Difference between revisions of "DTVR Android SDK"

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{{Breadcrumb|}} {{Breadcrumb|Digital}} {{Breadcrumb|DCR & DTVR}}  {{CurrentBreadcrumb}}
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{{Breadcrumb|}} {{Breadcrumb|Digital}} {{Breadcrumb|US DCR & DTVR}}  {{CurrentBreadcrumb}}
 
[[Category:Digital]]
 
[[Category:Digital]]
  
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! Description
 
! Description
 
! Source
 
! Source
|-
+
|-style="background-color:#d0f6f8;"
 
  || '''App ID (appid)''' || Unique ID assigned to the player/site and configured by product. || Provided by Nielsen
 
  || '''App ID (appid)''' || Unique ID assigned to the player/site and configured by product. || Provided by Nielsen
|-
+
|-style="background-color:#d0f6f8;"
 
  || '''Nielsen SDK''' || Includes SDK frameworks and '''sample implementation'''; ''See [[Android SDK Release Notes]]'' || [[Special:Downloads|Download]]
 
  || '''Nielsen SDK''' || Includes SDK frameworks and '''sample implementation'''; ''See [[Android SDK Release Notes]]'' || [[Special:Downloads|Download]]
 
|}
 
|}
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==  Implementation ==
 
==  Implementation ==
This guide covers implementation steps for Android using Android Studio utilizing the Standard Nielsen SDK for DTVR.
+
This guide covers implementation steps for Android Studio utilizing the Nielsen SDK for DTVR.
=== How to obtain the NielsenAppApi ===
 
The Nielsen AppSDK can either be downloaded directly or can be integrated directly within an application through the use of Gradle. We recommend using the Gradle-based integration whenever possible to ensure you maintain the most recent changes and enhancements to the Nielsen libraries.
 
* [[Digital_Measurement_Android_Artifactory_Guide|Select to obtain Gradle implementation guide]]
 
* [[Special:Downloads|Select to Download Directly]]
 
 
 
== Setting up your  Development Environment  ==
 
=== Configuring Android Development Environment ===
 
*The Nielsen App SDK (located in the [https://engineeringportal.nielsen.com/docs/Special:Downloads Downloads section] of the website) class is the primary application interface to the Nielsen App SDK on Android.
 
*The Nielsen App SDK class is defined as the only public class belonging to the com.nielsen.app.sdk package.
 
 
 
'''Nielsen App SDK is compatible with Android OS versions 2.3+. Clients can control / configure the protocol to be used – HTTPS or HTTP to suit their needs.'''
 
 
 
The requirement for the Java ''AppSdk.jar'' library and the ''libAppSdk.so'' native library will depend on the type of host application that will make use of them.
 
* '''For Video player applications'''
 
** The Android OS hosting the App SDK should use a media player supporting HLS streaming (Android 3.0 and later will support it natively).
 
** If the player application uses a 3rd party media player implementing its own HLS, then the minimum Android version will be limited to version 2.3, since the SDK depends on Google Play support to work properly.
 
Once SDK is downloaded ensure to unzip the Nielsen SDK and copy the AppSdk.jar in your app (Android Studio) libs folder, then right click the AppSdk.jar and select '''Add As Library'''.
 
Ensure the AppSdk.jar file is added in 'build.grade (App Level) file.
 
* App SDK 1.2 provides support for x86, mips, and armeabi-7a architecture.
 
 
 
==== Google Play Services ====
 
Add the Google Play Services in the project,
 
Steps: Android Studio -> File -> Project Structure ->(In module selection) select App -> Dependencies (tab) -> Click “+” button and select <code>“com.google.android.gms:play-services”</code>.
 
Ensure it is added in build.gradle (App level) file
 
 
 
==== Manifest File ====
 
* Add the following permissions on the project’s ''AndroidManifest.xml'' file.
 
<syntaxhighlight lang="java"><uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" android:required="false" />
 
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE"/>
 
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/></syntaxhighlight>
 
For more details to handle runtime permissions in Android versions, please visit [https://developer.android.com/training/permissions/requesting.html]. 
 
 
 
* In <code>AndroidManifest.xml </code>under <application> node add the following metadata
 
 
 
<syntaxhighlight lang="java"><meta-data
 
android:name="com.google.android.gms.version"
 
android:value="@integer/google_play_services_version"/></syntaxhighlight>
 
 
 
* App SDK checks to see if there is a Google service available and updated.
 
* If not available or updated, App SDK will not use this service when executing its functions and will make reference to missing imports and the app will not be compiled.
 
 
 
==== Library ====
 
Nielsen App SDK uses the following packages/classes from the Google Play service.
 
* google-play-services_lib
 
  
==== Classes/package ====
+
{{Android_Implementation}}
* com.google.android.gms.ads.identifier.AdvertisingIdClient;
+
__TOC__
* com.google.android.gms.ads.identifier.AdvertisingIdClient.Info;
 
* com.google.android.gms.common.ConnectionResult;
 
* com.google.android.gms.common.GooglePlayServicesUtil;
 
* com.google.android.gms.common.GooglePlayServicesRepairableException;
 
* com.google.android.gms.common.GooglePlayServicesNotAvailableException;
 
  
== SDK Initialization ==
+
{{Android_Setting_Up_Development_Envrionment}}
The latest version of the Nielsen App SDK allows instantiating multiple instances of the SDK object, which can be used simultaneously without any issue. The sharedInstance API that creates a singleton object was deprecated prior to version 5.1.1. (Version 4.0 for Android)
 
  
The following table contains the list of arguments that can be passed via the AppInfo JSON schema.
+
{{Android_SDK_Initialization}}
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
! Parameter / Argument !! Description !! Source !! Required? !! Example
 
|-
 
| appid || Unique Nielsen ID for the application. The ID is a GUID data type. If you did not receive your App ID, let us know and we will provide you. || Nielsen-specified || Yes || PXXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX
 
|-
 
| nol_devDebug || Enables Nielsen console logging. Only required for testing
 
|| Nielsen-specified || Optional || "DEBUG"
 
|}
 
  
 
==== Debug flag for development environment ====
 
==== Debug flag for development environment ====
Line 336: Line 277:
 
After the application is ready to be sent for Nielsen Certification, please go through the [[Digital Pre-Certification Checklist App SDK]] and ensure the app behaves as expected, before submitting to Nielsen.
 
After the application is ready to be sent for Nielsen Certification, please go through the [[Digital Pre-Certification Checklist App SDK]] and ensure the app behaves as expected, before submitting to Nielsen.
  
== Privacy and Opt-Out ==
+
{{Template:Android_Privacy_and_Opt-Out}}
There are two primary methods for implementing user Opt-out preferences:
 
# '''[[#OS-level_Opt-out|OS-level Opt-out]]''' - managed by ''Opt out of Ads Personalization'' setting on device ('''preferred approach''').
 
# '''[[#Legacy_Opt-out|Legacy Opt-out]]''' - Direct call to SDK; used only for older versions of Nielsen Android SDK versions (< 5.1.1.18)
 
 
 
=== OS-level Opt-out ===
 
''OS-level Opt-out'' method available on Nielsen Android '''SDK Versions 5.1.1.18 and above'''.
 
 
 
The Nielsen SDK automatically leverages the Android's ''Opt out of Ads Personalization'' setting. The user is opted out of demographic measurement if the OS-level ''"Opt out of Ads Personalization"'' ("Limit Ad Tracking" for iOS) setting is ''enabled''. As a publisher, you cannot override this setting.
 
 
 
=== Legacy Opt-out ===
 
The ''Legacy opt-out'' method is only necessary for Nielsen Android '''SDK versions less than 5.1.1.18'''.
 
 
 
Nielsen Android SDK 5.1.1.18 and above will check for ''OS-level opt-out'' first, if available. The user will be opted out if indicated at the OS-level '''OR''' the App-level.
 
 
 
==== The legacy opt-out method works as follows: ====
 
* Get the current Nielsen opt-out URL via [[userOptOutURLString()]]
 
* Display a WebView element whose loadUrl is set to the value obtained from [[userOptOutURLString()]]
 
* Detect if the WebView URL changes to a special URL that indicates Opt-in, or Opt-out and close the WebView
 
** Opt-out if the WebView URL = <code>nielsenappsdk://1</code>
 
** Opt-in if the WebView URL = <code>nielsenappsdk://0</code>
 
* Pass the detected URL to the [[userOptOut()]] function
 
** Example: <syntaxhighlight lang=java>appSdk.userOptOut("nielsenappsdk://1");  // User opt-out</syntaxhighlight>
 
 
 
==== Legacy Opt Out example code ====
 
<syntaxhighlight lang="java">
 
public class OptOutActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements IAppNotifier {
 
 
 
WebView webView;
 
AppSdk appSdk;
 
 
 
  private static final String NIELSEN_URL_OPT_OUT = "nielsenappsdk://1";
 
  private static final String NIELSEN_URL_OPT_IN = "nielsenappsdk://0";
 
 
//  Within your app you would provide your User the option to Opt Out.
 
//  Perhaps via a toggle or button
 
//  This is separate from Limit Ad Tracking
 
 
 
      let urlStr = navigationAction.request.url?.absoluteString
 
 
 
        if(urlStr == NIELSEN_URL_OPT_OUT || urlStr == NIELSEN_URL_OPT_IN){
 
            let appApi = self.nielsenApi
 
            appApi?.userOptOut(urlStr)
 
}
 
</syntaxhighlight>
 
 
 
=== Retrieve current Opt-Out preference ===
 
Whether the user is opted out viaOS-level Opt-out or via App-level Opt-out, the current Opt-Out status as detected by the SDK is available via the [[getOptOutStatus()]] property in the Nielsen Android SDK API,
 
 
 
=== Required Privacy Links ===
 
Users must either have access to the "About Nielsen Measurement" page, or have similar text available within the native app. Include "About Nielsen Measurement" and "Your Choices" link in the Privacy Policy / EULA or as a button near the link to the app's Privacy Policy.
 
 
 
In addition, the following text must be included in your app store description.
 
<blockquote>
 
'''"Please note: This app features Nielsen’s proprietary measurement software which contributes to market research, like Nielsen’s TV Ratings. Please see http://priv-policy.imrworldwide.com/priv/mobile/us/en/optout.html for more information"'''</blockquote>
 
==== Webview Example  ====
 
The below code is an example of displaying the Nielsen Privacy page to the user.
 
<syntaxhighlight lang="java">
 
public class OptOutActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements IAppNotifier {
 
 
 
    WebView webView;
 
    AppSdk appSdk;
 
 
 
    @Override
 
    public void onCreate(@Nullable Bundle savedInstanceState) {
 
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
 
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_optout);
 
        webView = (WebView) findViewById(R.id.webView);
 
 
 
        webView.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true);
 
 
 
        webView.setWebViewClient(new WebViewClient() {
 
            @SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
 
            @Override
 
            public void onReceivedError(WebView view, int errorCode, String description, String failingUrl) {
 
                Toast.makeText(OptOutActivity.this, description, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
 
            }
 
            @TargetApi(android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.M)
 
            @Override
 
            public void onReceivedError(WebView view, WebResourceRequest req, WebResourceError rerr) {
 
                // Redirect to deprecated method, so you can use it in all SDK versions
 
                onReceivedError(view, rerr.getErrorCode(), rerr.getDescription().toString(), req.getUrl().toString());
 
            }
 
        });
 
 
 
        NielsenInit nielsenInit = new NielsenInit();
 
        appSdk = nielsenInit.initAppSdk(getApplicationContext(), this);
 
        //Getting the optPut URL from eventTracker
 
        String url = appSdk.userOptOutURLString();
 
        webView.loadUrl(url);
 
    }
 
</syntaxhighlight>
 
<br>
 
  
 
== Going Live ==
 
== Going Live ==

Revision as of 05:54, 18 March 2022

Engineering Portal breadcrumbArrow.png Digital breadcrumbArrow.png US DCR & DTVR breadcrumbArrow.png DTVR Android SDK

Overview

The Nielsen SDK is one of multiple framework SDKs that Nielsen provides to enable measuring linear (live) and on-demand TV viewing using TVs, mobile devices, etc. The App SDK is the framework for mobile application developers to integrate Nielsen Measurement into their media player applications. It supports a variety of Nielsen Measurement Products like Digital in TV Ratings, Digital Content Ratings (DCR & DTVR), and Digital Ad Ratings (DAR). Nielsen SDKs are also equipped to measure static content and can track key life cycle events of an application like:

  • Application launch events and how long app was running
  • Time of viewing a sub section / page in the application.

If the content being played contains ID3 tags, when played on a mobile device or within a browser, these tags can be sent to Nielsen for collection/processing via the Nielsen SDK.

VOD in TV Ratings (formally knows as Recently Telecast VOD) support is now available; however, you must notify us to ensure accurate reporting.

Prerequisites

Before you start the integration, you will need:

Item Description Source
App ID (appid) Unique ID assigned to the player/site and configured by product. Provided by Nielsen
Nielsen SDK Includes SDK frameworks and sample implementation; See Android SDK Release Notes Download

If need App ID(s) or our SDKs, feel free to reach out to us and we will be happy to help you get started. Refer to Digital Measurement Onboarding guide for information on how to get a Nielsen App SDK and appid.

Implementation

This guide covers implementation steps for Android Studio utilizing the Nielsen SDK for DTVR.

Implementation

This guide covers implementation steps for Android Studio utilizing the Nielsen SDK for DCR.

SDK Flavor Description
Android Ad Version * Opt-In and Opt-Out functionality managed by Opt out of Ads Personlization setting on device. (Preferred approach)
* The Nielsen SDK will collect the Google Advertising ID unless the user Opts Out.
* If the Google Play Service is unavailable, (ie: Amazon and Huawei devices) the Nielsen sdk will secure the Android ID.
* There are 3 versions available starting with the Nielsen SDK 8.1.0.0.
Android No Ad Framework * Without the Ad Framework, the Nielsen SDK cannot read the Google Advertising ID, so will retrieve the AndroidID.
* The AndroidID is a 64-bit number (expressed as a hexadecimal string), unique to each combination of app-signing key, user and device.
* The developer is required to present the User Choice Opt Out page which is described in the Privacy Section.
Android SDK noID * This version of the Nielsen SDK is perfect for Kid apps, or where no ID is required.
* Please review the Opt Out Requirement.

How to obtain the NielsenAppApi

The Nielsen AppSDK can either be downloaded directly or can be integrated directly within an application through the use of Gradle. We recommend using the Gradle-based integration whenever possible to ensure you maintain the most recent changes and enhancements to the Nielsen libraries.

Contents

Setting up your Development Environment

Configuring Android Development Environment

  • The Nielsen App SDK (located in the Downloads section of the website) class is the primary application interface to the Nielsen App SDK on Android.
  • The Nielsen App SDK class is defined as the only public class belonging to the com.nielsen.app.sdk package.
  • The Nielsen App SDK can also be added via Artifact Repository.

Nielsen App SDK is compatible with Android OS versions 2.3+. Clients can control / configure the protocol to be used – HTTPS or HTTP to suit their needs.

The requirement for the Java AppSdk.jar library and the libAppSdk.so native library will depend on the type of host application that will make use of them.

  • For Video player applications
    • The Android OS hosting the App SDK should use a media player supporting HLS streaming (Android 3.0 and later will support it natively).
    • If the player application uses a 3rd party media player implementing its own HLS, then the minimum Android version will be limited to version 2.3, since the SDK depends on Google Play support to work properly.

Once SDK is downloaded ensure to unzip the Nielsen SDK and copy the AppSdk.jar in your app (Android Studio) libs folder, then right click the AppSdk.jar and select Add As Library. Ensure the AppSdk.jar file is added in 'build.grade (App Level) file.

  • App SDK 1.2 provides support for x86, mips, and armeabi-7a architecture.

Google Play Services

Add the Google Play Services in the project, Steps: Android Studio -> File -> Project Structure ->(In module selection) select App -> Dependencies (tab) -> Click "+" button and search for "*play-services*". Then select the most recent version of the play-services Artifact. Ensure it is added in build.gradle (App level) file

The following is required if target API level is set to 31 (Android 12) with the Ad Version of the Nielsen SDK.

<uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID"/>


Manifest File

  • Add the following permissions on the project’s AndroidManifest.xml file.
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/>

For more details to handle runtime permissions in Android versions, please visit [1].

  • In AndroidManifest.xml under <application> add the following metadata
<meta-data 
android:name="com.google.android.gms.version" 
android:value="@integer/google_play_services_version"/>
  • App SDK checks to see if there is a Google service available and updated.
  • If not available or updated, App SDK will not use this service when executing its functions and will make reference to missing imports and the app will not be compiled.

Library

Nielsen App SDK uses the following packages/classes from the Google Play service.

  • google-play-services_lib

Classes/package

  • com.google.android.gms.ads.identifier.AdvertisingIdClient;
  • com.google.android.gms.ads.identifier.AdvertisingIdClient.Info;
  • com.google.android.gms.common.ConnectionResult;
  • com.google.android.gms.common.GooglePlayServicesUtil;
  • com.google.android.gms.common.GooglePlayServicesRepairableException;
  • com.google.android.gms.common.GooglePlayServicesNotAvailableException;

SDK Initialization

The latest version of the Nielsen App SDK allows instantiating multiple instances of the SDK object, which can be used simultaneously without any issue. The sharedInstance API that creates a singleton object was deprecated prior to version 5.1.1. (Version 4.0 for Android)

The following table contains the list of arguments that can be passed via the AppInfo JSON schema.

Parameter / Argument Description Source Required? Example
appid Unique Nielsen ID for the application. The ID is a GUID data type. If you did not receive your App ID, let us know and we will provide you. Nielsen-specified Yes PXXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX
nol_devDebug Enables Nielsen console logging. Only required for testing Nielsen-specified Optional "DEBUG"

Debug flag for development environment

Player application developers / integrators can use Debug flag to check whether an App SDK API call made is successful. To activate the Debug flag, Pass the argument @"nol_devDebug":@"INFO", in the JSON string . The permitted values are:

  • INFO: Displays the API calls and the input data from the application (validate player name, app ID, etc.). It can be used as certification Aid.
  • WARN: Indicates potential integration / configuration errors or SDK issues.
  • ERROR: Indicates important integration errors or non-recoverable SDK issues.
  • DEBUG: Debug logs, used by the developers to debug more complex issues.

Once the flag is active, it logs each API call made and the data passed. The log created by this flag is minimal.

Note: DO NOT activate the Debug flag in a production environment.

Sample SDK Initialization Code

AppSDK() is no longer a singleton object and should be initialized as below.

Initialization of App SDK object through a JSON object

try
{
  // Prepare AppSdk configuration object (JSONObject)
  JSONObject appSdkConfig = new JSONObject()
          .put("appid", "PDA7D5EE6-B1B8-XXXX-XXXX-2A788BCXXXCA")
          .put("nol_devDebug", "DEBUG"); // only for debug builds

// Pass appSdkConfig to the AppSdk constructor
mAppSdk = new AppSdk(appContext, appSdkConfig, appSdkListener);
}
catch (JSONException e)
{
  Log.e(TAG, "Couldn’t prepare JSONObject for appSdkConfig", e);
}

Here, appContext is the App context object and appSdkConfig is JSON object for holding the parameters (appid) the App passes to the Nielsen App SDK via a JSON string. The appid is obtained from Nielsen operational support and is unique to the app.


The integration of Nielsen App SDK will depend on type of client app.

  • Ensure that SDK files (AppSdk.jar and libAppSdk.so [App SDK 1.2 Only]) are included under the App’s project and the App SDK is linked to the App (the setting to link App SDK to the App can be found on property page of the App’s project).

Initializing Viewability and Audibility Measurement

If your Nielsen integration will be enabled for viewability/audibility measurement, your app should call trackViewability after initializing the SDK (previous paragraphs).

Viewability metrics allow AppSDK to track the visibility of the player and collect information about how much of the player container is visible to the end user during playback. Audibility metrics report on the device volume level.

The viewability pings will be fired following the same rules as measurement pings. Viewability pings will be POST requests, not GET requests like other data pings. POST body for viewability requests will contain the key-value pairs in JSON format. The key parameters in the URL schemes are invs, inau, inss, invp and ines which will contain the collected viewability data. This data will be formatted according to the specific rules so that downstream it will be possible to match measurement and viewability data for a session.

Audibility metrics will capture the volume level as well as mute/unmute state of the device during playback.

Calling trackViewability for player view

Input Parameters

Parameter Description
data JSONObject object with the following objects and keys:
viewTag (mandatory) value of String type, tag identifier for the target player view object. This tag can be assigned for the player view either programmatically or in the layout xml, as explained in above section.
viewContainer (mandatory) Reference to the activity object. It is needed to identify and search the target player view in current visible screen. This parameter can not be nil. This should be the current activity object where target view is loaded. If the player view is rendered in a fragment, please provide the parent activity reference of the fragment.
friendlyObstructions (optional) an array of tags of the views which should be ignored during the intersection ratio calculation. Those are views like loading activity indicator, player controls, view with a watermark, etc. which are displayed in front of the target view, but should not reduce the viewability intersection ratio. The tags of such should be wrapped into the String objects before adding into the array. This parameter is nullable, empty array is also accepted.


Syntax


void  trackViewability(JSONObject);

Usage Example

String targetViewTag = targetView.getTag().toString();
String activityObj = MainActivity.this;
JSONArray friendlyTags = new JSONArray();
friendlyTags.put("friendlyViewTag1");
friendlyTags.put("friendlyViewTag2");

JSONObject json = new JSONObject();
json.put("viewContainer", activityObj);
json.put("viewTag", targetViewTag);
json.put("friendlyObstructions", friendlyTags);
sdkInstance.trackViewability(json);


PlayerScreen ViewContainer-ViewTag-FriendlyViews.png

Setting tag for a player view in layout xml


<SurfaceView
   android:id="@+id/playerView"
   android:tag="playerViewTag"           
   android:layout_width="match_parent"
   android:layout_height="match_parent"
/>

Setting tag for a player view in Activity/Fragment


mPlayerView = (SurfaceView) findViewById(R.id.playerView);
mPlayerView.setTag("playerViewTag");


Data Collected

Parameter Description
Measured Value Value is different for different request parameters:
invs Intersection ratio for the target view in percent (from 0 to 100). Default threshold for this value is 5. Example: [50,1,1528457356,10]
inau Volume level on the device in percent (from 0 to 100), where 0 - mute, 100 - max volume level. Default threshold for this value is 1. Example: [30,1,1528457356,10]
inss Device screen size as "WxH", where W - is width in pixels, H - is height in pixels. Example: ["1024x768",1,1528457356,10]
invp Current window size. This is different than the device screen size in a multiple scene mode or on a desktop. Format is "WxH", where W - is width in pixels, H - is height in pixels. Example: ["800x600",1,1528457356,10]
ines Player view size as "WxH", where W - is width in pixels, H - is height in pixels. Example: ["300x200",1,1528457356,10]
Start offset Value contains the first playhead or the first id3 offset with non-null CID after start, flush or resume. Example playhead: [50,1,1528457356,10]. Example id3 offset: [50,70100,1528457356,10]
Start timestamp Timestamp value when the time period related to this time series item was started. Example: [50,1,1528457356,10]
Duration Duration value is calculated as a difference between the last playhead and the first playhead for the current time series item. Example: [50,1,1528457356,10]

Debug flag for development environment

Player application developers / integrators can use Debug flag to check whether an App SDK API call made is successful. To activate the Debug flag, Pass the argument @"nol_devDebug":@"INFO", in the JSON string . The permitted values are:

  • INFO: Displays the API calls and the input data from the application (validate player name, app ID, etc.). It can be used as certification Aid.
  • WARN: Indicates potential integration / configuration errors or SDK issues.
  • ERROR: Indicates important integration errors or non-recoverable SDK issues.
  • DEBUG: Debug logs, used by the developers to debug more complex issues.

Once the flag is active, it logs each API call made and the data passed. The log created by this flag is minimal.

Note: DO NOT activate the Debug flag in a production environment.

Sample SDK Initialization Code

AppSDK() is no longer a singleton object and should be initialized as below.

Initialization of App SDK object through a JSON object

try
{
  // Prepare AppSdk configuration object (JSONObject)
  JSONObject appSdkConfig = new JSONObject()
          .put("appid", "PDA7D5EE6-B1B8-XXXX-XXXX-2A788BCXXXCA")
          .put("nol_devDebug", "DEBUG"); // only for debug builds

// Pass appSdkConfig to the AppSdk constructor
mAppSdk = new AppSdk(appContext, appSdkConfig, appSdkListener);
}
catch (JSONException e)
{
  Log.e(TAG, "Couldn’t prepare JSONObject for appSdkConfig", e);
}

Here, appContext is the App context object and appSdkConfig is JSON object for holding the parameters (appid) the App passes to the Nielsen App SDK via a JSON string. The appid is obtained from Nielsen operational support and is unique to the app.

  • The integration of Nielsen App SDK will depend on type of client app.
  • Ensure that SDK files (AppSdk.jar and libAppSdk.so [App SDK 1.2 Only]) are included under the App’s project and the App SDK is linked to the App (the setting to link App SDK to the App can be found on property page of the App’s project).

APP SDK Error & Event Codes

To view the Error and Event codes for iOS and Android, please review the App SDK Event Code Reference page.

Content Metadata and SDK Events

Content Metadata

Content metadata should remain constant throughout the completion of an episode or live stream.

Key Description Values Required
type type of asset "content"
adModel linear vs dynamic ad model 1 = Linear matches TV ad load

   
    public JSONObject loadDtvr() {
     try {
            dtvr = new JSONObject()
                    .put( "type","content")
                    .put("adModel", "1");
        }
        return dtvr;
    }

SDK Events

Event Parameter Description
'loadMetadata' content/ad metadata object Needs to be called at the beginning of each asset to pass type and adModel.
'play' Call when starting or resuming a streaming session. Note: Not required starting at SDK version 7.2.0 or higher.
'sendID3' Used to send the ID3 tag payload retrieved from the stream Needs to be called at the beginning of playback
'stop' playhead position Call when content or ads complete playing and pass playhead position

Note:no longer required for SDK version 7.2 or higher.

Configure API calls - play

Call play at start of new stream:

  appSdk.play();

Note: no longer required for SDK version 7.2 or higher.

Configure API calls - loadMetadata

Use loadMetadata to pass ‘content’ and ‘ad’ Digital Measurement Metadata. The CMS data must be passed as a JSON object.

 appSdk.loadMetadata(data);

Configure API calls - sendID3

sendID3 API is a receiver for timed metadata events (ID3 tags. This API filters out Nielsen-specific ID3 tags from the system and buffers the data for transfer to Nielsen’s collection facility.

 //Sending ID3 tag to SDK.
appSdk.sendID3(id3String);

Sample ID3 tags

  • www.nielsen.com/X100zdCIGeIlgZnkYj6UvQ==/X100zdCIGeIlgZnkYj6UvQ==/AAAB2Jz2_k74GXSzx4npHuI_JwJd3QSUpW30rDkGTcbHEzIMWleCzM-uvNOP9fzJcQMWQLJqzXMCAxParOb5sGijSV9dNM3QiBniJYGZ5GI-lL1fXTTN0IgZ4iWBmeRiPpS9AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFJWFM5SVhTONNU=/00000/00000/00
  • www.nielsen.com/X100zdCIGeIlgZnkYj6UvQ==/R8WHe7pEBeqBhu8jTeXydg==/AAICoyitYqlxT7n6aZ0oMCGheFi4CXFp46AMUPZz1lMr_M9tr3_cjee1SHqxrOiVerMDLeyn9xzocZSKwi746Re8vNOtpNCAZjYABs_J0R25IHpvOc1HS8QHGgD5TgOJeS6gX100zdCIGeIlgZnkYj6UvVJWFNhSVhTiPE0=/00000/46016/00

Refer to Retrieving ID3 Tags section to know more details.

Configure API calls - stop

Call stop in case of interruptions during playback like flight mode, Wi-Fi toggle, etc.

[nielsenApi stop];

Note: no longer required for SDK version 7.2 or higher.

Retrieving ID3 Tags

ID3 tags have a payload of about 249 characters and start with "www.nielsen.com".

Examples of extracting ID3 tags fromAndroid Native Media Player

As the Android Media Player versions (prior to Android 6 / Android API 23) do not support ID3, Nielsen has created a library that becomes an extension to the media player, thus MPX. This library extracts the ID3 tags and sends them to the app. For more information on how to use the MPX component, refer to the Nielsen-supplied sample application.

Starting from Android 6 (Android API 23), Android Native Media Player allows apps to register a callback to be invoked, when a selected track has the timed metadata available. Currently, only HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) data URI’s embedded with timed ID3 tags generate TimedMetadata. Once the HLS video starts, call onTimedMetaDataAvailable() as and when the player observes a TimedMetadata (ID3 tag).

@Override
    public void onTimedMetaDataAvailable(MediaPlayer mediaPlayer, TimedMetaData timedMetaData) {

        if(timedMetaData != null && timedMetaData.getMetaData() != null && mMediaPlayer.isPlaying()){

            //getting metadata.
            String iD3Payload = new String(timedMetaData.getMetaData(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8);

            //If tag metadata contains "www.nielsen.com", then only sending to SDK
            if (null != iD3Payload && iD3Payload.contains("www.nielsen.com"))
            {
                //getting index
                int index = iD3Payload.indexOf("www.nielsen.com");

                //getting substring as ID3 tag will be of 249 characters
                String id3String = iD3Payload.substring(index, (index + 249));
                Log.d(TAG, "TimedMetaData ID3 Tag:" + id3String);

                //Sending ID3 tag to SDK.
                appSdk.sendID3(id3String);
            }
        }
    }
}

Life cycle of SDK instance

Life cycle of SDK instance includes four general states:

  1. Initial state – The SDK is not initialized and hence, not ready to process playing information. Once the SDK is moved out of this state, it needs instantiation of the new SDK instance in order to get the instance in the Initial state.
  2. Idle state – The SDK is initialized and is ready to process playing information. Once Initialized, the SDK instance is not processing any data, but is listening for the play event to occur.
  3. Processing state – The SDK instance is processing playing information. The play call moves the SDK instance into this state. In this state, the SDK instance will be able to process the following calls.
    1. stop – Call this API when the playback is paused, switches between content and ad (within the same content playback) or encounters interruptions.
    2. end – SDK instance exits from Processing state when this API is called.
  4. Disabled state – The SDK instance is disabled and is not processing playing information. SDK instance moves into this state in one of the following scenarios.
    1. Initialization fails
    2. appDisableApi is set to true (This is testing purposes only. Not for User Opt-Out.)

Note: For API Version 5.1 and above, App SDK will fire data pings and continue measurement even after the user has opted out from Nielsen measurement on a device. The data ping will be marked as opted-out ping.

Note: In case of any interruptions during playback due to alarm, calendar, call, flight mode, Wi-Fi toggle, channel change, etc., call stop to stop the measurement.

Handling Foreground and Background states

Foreground/Background state measurement is a requirement of Nielsen AppSDK implementation which is especially crucial for static measurement. It may be implemented in multiple ways for Android. This includes

  • Enable the Nielsen SDK to measure background/foreground state by makingthe relevant update to the AndroidManifest.
  • Integrate Nielsen’s SdkBgFgDetectionUtility class within your Custom Application Class.
  • Custom implementation of the required methods within your application.

ForeGround/Background Measurement via AndroidManifest

The simplest way to measure the app background/foreground state is to add the following application tag to the Manifest XML. Integrating this into the Manifest XML will enable the SDK to measure app state directly. This approach is supported for Android 4.0 and up only; it requires that the application class is not in use for some other purpose.

<application android:name="com.nielsen.app.sdk.AppSdkApplication">

Using the Android SdkBgFbDetectionUtility Class

For developers who are already using the application class, it is recommended that background/foreground state is implemented using the SdkBgFgDetectionUtility class. The SdkBgFgDetectionUtility class is compatible with Android 4+ and has been made available to Nielsen clients.

Manual Background/ForeGround State Management

In cases where the developer is not able to use the AndroidManifest.xml solution nor the Nielsen provided SdkBgFgDetectionUtility class the developer will need to manually identify the change of state through the application and call the respective API (appInForeground() or appInBackground()) to inform the SDK regarding the change of state from background to foreground or foreground to background.

The SDK is informed about app state using the below methods.

AppLaunchMeasurementManager.appInForeground(getApplicationContext());
AppLaunchMeasurementManager.appInBackground(getApplicationContext());

Within the lifecycle of individual activities, onResume() and onPause() are best suited to providing indication of the app state.


Correct measurement of the foreground/background state is crucial to Static App measurement within Nielsen Digital Content Ratings (DCR).

Interruptions during playback

As part of integrating Nielsen App SDK with the player application, the Video app developer needs to handle the following possible interruption scenarios:

  • Pause / Play
  • Network Loss (Wi-Fi / Airplane / Cellular)
  • Call Interrupt (SIM or Third party Skype / Hangout call)
  • Alarm Interrupt
  • Content Buffering
  • Device Lock / Unlock (Video players only, not for Audio players)
  • App going in the Background/Foreground (Video players only, not for Audio players)
  • Channel / Station Change Scenario
  • Unplugging of headphone

In case of encountering one of the above interruptions, the player application needs to

  • Call stop immediately (except when content is buffering) and withhold sending playhead position.

Pre-Certification Checklists

After the application is ready to be sent for Nielsen Certification, please go through the Digital Pre-Certification Checklist App SDK and ensure the app behaves as expected, before submitting to Nielsen.

Privacy and Opt-Out

There are currently 3 flavors of the Nielsen SDK:

  1. Global Android SDK Opt-out - managed by Opt out of Ads Personalization setting on device (preferred approach).
  2. Global Android SDK No Ad Framework Optout - Direct call to SDK. Can be used without Google Play Services or when using the noAd version of the SDK.
  3. Global Android SDK No ID Optout - Direct call to SDK. Should be used for Kids Category.

Global Android SDK Opt-out

OS-level Opt-out method available on Nielsen Android when the Google Play services APIs have been setup in your project.

The Nielsen SDK automatically leverages the Android's Opt out of Ads Personalization setting. The user is opted out of demographic measurement if the OS-level Opt out of Ads Personalization setting is enabled. As a publisher, you cannot override this setting.

Webview Element

It is a requirement to display a WebView element whose loadUrl is set to the value obtained from optOutURL. If using the Global Android SDK, this optOutURL informs the user how to deactivate/activate “Out of Ads Personalization”.

If you are implementing on Android TV or Fire TV here are your Opt Out verbiage options : https://engineeringportal.nielsen.com/docs/DCR_Video_%26_Static_CTV_Device_SDK_Privacy

Retrieve current Opt-Out preference

Whether the user is opted out via OS-level Opt-out or via App-level Opt-out, the current Opt-Out status as detected by the SDK is available via the getOptOutStatus() property in the Nielsen Android SDK API. appSdk.getOptOutStatus()

Global Android SDK No Ad Framework Optout

The No Ad Framework Optout can be used when the host application does not leverage Google Play Services such as when using the noAd version or the NoID version.

Nielsen Android SDK 5.1.1.18 and above will check for OS-level opt-out first, if available. The user will be opted out if indicated at the OS-level OR the App-level.

The No Ad Framework Optout method works as follows:

  • Get the current Nielsen opt-out URL via userOptOutURLString()
  • Display a WebView element whose loadUrl is set to the value obtained from userOptOutURLString()
  • Detect if the WebView URL changes to a special URL that indicates Opt-in, or Opt-out and close the WebView
    • Opt-out if the WebView URL = nielsenappsdk://1
    • Opt-in if the WebView URL = nielsenappsdk://0
  • Pass the detected URL to the userOptOut() function
    • Example:
      appSdk.userOptOut("nielsenappsdk://1");  // User opt-out
      

Global Android SDK No ID Optout (Kids_Category)

If you are building an app that will be listed in the Kids Category:

  1. Ensure that you are using the NoID version of the Nielsen SDK Framework.
  2. Immediately following the initialization of the Nielsen SDK ensure you call the userOptOut API with Opt out selection:
appSdk.userOptOut("nielsenappsdk://1");  // User opt-out

OptOut Example Code

Below you will find some sample code for the:

  • Global Android SDK - managed by Opt out of Ads Personalization setting on device (preferred approach).
  • Global Android noAd Framework - Use if Google Play APIs are unavailable or running noAd version.
  • It is currently not required to display an OptOut page for the NoID/Kids Build of the SDK.

Global OptOut Example

The below code is an AndroidX example of displaying the Nielsen Privacy page to the user. Please see the next section if using the No Ad Framework build

public class OptOutActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements IAppNotifier {

    WebView webView;
    AppSdk appSdk;

    @Override
    public void onCreate(@Nullable Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_optout);
        webView = (WebView) findViewById(R.id.webView);
        webView.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true);

        webView.setWebViewClient(new WebViewClient() {
            @SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
            @Override
            public void onReceivedError(WebView view, int errorCode, String description, String failingUrl) {
                Toast.makeText(OptOutActivity.this, description, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            }
            @TargetApi(android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.M)
            @Override
            public void onReceivedError(WebView view, WebResourceRequest req, WebResourceError rerr) {
                // Redirect to deprecated method, so you can use it in all SDK versions
                onReceivedError(view, rerr.getErrorCode(), rerr.getDescription().toString(), req.getUrl().toString());
            }

        });
        String url = appSdk.userOptOutURLString();   // Request Optout URL from NielsenSDK
        webView.loadUrl(url);                         //Display to the user in a Webview
    }
    @Override
    public void onBackPressed() {
        super.onBackPressed();
        mSdkInterface.getSDK(appSdk);
    }
    @Override
    protected void onDestroy() {
        super.onDestroy();
        if (appSdk != null)
        {
            appSdk.close();
            appSdk = null;
        }
    }
}


No Ad Framework Optout Sample Code

The below code is an AndroidX example of displaying the Nielsen Privacy page to the user with the No Ad Framework SDK Build.

public class OptOutActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements IAppNotifier {

    WebView webView;
    AppSdk appSdk;

    @Override
    public void onCreate(@Nullable Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_optout);
        webView = (WebView) findViewById(R.id.webView);
        webView.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true);

        webView.setWebViewClient(new WebViewClient() {
            @SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
            @Override
            public void onReceivedError(WebView view, int errorCode, String description, String failingUrl) {
                Toast.makeText(OptOutActivity.this, description, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            }
            @TargetApi(android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.M)
            @Override
            public void onReceivedError(WebView view, WebResourceRequest req, WebResourceError rerr) {
                // Redirect to deprecated method, so you can use it in all SDK versions
                onReceivedError(view, rerr.getErrorCode(), rerr.getDescription().toString(), req.getUrl().toString());
            }

  
            @Override
            public boolean shouldOverrideUrlLoading(WebView view, String url) {

                if(url.contains("nielsen")){
                    // If url value = "nielsenappsdk://1 it means the user selected Opt Out
                    // If url value = "nielsenappsdk://0" it means the user selected Opt-In
                    appSdk.userOptOut(url);
                }
                return true;
            }

        });
        String url = appSdk.userOptOutURLString();   // Request Optout URL from NielsenSDK
        webView.loadUrl(url);                         //Display to the user in a Webview
    }
    @Override
    public void onBackPressed() {
        super.onBackPressed();
        mSdkInterface.getSDK(appSdk);
    }
    @Override
    protected void onDestroy() {
        super.onDestroy();
        if (appSdk != null)
        {
            appSdk.close();
            appSdk = null;
        }
    }
}

Retrieve current Opt-Out preference

Whether the user is opted out via OS-level Opt-out or via App-level Opt-out, the current Opt-Out status as detected by the SDK is available via the getOptOutStatus() property in the Nielsen Android SDK API. appSdk.getOptOutStatus()

Going Live

Following Nielsen testing, you will need to:

  1. Disable Debug Logging: Disable logging by deleting {nol_devDebug: 'DEBUG'} from initialization call.
  2. Notify Nielsen: Once you are ready to go live, let us know so we can enable you for reporting. We will not be able to collect or report data prior to receiving notification from you.

Going Live

Following Nielsen testing, you will need to:

  1. Disable Debug Logging: Disable logging by deleting {nol_devDebug: 'DEBUG'} from initialization call.
  2. Notify Nielsen: Once you are ready to go live, let us know so we can enable you for reporting. We will not be able to collect or report data prior to receiving notification from you.

Sample Applications

The below sample applications have been designed to show the API's functionality and are broken into two distinct categories:

  • Basic - To show the functionality of the Nielsen API using a standard no-frills player.
  • Advanced - Nielsen API integrated into a custom video player is contained in the ZIP package.