SceneType-ApsaraVideo VOD(VOD)-阿里云帮助中心

SceneType is an abstraction in AliPlayerKit for defining playback scenarios. By specifying a SceneType, the player automatically adapts its UI behavior, gesture controls, and slot visibility.

Scene overview

Scene	Description	Use cases	Differences from VOD
`VOD`	The default scene, which supports all control features and requires no explicit configuration.	Standard VOD, online courses, and media libraries.	—
`LIVE`	A live stream has no fixed duration, so the player automatically disables timeline operations.	Live events, sports, and e-commerce live streams.	Disables progress scrubbing, fast-forward, and playback speed controls; hides the `coverImage` and `seekThumbnail` slots.
`VIDEO_LIST`	Disables vertical gestures to prevent conflicts with list scrolling.	Feeds and short video lists.	Disables vertical gestures for volume and brightness; other behaviors are the same as for `VOD`.
`RESTRICTED`	Prevents users from skipping forward to ensure they watch the content in sequence.	Exam proctoring and mandatory training courses.	Disables progress scrubbing, fast-forward, and playback speed controls; hides the `coverImage` and `seekThumbnail` slots.
`MINIMAL`	Provides a clean player surface. The developer must implement all controls.	Background playback and fully customized UIs.	Hides all control components and disables all gestures; only the `playerSurface`, `playState`, and `overlays` slots are visible.

Configuration

Specify the SceneType by using the sceneType() method of AliPlayerModel.Builder. Since VOD is the default scene, you only need to specify a SceneType for other scenarios.

LIVE scene:

// Build the player model and set the scene type to LIVE.
AliPlayerModel playerModel = new AliPlayerModel.Builder()
    .videoSource(videoSource)
    .videoTitle("Live Stream")
    .sceneType(SceneType.LIVE)
    .build();

// Bind the model to the player view.
controller.configure(playerModel);
playerView.attach(controller);

SceneType and slot interaction

Slot visibility

The Slot System automatically controls component visibility based on the SceneType:

Slot	VOD	LIVE	VIDEO_LIST	RESTRICTED	MINIMAL
playerSurface	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
playState	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
overlays	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
coverImage	✓	✗	✓	✗	✗
seekThumbnail	✓	✗	✓	✗	✗
playControl	✓	✓	✓	✓	✗
topBar	✓	✓	✓	✓	✗
bottomBar	✓	✓	✓	✓	✗
settingMenu	✓	✓	✓	✓	✗
gestureControl	✓	✓	✓	✓	✗

Gesture behavior differences

Gesture	VOD	LIVE	VIDEO_LIST	RESTRICTED	MINIMAL
Single tap (show/hide control bar)	✓	✓	✓	✓	✗
Double-tap (play/pause)	✓	✓	✓	✓	✗
Long-press (2x playback speed)	✓	✗	✓	✗	✗
Horizontal drag (seek)	✓	✗	✓	✗	✗
Left vertical drag (brightness)	✓	✓	✗	✓	✗
Right vertical drag (volume)	✓	✓	✗	✓	✗

Best practices

The scene type is set upon creation: The SceneType is specified when an AliPlayerModel is created and cannot be dynamically switched during playback. To switch scenes, you must create a new AliPlayerModel and rebind it.
Use the list scene for scrollable containers: When embedding the player in a scrollable container like a RecyclerView, always use the VIDEO_LIST scene to prevent conflicts with vertical scroll gestures.
Implement controls for the MINIMAL scene: When you select the MINIMAL scene, you must implement all playback controls by using custom slots.
Advanced customization: If a SceneType's preset behavior does not meet your needs, use the Slot System to further customize component visibility and layout. For more information, see Slot System.

FAQ

Differences between `VOD` and `VIDEO_LIST`

The main difference is how they handle vertical gestures. VIDEO_LIST disables vertical gestures for adjusting volume and brightness to avoid conflicting with the parent container's scrolling gestures. Other features are identical to VOD.

Custom controls in the `MINIMAL` scene

You can overlay a custom control UI by using custom slots:

AliPlayerModel playerModel = new AliPlayerModel.Builder()
    .videoSource(videoSource)
    .sceneType(SceneType.MINIMAL)
    .build();

AliPlayerController controller = new AliPlayerController(this);
controller.configure(playerModel);

SlotManager slotManager = playerView.getSlotManager();
slotManager.register(SlotType.BOTTOM_BAR, parent -> new MyCustomControlSlot(parent.getContext()));
playerView.attach(controller);