Implement blackout handling

TVSDK provides APIs and sample code for handling blackout periods.

To implement blackout handling including providing alternate content during the blackout:

1. Set up your app to detect blackout tags in a live stream manifest.

   private function startPlayback(resource:MediaResource):void {
       ...
       var tags:Vector.<String> = PSDKConfig.retrieveMediaPlayerItemConfig().subscribeTags;
           tags.push(BlackoutHandler.BLACK_OUT_START_TAG);
           tags.push(BlackoutHandler.BLACK_OUT_END_TAG);
   
       PSDKConfig.retrieveMediaPlayerItemConfig().subscribeTags = tags;
       ...
   }
   

2. Create event listeners for timed metadata events in foreground and background streams.

   private function createMediaPlayer(context:MediaPlayerContext):void {
       ...
       _player.addEventListener(TimedMetadataEvent.TIMED_METADATA_AVAILABLE, onTimedMetadata);
       _player.addEventListener(TimedMetadataEvent.TIMED_METADATA_IN_BACKGROUND_AVAILABLE,
                                onTimedMetadataInBackground);
       ...
   }
   

3. Implement timed metadata event handlers for both foreground and background streams.

   Foreground:

   private function onTimedMetadata(event:TimedMetadataEvent):void {
       var timedMetadata:TimedMetadata = event.timedMetadata;
       var start:uint = 0;
       var end:uint = 0;
       if (timedMetadata.type == TimedMetadataType.TAG) {
           if (timedMetadata.name == BLACK_OUT_START_TAG) {
               start = timedMetadata.time;
               end = start + _player.playbackRange.end; // Get the duration
               _blackoutRanges.push(new BlackoutMetadata(new TimeRange(start, end)));
           }
       }
   }
   

   Background:

   private function onTimedMetadataInBackground(event:TimedMetadataEvent):void {
       var timedMetadata:TimedMetadata = event.timedMetadata;
       if (timedMetadata.type == TimedMetadataType.TAG) {
           if (timedMetadata.name == BLACK_OUT_START_TAG)
               _blackoutStartTime = timedMetadata.time;
   
           if (timedMetadata.name == BLACK_OUT_END_TAG) {
               _logger.debug("#onTimedMetadataInBackground New blackout end tag identified.");
               _blackoutENDTime = timedMetadata.time;
               var duration:int = ((_blackoutENDTime - _blackoutStartTime) - _offset) - _interval;
               if (duration > 0) {
                   _logger.debug("#onTimedMetadataInBackground Blackout {0} msec of blackout remaining
                                 based on new/updated tags.", duration);
                   _countdownTimer.reset();
                   _countdownTimer.delay = duration;
                   _countdownTimer.start()
               }
           }
       }
   }
   

4. Prepare the MediaPlayer for blackouts.

   public function prepareBlackoutRanges(timedMetadata:Vector.<TimedMetadata>):void {
       _logger.debug('#prepareBlackoutRanges Calculating blackout ranges in DVR window');
       var start:uint = 0;
       var end:uint = 0;
       for (var i:uint = 0; i < timedMetadata.length; i++) {
           if (timedMetadata[i].type == TimedMetadataType.TAG) {
               if (timedMetadata[i].name == BLACK_OUT_END_TAG) {
                   end = timedMetadata[i].time;
                   if (start == 0) {
                       _blackoutRanges.push(new TimeRange(0, end)); // Do we have any orphan end tags?
                       end = 0;
                   }
                   else {
                       _blackoutRanges.push(new TimeRange(start, end)); // If not...
                       start = 0;
                       end = 0;
                   }
               }
               if (timedMetadata[i].name == BLACK_OUT_START_TAG) {
                   start = timedMetadata[i].time; // Get the start time
                   if (timedMetadata.length - 1 == i)
                       _blackoutRanges.push(new TimeRange(start, _player.playbackRange.end));
               }
           }
       }
   
       var blackoutRangeMetadata:BlackoutMetadata = new BlackoutMetadata(_blackoutRanges);
       // Set the list of blackout ranges on the MediaPlayer
       var metadata:Metadata = _player.currentItem.resource.metadata;
       if(metadata)
           metadata.setObject(DefaultMetadataKeys.BLACKOUT_METADATA_KEY, blackoutRangeMetadata);
       _logger.debug("#prepareBlackoutRanges Printing DefaultMediaPlayer's representation of timedBlackoutMetadata.");
   }
   

5. Set up a check of the list of TimedMetadataObjects for each occurrence of an update to the playhead position.

   private function onTimeChange(event:TimeChangeEvent):void {
       if (!_inBlackout) {
           for (var i:int = _blackoutRanges.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
               if (containsTime(event.time) && !_seeking && !_inBlackout && !_adPlaying) {
                   var index:int = getIndexForTime(event.time);
                   if (_blackoutRanges[index].nonSeekableRange.end > _player.seekableRange.end) {
                       _startTimer.reset();
                       _startTimer.start();
                       _offset = _player.currentTime - _blackoutRanges[index].nonSeekableRange.begin;
                       var duration:int = _blackoutRanges[index].nonSeekableRange.duration -
                                            (event.time - _blackoutRanges[index].nonSeekableRange.begin);
                       _logger.debug("#onTimeChange Main content will resume in {0} msec.", duration);
                       _blackoutStartTime = _blackoutRanges[index].nonSeekableRange.begin;
                       initiate();
                       return;
                   } else {
                       _logger.debug("#onTimeChange Live blackout range start dectected.");
                       _logger.debug("#onTimeChange Seekable range end {0}, Playable range {1},
                                     Playhead {2}", _player.seekableRange.end,
                                     _player.playbackRange.toString(), event.time);
                       _player.seek(_blackoutRanges[index].nonSeekableRange.end);
                       _seeking = true;
                       return;
                   }
               }
           }
       }
   }
   

6. Create methods for switching content at the start and end of the blackout period.

   public function initiate(event:TimerEvent=null):void {
       _inBlackout = true;
       _logger.debug("#initiate Entering blackout");
       _player.removeEventListener(TimedMetadataEvent.TIMED_METADATA_AVAILABLE, onTimedMetadata);
       _player.removeEventListener(TimeChangeEvent.TIME_CHANGED, onTimeChange);
   
       // Register the current (original playback item) in background.
       _player.registerCurrentItemAsBackgroundItem();
   
       // Replace the current playback item with the alternate stream.
       _player.replaceCurrentResource(_alternate);
   }
   
   public function terminate(event:TimerEvent=null):void {
       _inBlackout = false;
       _offset = 0;
       _logger.debug("#terminate Exiting blackout.");
       _blackoutRanges.length = 0;
       _blackoutRanges = new Vector.<BlackoutMetadata>();
       // Unregister background resource
       _player.unregisterCurrentBackgroundItem();
       // Switch back to the original resource
       _player.replaceCurrentResource(mainResource);
       _player.addEventListener(TimedMetadataEvent.TIMED_METADATA_AVAILABLE, onTimedMetadata);
       _player.addEventListener(TimeChangeEvent.TIME_CHANGED, onTimeChange);
       _seekToBlackoutEnd = true;
       // Reset countdown timer
       if (_countdownTimer) {
           _countdownTimer.reset();
           _startTimer.stop();
           _startTimer.reset();
           _interval = 0;
       }
   }
   

Business.Adobe.com resources