Unified App Development

One codebase. All screens.

Solving platform fragmentation with a unified approach

Launching and maintaining apps across various Smart TV OS in their own ecosystems and is complex and time-consuming. Our unified development framework simplifies the process: one codebase, unified workflow and consistent user experience with video player included – still all apps releases tailored and optimized for each Smart TV models.

The result? Faster well-timed updates, extended device reach and savings in total cost of ownership.

Why Unified App Development?

TV apps have been created typically using pre-defined application templates and SDKs or developing bespoke applications as fully customized implementation. The advantages of templates and SDKs are faster time-to-market, proven architecture and potential cost savings while the bespoke development offer freedom to implement tailor-made user experience and unique feature set. Now, thanks to Sofia Digital Unified TV App Development approach, you can get advantages from both of these options and adding unique benefits like for example time-sensitive application updates and unified video player included.

Business Benefits

Faster Time-to-Market: Simultaneous releases across platforms with minimal overhead.
Cost Savings: One codebase means less duplicated work and fewer maintenance hours.
Unified User Experience: Maintain consistent UI and functionality across all screens.
Streamlined Product Management: One baseline version simplifies the workflow, roadmap and customer support.
Proven in Production: Case examples from existing projects – Ruutu, MeWATCH, and LOVEStv.

Technical Advantages

One Codebase: The core of the unified app and functional modules with platform-specific optimizations.
Video Player: Solution includes video player for all platforms and streaming formats both Live and On-demand playback modes.
Modular Architecture: Each platform will get its own optimized release as only necessary modules are included in each platform version build.
Full Native Capabilities: Native APIs and each OS-platform specific features can be supported.
Deployments and QA: Automated workflows ensure fast time-sensitive, stable deployments with unified version control.
Transparency: Solution does not include closed-source or 3^rd party vendor dependencies.

Supported Smart TV Platforms

Sofia Digital Unified TV App covers a wide range of connected TV environments, including support for:

Samsung Tizen
LG webOS
Android TV / Google TV
FireOS (Amazon Fire TV)
VIDAA (Hisense)
Panasonic (VIERA)
Philips (Titan OS)
HbbTV-compatible devices
Operator set-top boxes
Vestel and other OEM brands

From Smart TVs to Holistic Approach

Sofia Digital’s app development framework is built for the demands of native Smart TV platforms—but it doesn’t stop there. Modular applications, unified video player and proven workflows can be extended to support other OTT-video enabled such as:

Apple TV
Desktop Apps and HTML-browsers
Mobiles and Tablets
Smart media players

This makes it possible to deliver a Unified Apps to ensure systematic consumer experience across all screens while keeping development and maintenance efficient. Layouts and interactions are adapted per device class, but the core features, user flows and backend integrations remain consistent.

Key capabilities for full OTT support include:

Shared software components across TV, mobile and web
Responsive UI-layout options and pre-validated modules
User login, profiles, SSO integration with device pairing
Multilingual UI and right-to-left language support
Consistent video player functionality with advertisement support
TV program guide with end-to-end EPG workflow option

Unified Video Playback Across Screens

A high-quality video experience is essential across all platforms.

Sofia unified Video player

Sofia Digital’s unified video player ensures consistent playback, feature set, and performance—whether the app runs on Big screen, Mobile or Desktop. Player can also manage casting with Chromecast and Airplay.

The player core is collection of native playback capabilities tailored per platform, sharing the common UI design and feature set. This keeps the user experience familiar while optimizing for native capabilities like hardware decoding or native player APIs.

This unified approach has all common video player capabilities for linear TV and VOD playback and includes also many pre-integrated 3rd party libraries like for example analytics and advertisement support that reduces integration overhead and ensures reliable, consistent viewing experiences regardless of device or location.

Key features

Unified playback behavior across platforms for HLS, DASH and mp4 containers
Platform-specific optimization using native players (e.g. AVPlay, Exoplayer, Shaka)
Support for accessibility and localization: multilingual Subtitles and audio tracks with support for next generation audio
Pre-integrations: and advanced features: Multi-DRM systems, analytics and quality monitoring systems , SCTE-35 markers, FAST channels, Start-over, etc.
Support for advertisement with pre-integrations to Google GAM, Freewheel, Invidi Pulse, SpringServe and any other VAST/VMAP compatible platform
Compatible with HTML5, HbbTV and common application frameworks

Under the Hood

Built for Flexibility and Control

Our unified app framework is designed for long-term maintainability, efficient collaboration and smooth delivery across Smart TV and can be extended into any OTT environment. The technical foundation supports platform-specific customization without duplicating effort—resulting in faster development, better QA and fewer surprises in production.

Modular Build Logic

Each app version is built from same code repository but tailored per platform. Environment variables and modular build tools ensure that only the required components are included—no unnecessary libraries or code. Native APIs are targeted at the build stage to ensure maximum compatibility and performance.

DevOps and Version Control

The framework is tightly integrated with a Git-based workflow. Both the client and Sofia Digital can manage commits, tags and releases. Each platform has its own build entry point, and automated pipelines handle testing, staging and production deployment with speed and reliability. Test, Staging and production builds are managed centralized with instant roll-back and hotfix features.

Open and Maintainable Codebase

There are no hidden SDKs or closed-source dependencies. All source code is available for review, extension or audit. This transparency supports long-term ownership, external security validation and flexible collaboration—whether fully outsourced or hybrid with in-house teams.

Proven in Production

Sofia Digital’s unified app framework is in active use across Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, powering Smart TV applications for broadcasters, telecom operators, and media companies. These deployments cover a wide range of platforms, backend systems, and monetization models.

One example is Ruutu, a Finnish streaming service by Nelonen Media. Sofia Digital delivered a unified Smart TV application that runs on all major platforms, enabling centralized feature control, synchronized updates and a consistent user experience.