Explore the Era of Smart TV App Development
Tags: Google, Smart Tv, Apple, Amazon, TV

What is Smart TV?

A smart TV is a digital television that connected to the internet in a computer specialized for entertainment, smart-tv is a stand-alone product compare to regular TV its a different one but made Smart by using Set-top boxes with advanced options.

First Introduces of Smart TV: in the early 1980’s “intelligence” television receivers introduce in Japan. And the patent was published in 1994 linked in the digital network. The acceptance is higher in the late 2000s and early 2010s and very improved smart tv in the market. At the start of 2016 Nielsen says that 29% of that income by smart tv over $75,000.

List of Company introduces Smart TV:

Here are some list of company that uses smart TV technology for all this company uses different technology

Asus

Sony

Xiaomi

Philips

Panasonic

LG

TCL

Samsung

Mediatek

Haier

Insignia

Roku

Toshiba

Alibaba

Smart TV Framework/TV OS :

Talking about technology uses in smart tv or framework uses in smart tv.

Apple tvOS

Google Android TV

WebOS

Amazon Fire TV

Opera TV

Roku TV

Open TV

Shiju TV

Firefox OS for TV

Detail Information of Operating System That uses in various devices :

1. tvOS

tvOS is an Operating System develop by Apple for the fourth-generation and then digital media player for apple. tvOS was firstly announced in 2015 on September 9 written in C, C++, Swift, and Objective-C.

tvOS

History of tvOS: On October 30, 2015, 4th generation of Apple TV was available in the market with tvOS 9.0. tvOS 9.1 was released on December 8, 2015, with OS x 10.11.2 and watchOS 2.1 along with the update, Apple also update with Remote apps on ios as well as watchOS for 4th generation Apple TV.

Features TVOS:

Provides the ability to move through the interface with the new touchpad remote using multi-touch gestures

Users can download or install updated Applications and games from developers that use to develop applications for tvOS and Apple TV.

tvOS 9 support in Siri That users do a multitude of things such as cross-application for movie and tv with different updated features like fast-forwarding, name of actor-director in the movie, skip the video, rewind it.

tvOS added support for an app switcher on apple TV, control the TV using Siri remote with support of HDMI-CEC in tvOS.

Using Remote app Bluetooth keyboard aid to the user experience of typing

Development:

tvOS adds support for an all-new SDK for developers to build apps for the TV including all the APIs included in iOS 9 such as Metal and also add tvOS App store which allows the user to browse, download, install many new apps. Apple provides Xcode to all register apple developers to develop new Apple TV. Apple provides a Parallax exporter and previewer in the development tools for the Apple TV.

Development Tool: Generally Developer uses a different type of tool for development.

Metal

UIKit

ClouKit

tvOS App Design Tool:

Sketch

Marvel

AdobeXD

Photoshop

Popular Apps on tvOS:

Netflix

Zova yoga workout

Amazon prime video

Plex

Youtube

Carrot weather

TV player

Earthplace

2. WebOS

WebOS is also known as an LG webOS previously known as Open WebOS, HP webOS, Palm WebOS. It is a Linux kernel-based OS for smart tv and used as mobile os also.

WebOS

History of WebOS: in 2009 January Palm launches WebOS then known as a palm WebOS. In between 2010–2013 acquire by HP and develop the WebOS platform for uses in tablets, smartphones, printers. LG expands various devices as a starting point, LG showcased an LG Wearable Platform OS(WebOS) smartwatch in early 2015. On March 19 LG offers an open-source edition of WebOS so developers can download source code for free and uses it very well.

Features of WebOS for Mobile platform:

Air update

Open-Source

Gesture interface

Multitasking interface

Services discovery

Software Development tool:

WebOS TV v4.0.0 support webOS TV 4.0 is released the new component manager are provided for managing webOS SDK

Webos TV.js library provides a set of APIs for the app to use in webOS TV 4.0, allows you to access tv feature and different functionality for WebOS TV

SDK:

NetCast SDK v3.0.1 and NetCash SDK v2.4.0

Smart TV Feature:

Redesign of the user interface of WebOS

Maintaining the card UI as a Simple switching

Simple to connecting

Easy to discover

Platform: Webos is much common in mainstream Linux version 1.0 to 2.1, in 2011 Enyo replaced Mojo, released in June 2009 as an SDK. Envy is an open-source javascript framework for cross-platform mobile, desktop, and TV later acquired by HP.

LG WebOS App list:

Netflix

Amazon Prime

Youtube

Hulu Plus

3. Tizen

Tizen is a mobile operating system developed by Samsung that runs in multiple Samsung devices include Smartphones, Tablet, Smart TV, Smart Watches, Robotic Vacuum Cleaners written in HTML5, C, and C++. Tizen associates with major sectors e.g. Panasonic, Samsung, NEC Casio, Vodafone, and also targeted in Smart TV.

History of Tizen: on January 1, 2012, the limo foundation was renamed Tizen association and working with Linux which support the Tizen open-source projects. In April 30 2012 1.0 release, February 18, 2013 Tizen released 2.0 in may 20, 2017 Tizen 3.0 released. while Tizen initial release on January 5 in 2012.

Tizen — Connect Everything | (source:tizen website) | Widle Studio

Software Development and Design Tool:

Tizen Studio

VSCode

Features Tizen:

It is Open Source

Supported with intel

Supported in HTML5

Touch gesture

Multiple window display option

Supporting in top automotive brands.

Tizen Smart TV Apps:

Netflix

Amazon prime video

Iplayer (Uk only)

Hulu

All 4

HBO Go

Youtube

4. Android TV

Android TV a version of android OS specially designed for Digital media players this is also the replacement of Google TV. the platform firstly announces in June 2014. The platform has also been adopted as smart TV by a number of companies display e.g. Sharp, VU TVs, Sony.

Android TV

History of Android TV: Android TV firstly announces on Google I/O in June 2014. For uses in Google play store, video games, google gamepads, Android Wear. Google unveiled the first Android TV devices, the Nexus Player developed by Asus.

Smart TV with Android: In 2014 Google I/O announce Sharp, Sony and TP Vision would release smart TV with Android TV in 2015 and noted as support for handling TV-specific function e.g. tuning and input switching, Sony Bravia is the famous example of AndroidTV.

Development Tool:

Android Studio

Android TV App Design Tool:

Sketch

Marvel

AdobeXD

Photoshop

Android Studio

Android TV Apps:

Spotify

Netflix

VLC

Google News

YouTube

Hulu

Plex and many more other apps that support in Android TV.

5. Amazon Fire TV

Amazon fire tv is a digital media player and Micro Console remote developed by Amazon, the player also allows the user to play video games with the included remote via mobile app or game controller. Fire TV functionality also available as the Amazon fire tv stick, fire TV refers to the set-top box fire tv stick known as plugin stick.

Amazon Fire TV

History FireTV: Fire TV developed by Amazon and release on April 12, 2014, in the USA and uses the Operating system Fire OS 5.

Amazon Fire TV Apps:

Hulu

Crossy Road

Road Sling

Spotify

VLC

Youtube

Feature of FireTV:

Find the show in Netflix and iPlayer with Voice Control

Make a better game with a gamepad

Adding voice support to non-mic TV stick

Use your phone as a Fire TV remote.

Development Tool:

Fire app builder

Leanback library

Web app starter kit

Design Tool: