         android:title="androidx.mediarouter.media.MediaTransferReceiver"
         android:exported="true">
    </receiver>
    ...
</software>

• Replace SessionManagerListener for background casting

class MyService : Service() {
    personal var castContext: CastContext? = null
    protected enjoyable onCreate() {
        castContext = CastContext.getSharedInstance(this)
        castContext
            .getSessionManager()
            .addSessionManagerListener(sessionManagerListener, 
CastSession::class.java)
    }

    protected enjoyable onDestroy() {
        if (castContext != null) {
            castContext
                .getSessionManager()
                .removeSessionManagerListener(sessionManagerListener, 
CastSession::class.java)
        }
    }
}

• Help Distant-to-Native playback

class MySessionTransferCallback : SessionTransferCallback() {
        enjoyable onTransferring(@SessionTransferCallback.TransferType transferType: 
Int) {
            // Carry out mandatory steps previous to onTransferred
        }

        enjoyable onTransferred(@SessionTransferCallback.TransferType transferType: 
Int,
                          sessionState: SessionState?) {
            if (transferType == SessionTransferCallback.TRANSFER_TYPE_FROM_REMOTE_TO_LOCAL) {
                // Distant stream is transferred to the native gadget.
                // Retrieve info from the SessionState to proceed playback on the native participant.
            }
        }

        enjoyable onTransferFailed(@SessionTransferCallback.TransferType transferType: 
Int,
                             @SessionTransferCallback.TransferFailedReason 
transferFailedReason: Int) {
            // Deal with switch failure.
        }
    }

Solid to units close by

It should quickly be potential to forged to units close by in an entire new approach when you could have a Pixel Professional telephone and a docked Pixel Pill. Customers can switch ongoing music from their Pixel Professional telephone to a docked Pixel Pill simply by bringing the telephone nearer to the docked pill. Equally, they’ll switch the music to their telephone from a docked Pixel Pill simply by holding the telephone nearer to the pill. This function wants Output Switcher integration as a prerequisite.

Solid from short-form video apps

Brief-form content material is extraordinarily well-liked and rising in use. Google Solid could make it simple for customers to observe their favourite short-form content material on TVs or different cast-enabled units. Now, you possibly can simply lengthen Google Solid help into your apps. These are the rules we put collectively to supply an amazing person expertise to your customers.

forged out of your telephone

Be certain that the Google Solid icon is prominently displayed on each display screen with playable content material on the highest proper nook. Customers mechanically perceive they’ll forged media to a TV simply by seeing the Solid icon.

forged with autoplay

Customers may also have an choice to disable autoplay to forged a selected video. When autoplay is enabled, playback mechanically transitions to the subsequent video with none person intervention.

Persistent Solid icon

We have heard suggestions that when customers do not see the forged icon, they assume their Chromecast built-in units have not been found. To enhance person expertise and discovery, we now have launched the “Persistent forged icon”. With this help, customers will see the forged icon at any time when they want and might obtain higher assist and steering on why they don’t see a selected gadget. As well as, we have up to date when gadget discovery begins. Extra info will be discovered within the Google Solid Developer Information.

Shaka Participant

For any Internet Receiver functions streaming HLS content material, we advocate wanting into migrating to Shaka Participant for playback. The present participant (MPL) will not undertake function updates. Consequently, the Internet Receiver SDK has elevated help for HLS playback utilizing Shaka Participant on the gadget targets and has launched an opt-in flag to allow it. Discuss with the Shaka Participant migration information hosted on the DevSite for extra info and implementation particulars.

To opt-in to make use of Shaka Participant for HLS content material use the next snippet in your Google Solid Receiver software:

const context = forged.framework.CastReceiverContext.getInstance();

const castReceiverOptions = new forged.framework.CastReceiverOptions();
castReceiverOptions.useShakaForHls = true;

context.begin(castReceiverOptions);

Solid to new units

We’ve been constantly working with numerous OEMs to carry Chromecast built-in to new units. Final yr, we launched Chromecast built-in to new audio system, whereas additionally introducing the receiver help on docked Pixel Tablets.

As at all times, Google TVs include Chromecast built-in, together with the brand new Hisense ULED and ULED X Sequence, newest TCL Q Class fashions, and new TCL QM7 line. Actually, there at the moment are over 220 million month-to-month lively Google TV and different Android TV OS units, and we’re simply getting began. Extra units are launching with Chromecast built-in, just like the 2024 LG TV sequence.