nativescript-cast

Chromecast support for NativeScript 6.

Requirements

You must have a valid Chromecast Application ID. You can obtain one at the Google Cast Developer Console.

NativeScript 6 or higher. For lower versions, you can use an older version of this plugin 0.1.2.

Installation

tns plugin add nativescript-cast

Usage

Android

Set your Application ID.

<!-- App_Resources/Android/src/main/res/values/strings.xml -->
<string name="app_id">4F8B3483</string>

The Google Cast design checklist requires a sender app to provide an expanded controller. Include ExpandedControllerActivity in your AndroidManifest.xml.

<!-- App_Resources/Android/src/main/res/AndroidManifest.xml -->
<activity
  android:name="com.google.android.gms.cast.framework.media.widget.ExpandedControllerActivity"
  android:label="@string/app_name"
  android:launchMode="singleTask"
  android:screenOrientation="portrait">
  <intent-filter>
    <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN"/>
  </intent-filter>
  <meta-data
    android:name="android.support.PARENT_ACTIVITY"
    android:value="com.tns.NativeScriptActivity"/>
</activity>

If you are using Webpack, add 'nativescript-cast/cast-options-provider' to appComponents. You will have to repeat this step after performing a tns update.

// webpack.config.js
const appComponents = [
  'tns-core-modules/ui/frame',
  'tns-core-modules/ui/frame/activity',
  'nativescript-cast/cast-options-provider'
];

Alternatively you can create a custom webpack configuration. See the demo for an example.

iOS

Set your Application ID.

<!-- App_Resources/iOS/Info.plist -->
<key>AppID</key>
<string>4F8B3483</string>

Add the following before your application.run(). This will initialise the GCKCastContext with the Application ID from your Info.plist file.

import * as application from 'tns-core-modules/application';
import * as utils from 'tns-core-modules/utils/utils';

application.on(application.launchEvent, (args) => {
  if (args.ios !== undefined) {
    // AppID value from Info.plist
    const mainBundle = utils.ios.getter(NSBundle, NSBundle.mainBundle);
    const appId = mainBundle.infoDictionary.objectForKey('AppID');

    const castOptions = GCKCastOptions.alloc().initWithReceiverApplicationID(appId);
    GCKCastContext.setSharedInstanceWithOptions(castOptions);
  }
});

⚠️ iOS 12+ & Xcode 10 ⚠️

If developing using Xcode 10 and targeting iOS devices running iOS 12 or higher, the "Access WiFi Information" capability is required in order to discover and connect to Cast devices. The plugin comes with an app.entitlements which will add this capability to the workspace, however, you must also Add the Access WiFi information feature to your App ID .

See iOS sender setup for more info.

⚠️ iOS 13+ & Guest Mode ⚠️

iOS 13+ requires Bluetooth and Microphone permissions in order to use Guest Mode with Chromecast. This plugin sets these permissions in the Info.plist file.

See iOS Guest Mode for more info.

Place CastButton in to your view.

NativeScript

<Page
  xmlns="http://schemas.nativescript.org/tns.xsd"
  loaded="pageLoaded"
  class="page"
  xmlns:cast="nativescript-cast"
>
  <ActionBar title="App Name">
    <ActionItem ios.position="right">
      <StackLayout>
        <cast:CastButton cast="{{ handleCastEvent }}" />
      </StackLayout>
    </ActionItem>
  </ActionBar>
  <!-- ... -->
</Page>

Angular

Add NativescriptCastModule in your app's module imports, typically in app.module.ts.

import { NativescriptCastModule } from 'nativescript-cast/angular';

@NgModule({
  imports: [
    NativescriptCastModule
  ]
});

Include in your template.

<ActionBar [title]="App Name" >
  <ActionItem ios.position="right">
    <StackLayout>
      <CastButton (cast)="handleCastEvent($event)"></CastButton>
    </StackLayout>
  </ActionItem>
</ActionBar>

Vue

Register the element in your app's main entry point, typically main.ts.

Vue.registerElement('CastButton', () => require('nativescript-cast').CastButton);

Include in your template.

<ActionBar title="App Name">
  <ActionItem ios.position="right">
    <StackLayout>
      <CastButton @cast="handleCastEvent" />
    </StackLayout>
  </ActionItem>
</ActionBar>

Event handler

Set up an event handler for all cast events. The cast instance is available on args.object.

handleCastEvent(args): void {
  console.log('cast: ' + args.object);
  console.log('eventName: ' + args.data.eventName);
}

Casting

When the Cast receiver is ready, you can load your media.

const mediaInfo = {
  contentId: 'http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/gtv-videos-bucket/sample/Sintel.mp4',
  contentType: 'video/mp4',
  streamType: 'BUFFERED',
  duration: undefined,
  metadata: {
    metadataType: 'MOVIE',
    title: 'Tears of Steel',
    subtitle: 'By Blender Foundation',
    description: 'Sintel is an independently produced short film, initiated by the Blender Foundation.',
    images: [
      {
        url: 'http://storage.googleapis.com/gtv-videos-bucket/sample/images_480x270/TearsOfSteel.jpg',
        width: 480,
        height: 270,
      }
    ]
  },
  textTracks: [
    {
      src: 'https://amssamples.streaming.mediaservices.windows.net/bc57e088-27ec-44e0-ac20-a85ccbcd50da/TOS-en.vtt',
      contentType: 'text/vtt',
      name: 'English',
      language: 'en'
    },
    {
      src: 'https://amssamples.streaming.mediaservices.windows.net/bc57e088-27ec-44e0-ac20-a85ccbcd50da/TOS-es.vtt',
      contentType: 'text/vtt',
      name: 'Spanish',
      language: 'es'
    }
  ],
  textTrackStyle: {
    foregroundColor: '#0000cc',
    backgroundColor: '#00cc00',
  },
  customData: {
    anything: 'you like'
  }
};

cast.loadMedia(mediaInfo);

API

Events

Event names follow the Android naming structure. iOS events are passed from GCKSessionManagerListener, GCKRemoteMediaClientListener and GCKMediaQueueDelegate. Android events are passed from SessionManagerListener, MediaRouter.Callback and MediaQueue.Callback.

All unlisted events are ignored. See related documentation for futher details.

Android

• SessionManagerListener
• MediaRouter.Callback
• MediaQueue.Callback

iOS

• GCKSessionManagerListener
• GCKRemoteMediaClientListener
• GCKMediaQueueDelegate

Methods

See cast.types for method options.

• loadMedia(media: CastMediaInfo, options?: LoadMediaOptions): void

  Loads the specified media.

• loadQueue(options: LoadQueueOptions): void

  Loads a queue of media items.

• playMedia(customData? any): void

  Plays the loaded media.

• pauseMedia(customData? any): void

  Pauses the loaded media.

• seekMedia(position: number, resumeState?: ResumeState , customData?: any): void

  Seeks the loaded media to position (seconds).

• stopMedia(customData? any): void

  Stops the loaded media.

• showController(): void

  Show the expanded controller.

• showCastInstructions(title: string, singleTime: boolean): void

  Shows the Cast instructions overlay. title and singleTime arguments are Android-only.

• showCastDialog(): void

  Show the Cast destination dialog.

• getMediaInfo(): CastMediaInfo

  Returns the loaded media info.

• setActiveTrackIds([trackIds]): void

  Pass an array of IDs defined in textTracks to show subtitles. Pass an empty array to hide.

• queueNextItem(): void

  Play the next item in the queue.

• queuePreviousItem(): void

  Play the previous item in the queue.

• queueSetRepeatMode(repeatMode: RepeatMode): void

  Set the queue repeat mode.

• queueInsertItem(options: QueueInsertItemOptions): void

  Insert a single queue item.

• queueInsertItems(options: QueueInsertItemsOptions): void

  Insert multiple queue items.

• queueRemoveItems(itemIDs: number[], customData?: any): void

  Remove queue items by ID.

• queueReorderItems(itemIDs: number[], beforeItemID: number, customData?: any): void

  Reorder queue items by ID.

• queueJumpToItem(itemID: number, playPosition?: number, customData? any): void

  Jump to queue item by ID.

TODO

• More queue-related functions.
• Complete Cast Reference app that adheres to the Google Cast Design Checklist.

Acknowledgements

• CodeLab - Current employer. Developed this plugin whilst learning NativeScript.
• loop.tv - Financed the development of Queue Support.