Play Youtube Video in Cardboard mode

Question

I'm developing a cardboard app. In my app I want to play a 360 youtube video, I want it to go straight to VR mode so the user doesn't have to remove their headset.

I don't mind whether this video is embedded in my app or opens the youtube app, but I need it go directly into VR mode with no non-VR interaction.

I've looked into doing the following:

• streaming the video onto a surfaceTexture and using this to render stereoscoptically: not Possible
• Launching the youtube app in cardboard mode: Not Possible
• Using the YoutubePlayerView/Fragment/standalonePlayer : None expose functions to enable cardboard mode.

Is this possible?

Answer 1

I ended up using DASH with exoplayer.

I grabbed the direct url like so:

        String GET_VIDEO_INFO_URL = "http://www.youtube.com/get_video_info";
        Bundle params = new Bundle();
        params.putString("video_id", info.getId());

        UrlUtils.HttpURLRequest request = new UrlUtils.HttpURLRequest(GET_VIDEO_INFO_URL, "GET", params);
        String response = request.execute();
        if(response != null) {
            Bundle urlParams = UrlUtils.decodeUrl(response);
            String manifest_url = urlParams.getString("dashmpd", null);
            info.setPath(manifest_url);
        }

Then I use exoplayer to render the dash stream to a texture as explained here.