diff --git a/demo/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer/demo/PlayerActivity.java b/demo/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer/demo/PlayerActivity.java
index 6c5bb7536a..6f04db8991 100644
--- a/demo/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer/demo/PlayerActivity.java
+++ b/demo/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer/demo/PlayerActivity.java
@@ -92,9 +92,8 @@ public class PlayerActivity extends Activity implements SurfaceHolder.Callback,
   private DemoPlayer player;
   private boolean playerNeedsPrepare;
 
-  private boolean autoPlay = true;
   private long playerPosition;
-  private boolean enableBackgroundAudio = false;
+  private boolean enableBackgroundAudio;
 
   private Uri contentUri;
   private int contentType;
@@ -166,10 +165,10 @@ public class PlayerActivity extends Activity implements SurfaceHolder.Callback,
     if (!enableBackgroundAudio) {
       releasePlayer();
     } else {
-      player.blockingClearSurface();
+      player.setBackgrounded(true);
     }
-
     audioCapabilitiesReceiver.unregister();
+    shutterView.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -183,7 +182,6 @@ public class PlayerActivity extends Activity implements SurfaceHolder.Callback,
   @Override
   public void onClick(View view) {
     if (view == retryButton) {
-      autoPlay = true;
       preparePlayer();
     }
   }
@@ -192,11 +190,14 @@ public class PlayerActivity extends Activity implements SurfaceHolder.Callback,
 
   @Override
   public void onAudioCapabilitiesChanged(AudioCapabilities audioCapabilities) {
-    this.audioCapabilities = audioCapabilities;
-    releasePlayer();
-
-    autoPlay = true;
-    preparePlayer();
+    boolean audioCapabilitiesChanged = !audioCapabilities.equals(this.audioCapabilities);
+    if (player == null || audioCapabilitiesChanged) {
+      this.audioCapabilities = audioCapabilities;
+      releasePlayer();
+      preparePlayer();
+    } else if (player != null) {
+      player.setBackgrounded(false);
+    }
   }
 
   // Internal methods
@@ -239,15 +240,7 @@ public class PlayerActivity extends Activity implements SurfaceHolder.Callback,
       updateButtonVisibilities();
     }
     player.setSurface(surfaceView.getHolder().getSurface());
-    maybeStartPlayback();
-  }
-
-  private void maybeStartPlayback() {
-    if (autoPlay && (player.getSurface().isValid()
-        || player.getSelectedTrackIndex(DemoPlayer.TYPE_VIDEO) == DemoPlayer.DISABLED_TRACK)) {
-      player.setPlayWhenReady(true);
-      autoPlay = false;
-    }
+    player.setPlayWhenReady(true);
   }
 
   private void releasePlayer() {
@@ -468,7 +461,6 @@ public class PlayerActivity extends Activity implements SurfaceHolder.Callback,
   public void surfaceCreated(SurfaceHolder holder) {
     if (player != null) {
       player.setSurface(holder.getSurface());
-      maybeStartPlayback();
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/demo/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer/demo/player/DemoPlayer.java b/demo/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer/demo/player/DemoPlayer.java
index e20b87c21a..338ec5b1db 100644
--- a/demo/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer/demo/player/DemoPlayer.java
+++ b/demo/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer/demo/player/DemoPlayer.java
@@ -179,10 +179,12 @@ public class DemoPlayer implements ExoPlayer.Listener, ChunkSampleSource.EventLi
   private Surface surface;
   private InternalRendererBuilderCallback builderCallback;
   private TrackRenderer videoRenderer;
+  private int videoTrackToRestore;
 
   private MultiTrackChunkSource[] multiTrackSources;
   private String[][] trackNames;
   private int[] selectedTracks;
+  private boolean backgrounded;
 
   private TextListener textListener;
   private Id3MetadataListener id3MetadataListener;
@@ -233,7 +235,7 @@ public class DemoPlayer implements ExoPlayer.Listener, ChunkSampleSource.EventLi
 
   public void setSurface(Surface surface) {
     this.surface = surface;
-    pushSurfaceAndVideoTrack(false);
+    pushSurface(false);
   }
 
   public Surface getSurface() {
@@ -242,7 +244,7 @@ public class DemoPlayer implements ExoPlayer.Listener, ChunkSampleSource.EventLi
 
   public void blockingClearSurface() {
     surface = null;
-    pushSurfaceAndVideoTrack(true);
+    pushSurface(true);
   }
 
   public String[] getTracks(int type) {
@@ -258,13 +260,23 @@ public class DemoPlayer implements ExoPlayer.Listener, ChunkSampleSource.EventLi
       return;
     }
     selectedTracks[type] = index;
-    if (type == TYPE_VIDEO) {
-      pushSurfaceAndVideoTrack(false);
+    pushTrackSelection(type, true);
+    if (type == TYPE_TEXT && index == DISABLED_TRACK && textListener != null) {
+      textListener.onText(null);
+    }
+  }
+
+  public void setBackgrounded(boolean backgrounded) {
+    if (this.backgrounded == backgrounded) {
+      return;
+    }
+    this.backgrounded = backgrounded;
+    if (backgrounded) {
+      videoTrackToRestore = getSelectedTrackIndex(TYPE_VIDEO);
+      selectTrack(TYPE_VIDEO, DISABLED_TRACK);
+      blockingClearSurface();
     } else {
-      pushTrackSelection(type, true);
-      if (type == TYPE_TEXT && index == DISABLED_TRACK && textListener != null) {
-        textListener.onText(null);
-      }
+      selectTrack(TYPE_VIDEO, videoTrackToRestore);
     }
   }
 
@@ -307,7 +319,8 @@ public class DemoPlayer implements ExoPlayer.Listener, ChunkSampleSource.EventLi
     this.trackNames = trackNames;
     this.multiTrackSources = multiTrackSources;
     rendererBuildingState = RENDERER_BUILDING_STATE_BUILT;
-    pushSurfaceAndVideoTrack(false);
+    pushSurface(false);
+    pushTrackSelection(TYPE_VIDEO, true);
     pushTrackSelection(TYPE_AUDIO, true);
     pushTrackSelection(TYPE_TEXT, true);
     player.prepare(renderers);
@@ -550,7 +563,7 @@ public class DemoPlayer implements ExoPlayer.Listener, ChunkSampleSource.EventLi
     }
   }
 
-  private void pushSurfaceAndVideoTrack(boolean blockForSurfacePush) {
+  private void pushSurface(boolean blockForSurfacePush) {
     if (rendererBuildingState != RENDERER_BUILDING_STATE_BUILT) {
       return;
     }
@@ -562,7 +575,6 @@ public class DemoPlayer implements ExoPlayer.Listener, ChunkSampleSource.EventLi
       player.sendMessage(
           videoRenderer, MediaCodecVideoTrackRenderer.MSG_SET_SURFACE, surface);
     }
-    pushTrackSelection(TYPE_VIDEO, surface != null && surface.isValid());
   }
 
   private void pushTrackSelection(int type, boolean allowRendererEnable) {
diff --git a/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer/MediaCodecTrackRenderer.java b/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer/MediaCodecTrackRenderer.java
index 6cbd6248a1..dd56d54050 100644
--- a/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer/MediaCodecTrackRenderer.java
+++ b/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer/MediaCodecTrackRenderer.java
@@ -440,17 +440,14 @@ public abstract class MediaCodecTrackRenderer extends TrackRenderer {
       checkForDiscontinuity();
       if (format == null) {
         readFormat();
-      } else if (codec == null && !shouldInitCodec() && getState() == TrackRenderer.STATE_STARTED) {
-        discardSamples(positionUs);
-      } else {
-        if (codec == null && shouldInitCodec()) {
-          maybeInitCodec();
-        }
-        if (codec != null) {
-          while (drainOutputBuffer(positionUs, elapsedRealtimeUs)) {}
-          if (feedInputBuffer(true)) {
-            while (feedInputBuffer(false)) {}
-          }
+      }
+      if (codec == null && shouldInitCodec()) {
+        maybeInitCodec();
+      }
+      if (codec != null) {
+        while (drainOutputBuffer(positionUs, elapsedRealtimeUs)) {}
+        if (feedInputBuffer(true)) {
+          while (feedInputBuffer(false)) {}
         }
       }
       codecCounters.ensureUpdated();
@@ -466,21 +463,6 @@ public abstract class MediaCodecTrackRenderer extends TrackRenderer {
     }
   }
 
-  private void discardSamples(long positionUs) throws IOException, ExoPlaybackException {
-    sampleHolder.data = null;
-    int result = SampleSource.SAMPLE_READ;
-    while (result == SampleSource.SAMPLE_READ && currentPositionUs <= positionUs) {
-      result = source.readData(trackIndex, currentPositionUs, formatHolder, sampleHolder, false);
-      if (result == SampleSource.SAMPLE_READ) {
-        if (!sampleHolder.decodeOnly) {
-          currentPositionUs = sampleHolder.timeUs;
-        }
-      } else if (result == SampleSource.FORMAT_READ) {
-        onInputFormatChanged(formatHolder);
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
   private void checkForDiscontinuity() throws IOException, ExoPlaybackException {
     if (codec == null) {
       return;
diff --git a/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer/MediaCodecVideoTrackRenderer.java b/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer/MediaCodecVideoTrackRenderer.java
index 397f83cb88..685b32eff3 100644
--- a/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer/MediaCodecVideoTrackRenderer.java
+++ b/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer/MediaCodecVideoTrackRenderer.java
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ public class MediaCodecVideoTrackRenderer extends MediaCodecTrackRenderer {
 
   @Override
   protected boolean shouldInitCodec() {
-    return super.shouldInitCodec() && surface != null;
+    return super.shouldInitCodec() && surface != null && surface.isValid();
   }
 
   // Override configureCodec to provide the surface.