How to Build a Smart TV App: The 7 Best Solutions for 2024

The demand for smart TV apps is booming, as consumers seek better ways to watch content, control their devices, and interact with their home entertainment systems. With an increasing variety of TV models and platforms, building an app that works across different devices and provides a smooth user experience is key for success. If you're planning to develop a smart TV app in 2024, it's important to select the right approach and tools to ensure your app is both functional and user-friendly. In this article, we’ll cover the 7 best solutions for building smart TV apps that stand out in the competitive digital landscape.

1. Android TV App Development

Must Read: Why Flutter for Cross-Platform App Development is Best?

Why Android TV? Android TV is one of the most popular platforms for smart TVs. It runs on Google’s Android OS, which means it’s accessible to a wide range of TVs, from brands like Sony, Nvidia, and Sharp. Developers already familiar with Android mobile app development will find Android TV development particularly intuitive.

Key Features:

• Familiar Development Tools: If you’ve developed for Android phones or tablets, you can leverage the same tools (Android Studio, Kotlin, Java).
• Wide Compatibility: Works on a wide variety of devices including set-top boxes, gaming consoles (like the Nvidia Shield), and TVs.
• Rich Ecosystem: The Google Play Store provides an established marketplace for distributing your app.

Development Process: To build an Android TV app, start by adjusting your mobile app’s user interface (UI) to fit the TV screen. Android TV apps require large, readable fonts and navigation optimized for a remote control, rather than touch. Developers can use Android's Leanback library to streamline the development of TV-friendly UIs.

Challenges:

• Testing on Multiple Devices: You’ll need to test on a variety of Android TV models to ensure your app performs consistently.
• User Input: TVs are primarily controlled via remotes, which can pose challenges in terms of navigation and interaction design. Voice commands can be used to help, especially with Google Assistant.

2. Apple TV (tvOS) Development

Why Apple TV? Apple TV has a significant user base, especially among those who are already invested in the Apple ecosystem. The platform offers a smooth, consistent user experience and supports a range of interactive features, from game controllers to advanced video playback.

Key Features:

• Xcode & Swift: Apple TV apps are developed using Xcode and Swift, offering a reliable development environment for iOS developers.
• Cohesive Design: Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) help ensure that apps are well-designed and intuitive for users.
• Integration with Apple Services: With Apple TV, you can integrate with services like Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and Apple TV+, increasing your app’s functionality.

Development Process: To create an app for Apple TV, you can either adapt an existing iOS app or build one from scratch. You'll need to rethink your UI, making it TV-friendly with larger touch targets, a simplified layout, and remote-friendly navigation. Apple’s tvOS SDK supports advanced features like 4K video playback and support for both standard and HDR content.

Challenges:

• Strict App Review: Apple has rigorous guidelines for app approval, so you’ll need to ensure your app meets all of their requirements, particularly regarding UI/UX design.
• Limited Customization: While Apple TV offers a lot of integrated features, it can also be restrictive when it comes to certain customizations. You’ll need to work within the ecosystem Apple provides.

3. Roku App Development

Why Roku? Roku has a significant market share, particularly in North America. With its simple interface and affordable devices, Roku is a popular choice for consumers who want a no-fuss streaming experience. Roku’s development environment is user-friendly, making it an attractive option for both new and experienced developers.

Key Features:

• Roku OS: Roku uses its own operating system, and developers create apps using Roku’s proprietary BrightScript programming language and the SceneGraph framework.
• Free Developer Tools: Roku offers a free developer portal and a suite of tools to test and launch apps without heavy costs.
• Monetization Options: Roku allows developers to monetize apps through ads, subscriptions, or one-time purchases via the Roku Channel Store.

Development Process: To build a Roku app, you’ll use BrightScript, which is specifically designed for TV app development. The SceneGraph framework allows you to build the app’s UI using XML-based scenes. Developers need to ensure that the app is simple, fast, and easy to navigate, as Roku users typically interact with the device using a basic remote control.

Challenges:

• Learning Curve for BrightScript: BrightScript may require some time to master, especially if you’re used to more common languages like JavaScript or Python.
• Device Fragmentation: Testing is essential, as there are different Roku models with varying performance capabilities.

4. Amazon Fire TV Development

Why Amazon Fire TV? Amazon Fire TV continues to be a strong competitor in the smart TV market, particularly in the streaming domain. With Amazon’s vast ecosystem, including Alexa, Fire TV offers a rich environment for developers looking to create apps that integrate with both entertainment and voice-assisted technologies.

Key Features:

• Fire OS: Built on Android, Fire TV offers a familiar development environment but with specific customization options for Amazon’s ecosystem.
• Alexa Voice Integration: Amazon Fire TV allows developers to integrate voice commands via Alexa, making the app more interactive.
• Amazon Appstore: The Amazon Appstore provides a platform for distributing your app to millions of Fire TV users.

Development Process: To build an app for Fire TV, developers can use Android Studio and Android SDK tools, with some additional Fire TV-specific configurations. For voice integration, Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) enables voice-controlled features.

Challenges:

• App Optimization: Fire TV is known for having a range of device specs, so app performance must be tested across multiple models.
• User Interface Design: Like other TV platforms, Fire TV requires UI adjustments to ensure navigation works well with a remote control rather than a touch interface.

5. Samsung Tizen Smart TV App Development

Why Tizen? Samsung’s Tizen OS powers millions of smart TVs, making it one of the most popular operating systems in the TV market. With a robust SDK and support for various multimedia features, Samsung’s Tizen offers a powerful development platform for creating TV apps.

Key Features:

• Tizen Studio: Tizen’s official SDK is robust and comes with tools for both app development and testing.
• HTML5 Support: Tizen supports HTML5, making it easy for web developers to transition to TV app development.
• Wide Device Range: Samsung Tizen is available on a variety of smart TVs, from budget models to premium 4K and 8K sets.

Development Process: Tizen apps can be developed using Tizen Studio with a combination of HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript. The framework supports both traditional TV apps and apps that interact with Samsung’s Smart Hub. Additionally, mobile app developers can integrate voice control features via Samsung Bixby, the brand's voice assistant.

Challenges:

• Device Fragmentation: As with other platforms, testing across various Tizen-powered TVs is critical to ensure a smooth experience.
• App Approval Process: Samsung has a stringent app review process, so following their guidelines for user interface and performance is crucial.

6. WebOS Development (LG Smart TVs)

Why WebOS? LG’s WebOS powers a large number of smart TVs and is known for its intuitive user interface and easy navigation. For developers looking to create apps for LG TVs, WebOS provides a unique, web-based environment that is ideal for those with experience in web technologies.

Key Features:

• Web Technologies: WebOS supports HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript, making it an attractive option for developers familiar with web development.
• LG Developer Portal: LG offers a comprehensive developer portal that includes documentation, SDK tools, and debugging utilities.
• Integration with LG Services: Developers can integrate with LG’s features like voice commands and the LG Smart TV Store.

Development Process: Developing an app for WebOS is similar to building a web app. You’ll use web technologies to create the app’s interface and interactions. LG’s WebOS SDK offers tools for testing and debugging, as well as support for features like notifications, multi-window viewing, and screen mirroring.

Challenges:

• Browser Limitations: While web technologies are powerful, they may not fully support all the advanced features you’d find in native apps on other platforms.
• App Store Approval: LG’s approval process for apps can be rigorous, so it’s important to follow their guidelines closely to avoid delays.

7. Cross-Platform Development Frameworks

Why Cross-Platform Development? Building an app for multiple smart TV platforms (Android TV, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, etc.) can be time-consuming and expensive. Cross-platform frameworks help solve this problem by enabling you to write code once and deploy it across different systems.

Key Features:

• Single Codebase: Write once and deploy to multiple platforms, saving time and development costs.
• Popular Frameworks: Some of the most common frameworks for smart TV app development include React Native, Flutter, and Xamarin.
• Broad Ecosystem Support: Cross-platform tools often come with libraries and APIs that streamline the process of building apps for various TV platforms.

Development Process: With cross-platform frameworks, you develop your app’s core functionality and UI using one codebase. Afterward, platform-specific configurations are applied to ensure that your app works optimally on Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, etc.

Challenges:

• Performance Issues: Cross-platform apps may not perform as well as native apps, especially for graphics-intensive applications.
• Limited Access to Platform-Specific Features: Some advanced features of smart TVs may not be easily accessible via cross-platform tools, requiring custom development.

Conclusion

Building a smart TV app in 2024 presents a variety of options, each suited to different development needs. Whether you choose to develop natively for Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Samsung Tizen, or LG WebOS, or opt for a cross-platform solution, your choice will depend on the target audience, your technical expertise, and the features you want to integrate. By selecting the right platform and development tools, you can create an engaging and high-performing smart TV app that meets the needs of today's entertainment landscape.