Difference between stopping the player vs releasing the player - devrath/MediaAlchemySuite GitHub Wiki

What happens when we call stop from the mediaController()

• It will stop the playback immediately.
• It will move the player to STATE_IDLE.
• It frees the current loaded media/buffers/decoders.
• But it will keep the player instance active.
• It also keeps the playlist active.
• If an error occurred, it will not clear it either.
• You can prepare() and play() again on the same player instance.
• With the MediaSessionService, A stopped player may still show a notification unless the playlist is removed or player is released.

What happens when we call release from the mediaController()

• This is the final step, and it is like the final teardown.
• It will free the player and all its resources and make it unusable.
• You should make a new player/controller next time you want to play.

When to use which

• Pause UI but keep everything "warm" -> pause()
• Free decoders/buffers now but keep the player+playlist to resume later -> stop() then prepare()/play()
• We just want to leave the service and not start again -> release()