Integrate the Android short-form drama solution

1. Integrate the ApsaraVideo Player SDK license.

   For more information, see Integrate a license.

2. Copy the AUIShortVideoList module to your project directory.

3. In your project's gradle file, add Alibaba Cloud's Maven repository to the repositories block.

   Add the following content to the settings.gradle file in your project's root directory:

   Groovy DSL

   repositories {
      // aliyun maven
      maven { url "https://maven.aliyun.com/repository/releases" }
   }

   Kotlin DSL

   repositories {
      // aliyun maven
      maven("https://maven.aliyun.com/repository/releases")
   }

4. Add the module reference and dependency.

   • To add a module reference, add the following content to the settings.gradle file in the project's root directory:

     Groovy DSL

     // If the AUIShortVideoList module is in the AUIPlayerKits folder:
     include ':AUIPlayerKits:AUIShortVideoList'
     // If the AUIShortVideoList module is in the project's root directory:
     include ':AUIShortVideoList'

     Kotlin DSL

     // If the AUIShortVideoList module is in the AUIPlayerKits folder:
     include(":AUIPlayerKits:AUIShortVideoList")
     // If the AUIShortVideoList module is in the project's root directory:
     include(":AUIShortVideoList")

   • To add a module dependency, add the following content to the build.gradle file of the app module:

     Groovy DSL

     // If the AUIShortVideoList module is in the AUIPlayerKits folder:
     implementation project(':AUIPlayerKits:AUIShortVideoList')
     // If the AUIShortVideoList module is in the project's root directory:
     implementation project(':AUIShortVideoList')

     Kotlin DSL

     // If the AUIShortVideoList module is in the AUIPlayerKits folder:
     implementation(project(":AUIPlayerKits:AUIShortVideoList"))
     // If the AUIShortVideoList module is in the project's root directory:
     implementation(project(":AUIShortVideoList"))

5. Build and run the project to ensure the component is integrated correctly.

   Note

   1. After the integration is complete, we recommend that you run a git commit to record the latest commit ID of the current component. This provides an important reference for tracking future component updates, records the code differences before and after an update, and helps you ensure integration quality. It also allows you to quickly identify the component version when you seek technical support, thereby improving support efficiency.

   2. For integration issues, see Integration FAQ.

You can use the AUIShortVideoList component in one of the following three ways to implement its functionality:

• AUIShortVideoListActivity

  You can start this Activity directly. See the example below for the call logic. To get the videoInfoListJSON data, see Retrieve data.

  Java

  // TODO: context is android context
  Intent intent = new Intent(context, AUIShortVideoListActivity.class);
  // TODO: videoInfoListJSON is the serialized string of List<VideoInfo>
  intent.putExtra(AUIShortVideoListView.KEY_VIDEO_INFO_LIST_DATA, videoInfoListJSON);
  startActivity(intent);

  Kotlin

  // TODO: context is android context
  val intent = Intent(context, AUIShortVideoListActivity::class.java)
  // TODO: videoInfoListJSON is the serialized string of List<VideoInfo>
  intent.putExtra(AUIShortVideoListView.KEY_VIDEO_INFO_LIST_DATA, videoInfoListJSON)
  startActivity(intent)

• AUIShortVideoListFragment

  You can embed this Fragment in your Activity or another Fragment. See the example below for the call logic:

  1. In your XML layout, add a FrameLayout to host the Fragment:

     <FrameLayout
         android:id="@+id/fragment_container"
         android:layout_width="match_parent"
         android:layout_height="match_parent" />

  2. Initialize the Fragment and add it to the container.

     Java

     @Override
     protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
         super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
         if (savedInstanceState == null) {
             AUIShortVideoListFragment fragment = new AUIShortVideoListFragment();
             Bundle bundle = new Bundle();
             // TODO: videoInfoListJSON is the serialized string of List<VideoInfo>
             bundle.putString(AUIShortVideoListView.KEY_VIDEO_INFO_LIST_DATA, videoInfoListJSON);
             fragment.setArguments(bundle);
             getSupportFragmentManager()
                     .beginTransaction()
                     .replace(R.id.fragment_container, fragment)
                     .commit();
         }
     }

     Kotlin

     override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
         super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
         if (savedInstanceState == null) {
             val fragment = AUIShortVideoListFragment()
             val bundle = Bundle()
             // TODO: videoInfoListJSON is the serialized string of List<VideoInfo>
             bundle.putString(AUIShortVideoListView.KEY_VIDEO_INFO_LIST_DATA, videoInfoListJSON)
             fragment.arguments = bundle
             supportFragmentManager
                 .beginTransaction()
                 .replace(R.id.fragment_container, fragment)
                 .commit()
         }
     }

• AUIShortVideoListView

  You can use this View component to build an immersive list playback page. For the specific call logic, see the following example:

  1. Add the View component to your XML layout:

     <!--  1. Add Short Video List View Component  -->
     <com.alivc.player.playerkits.shortvideolist.AUIShortVideoListView
         android:id="@+id/aui_video_list_view"
         android:layout_width="match_parent"
         android:layout_height="match_parent" />

  2. In your code, declare the short video list playback View component and add the List<VideoInfo> data source.

     Java

     // 2. Declaration of Short Video List View
     private AUIShortVideoListView mShortVideoListView;
     mShortVideoListView = findViewById(R.id.aui_video_list_view);
     // 3. TODO: Retrieve data and fill it into videoInfoList
     List<VideoInfo> videoInfoList;
     // 4. Add List<VideoInfo> type data source to Short Video List View
     mShortVideoListView.addSources(videoInfoList);
     // mShortVideoListView.loadSources(videoInfoList);

     Kotlin

     // 2. Declaration of Short Video List View
     private lateinit var mShortVideoListView: AUIShortVideoListView
     mShortVideoListView = findViewById(R.id.aui_video_list_view)
     // 3. TODO: Retrieve data and fill it into videoInfoList
     val videoInfoList: List<VideoInfo>
     // 4. Add List<VideoInfo> type data source to Short Video List View
     mShortVideoListView.addSources(videoInfoList)
     // mShortVideoListView.loadSources(videoInfoList)

The AUIShortVideoList component uses the List<VideoInfo> data structure, where VideoInfo is a data class that stores video information. Its data structure is as follows:

To ensure that the AUIShortVideoList component works properly, pass the serialized List<VideoInfo> string through a Bundle. The following is sample code:

intent.putExtra(AUIShortVideoListView.KEY_VIDEO_INFO_LIST_DATA, videoInfoListJSON);

You can use network requests or data conversion to obtain the final List<VideoInfo> data source and serialize it into a JSON string. The following is an example:

• Network request

  Java

  AUIShortVideoListUtil.requestVideoInfoList(new AUIShortVideoListUtil.OnNetworkCallBack<List<VideoInfo>>() {
      @Override
      public void onResponse(List<VideoInfo> videoInfoList) {
          if (videoInfoList == null || videoInfoList.isEmpty()) {
              // TODO: Request video info list error!
              return;
          }
          String videoInfoListJSON = AUIShortVideoListUtil.serializeVideoInfoListToJson(videoInfoList);
          // TODO: Use videoInfoList or videoInfoListJSON...
      }
  });

  Kotlin

  AUIShortVideoListUtil.requestVideoInfoList(object : AUIShortVideoListUtil.OnNetworkCallBack<List<VideoInfo?>?> {
      override fun onResponse(videoInfoList: List<VideoInfo?>?) {
          if (videoInfoList.isNullOrEmpty()) {
              // TODO: Request video info list error!
              return
          }
          val videoInfoListJSON = AUIShortVideoListUtil.serializeVideoInfoListToJson(videoInfoList)
          // TODO: Use videoInfoList or videoInfoListJSON...
      }
  })

• Data conversion

  Java

  ArrayList<VideoInfo> videoInfoList = AUIShortVideoListUtil.assembleVideoInfoList();
  if (videoInfoList == null || videoInfoList.isEmpty()) {
      // TODO: Assemble video info list error!
      return;
  }
  String videoInfoListJSON = AUIShortVideoListUtil.serializeVideoInfoListToJson(videoInfoList);
  // TODO: Use videoInfoList or videoInfoListJSON...

  Kotlin

  val videoInfoList = AUIShortVideoListUtil.assembleVideoInfoList()
  if (videoInfoList.isNullOrEmpty()) {
      // TODO: Assemble video info list error!
      return
  }
  val videoInfoListJSON = AUIShortVideoListUtil.serializeVideoInfoListToJson(videoInfoList)
  // TODO: Use videoInfoList or videoInfoListJSON...

Black screen or other playback issues

Check your ApsaraVideo Player SDK license configuration. For more information, see Integrate a license.

Compilation or runtime errors

1. Ensure the module's compileSdkVersion, buildToolsVersion, minSdkVersion, and targetSdkVersion match your main project's settings.

2. If your project already contains the same third-party library, adjust the version number in the module to ensure compatibility and avoid conflicts.

Playback fails on an emulator

The ApsaraVideo Player SDK does not support emulators. Test on a physical device after integration.

Error: "Namespace not specified"

Check your Android Gradle Plugin (AGP) version. If you use a later version, such as 8.3.2, you must manually add the namespace setting in each module's build.gradle file. In earlier AGP versions, this was configured in the package attribute of the module's /src/main/res/AndroidManifest.xml file.

Gradle repository priority conflict

Declare the repository in the settings.gradle file first to give it priority.

Short-form drama theater

Overview

Integration

Usage

// TODO: context is android context
Intent intent = new Intent(context, AUIShortDramaListActivity.class);
startActivity(intent);

// TODO: context is android context
val intent = Intent(context, AUIShortDramaListActivity::class.java)
startActivity(intent)

Retrieve data

Short-form drama feeds stream

Overview

Integration

Usage

// TODO: context is android context
Intent intent = new Intent(context, AUIShortDramaFeedsActivity.class);
startActivity(intent);

// TODO: context is android context
val intent = Intent(context, AUIShortDramaFeedsActivity::class.java)
startActivity(intent)

Retrieve data

Preloading

By using a sliding window strategy, the component dynamically starts and stops video preloading tasks. The underlying SDK intelligently adjusts task priority based on network conditions to ensure the current and upcoming videos receive more network resources. This significantly improves start-up speed and reduces buffering, providing a smooth experience even when scrolling quickly. For more information, see Preloading.

Pre-rendering

The component pre-renders the first frame of upcoming videos in the background, reducing black screens and creating a seamless playback experience. The ApsaraVideo Player SDK has supported pre-rendering since v6.16.0. For more information, see Pre-rendering.

Multi-instance player pool

This solution implements a globally shared, configurable player instance pool. Through optimized API calls and resource management, it improves performance and efficiency in thread management, CPU utilization, and memory usage. This optimization reduces lag during scrolling, making the playback experience smoother.

Picture-in-Picture (PiP) with auto-play

Using an independent player instance for the floating window ensures continuous rendering when switching episodes. This achieves a seamless and non-disruptive viewing experience. This implementation follows best practices for Picture-in-Picture (PiP) playback.

HTTPDNS

HTTPDNS provides faster and more stable DNS resolution. By replacing traditional DNS, it reduces lookup times, improving video loading speed and stability. Since v6.12.0, HTTPDNS is enabled by default in the ApsaraVideo Player SDK. For more information, see HTTPDNS.

Video encryption

Short-form dramas are typically 1- to 3-minute MP4 videos. The ApsaraVideo Player SDK has supported proprietary encryption for MP4 playback since v6.8.0, providing robust security for your content. For more information, see How to play encrypted videos.

To play a video that uses proprietary encryption, the following conditions must be met:

• When you pass a proprietarily encrypted MP4 video to a player, your application must append etavirp_nuyila=1 to the video URL. For example, if the original video URL is https://example.aliyundoc.com/test.mp4, the URL that you must pass to the player is https://example.aliyundoc.com/test.mp4?etavirp_nuyila=1.

• The UID associated with your app's license must match the UID used to encrypt the MP4 video.

To verify that a video uses proprietary encryption, check for the following:

• The metadata must contain the AliyunPrivateKeyUri tag.

• The video cannot be played directly with ffplay.

H.265 adaptive playback

If hardware decoding of an H.265 stream fails and an H.264 backup stream is available, the player automatically switches to the H.264 stream. If no backup stream is available, it falls back to H.265 software decoding. For more information, see H.265 adaptive playback.

Adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming

The ApsaraVideo Player SDK supports multi-bitrate adaptive HLS and DASH video streams. You can call the selectTrack method of the player to switch the playback bitrate, which enables adaptive video quality switching based on network conditions. For more information, see Network-adaptive switching.

Screen recording prevention

This feature protects your video content by monitoring for screen recording and screenshot actions and stopping playback if they are detected. This effectively prevents unauthorized recording and distribution.

// Android-specific feature to prevent screen recording and screenshots in the app
getWindow().setFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_SECURE, WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_SECURE);