Building TV Playback Apps

Browsing and playing media files is frequently part of the user experience provided by a TV app. Building such an experience from scratch, while making sure that it is fast, fluid, and attractive can be quite challenging. Whether your app provides access to a small or large media catalog, it is important to allow users to quickly browse options and get to the content they want.

The Android framework provides classes for building user interfaces for these types of apps with the v17 leanback support library. This library provides a framework of classes for creating an efficient and familiar interface for browsing and playing media files with minimal coding. The classes are designed to be extended and customized so you can create an experience that is unique to your app.

This class shows you how to build a TV app for browsing and playing media content using the Leanback support libraries for TV.

Topics

Creating a Catalog Browser

Learn how to use the Leanback support library to build a browsing interface for media catalogs.

Providing a Card View

Learn how to use the Leanback support library to build a card view for content items.

Building a Details View

Learn how to use the Leanback support library to build a details page for media items.

Displaying a Now Playing Card

Learn how to use a MediaSession to display a Now Playing card on the home screen.

Adding a Guided Step

Learn how to use the Leanback support library to guide a user through a series of decisions.

Enabling Background Playback

Learn how to continue playback when the user clicks on Home.