Connecting from custom Sender applications
General
In general, the following flow should be followed:
- Set up Google Cast context with correct receiver application ID.
- Connect to Chromecast device.
- Set up Google Cast MediaInfo object with correct contentID and contentType.
- Send Google Cast LoadRequest with a serialized THEOplayer SourceDescription object as a key in the customData of the LoadRequest. So something like
{sourceDescription: ${SourceDescription you want to cast}}.
Let's discuss this in more detail for custom Web, Android and iOS applications.
Web
The following webpage should suffice:
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8" />
<title>Title</title>
<script src="https://www.gstatic.com/cv/js/sender/v1/cast_sender.js?loadCastFramework=1"></script>
<script>
window['__onGCastApiAvailable'] = function (isAvailable) {
if (isAvailable) {
cast.framework.CastContext.getInstance().setOptions({
receiverApplicationId: '$YOUR_APP_ID', // Adapt this
autoJoinPolicy: chrome.cast.AutoJoinPolicy.ORIGIN_SCOPED, // And this if you want to
});
}
};
</script>
<script>
function startCasting(sourceDescription) {
var castSession = cast.framework.CastContext.getInstance().getCurrentSession();
var mediaInfo = new chrome.cast.media.MediaInfo(sourceDescription.sources[0].src, sourceDescription.sources[0].type);
var request = new chrome.cast.media.LoadRequest(mediaInfo);
request.customData = { sourceDescription: sourceDescription };
castSession.loadMedia(request).then(
function () {
console.log('Load succeed');
},
function (errorCode) {
console.log('Error code: ' + errorCode);
}
);
var player = new cast.framework.RemotePlayer();
var playerController = new cast.framework.RemotePlayerController(player);
return playerController;
}
</script>
</head>
<body></body>
</html>
Load this in Google Chrome, connect to a Chromecast device, and then you can do:
startCasting({
sources: [
{
src: 'https://amssamples.streaming.mediaservices.windows.net/622b189f-ec39-43f2-93a2-201ac4e31ce1/BigBuckBunny.ism/manifest(format=mpd-time-csf)',
type: 'application/dash+xml',
contentProtection: {
widevine: {
licenseAcquisitionURL: 'https://amssamples.keydelivery.mediaservices.windows.net/Widevine/?KID=1ab45440-532c-4399-94dc-5c5ad9584bac',
},
},
},
],
});
This will start playback.
Android
First, set up your CastOptionsProvider:
package com.yourcomp.chromecastSender;
import android.content.Context;
import com.google.android.gms.cast.framework.CastOptions;
import com.google.android.gms.cast.framework.OptionsProvider;
import com.google.android.gms.cast.framework.SessionProvider;
import java.util.List;
public class THEOCastOptionsProvider implements OptionsProvider {
public static String DEFAULT_APP_ID = "1ADD53F3";
@Override
public CastOptions getCastOptions(Context context) {
return new CastOptions.Builder()
.setReceiverApplicationId(DEFAULT_APP_ID)
.build();
}
@Override
public List<SessionProvider> getAdditionalSessionProviders(Context context) {
return null;
}
}
And link to it in your AndroidManifest.xml file:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" package="com.yourcomp.chromecastSenderApp">
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WAKE_LOCK" />
<application
...
<meta-data
android:name="com.google.android.gms.cast.framework.OPTIONS_PROVIDER_CLASS_NAME"
android:value="com.yourcomp.chromecastSender.CastOptionsProvider" />
</application>
</manifest>
Fill in the correct class name by replacing "com.yourcomp.chromecastSender.CastOptionsProvider"! You can change the DEFAULT_APP_ID to direct to your own Chromecast app. Next you can actually do the casting like so:
package com.yourcomp.chromecastSender;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.support.v7.app.MediaRouteChooserDialog;
import com.google.android.gms.cast.MediaInfo;
import com.google.android.gms.cast.MediaLoadOptions;
import com.google.android.gms.cast.framework.CastContext;
import com.google.android.gms.cast.framework.CastSession;
import com.google.android.gms.cast.framework.SessionManagerListener;
import org.json.JSONException;
import org.json.JSONObject;
public class ChromecastSender {
public ChromecastSender() {
}
public void sendSourceToChromecast(Activity context) throws JSONException {
CastContext castContext = CastContext.getSharedInstance(context);
showCastChooserDialog(context, castContext);
JSONObject sourceDescriptionJson = new JSONObject("{"sourceDescription":{"sources":[{"src":"https://amssamples.streaming.mediaservices.windows.net/622b189f-ec39-43f2-93a2-201ac4e31ce1/BigBuckBunny.ism/manifest(format=mpd-time-csf)","type":"application/dash+xml","contentProtection":{"widevine":{"licenseAcquisitionURL":"https://amssamples.keydelivery.mediaservices.windows.net/Widevine/?KID=1ab45440-532c-4399-94dc-5c5ad9584bac"}}}]}}");
MediaLoadOptions mediaLoadOptions = new MediaLoadOptions.Builder().setCustomData(sourceDescriptionJson).build();
MediaInfo mediaInfo = new MediaInfo.Builder("https://amssamples.streaming.mediaservices.windows.net/622b189f-ec39-43f2-93a2-201ac4e31ce1/BigBuckBunny.ism/manifest(format=mpd-time-csf)").setContentType("application/dash+xml")
.build();
castContext.getSessionManager().addSessionManagerListener(new SessionManagerListener<CastSession>() {
@Override
public void onSessionStarting(CastSession castSession) {
}
@Override
public void onSessionStarted(CastSession castSession, String s) {
castSession.getRemoteMediaClient().load(mediaInfo,mediaLoadOptions);
}
@Override
public void onSessionStartFailed(CastSession castSession, int i) {
}
@Override
public void onSessionEnding(CastSession castSession) {
}
@Override
public void onSessionEnded(CastSession castSession, int i) {
}
@Override
public void onSessionResuming(CastSession castSession, String s) {
}
@Override
public void onSessionResumed(CastSession castSession, boolean b) {
}
@Override
public void onSessionResumeFailed(CastSession castSession, int i) {
}
@Override
public void onSessionSuspended(CastSession castSession, int i) {
}
}, CastSession.class);
}
private void showCastChooserDialog(Activity context, CastContext castContext) {
MediaRouteChooserDialog mediaRouteChooserDialog = new MediaRouteChooserDialog(context);
mediaRouteChooserDialog.setRouteSelector(castContext.getMergedSelector());
mediaRouteChooserDialog.show();
}
}
Instantiate this class and then connect to a device. This will start casting the source listed in the class to the Chromecast receiver.
iOS
When launching your application, start your Google Cast context using the following snippet:
let options = GCKCastOptions(receiverApplicationID: "1ADD53F3")
GCKCastContext.setSharedInstanceWith(options)
Once this is done, it’s necessary to start a session. This is usually done by creating a cast button somewhere in your UI using GCKUICastButton, which when pressed opens up a dialog allowing you to select a device and start a session.
Once a session is started, you can start playing back content.
The THEOplayer Chromecast receiver is capable of playing back content easily using the default Google Cast APIs (with GCKMediaInformationBuilder and LoadRequest).
However, to use the more advanced functionality, you will need to pass in custom data in the GCKMediaLoadOptions object.
This custom data follows the structure of SourceDescription as used in the web version of THEOplayer, except we have to use NSDictionary notation.
let metadata = GCKMediaMetadata()
metadata.setString("Title", forKey: kGCKMetadataKeyTitle)
metadata.setString("Subtitle", forKey: kGCKMetadataKeySubtitle)
let contentURL = "https://amssamples.streaming.mediaservices.windows.net/622b189f-ec39-43f2-93a2-201ac4e31ce1/BigBuckBunny.ism/manifest(format=mpd-time-csf)"
let contentID = "622b189f-ec39-43f2-93a2-201ac4e31ce1"
let informationBuilder = GCKMediaInformationBuilder(contentURL: contentURL)
informationBuilder.contentID = contentID
informationBuilder.streamType = .unknown
informationBuilder.contentType = "application/dash+xml"
informationBuilder.streamDuration = 0.0
informationBuilder.mediaTracks = nil
informationBuilder.metadata = metadata
let information = informationBuilder.build()
let sourceDescription = [
"sources": [
[
"src": "https://amssamples.streaming.mediaservices.windows.net/622b189f-ec39-43f2-93a2-201ac4e31ce1/BigBuckBunny.ism/manifest(format=mpd-time-csf)",
"type": "application/dash+xml",
"contentProtection": [
"widevine": [
"licenseAcquisitionURL": "https://amssamples.keydelivery.mediaservices.windows.net/Widevine/?KID=1ab45440-532c-4399-94dc-5c5ad9584bac"
]
]
]
]
]
let loadOptions = GCKMediaLoadOptions()
loadOptions.autoplay = true
loadOptions.playPosition = 0.0
loadOptions.customData = ["sourceDescription": sourceDescription]
castSession!.remoteMediaClient?.loadMedia(mediaInfo, with: loadOptions)
Note that you should also adapt the contentID and contentType in the arguments for the GCKMediaInformation initializer.
You have to use the Chromecast API to implement additional logic such as pausing the Chromecast Receiver application, fetching the video's progress, ...