How To Develop A Smart Tv Mobile App: Features, Cost & Tech Stack

Last Updated on January 21, 2022

Over the years, the TV ecosystem has immensely evolved. Televisions that were a primary source of entertainment took a backseat when the rise in the usage of the internet and smartphones occurred.

But with newer innovations in the field of television, smarter TVs have come up that renewed the interest of the audiences. With provisions for bigger screens, enhanced sound experience, and the latest features, smart TVs are constantly proving to be a better platform than smartphones or laptops.

The first smart TV hit the market over a decade ago. But at that time, these TVs were exorbitantly priced and thus, got minimal traction. However, over the years, the cost has become much more affordable, positively influencing the adoption rate. And this was further fueled by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

During the pandemic, the customer behavior experienced a paradigm shift, and the digital disruption that was anticipated to happen over the next five to seven years expedited. There was a great demand for smart TVs all through the lockdown that enabled the users to easily browse their favorite music, movies, and shows, just the way they do on their smartphones. And this also increased the demand for innovative smart TV apps.

What Are Smart TV Apps?

As mobile devices, there is an operating system within the smart TVs that enables the users to install apps and access digital content natively. For instance, LG TVs use WebOS, Sony and Samsung TVs use Android, etc. Users can easily download and install new apps from the TV marketplace on their smartphones. This has led to the rise of smart TV apps.

Today’s users are much more informed, and they are constantly looking for modern apps with smarter functionalities and intuitive interfaces. Consequently, an increasing number of businesses are investing in the development of new smart TV apps.

If you, too, are interested in developing a resourceful, smart TV app, this post is for you. Here, we will look at the various aspects of smart TV app development, including the features to integrate and the associated cost.

Rise Of OTT & Video Streaming Platforms

The global online video streaming industry marked a growth rate of 99% between April 2019 and April 2020. The U.S. video streaming app revenue is projected to surpass $27 billion by the end of 2021. The telecommunications market took note of this exceptional surge in popularity of video streaming platforms and capitalized on this factor in a major way. They introduced smart TVs that made entertainment streaming a cinch.

Smart TV manufacturers and online streaming services have formed a synergetic relationship where the two primarily benefit from each other. The streaming services benefit from large screens and quick connectivity, whereas the smart TV manufacturers leverage the plethora of options offered by streaming services.

Smart TV Market Size & Stats

The global smart TV market reported demand of 268.9 million units in 2020. This is further anticipated to reach 1.18 billion units by 2028, marking a growth of 20.8% CAGR from 2021 to 2028. And one of the key driving factors of this growth is a constant surge in the use of streaming devices together with mounting internet penetration.

Increasing consumer inclination towards OLED and QLED displays and the launch of 4k and 8k resolution TV sets are few other factors that have surged the demand for smart TVs. Some imposing statistics that further reveal the rise of the smart TV market are as follows:

• The smart TV market is anticipated to reach $284.19 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 10%.
• In 2018, nearly 70% of the televisions sold globally were smart TVs
• The rise in innovations in smart TV software and display resolutions is surging the expansion of the global TV market. This is expected to mark a CAGR of 21% growth during 2020-2023.

The increasing popularity of smart TVs is an indication that people want to use apps on TV and have the best viewing experience.

Top Smart TV App Categories

Video Streaming

Over the recent past, there has been a wave of video streaming TV apps that users can subscribe to as a replacement for cable. These apps allow users to watch tons of TV shows and movies of their choice. Besides, the users can also watch live TV in the internet browser.

Gaming Application

This is another popular category of smart TV apps. These gaming apps are designed with TV constraints in mind and enable the users to play almost any game right on the TV using a wireless keyboard or a Bluetooth controller.

Learning TV App

Lately, many learning TV apps have exposed children to a vast world of better learning. These apps help the kids broaden their horizons by developing new skills and make learning much more fun and interactive. And the large screen of televisions helps to make the experience a notch higher.

Marketing & Advertising App

One of the monetization methods for smart tv apps is promotional ads during video streaming sessions. So a smart tv app equipped with marketing and advertising management is also an option.

Top Platform To Develop Smart TV App

• Amazon Fire TV app development
• Vizio smart TV app development
• Android TV app development
• Sony smart TV app development
• Apple TV app development
• Samsung smart TV app development
• LG Smart TV app development
• Roku TV app development
• Panasonic smart tv app development

Top On-demand Video Streaming Platform & Smart TV Apps

Key Features Of Smart TV Mobile App

Voice Search

Nowadays, many people prefer to use digital assistants such as Google Assistant, Amazon Echo, and Alexa. To ensure a resourceful, smart TV app, make sure it seamlessly integrates with these digital assistants, enabling users to search using voice commands.

Obvious Focus

A significant aspect of smart TV design is the focus state. With laptops and smartphones, the users can move the mouse pointer or tap the correct icon to get things done. However, with a smart TV, the users can only navigate using a remote controller. Thus, it is essential to design smart apps with an evident focus on things. This will enable the users to skim through the content and navigate around easily quickly.

Smart Recommendation

This feature tracks the user’s search history, browsing patterns, tastes, and preferences to suggest the most appropriate content choices. The smart recommendation feature helps to improve user engagement and increases the time spent on the app. This feature is excellent for all categories of smart TV apps. For instance, in an e-learning app, the user can be prompted with smart recommendations of videos or courses based on their browsing history.

Integrated Media Player

Integration of a media player can enable the users to enjoy audio and videos on their smart TV. Instead of consuming content on smartphones, this feature allows the users to benefit from the TV’s big screen and enjoy an improved user experience.

Remote Control Compatibility

The users can navigate through smart TV apps only by using a remote. So it is important to ensure that users have a seamless navigation experience. Also, the options within the app must correspond to the buttons on the remote controllers so that the users know which buttons to press.

Friendly & Fast Navigation

The best way to make the users stick to your app is by providing a quick and hassle-free navigation experience. It is a must to ensure that the app’s interface is user-friendly and loads instantly without delay.

Things To Consider Before Developing A Smart TV Mobile App

Perform Market Research

The first thing to do before initiating your smart TV app development is to conduct thorough market research. Based on the target audience that you have in mind, you would be able to identify your competitors and the kind of apps they offer. This will help you understand different aspects such as the best platform for your app, the purpose your app will solve, the likelihood of your app to be used, etc. All these factors are vital for the success of the app.

Choose An Experienced Development Partner

Although there are many app development companies out there, very few specialize in developing competent and functional smart TV apps. You must hire a company with substantial experience in the field and has delivered effective products within your specific niche.

Before engaging any app development agency, make sure to go through their portfolio, evaluate their technical skills, and identify their experience level. Also, check previous customer reviews and find out the company’s pricing policy and suggested deadline for app development.

Discuss App Requirements With Developer

Once you have chosen an app development company, you must sit with the development team to discuss your specific requirements. The first thing to decide is the platform for smart TV app development. It will become easier to determine the technology stack to be used for the app development. It is advisable to discuss every little aspect in advance to avoid any surprises later on.

Test On Real Devices Once The App Is Developed

To ensure the smooth functioning and efficiency of a smart TV app, it is a must to test it on real devices as opposed to a simulated environment. Testing on real devices will ensure that the app works seamlessly on your chosen platform and provides a flawless user experience.

Once you have made sure that the app fulfills all the platform requirements, launch it on the respective platform and see how it works on the TV. Thorough and frequent testing is the only key to fix any gaps and ensure a successful product.

Tech Stack For Smart TV App Development

Choosing the right tech stack for a mobile app is a very important decision. Here are some technologies that are used to develop a smart tv app.

How Much Does It Cost To Develop A Smart TV App?

Many factors regulate the cost of developing a smart TV app. Some of the most significant factors include:

• Chosen operating system
• The complexity of the UI/UX design
• Number and type of features and functionalities integrated
• Testing
• Tech stack involved
• Location of the app development company

Keeping all these factors in mind, the average cost of app development ranges between $20,000 and $40,000.

Smart TVs are a mounting trend among customers, and their adoption is also expected to rise in the impending times. So, if you have an exceptional idea for smart TV app development, you must get started right away. You can build an innovative and interactive smart TV app to set up a recurring revenue stream.

Emizentech is a leading app development firm that has built apps for different industries. We have an experienced and talented team of app developers ready to assist you in developing a smart tv mobile app.