Smart TV app development
Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Android TV apps and more with a single codebase
Excellence in Smart TV App Development
Sofia Digital excels in Smart TV app development across all major platforms, including Tizen, webOS, VIDAA and Android TV. Our approach goes beyond coding; we act as a strategic business partner, offering flexible, customized business models to bring maximum value to our clients. Our commitment to quality is backed by our top-tier QA and extensive testing lab, ensuring smooth app functionality and seamless submission processes. Our Unified Development Framework streamlines development for consistent performance across platforms.
- Global Reach: Deliveries made to over 40 countries, demonstrating our familiarity with the best practices worldwide.
- Value to Clients: We aim to be the most sought-after partner and trusted business developer. We take responsibility for every detail, from backend and client-side development to further integration.
- Collaborative Partnership: We view the first version as the initial step and commit to developing solutions together with our clients.
- Business Consulting: We also serve as business consultants leveraging our know-how for the benefit of our customers.
- End-to-End Partnership: We provide comprehensive support throughout the entire project lifecycle.
- Quality Assurance: We understand the importance of repeating QA processes to ensure high-quality outcomes.
- Effective Solutions from Ambiguous Requirements: Capable of deriving excellent results even from the most ambiguous set of initial requirements.
- Guidance and Recommendations: We have the expertise to recommend and guide you towards the right solutions, including the selection of libraries and players, to ensure smooth and optimized functionality.
Unified Smart TV App Development Framework
The presence of multiple Smart TV Operating Systems can complicate Smart TV application development due to the varying features and standards each platform holds. Our Unified Smart TV App Development Framework is based on a singular codebase, which ensures application compatibility and consistent performance across different operating systems such as Tizen, WebOS, and Android TV.
This approach simplifies the development process, making it more efficient compared to creating separate versions of the app for each platform. This way the process of app development becomes more streamlined and time-efficient, ensuring better cross-platform app performance and user experience.
The use of unified code base provides simultaneous launch of the application to multiple platforms, but we are not blind to strengths and challenges of each platform to maximize the potential of the applications
Key Advantages:
- Reach: More audience with wider device reach.
- Harmonize UI/UX: All devices have the same UI and the same version.
- Synchronized Updates: All updates will reach users at the same time.
- Cost savings: one code base for multiple platforms with only one team saves money in development.
Comprehensive Tech knowledge
Our long experince in the industry and adaptability means we’ve worked with a lot of platforms and device manufacturers: Android TV / Google TV based devices from manufacturers like Sony, Philips, TCL and Vestel and brand-specific platforms Samsung (Tizen), LG (WebOS), Philips (Saphi, TitanOS), Panasonic, Hisense (VIDAA), Netgem, Arris and others.
TV & streaming world is full of existing solutions: APIs, streaming backends, DRM systems, advertisement platforms, analytics just to name few. Capability to seemlessly integrate to these systems is one of our key strengths.
Tracking / analytics
Crucial part of functional analytics are the reliable client integrations. Doing them in the right way requires experience and deep understanding of the technology and business area.
We’ve integrated to biggest tracking and analytics systems including Matomo, Google Analytics, NPAW Suite (Youbora), Comscore, Adobe analytics as well as many custom systems to help our clients collect their data.
Advertising
Technical stability of advertisements is essential for user experience and smooth client integrations have important role in guaranteeing flawless operation. Integrating to limited and older platforms like Smart TVs requires experience and knowledge that Sofia Digital is able to offer.
We’ve been working with the many ad platforms, both client-side (CSAI) and server-side (SSAI) like Invidi, Yospace, Springserve and Freewheel using both platform-provided libraries and custom integrations using ad protocols like VAST.
Media and DRM
Understanding streaming protocols, DRM systems and players, together with experience in integrating to different platforms is essential when working with streaming on Smart TVs. As both client-side and backend streaming experts also participating in standardisation work, we are ready to help in any streaming needs.
Some streaming tech terms we’ve worked with: Dash, HLS, Playready, Widevine, Fairplay, MSE / EME, Dash.js / HLS.js / Video.js, Shaka player and many commercial players, not to forget HbbTV / OIPF and platform-specific native players.
APIs and backends
The spine of any service is well-working backend and seamless integration to backend systems through API is one of the main functionalities of any client app. Thorough understanding of the streaming concepts and experience in integrating to well-known backend systems and APIs is a clear advantage in implementing these integrations.
We’ve done numerous integrations to backend systems using REST, GraphQL and other ways of communication. We’ve integrated to OpenTV API, Kaltura, Vimond and many other smaller and more customised video platforms and backend systems.
Selecting player for your service
Video playback is the very essence of any TV / streaming service
Your service, your player solution
There is no “one player fits all” solution in Smart TV world. Finding out the best player solution for your purpose needs to be done case by case based on supported platforms, available contents, functional requirements and many other details. Our experts will listen to your needs and help you with the decision taking into account the limitations and challenges of the Smart TV environment.
Enable benefits with the right choice
Careful and knowledge-based player selection can give you many benefits over using the native player solution. One player codebase can cover multiple TV platforms, avoiding known limitations and extending the functionality with subtitles, multi-audio, live timeshifting etc.
Extensive streaming knowledge
Deep knowledge and vast experience on streaming protocols and DRM systems help in making right player choices and solving potential issues. We are a member of Dash IF and our experts are regularly taking part in the streaming specification and testing work.
OUR SMART TV DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
- Specification
From the start our team forms a close bond with the customer working closely to fine-tune the requirements and offers recommendations on where to concentrate to get the MVP and the product out of the door quickly.
- Implementation
The use of our tested and unified code base provides a fast development cycle and launch of the application to multiple platforms. Tracking the progress of the implementation is guaranteed using shared code repositories, issue trackers and development sprints.
- Delivery
Our dedicated Q&A team and long-term relationships with OS providers and manufacturers ensure smooth submit phase of the application and saves crucial weeks in application development. We take great pride on our one-submit approvals.
- Co-operation
We are happy to share all information gained and even the application code with our valued partners and customers to facilitate long lifecycle of the product and service. There are no unpleasant surprises in working with Sofia Digital.
Sofia Digital
Smooth Porting UIs from web design
We will help you transforming your current web applications into Smart TV apps, guiding you through a smooth approval pathway. Our strategy emphasizes:
- Navigation Made Simple – Together, we adapt your app’s navigation to Smart TV’s straightforward controls.
- Dependable Back Navigation – We guarantee the back button behaves as expected, enhancing user trust.
- Enhanced Scrolling – Working with us, your app’s scrolling becomes fluid and natural on Smart TV interfaces.
- Unambiguous User Interface – We help make every selection and focus point clear, ensuring a user-friendly experience on Smart TVs.
Your Smart TV applications will be tested on real hardware by true experts
- SmartTV OS landscape is very fragmented and requires a different mindset compared to mobile app testing
- Testing SmartTV apps requires a comprehensive device zoo. Our e-zoo has over 200 devices, and is always available for local and to remote testing when required
- We know exactly what to do and how to achieve actionable results fast. Our special expertise is in getting those lowend and older devices to work as well with your application.
- Automated testing plans and solutions are available for continuous and regression testing
Excellent Smart TV UX - Requires more than designers
In the forefront of Smart TV UI/UX design, Sofia Digital harnesses the collective expertise of our designers, developers, and testing team. This integrated approach ensures our projects meet and exceed expectations, merging innovative design with technical excellence and rigorous testing.
Designers
- Craft user-centric, intuitive interfaces.
- Focus on visual appeal and ease of navigation.
- Partners with your design and UI departments to deliver your brand optimized to big screens
Developers
- Consult designers what’s feasible and optimal, with expertise across all platforms like Tizen, webOS, VIDAA and Android TV
- Translate designs into robust, efficient code.
- Ensure seamless performance on selected device coverage.
Testing Team
- Conduct thorough functional and compatibility tests.
- Rapid feedback to designers and developers
- Utilize an extensive lab with over 200 devices.
- Ensure products are error-free and user-ready before launch.
Why Sofia Digital
Unified Smart TV App Development
A singular codebase that guarantees application compatibility and consistent performance across different operating systems like Tizen, WebOS, and Android TV, leading to cost savings and synchronized updates.
Extensive Testing Laboratory
Global Reach
Demonstrated capability to deliver projects in over 40 countries, showcasing a deep understanding of global best practices.
End-to-End Partnership
This approach offers holistic assistance from the initial stages of development and business consulting through to post-launch modifications and ongoing integration.
Long lasting customer relationships
This strategy is characterized by successful deployments across diverse customer environments globally, achieving high customer satisfaction with a rating of 4.7 out of 5. The relationship does not conclude with the delivery; it fosters prolonged customer engagements and enduring employee relationships, supported by a familiar team.
Extensive Experience
Boasting over two decades of groundbreaking contributions in the realm of interactive television technologies, our pioneering stance in relevant technological advancements sets us apart. Our expertise encompasses the SmartTV domain, active participation in industry forums without being limited to sub-sectors, and deep engagement in the field. Our long-standing experience combined with leadership in innovation and forward-thinking knowledge underscores our extensive experience.
Juho Mäyränpää
Sales director
+358 50 522 5420
juho.mayranpaa@sofiadigital.com