Step-by-Step: Simple Video App using Swift

There are two ways to try out this sample:

Download the sample

Download the entire Xcode project for experimentation.

1. Clone or download the Native SDK for iOS samples to your local system.
2. Navigate to the Player/VideoCloudBasicPlayer/swift sample app.
3. Run the pod install command.
4. Open and run the newly created workspace.

For details, see the Running Sample Apps for the Native SDK for iOS/tvOS document.

Build the app by following the steps in this guide

Follow the steps below to get familiar with setting up an app project that uses the Brightcove Player SDK for tvOS. You can view the complete code for each of the following:

1. AppDelegate

2. ViewController

Import the Native SDK

Although the Brightcove Native Player SDK for iOS is written in Objective-C, we can simply import the framework modules into our Swift project.

1. Below the existing import directive, add the following to import the Brightcove Native Player SDK:

   import BrightcovePlayerSDK

Customize the project with your values

Add values to access your Video Cloud account.

This example plays a video returned from the Brightcove Playback API, which is the latest and recommended API to retrieve content from your Video Cloud library. If you are not familiar with Policy Keys, see the Policy API Overview.

1. Below the import directives, add your own values for the following:

   • Line 12: Defines your Brightcove Playback API Policy Key
   • Line 13: Defines your Video Cloud Account ID

   • Line 14: Defines your Video Cloud Video ID

   // ** Customize these values with your own account information **
   let kViewControllerPlaybackServicePolicyKey = "your policy key"
   let kViewControllerAccountID = "your account id"
   let kViewControllerVideoID = "your video id"

Set the class delegate

This allows your app to listen and respond to video playback events and player control events.

1. Update the View Controller class as follows:

   class ViewController: UIViewController, BCOVPlaybackControllerDelegate {
   

Declare constants and set the view

1. In the ViewController class, add the following :

   • Line 16: Initializes a shared manager. The BCOVPlayerSDKManager class is a singleton that allows you to create other objects in the SDK ecosystem.
   • Line 17: Defines a constant, which initializes the Brightcove playback service with your Account ID and Policy Key. The BCOVPlaybackService class provides asynchronous methods for retrieving data from the Playback API.
   • Line 18: Defines a constant for the playback controller. The BCOVPlaybackController has methods to control playback functionality.

   • Line 19: Defines a variable for the view.

   class ViewController: UIViewController, BCOVPlaybackControllerDelegate {
     let sharedSDKManager = BCOVPlayerSDKManager.shared()
     let playbackService = BCOVPlaybackService(accountId: kViewControllerAccountID, policyKey: kViewControllerPlaybackServicePolicyKey)
     let playbackController :BCOVPlaybackController
     @IBOutlet weak var videoContainerView: UIView!

Create an init function

1. Below the code in the previous step, create an init() function as follows:
   • Line 23: Uses the shared manager to create a playback controller.

   • Line 27: Optional: Sends your Video Cloud Account ID to analytics. This is only needed if you override the BCOVVideo class or do not use the Brightcove Playback service or catalog.

   • Lines 29-31: set the delegate and turn on the auto-advance and autoplay features.

    required init?(coder aDecoder: NSCoder) {
   	playbackController = (sharedSDKManager?.createPlaybackController())!
   
   	super.init(coder: aDecoder)
   
   	playbackController.analytics.account = kViewControllerAccountID // Optional
   
   	playbackController.delegate = self
   	playbackController.isAutoAdvance = true
   	playbackController.isAutoPlay = true
   }

Configure the player

1. In the viewDidLoad() function, add the following:

   • Line 39: Create and set the Brightcove player controls, using the standard VOD layout.
   • Line 44: Adds the player view as a subview of the main view.
   • Line 45: Turn off auto-resizing mask.
   • Lines 46-51: Use Auto Layout to define dynamic contraints for the player view.
   • Line 54: Associate the player view with the playback controller.

   • Line 56: Calls the requestContentFromPlaybackService function, which we will define in the next step.

   override func viewDidLoad() {
     super.viewDidLoad()
     // Do any additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.
   
     // Set up our player view. Create with a standard VOD layout.
     guard let playerView = BCOVPUIPlayerView(playbackController: self.playbackController, options: nil, controlsView: BCOVPUIBasicControlView.withVODLayout()) else {
         return
     }
   
     // Install in the container view and match its size.
     self.videoContainerView.addSubview(playerView)
     playerView.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
     NSLayoutConstraint.activate([
         playerView.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: self.videoContainerView.topAnchor),
         playerView.rightAnchor.constraint(equalTo: self.videoContainerView.rightAnchor),
         playerView.leftAnchor.constraint(equalTo: self.videoContainerView.leftAnchor),
         playerView.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: self.videoContainerView.bottomAnchor)
     ])
   
     // Associate the playerView with the playback controller.
     playerView.playbackController = playbackController
   
     requestContentFromPlaybackService()
   }

Request content from the Brightcove library

In order to play back video content, you will request a playlist from the catalog service

1. Below the viewDidLoad() function, create a function named requestContentFromPlaybackService() as follows:

   • Line 60: Returns a video object from the Playback API based on the given video id.
   • Line 63: Adds the video to the playback controller.

   • Line 65: Writes an error message if a playlist is not returned.

   func requestContentFromPlaybackService() {
     let configuration = [kBCOVPlaybackServiceConfigurationKeyAssetID:kViewControllerVideoID]
     playbackService?.findVideo(withConfiguration: configuration, queryParameters: nil, completion: { [weak self] (video: BCOVVideo?, jsonResponse: [AnyHashable: Any]?, error: Error?) in
         
         if let v = video {
             self?.playbackController.setVideos([v] as NSArray)
         } else {
             print("ViewController Debug - Error retrieving video: \(error?.localizedDescription ?? "unknown error")")
         }
     })
   }

View the code

The View Controller is now complete. Here is the full code:

//
//  ViewController.swift
//  VideoCloudBasicPlayer
//
//  Copyright © Brightcove, Inc. All rights reserved.
//

import UIKit
import BrightcovePlayerSDK

let kViewControllerPlaybackServicePolicyKey = "your policy key"
let kViewControllerAccountID = "your account id"
let kViewControllerVideoID = "your video id"

class ViewController: UIViewController, BCOVPlaybackControllerDelegate {

  let sharedSDKManager = BCOVPlayerSDKManager.shared()
  let playbackService = BCOVPlaybackService(accountId: kViewControllerAccountID, policyKey: kViewControllerPlaybackServicePolicyKey)
  let playbackController :BCOVPlaybackController
  @IBOutlet weak var videoContainerView: UIView!

  required init?(coder aDecoder: NSCoder) {
    playbackController = (sharedSDKManager?.createPlaybackController())!

    super.init(coder: aDecoder)

    playbackController.analytics.account = kViewControllerAccountID // Optional

    playbackController.delegate = self
    playbackController.isAutoAdvance = true
    playbackController.isAutoPlay = true
  }

  override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()
    // Do any additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.

    // Set up our player view. Create with a standard VOD layout.
    guard let playerView = BCOVPUIPlayerView(playbackController: self.playbackController, options: nil, controlsView: BCOVPUIBasicControlView.withVODLayout()) else {
        return
    }

    // Install in the container view and match its size.
    self.videoContainerView.addSubview(playerView)
    playerView.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
    NSLayoutConstraint.activate([
      playerView.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: self.videoContainerView.topAnchor),
      playerView.rightAnchor.constraint(equalTo: self.videoContainerView.rightAnchor),
      playerView.leftAnchor.constraint(equalTo: self.videoContainerView.leftAnchor),
      playerView.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: self.videoContainerView.bottomAnchor)
    ])

    // Associate the playerView with the playback controller.
    playerView.playbackController = playbackController

    requestContentFromPlaybackService()
  }

  func requestContentFromPlaybackService() {
    let configuration = [kBCOVPlaybackServiceConfigurationKeyAssetID:kViewControllerVideoID]
    playbackService?.findVideo(withConfiguration: configuration, queryParameters: nil, completion: { [weak self] (video: BCOVVideo?, jsonResponse: [AnyHashable: Any]?, error: Error?) in
        
        if let v = video {
            self?.playbackController.setVideos([v] as NSArray)
        } else {
            print("ViewController Debug - Error retrieving video: \(error?.localizedDescription ?? "unknown error")")
        }
    })
  }
}

//
//  ViewController.swift
//  Simple-Video-Playback for Brightcove Player Customers
//
//  Copyright © Brightcove. All rights reserved.
//

import UIKit
import BrightcovePlayerSDK

let kViewControllerAccountID = "your account id" // For Brightcove registration

class ViewController: UIViewController, BCOVPlaybackControllerDelegate {
    let sharedSDKManager = BCOVPlayerSDKManager.shared()
    let playbackController :BCOVPlaybackController
    @IBOutlet weak var videoContainerView: UIView!

    required init?(coder aDecoder: NSCoder) {
        // Create the Brightcove playback controller
        playbackController = (sharedSDKManager?.createPlaybackController())!

        super.init(coder: aDecoder)

        // Register your app with Brightcove
        playbackController.analytics.account = kViewControllerAccountID

        // Configure the player
        playbackController.delegate = self
        playbackController.isAutoAdvance = true
        playbackController.isAutoPlay = true
    }

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()
        // Do any additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.

        // Create an array of videos
        var videoArray = [AnyObject]()
        videoArray = [videoWithURL(url: NSURL(string: "https://solutions.brightcove.com/bcls/assets/videos/Great_Horned_Owl.mp4")!),
                      videoWithURL(url: NSURL(string: "https://solutions.brightcove.com/bcls/assets/videos/Great_Blue_Heron.mp4")!)]

        // Set up the player view with a standard VOD layout.
        guard let playerView = BCOVPUIPlayerView(playbackController: self.playbackController, options: nil, controlsView: BCOVPUIBasicControlView.withVODLayout()) else {
            return
        }

        // Install in the container view and match its size.
        self.videoContainerView.addSubview(playerView)
        playerView.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        NSLayoutConstraint.activate([
            playerView.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: self.videoContainerView.topAnchor),
            playerView.rightAnchor.constraint(equalTo: self.videoContainerView.rightAnchor),
            playerView.leftAnchor.constraint(equalTo: self.videoContainerView.leftAnchor),
            playerView.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: self.videoContainerView.bottomAnchor)
        ])

        // Associate the playerView with the playback controller.
        playerView.playbackController = playbackController

        // Load the video array into the player and start video playback
        playbackController.setVideos(videoArray as NSArray)
        playbackController.play();
    }

    func videoWithURL(url: NSURL) -> BCOVVideo {
      // Set the delivery method for BCOVSources that belong to a video
      let source:BCOVSource = BCOVSource(url: url as URL, deliveryMethod: kBCOVSourceDeliveryHLS, properties: nil)
      let video = BCOVVideo.init(source: source, cuePoints: BCOVCuePointCollection.init(array: []), properties: [NSObject:AnyObject]())
      return video!
    }
}

The app is ready to build and run on an iPhone, iPad or the iOS Simulator. You should be able to play the videos from your playlist.