Airplay playback is stuck on preroll using IMA SDK iOS

[Marc Desharnais]

Hi,

1. Which SDK are you using: iOS
2. What ad tag are you using in your request? "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?rcid=158C563D-CBFD-4A9C-9B81-CDBDA1A9DC64&cust_params=rcSport%3Dnull%2526rcThm%3Dnull%2526avdif%3Ddirect%2526device%3DApp-iOS%2526audienceList%3D%2526resume%3Dfalse%2526&ad_rule=0&idtype=idfa&output=vast&env=vp&gdfp_req=1&unviewed_position_start=1&cmsid=1303&is_lat=0&url=https://ici.radio-canada.ca&sz=852x480&iu=/6642/raca.dev&impl=s&vid=RDI&pp=no-vpaid"

Are you able to reproduce this issue using your ad tag in the sample app: YES

Using the Sample AdvancedExample-ObjectiveC

https://github.com/googleads/googleads-ima-ios/tree/master/Objective-C/AdvancedExample

What I noted:

Airplay works fine with the supplied implementation, which uses the AVPlayer instance to initialize the IMAAdsRequest:

IMAAdsRequest *request = [[IMAAdsRequest alloc] initWithAdTagUrl:adTagUrl

adDisplayContainer:[self createAdDisplayContainer]

avPlayerVideoDisplay:[[IMAAVPlayerVideoDisplay alloc] initWithAVPlayer:self.contentPlayer]

pictureInPictureProxy:self.pictureInPictureProxy

userContext:nil];

But if you initialize the request with a playhead instead (which should be totally valid), it stops working:

IMAAdsRequest *request = [[IMAAdsRequest alloc] initWithAdTagUrl:adTagUrl

        adDisplayContainer:[self createAdDisplayContainer]

        contentPlayhead:  self.contentPlayhead

userContext:nil];

While connected to Airplay, the video is stuck in the preroll phase. The content is not played after the preroll.

[Steps to reproduce]:

1 - Change the IMAAdsRequest initialization code to use the content playhead

2 - Compile the project for a device and launch

3 - Launch the “preroll” example in the list

4 - During the preroll, connect to Airplay to be ready to cast the video

5 - Watch the preroll finish on the TV

6 - Notice that the content doesn’t start, the seek bar resets at the beginning of the preroll video

Expected:

The content should start as soon as the preroll finishes.

Let me know if you need any more information!

[IMA SDK]

Hi Marc,

Thank you for reaching out to us. Can you confirm whether or not you are using the IMAContentPlayhead or a contentPlayhead of your own? If you're using the IMAContentPlayhead, can you share a video showing the behavior while occurring? Can you also share the sample app you were using for your tests?

Regards,
Arnaud Casame
IMA SDK Team

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[Marc Desharnais]

I'm using the content playhead that was already created in the sample app, a IMAAVPlayerContentPlayhead.
It might also worth testing with another implementation of IMAContentPlayhead too.
Here's the project I'm using and the video shows the result I get went testing on Airplay.

Regards,

[IMA SDK]

Hi Marc,

Thank you for providing additional insights with regards to the issue. Can you also provide a video recording showing the behavior so we can investigate further? You can share it privately by sending it to our imate...@gmail.com and let us know once it is done.

Regards,
Arnaud Casame
IMA SDK Team

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[Marc Desharnais]

Hi,

the video was sent by email as requested.

Regards,

--

Marc Desharnais

Société Radio-Canada

Chef développeur - Applications mobiles
Média Numériques

[IMA SDK]

Hi Marc,

Thank you for providing additional insights with regards to the issue. Allow me to share the behavior with the rest of the team, we are going to review it and I'll come back to this thread once I have more information.

Regards,
Arnaud Casame
IMA SDK Team

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[Marc Desharnais]

Hi,

 

any update on this issue?

[IMA SDK]

Hi Marc,

Could you update to latest SDK to see if the issue still exists? 

Regards,

Aryeh Baker IMA SDK Team

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