How to share a video between Android devices using MediaRouting

Question

Currently I'm getting into the MediaRoute Android classes. I've followed and understood the examples and I'm trying to share a video between two devices, for instance, two tablets with the same hardware. I have two custom apps.

1. The MediaRouter app, which would send the video
2. The MediaRouterProvider app, which would receive the video and play it.

The fact is that my first app installed in the first device cannot see the route if the second app is installed in the second device. On the contrary, if I install the second app in the first device, I'm able to discover the MediaRoutes defined in the MediaRouteProvider app, so the second app is working locally.

I'm publishing the MediaRouteProvider routes like this:

private void publishRoutes() {

    Resources r = getContext().getResources();
    // Create a route descriptor using previously created IntentFilters
    MediaRouteDescriptor routeDescriptor = new MediaRouteDescriptor.Builder(
            VARIABLE_VOLUME_BASIC_ROUTE_ID,"WTF")
            .setDescription("descripcion")
            .addControlFilters(CONTROL_FILTERS_BASIC)
            .setPlaybackStream(AudioManager.STREAM_MUSIC)
            .setPlaybackType(MediaRouter.RouteInfo.PLAYBACK_TYPE_REMOTE)
            .setDeviceType(MediaRouter.RouteInfo.DEVICE_TYPE_UNKNOWN)
            .setVolumeHandling(MediaRouter.RouteInfo.PLAYBACK_VOLUME_VARIABLE)
            .setVolumeMax(VOLUME_MAX)
            .setVolume(mVolume)
            .build();
    // Add the route descriptor to the provider descriptor
    MediaRouteProviderDescriptor providerDescriptor =
            new MediaRouteProviderDescriptor.Builder()
                    .addRoute(routeDescriptor)
                    .build();

    // Publish the descriptor to the framework
    setDescriptor(providerDescriptor);
}

Of course, I'm aware that there is no magic about discovering routes without a direct connection between two devices. Both are connected to the same Wifi Network. Plus, I have a chromecast connected to a TV and I can discover it and I'm also able to play the video in the TV.

So to sum up, I would like to know what is doing chromecast to be discovered for my first app in order to do something similar with my second app. I've tried establishing a direct socket connection between my two devices, but the routes cannot be discovered. Perhaps I'm looking for a wrong approach so any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

The MediaRouteProvider implementation you showed creates and publishes a route to the local device. That's why when you run the consumer and the provider on the same device, the provider is available. To provide routes to non-local receivers, you'd have to discover and provide routes for them in your route provider.

The ChromeCast advertises itself on the local network. There is code on your phone which registers a MediaRouteProvider which handles discovery and playback of ChromeCasts. You will have to implement this discovery and playback management code for your MediaRouteProvider.