diff --git a/android/build.gradle b/android/build.gradle
index 32ac878a..5c04d95b 100644
--- a/android/build.gradle
+++ b/android/build.gradle
@@ -17,5 +17,5 @@ android {
 
 dependencies {
     provided 'com.facebook.react:react-native:+'
-    compile 'com.yqritc:android-scalablevideoview:1.0.1'
+    compile 'com.yqritc:android-scalablevideoview:1.0.4'
 }
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/react/ReactVideoView.java b/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/react/ReactVideoView.java
index 0a194c90..5a27bdf2 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/react/ReactVideoView.java
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/react/ReactVideoView.java
@@ -194,8 +194,7 @@ public class ReactVideoView extends ScalableVideoView implements MediaPlayer.OnP
         }
         if ( mMediaPlayer != null ) {
             mMediaPlayerValid = false;
-            mMediaPlayer.stop();
-            mMediaPlayer.release();
+            release();
         }
     }
 
@@ -296,9 +295,8 @@ public class ReactVideoView extends ScalableVideoView implements MediaPlayer.OnP
         event.putMap(ReactVideoViewManager.PROP_SRC, src);
         mEventEmitter.receiveEvent(getId(), Events.EVENT_LOAD_START.toString(), event);
 
-        // not async to prevent random crashes on Android playback from local resource due to race conditions
         try {
-          prepare(this);
+          prepareAsync(this);
         } catch (Exception e) {
           e.printStackTrace();
         }