+A user watching content on a TV device may decide to switch to the TV launcher at any time. +If a user switches to the launcher while using a TV playback app, by default the app is paused. +Since the user did not explicitly request to pause playback, the default behavior might seem +abrupt and unexpected. This lesson describes how to enable background playback in your app, +which provides a better user experience. +
+ +Normally, when the user clicks on Home to display the TV +launcher, the activity pauses. However, your app can request background playback, in +which the activity continues playing behind the TV launcher.
+ +To request background playback, call
+{@link android.app.Activity#requestVisibleBehind requestVisibleBehind()}.
+Be sure to clean up media resources if the activity stops being
+visible. For example, you should free media resources if
+{@link android.app.Activity#requestVisibleBehind requestVisibleBehind()}
+returns false to indicate that the request failed, or if the system calls
+your override of {@link android.app.Activity#onVisibleBehindCanceled onVisibleBehindCanceled()}.
+
+@Override
+public void onPause() {
+ super.onPause();
+ if (mVideoView.isPlaying()) {
+ // Argument equals true to notify the system that the activity
+ // wishes to be visible behind other translucent activities
+ if (! requestVisibleBehind(true)) {
+ // App-specific method to stop playback and release resources
+ // because call to requestVisibleBehind(true) failed
+ stopPlayback();
+ }
+ } else {
+ // Argument equals false because the activity is not playing
+ requestVisibleBehind(false);
+ }
+}
+
+@Override
+public void onVisibleBehindCanceled() {
+ // App-specific method to stop playback and release resources
+ stopPlayback();
+ super.onVisibleBehindCanceled();
+}
+
+