ExoPlayer Builder API to disable HDMI Audio output related functionality

[Ethan1983]

Use case description

ExoPlayer is used for a media app in Android Automotive environment. Platform doesn't support a concept of ACTION_HDMI_AUDIO_PLUG. However, the default logic of ExoPlayer (via AudioTrackAudioOutputProvider, AudioCapabilitiesReceiver registers a broadcast receiver for AudioManager.ACTION_HDMI_AUDIO_PLUG to detect audio capability change).

Proposed solution

An ExoPlayer Builder API to disable HDMI audio output related functionality (when desired) similar to other APIs like setBandwidthMeter.

Alternatives considered

N/A

[icbaker]

Please can you give more info about the problems with keeping this enabled even when it's not needed or supported?

I believe many phones also won't support the concept of ACTION_HDMI_AUDIO_PLUG - but I'm not clear why it would be a problem to register the support unconditionally even on such devices.

[Ethan1983]

Please can you give more info about the problems with keeping this enabled even when it's not needed or supported?

I believe many phones also won't support the concept of ACTION_HDMI_AUDIO_PLUG - but I'm not clear why it would be a problem to register the support unconditionally even on such devices.

This didn't break any functionality. Just the overhead of a broadcast receiver registered with Android Framework. However, this isn't restricted just to the registration. It would be great if all relevant functionality can be disabled like disabling Bandwidth monitor (for DASH) when playback is restricted only to local files etc.

[icbaker]

Just the overhead of a broadcast receiver registered with Android Framework

Can you expand a bit on the practical/concrete overhead of a registered broadcast receiver that is never invoked? Naively, I would assume that is quite lightweight.

It would be great if all relevant functionality can be disabled like disabling Bandwidth monitor (for DASH) when playback is restricted only to local files etc.

This should be possible by registering a no-op BandwidthMeter (or one that returns null from getTransferListener()): https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayer.Builder#setBandwidthMeter(androidx.media3.exoplayer.upstream.BandwidthMeter)

[Ethan1983]

Just the overhead of a broadcast receiver registered with Android Framework

Can you expand a bit on the practical/concrete overhead of a registered broadcast receiver that is never invoked? Naively, I would assume that is quite lightweight.

It would be great if all relevant functionality can be disabled like disabling Bandwidth monitor (for DASH) when playback is restricted only to local files etc.

This should be possible by registering a no-op BandwidthMeter (or one that returns null from getTransferListener()): https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayer.Builder#setBandwidthMeter(androidx.media3.exoplayer.upstream.BandwidthMeter)

Just the internal bookkeeping done in Framework. It might not be a concern for just one app, but a number of apps adds up. Not to suggest this is a deal breaker but if something can be avoided by customization, it would be great similar to the no-op BandwidthMeter.

Apart from the registration of the receiver, is there any other functionality in ExoPlayer that can be disabled? Ideally, it would seem like this structure

  if (platform supports HDMI_Audio_Output) {

    // register receiver
    // Any other additional logic
      
  }