diff --git a/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml b/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
index 3a7547137..23bce5eab 100644
--- a/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -72,7 +72,10 @@
             android:parentActivityName=".VideoItemDetailActivity"
             >
         </activity>
-        <service android:name=".BackgroundPlayer"
+        <!--TODO: make label a translatable string -->
+        <service
+            android:name=".BackgroundPlayer"
+            android:label="NewPipe Background Player"
             android:exported="false" >
         </service>
         <activity
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/BackgroundPlayer.java b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/BackgroundPlayer.java
index 7cf49fda6..9f3c1b024 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/BackgroundPlayer.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/BackgroundPlayer.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package org.schabi.newpipe;
 
 import android.app.IntentService;
 import android.app.Notification;
+import android.app.NotificationManager;
 import android.app.Service;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.Intent;
@@ -15,8 +16,10 @@ import android.os.Looper;
 import android.os.Message;
 import android.os.PowerManager;
 import android.support.v7.app.NotificationCompat;
+import android.util.Log;
 import android.widget.Toast;
 import android.os.Process;
+import android.widget.VideoView;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 
@@ -45,11 +48,13 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 public class BackgroundPlayer extends Service /*implements MediaPlayer.OnPreparedListener*/ {
 
     private static final String TAG = BackgroundPlayer.class.toString();
-    private Looper mServiceLooper;
-    private ServiceHandler mServiceHandler;
+    //private Looper mServiceLooper;
+    //private ServiceHandler mServiceHandler;
 
     public BackgroundPlayer() {
         super();
+
+        VideoView v;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -59,103 +64,129 @@ public class BackgroundPlayer extends Service /*implements MediaPlayer.OnPrepare
         // main thread, which we don't want to block.  We also make it
         // background priority so CPU-intensive work will not disrupt our UI.
         super.onCreate();
-        HandlerThread thread = new HandlerThread(TAG, Process.THREAD_PRIORITY_BACKGROUND);
-        thread.start();
+        //HandlerThread thread = new HandlerThread(TAG, Process.THREAD_PRIORITY_BACKGROUND);
+        //thread.start();
 
         // Get the HandlerThread's Looper and use it for our Handler
-        mServiceLooper = thread.getLooper();
-        mServiceHandler = new ServiceHandler(mServiceLooper);
+        //mServiceLooper = thread.getLooper();
+        //mServiceHandler = new ServiceHandler(mServiceLooper);
     }
     @Override
     public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {
         Toast.makeText(this, "Playing in background", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();//todo:translation string
 
-        // For each start request, send a message to start a job and deliver the
-        // start ID so we know which request we're stopping when we finish the job
-        Message msg = mServiceHandler.obtainMessage();
-        msg.arg1 = startId;
-        msg.obj = intent;
-        mServiceHandler.sendMessage(msg);
+        String source = intent.getDataString();
+        String videoTitle = intent.getStringExtra("title");
 
-        // If we get killed, after returning from here, don't restart
+        PlayerThread player = new PlayerThread(source, videoTitle, this);
+        player.start();
+
+        // If we get killed after returning here, don't restart
         return START_NOT_STICKY;
     }
 
     @Override
     public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) {
-        // We don't provide binding yet, so return null
+        // We don't provide binding (yet?), so return null
         return null;
     }
 
     @Override
     public void onDestroy() {
         //Toast.makeText(this, "service done", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
-        mServiceLooper.quit();
+        //mServiceLooper.quit();
+        //if (mMediaPlayer != null) mMediaPlayer.release();
+        //todo: call MediaPlayer.release() as soon as video is complete
     }
 
-    protected void onHandleIntent(Intent intent) {
-        String source = intent.getDataString();
+    private class PlayerThread extends Thread {
 
-        if (intent.getAction().equals(ACTION_PLAY)) {
-            mMediaPlayer.setOnPreparedListener(this);
-            mMediaPlayer.prepareAsync(); // prepare async to not block main thread
+        private MediaPlayer mediaPlayer;
+        private String source;
+        private String title;
+        private BackgroundPlayer owner;
+        public PlayerThread(String src, String title, BackgroundPlayer owner) {
+            this.source = src;
+            this.title = title;
+            this.owner = owner;
+            mediaPlayer = new MediaPlayer();
+            mediaPlayer.setAudioStreamType(AudioManager.STREAM_MUSIC);
         }
+        @Override
+        public void run() {
+            mediaPlayer.setWakeMode(getApplicationContext(), PowerManager.PARTIAL_WAKE_LOCK);//cpu lock
+            try {
+                mediaPlayer.setDataSource(source);
+                mediaPlayer.prepare(); //We are already in a separate worker thread,
+                //so calling the blocking prepare() method should be ok
 
+                //mediaPlayer.setOnPreparedListener(this);
+                //mediaPlayer.prepareAsync(); //prepare async to not block main thread
+            } catch (IOException ioe) {
+                ioe.printStackTrace();
+                Log.e(TAG, "video source:" + source);
+                Log.e(TAG, "video title:" + title);
+                //can't do anything useful without a file to play; exit early
+                return;
+            }
 
-        MediaPlayer mediaPlayer = new MediaPlayer();
-        mediaPlayer.setWakeMode(getApplicationContext(), PowerManager.PARTIAL_WAKE_LOCK);//cpu lock
-        mediaPlayer.setAudioStreamType(AudioManager.STREAM_MUSIC);
-        try {
-            mediaPlayer.setDataSource(source);
-            mediaPlayer.prepare(); //IntentService already puts us in a separate worker thread,
-            //so calling the blocking prepare() method should be ok
-        } catch (IOException ioe) {
-            ioe.printStackTrace();
-            //can't really do anything useful without a file to play; exit early
-            return;
+            WifiManager wifiMgr = ((WifiManager)getSystemService(Context.WIFI_SERVICE));
+            WifiManager.WifiLock wifiLock = wifiMgr.createWifiLock(WifiManager.WIFI_MODE_FULL, TAG);
+
+            mediaPlayer.setOnCompletionListener(new EndListener(wifiLock));//listen for end of video
+
+            //get audio focus
+            /*
+            AudioManager audioManager = (AudioManager) getSystemService(Context.AUDIO_SERVICE);
+            int result = audioManager.requestAudioFocus(this, AudioManager.STREAM_MUSIC,
+                    AudioManager.AUDIOFOCUS_GAIN);
+
+            if (result != AudioManager.AUDIOFOCUS_REQUEST_GRANTED) {
+                // could not get audio focus.
+            }*/
+            wifiLock.acquire();
+            mediaPlayer.start();
+
+            //mediaPlayer.getCurrentPosition()
+            int vidLength = mediaPlayer.getDuration();
+    //todo: make it so that tapping the notification brings you back to the Video's DetailActivity
+            NotificationCompat.Builder noteBuilder = new NotificationCompat.Builder(owner);
+            noteBuilder
+                    .setPriority(Notification.PRIORITY_LOW)
+                    .setCategory(Notification.CATEGORY_TRANSPORT)
+                    .setContentTitle(title)
+                    .setContentText("NewPipe is playing in the background")//todo: translation string
+                    .setOngoing(true)
+                    .setProgress(vidLength, 0, false)
+                    .setSmallIcon(R.mipmap.ic_launcher);
+
+            int noteID = TAG.hashCode();
+            startForeground(noteID, noteBuilder.build());
+            NotificationManager noteMgr = (NotificationManager)getSystemService(NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
+            //update every 3s or 4 times in the video, whichever is shorter
+            int sleepTime = Math.min(3000, (int)((double)vidLength/4));
+            while(mediaPlayer.isPlaying()) {
+                try {
+                    Thread.sleep(sleepTime);
+                } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+                    Log.d(TAG, "sleep failure");
+                }
+                noteBuilder.setProgress(vidLength, mediaPlayer.getCurrentPosition(), false);
+                noteMgr.notify(noteID, noteBuilder.build());
+            }
+            noteBuilder.setProgress(0, 0, false);//remove bar
+            //noteMgr.notify(0, noteBuilder.build());
         }
-
-        WifiManager wifiMgr = ((WifiManager)getSystemService(Context.WIFI_SERVICE));
-        WifiManager.WifiLock wifiLock = wifiMgr.createWifiLock(WifiManager.WIFI_MODE_FULL, TAG);
-
-        mediaPlayer.setOnCompletionListener(new EndListener(wifiLock));//listen for end of video
-/*
-        //get audio focus
-        AudioManager audioManager = (AudioManager) getSystemService(Context.AUDIO_SERVICE);
-        int result = audioManager.requestAudioFocus(this, AudioManager.STREAM_MUSIC,
-                AudioManager.AUDIOFOCUS_GAIN);
-
-        if (result != AudioManager.AUDIOFOCUS_REQUEST_GRANTED) {
-            // could not get audio focus.
-        }
-*/
-        wifiLock.acquire();
-        //mediaPlayer.setOnPreparedListener(this);
-        mediaPlayer.start();
-
-        String videoTitle = intent.getStringExtra("title");
-
-        Notification noti = new NotificationCompat.Builder(this)
-                .setPriority(Notification.PRIORITY_LOW)
-                .setCategory(Notification.CATEGORY_TRANSPORT)
-                .setContentTitle(videoTitle)
-                .setContentText("NewPipe is playing in the background")//todo: add translatable string
-                .setOngoing(true)
-                .setSmallIcon(R.mipmap.ic_launcher)
-                .build();
-
-        startForeground(TAG.hashCode(), noti);
     }
 /*
     private class ListenerThread extends Thread implements AudioManager.OnAudioFocusChangeListener {
+        @Override
+        public void onAudioFocusChange(int focusChange) {
 
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public void onAudioFocusChange(int focusChange) {
-
+        }
     }*/
 
+
     private class EndListener implements MediaPlayer.OnCompletionListener {
         private WifiManager.WifiLock wl;
         public EndListener(WifiManager.WifiLock wifiLock) {
@@ -164,21 +195,10 @@ public class BackgroundPlayer extends Service /*implements MediaPlayer.OnPrepare
 
         @Override
         public void onCompletion(MediaPlayer mp) {
-            wl.release();
-        }
-    }
-
-    // Handler that receives messages from the thread
-    private final class ServiceHandler extends Handler {
-        public ServiceHandler(Looper looper) {
-            super(looper);
-        }
-        @Override
-        public void handleMessage(Message msg) {
-            onHandleIntent((Intent)msg.obj);
-            // Stop the service using the startId, so that we don't stop
-            // the service in the middle of handling another job
-            stopSelfResult(msg.arg1);
+            wl.release();//release wifilock
+            stopForeground(true);//remove ongoing notification
+            stopSelf();
+            //todo:release cpu lock
         }
     }
 }