[Feature request] automatic skip only when the client does not support the use of the skip button

[jumoog]

Known Clients

AppName	Support Button
Jellyfin Web	x
Android TV
Jellyfin Android	x
Jellyfin Tizen (Samsung)	x
Findroid	x (native)
Jellyfin Media Player	If enabled
Browser PiP

[jumoog]

This means that it will check for the AppName, and only skip automatically if the AppName is Android TV.

[Dnkhatri]

There is also jellyfin mpv shim. https://github.com/jellyfin/jellyfin-mpv-shim

[AbandonedCart]

There is also jellyfin mpv shim. https://github.com/jellyfin/jellyfin-mpv-shim

That shouldn't require skipping automatically.

[AbandonedCart]

Is this issue here that Android TV can't support a skip or that someone developing the app didn't support a skip? As someone who develops for Android TV, I can confidently say the only difference is that the devices don't have a touchscreen.

[rlauuzo]

I think people only want autoskipping on devices that don't support a skip button, since enabling autoskip forces skipping on all devices. Additionally, someone on Discord mentioned that on Android TV, skipping by pressing the enter/OK key still works, but the button itself isn't visible.

[AbandonedCart]

I would assume the button would have worked. Android typically translates the gamdpad and controller keys into keyboard equivalents for processing.

But I can also see where they would use a native media player over the one provided by a WebView because the browser support on Android TV has always been lacking.

[JamsRepos]

I think people only want autoskipping on devices that don't support a skip button, since enabling autoskip forces skipping on all devices.

This is correct, I had originally mentioned this in the Discord for that exact reason. As for someone who swaps between Android TV and my computer, i'd rather skip myself on my computer than have it automatically force me to skip, whereas on the Android TV app, no skip button is present.

[AbandonedCart]

@jumoog It may be time to abandon trying to force an auto skip for Android TV and consider an alternate approach. It hasn't gained any support and I remember it being proposed and shot down at least once before.

Typically, things like that translate the components when there is a fitting counterpart. It's very common that alerts or notices get translated to toast or snackbar messages. That would open up the ability to post a popup saying "press ok to skip"

[jumoog]

Another approach would be to insert chapters. Or we could modify the Android TV app, but I really don't want to do that.

[AbandonedCart]

Is there any reason the hardware buttons aren't a viable option?

[JamsRepos]

Is there any reason the hardware buttons aren't a viable option?

Unless you force a message to the client saying "Press this button on your controller to skip" consistently each time an intro segment appears, I don't see this as a viable option. You can't really expect users to know about something like that when they're not told. Although, i'm not too sure what the issue you're referring to for auto skipping is, possibly to do with web sockets? Which my solution would also require.

[jumoog]

The offical Jellyfin Android TV App dont use the server website. So there is no button you can press.

[JamsRepos]

The offical Jellyfin Android TV App dont use the server website. So there is no button you can press.

My thoughts exactly, it's almost it's own bespoke application. I think there's major confusion going on inside this feature request.

[AbandonedCart]

Does Android TV not have a remote / controller anymore?

[jumoog]

Does Android TV not have a remote / controller anymore?

We have a remote control, but nothing to click/skip. This is why we need to send a seek command.

[AbandonedCart]

And didn't @rlauuzo say that executing the button worked, but it was the UI component that was missing.

[jumoog]

And didn't @rlauuzo say that executing the button worked, but it was the UI component that was missing.

Maybe he meant the Android app? This may work if you sideload the app, but you can only download the Android TV app from the Play Store.

[AbandonedCart]

If this really is the situation, the Android TV app hardly seems worth downloading.

Having a regular app support Android TV is not an overly involved process, so there has to be some underlying reason to make it a completely separate project. I can't see sabotage being that reason.

[jumoog]

Well, I bought a cheap Google Chromecast 4k and the Android TV app is the only one you can download 😂

[jumoog]

thats the current Intro Skip button situation jellyfin/jellyfin-androidtv#1800

[rlauuzo]

And didn't @rlauuzo say that executing the button worked, but it was the UI component that was missing.

Maybe he meant the Android app? This may work if you sideload the app, but you can only download the Android TV app from the Play Store.

Someone on Discord mentioned that it works on their Fire TV Stick even though the button doesn't appear. I don't have an Android TV device to test it myself.

[JamsRepos]

I will test it shortly, I am about to stick a show on anyways.

[jumoog]

I dont see any API calls for our Plugin in the code. Maybe that person used a webview?

[JamsRepos]

Can confirm it does not exist on Android TV client.

[AbandonedCart]

I'm looking into what they're using to see what options are available.

It's ExoPlayer. It also seems like they are still in the earlier stages of implementing the full potential of the hardware. I guess throwing together a workaround is going to be the only answer available immediately.

[ethaldeman]

Should add the Roku app and Swiftfin ?

[JamsRepos]

I would assume webOS too, with third party clients such as Infuse (although I’m not sure if the API is listened to on Infuse).

[jumoog]

I would assume webOS too, with third party clients such as Infuse (although I’m not sure if the API is listened to on Infuse).

webOS uses the Jellyfin Server Webinterface. So it has a skip button

[JamsRepos]

I would assume webOS too, with third party clients such as Infuse (although I’m not sure if the API is listened to on Infuse).

webOS uses the Jellyfin Server Webinterface. So it has a skip button

Oh nice, didn’t know that.

[Brramble]

Daft opinion: what about a selection where you can opt in auto-skipping for selected devices? So instead, you dont need to catch all in your code, the user could just chose in their settings? IDK.

[AbandonedCart]

Daft opinion: what about a selection where you can opt in auto-skipping for selected devices? So instead, you dont need to catch all in your code, the user could just chose in their settings? IDK.

#208 (comment)
Rest assured, that was already proposed.

[Schaka]

I would assume webOS too, with third party clients such as Infuse (although I’m not sure if the API is listened to on Infuse).

webOS uses the Jellyfin Server Webinterface. So it has a skip button

Same goes for Tizen. It's not officially on the store, but maintained and people use it.

There's also Jellyfin for Kodi and JellyCon for the client list.
Neither can show the button, to the best of my knowledge, but both support automatic skipping.

[AbandonedCart]

Kodi is already added. You can see what's currently listed in #208

[Euphoriyy]

I would assume webOS too, with third party clients such as Infuse (although I’m not sure if the API is listened to on Infuse).

webOS uses the Jellyfin Server Webinterface. So it has a skip button

Same goes for Tizen. It's not officially on the store, but maintained and people use it.

There's also Jellyfin for Kodi and JellyCon for the client list. Neither can show the button, to the best of my knowledge, but both support automatic skipping.

I actually do use Jellyfin on a Tizen TV with support for the skip button by setting up a custom module for TizenBrew (A Tizen app that lets you run your own Tizen apps without installation hassle). I made it according to the standard set here (specifically an application module) and made it link to my Jellyfin server link. You can do the same by following what I did in my repository and just changing the link to your own Jellyfin server in the package.json.