Android SDK 4.20.0 improves PiP receiver handling, enhances player lifecycle reliability, and resolves playback interruptions caused by faulty ad tags.

New Feature

• The IMA package has been upgraded to version 3.36.0.

Bug Fixes

• A new receiver is registered only after the previous one is removed to prevent multiple PiP receivers per Activity.
• Related configuration requests correctly follow the player lifecycle in React-Native and Native setups.
• Only one set of player controls appears during initial buffering.
• The player no longer crashes when attempting to enter PiP in an Activity that is no longer attached to the Window.
• If a faulty VAST ad tag is encountered, the ad is skipped and content playback continues without stalling.

We’ve enhanced the tracks editor to make it easier to create and manage caption and chapter tracks.

New Feature

You can now easily create and manage tracks associated with a media item:

• Add track metadata, including name and language code
• Find and replace text across one or more instances
• Insert captions or chapters at the paused position of the preview player
• Use keyboard shortcuts for faster editing

For more information, learn how to add closed captions and chapter markers. 

In v8.36.6, an ad macro replacement issue has been addressed.

Bug Fix

All ad macros in tag URLs are correctly replaced, even when the same macro appears multiple times.

Broadcast Live now supports higher frame rates for fast-paced content.

New Feature

Broadcast Live now supports higher frame rates of 50fps and 60fps. This enhancement delivers improved video quality for fast-moving content — such as sports — providing smoother, more lifelike visuals and enabling slow-motion playback without loss of clarity.

Notes:

• To enable 50fps or 60fps, contact your account manager to increase this limit.
• Since higher frame rates require more bandwidth, we recommend increasing your bitrate when streaming at 50fps or 60fps.
• By default, live streaming profiles support up to 30fps.

The JW Platform now automatically extracts text tracks (captions or subtitles) from your originally uploaded VOD and live-to-VOD media.

New Feature

JWP auto-extracts CEA 608/708, webVTT, and SRT text tracks present in the original media. You can edit or delete these tracks with the dashboard or Management API. You can also manually upload or create caption tracks in the dashboard. 

Learn more about captions. 

The JW Platform now applies language labels to audio tracks extracted from VOD and live-to-VOD media.

New Feature

The platform now automatically applies language labels to auto-extracted default and alternate audio tracks based on the language codes present in the original media (for VOD or live-to-VOD conversion). If the original audio tracks do not include language codes, labels will not be applied.

Learn more about audio track management.

We’ve simplified the dashboard’s Current reported usage section to make understanding your account activity and usage easier.

New Feature

The dashboard now displays an updated set of usage metrics designed to better reflect your account activity. 

This streamlined view provides:

• A clearer, more concise snapshot of your usage
• Metrics directly aligned with your account activity
• Improved consistency between what you see in the dashboard and in your contract

For definitions of the new metrics, please visit our Usage Metrics Reference.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to your account representative.

Our v8.36.5 release resolves several issues to improve ad handling, performance, and gallery display.

Bug Fixes

• Consent data passes correctly for Freewheel ad requests without overwriting values.
• HLS.js debug mode defaults to disabled to prevent excessive console logging.
• Thumbnails load correctly across all pages in gallery view.

Use this new dataset to gain insights about play session data over large time periods.

New Feature

You can now easily access monthly aggregates of your play session data through a single dataset: Play Session Monthly Aggregates.

We're excited to introduce the Streaming tab, which replaces OTT Analytics in the dashboard. This new tab provides comprehensive insights and improved visualizations.

New Feature

The Streaming analytics tab helps you monitor and analyze your streaming performance, offering better visibility into audience engagement and device usage:

• Streaming analytics replaces OTT Analytics, providing a more comprehensive view of your data.
• Enhanced device detection, particularly for Smart TVs, delivers more precise reporting.
• Looker-powered analytics improves data visualizations and enables faster publication of new metrics.

To start exploring these improved analytics, go to the Analytics overview page and click the Streaming tab.