Widgets Overview

The Firework Android SDK provides four main ways to display video content in your application. Each widget is designed for specific use cases and offers different levels of integration.

Available Widgets

1. FwVideoFeedView

FwVideoFeedView is an embeddable view that displays a scrollable feed of video thumbnails. When a user taps on a thumbnail, the full video player launches.

Use Cases:

• Display a horizontal, vertical, or grid feed of videos

• Embed video content within existing layouts

• Show curated content from channels, playlists, or discovery feeds

Key Features:

• XML and programmatic initialization

• Multiple layout types (horizontal, vertical, grid)

• Feed refresh capability

• Customizable appearance via ViewOptions

Layout Examples:

Grid Layout	Horizontal Layout	Vertical Layout

Learn more about FwVideoFeedView

2. FwStoryBlockView

FwStoryBlockView is an inline video player that embeds directly into your view hierarchy, similar to stories on social platforms.

Use Cases:

• Create story-like video experiences

• Embed a single-video player in a layout

• Build custom video browsing experiences

Key Features:

• Lifecycle management (init/destroy)

• Multiple player modes (FIT_MODE, FULL_BLEED_MODE)

• Fullscreen expansion capability

• Play/pause control

• Feed loading and error listeners

Layout Examples:

StoryBlock

Learn more about FwStoryBlockView

3. FireworkSdk.startPlayer

FireworkSdk.startPlayer() is a method that launches a fullscreen video player as a separate activity.

Use Cases:

• Launch videos from buttons, deep links, or custom UI

• Open specific videos by URL or feed configuration

• Create custom video entry points

Key Features:

• Direct video playback without embedding UI

• Two variants: with specific URL or with feed configuration

• Returns PlayerLaunchResult for handling success/failure

• Full player customization via ViewOptions

Layout Examples:

StoryBlock

Learn more about FireworkSdk.startPlayer

4. FwPlayerDeckView

FwPlayerDeckView displays horizontal inline player cards with product panels. Use it when users should play and shop from the feed itself.

Key Features:

• Programmatic ViewOptions configuration

• Visibility-aware autoplay

• Product panels and optional one-tap Add to Cart

• Fullscreen launch from an item

playerDeckView.init(viewOptions, supportFragmentManager)
// When the view is no longer needed:
// playerDeckView.destroy()

See Player Deck for sizing, listeners, lifecycle, and supported configurations.

Comparison Table

Feature	FwVideoFeedView	FwStoryBlockView	FwPlayerDeckView	FireworkSdk.startPlayer
Integration	Embedded view	Embedded view	Embedded view	Separate activity
Content display	Thumbnails	Inline player	Inline player cards	Fullscreen player
Configuration	XML + ViewOptions	ViewOptions	ViewOptions	ViewOptions
Cleanup	Host/view lifecycle	init/destroy	init/destroy	Managed by SDK
Best for	Discovery	Story experiences	Play and shop in cards	Direct playback

Choosing the Right Widget

Choose FwVideoFeedView when:

• You want users to browse and select videos

• You need to display multiple videos in a feed

• You want flexible layouts (horizontal, vertical, grid)

Choose FwStoryBlockView when:

• You want an immersive, single-video experience

• You need fine-grained lifecycle control

• You want to build story-like UI patterns

Choose FireworkSdk.startPlayer when:

• You want to launch a video immediately

• You're handling deep links or notifications

• You have a custom UI for video selection

Choose FwPlayerDeckView when:

• You want inline video playback with shopping panels

• You need a horizontal deck rather than a grid of thumbnails

• You can provide the sizing and scroll-visibility behavior described in its guide

Configuration

All four display options support configuration through ViewOptions, which allows you to customize:

• Player behavior and appearance

• Feed sources and content

• Shopping and livestream features

• CTA buttons and interactions

See the Configuration Guide for detailed ViewOptions documentation.

Next Steps

• Learn about Feed Sources to understand content types

• Explore ViewOptions Configuration for customization

• Check out Shopping Integration for e-commerce features

• Review Livestream Features for live content