diff --git a/blog/2023/12-10-android-tv-16/index.mdx b/blog/2023/12-10-android-tv-16/index.mdx new file mode 100644 index 00000000..d218f9c9 --- /dev/null +++ b/blog/2023/12-10-android-tv-16/index.mdx @@ -0,0 +1,122 @@ +--- +title: Android TV version 0.16 +authors: + - nielsvanvelzen +slug: androidtv-v0.16.0 +tags: [release, android-tv] +--- + +It has been a busy year with a lot of work on the Android TV app. After an extended beta period today is finally the day to share this work +to the public. Read along to learn everything about improved music playback, the new screensaver and more! + +\- Niels + +{/* truncate */} + +## Significant changes + +In this post I will focus on a few of the popular and significant changes. As always a lot more changes were made both visible and +invisible; check out the full changelog to discover the full extent of this release. + +### Music playback + +Playing media is the key feature of Jellyfin. Up until now the Android TV app had many issues playing every possible format. The code +was also hard to work with making it challenging to fix the issues or implement new features. To encounter this we decided to rewrite all +playback code completely from scratch. In this release the initial results are ready for daily use and playing music will use the new +playback code! + +While a lot of this work is not directly noticable when using the app, some of it is. Crashes should now be uncommon, starting music is +faster and the remote control now responds more reliably. We've also added media sessions, this allows you to play/pause from other +applications on your TV or even your smartphone! + +Improved codec detection should reduce transcoding and use direct play more often resulting in faster playback with less strain on the +Jellyfin server. We already have plans to improve this even more and add preferences to fine-tune this for your specific devices. Other +planned features include showing lyrics, enabling SyncPlay and support gapless playback. + +Work has already started to also enable video playback based on this new code so we can remove the old and add all kinds of new features +with ease. + +![Screenshot of the screensaver during music playback in the Android TV app](./screensaver-music.png) + +### Screensaver + +The screensaver has received some nice additions. It was redesigned to be faster, with better animations and a much nicer appearance. +Alongside this redesign, new functionality was added. Music playback has been added to the screensaver, replacing the old screensaver from +the 'now playing' screen. Additionally, the screensaver is now enabled by default when the app is open, eliminating the need to enable it +system-wide. + +And the best part: the screensaver now works when the video player is paused! + +![Screenshot of the screensaver in the Android TV app](./screensaver.png) + +### Search + +The search screen was partially rewritten to improve the performance. It will now cancel any pending search requests while typing and use +a different method for getting the results. With these changes a search on large servers will be noticeably faster and no flickering occurs +anymore. + +![Screenshot of the search view in the Android TV app](./search.png) + +### Full release notes + +The complete list of changes (over one hundred!) for this release including their respective pull requests can be found on +[GitHub](https://github.com/jellyfin/jellyfin-androidtv/releases/tag/v0.16.0). + +## Contributors + +Jellyfin is developed by volunteer contributors, and we couldn't do without their great skills and dedication. They don't get paid by any +organizations, so consider donating if you appreciate their work. A big shout-out to all contributors that made this release possible: + +**Jellyfin Team** + +- [@nielsvanvelzen](https://github.com/nielsvanvelzen) - Sponsor via [GitHub sponsors](https://github.com/sponsors/nielsvanvelzen) +- [@thornbill](https://github.com/thornbill) - Sponsor via [GitHub sponsors](https://github.com/sponsors/thornbill) +- [@1337joe](https://github.com/1337joe) - Sponsor via [GitHub sponsors](https://github.com/sponsors/1337joe) + +**Other contributors** + +- [@DoggoOfSpeed](https://github.com/DoggoOfSpeed) +- [@DavidFair](https://github.com/DavidFair) +- [@Clubfan22](https://github.com/Clubfan22) +- [@MWisBest](https://github.com/MWisBest) +- [@teobaranga](https://github.com/teobaranga) +- [@tim-vk](https://github.com/tim-vk) +- [@OctoNezd](https://github.com/OctoNezd) +- [@polson](https://github.com/polson) +- [@mohd-akram](https://github.com/mohd-akram) +- [@horizon1250](https://github.com/horizon1250) +- [@reacocard](https://github.com/reacocard) + +We'd also like to thank everyone who reported bugs, provided feedback and participated in beta testing! The feedback we received made this +our most stable release to date. + +### Helping out + +If you have some experience with Android TV development or with Kotlin and are interested in contributing yourself, +feel free to dive into the source code [on GitHub](https://github.com/jellyfin/jellyfin-androidtv) and open pull requests. + +Alternatively, you can help with translating the app into your language on our +[Weblate](https://translate.jellyfin.org/engage/jellyfin-android/) instance. + +## Downloads + +Update your app now to experience all these changes! The app stores will auto-update your Jellyfin app if you're already using the app. For +new users, you can find the app here: + + + Jellyfin for Android TV on Google Play + + + + Jellyfin for Fire TV at Amazon App Store + + + + Jellyfin for Android TV on F-Droid + + +Direct downloads are available for sideloading at [repo.jellyfin.org](https://repo.jellyfin.org/releases/client/androidtv/) +or in the [GitHub release assets](https://github.com/jellyfin/jellyfin-androidtv/releases/tag/v0.16.0). + +You can also join our [beta program on Google Play](https://play.google.com/apps/testing/org.jellyfin.androidtv) and help test new versions +before they're released to the public. diff --git a/blog/2023/12-10-android-tv-16/screensaver-music.png b/blog/2023/12-10-android-tv-16/screensaver-music.png new file mode 100644 index 00000000..c9b0ae91 Binary files /dev/null and b/blog/2023/12-10-android-tv-16/screensaver-music.png differ diff --git a/blog/2023/12-10-android-tv-16/screensaver.png b/blog/2023/12-10-android-tv-16/screensaver.png new file mode 100644 index 00000000..5aac4a4d Binary files /dev/null and b/blog/2023/12-10-android-tv-16/screensaver.png differ diff --git a/blog/2023/12-10-android-tv-16/search.png b/blog/2023/12-10-android-tv-16/search.png new file mode 100644 index 00000000..15e7bb69 Binary files /dev/null and b/blog/2023/12-10-android-tv-16/search.png differ diff --git a/blog/authors.yml b/blog/authors.yml index b46fdd94..d140c0bf 100644 --- a/blog/authors.yml +++ b/blog/authors.yml @@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ Maxr1998: nielsvanvelzen: name: Niels van Velzen + title: Android lead url: https://github.com/nielsvanvelzen image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/2305178?v=4