Google Cast
Google Cast support is an optional add-on. If your app does not cast, skip this page: the core SDK carries no Cast, MediaRouter or Play Services Cast code.
The current version is 3.2.0-rc1, a release candidate of 3.2.0. The coordinates on this page use this version. Once the final version is released, only the version number changes.
Set up Cast in three steps#
1. Add the Cast artifact#
The Cast artifact depends on the core SDK and on androidx.media3:media3-cast. It also brings in appcompat, MediaRouter, Play Services Cast and Compose Material3 at runtime. Kotlin apps that add it need the Kotlin Gradle plugin 2.1 or higher.
2. Declare the options provider in your manifest#
Inside <application>:
The provider uses the default receiver id A12D4273, as the previous version did. If your app still declares the old com.google.android.exoplayer2.ext.cast provider (from 3.1.x), replace it. Cast otherwise fails quietly: the log says "Google Cast is not supported on this device", and there is no Cast renderer and no route button. It does not crash.
3. Enable Cast in the player#
Cast starts only after setGoogleCastEnabled(). You can call it before or after init(): it starts Cast at once if the player already has an Activity, and in init() otherwise. Repeated calls do nothing until finish().
When Cast is enabled, the content units show a Cast button in their controls when a Cast device is available on the network. When a viewer connects to a Cast device, playback moves to it.
Without the Cast artifact, setGoogleCastEnabled() only sets a flag, and no route button appears.
What is cast#
| Plays on the Cast receiver | Plays on the phone |
|---|---|
| Your content (HLS, DASH, MP4) | Google IMA ads |
| Ads from the native engine, with their tracking |
IMA ads always play on the device. While casting, your content plays on the receiver and IMA ads play on the phone. If you need ads on the TV, use the native engine (setPreferGoogleIma(false)). See Ads.
While an item loads on the receiver, the player can report a BUFFER_START and BUFFER_END pair to your tracking listeners.
Cast classes#
com.appscend.media.cast.VeeplayCastManager and com.appscend.media.renderers.CastRenderer keep their names and packages and are part of the Cast artifact.
VeeplayCastManager.getCastPlayer() returns an androidx.media3.cast.CastPlayer. If your code used the ExoPlayer 2 CastPlayer from 3.1.x, update its import. VeeplayCastManager also offers addObserver() and removeObserver() for Cast state changes. The API reference has the details.