Introduction Apple’s AVPlayer is the core of media playback on iOS, macOS, and tvOS. On Apple TV, most developers start with AVPlayerViewController for its built-in controls, subtitles, and “Up Next.” But when you need custom branding, interactive overlays, or advanced analytics, its limitations quickly appear. That’s when building a custom AVPlayer experience becomes essential along […]
Localisation means providing the content in the regional language. The app supports multiple languages. Users can select any available language, and the content will be converted into that selected language. Roku is one of the leading players in the OTT (over-the-top) world with millions of users worldwide. As app/channel publishers expand globally, localisation plays a […]
Introduction Smart TVs are no longer just entertainment devices—they’ve become a hub for personalized advertising and monetization. With platforms like Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Android TV, Fire TV, and Vizio, publishers are building apps that integrate ads to increase revenue streams. But Smart TV environments are very different from desktop or mobile browsers. Limited rendering […]
Introduction In Apple TV, the centre of user interaction is the focus engine. Apple TV does not use the touchscreen like iPhones and iPads, where one taps everything directly on the screen, but uses the remote control to navigate among the elements. This is to say that the usability of your app largely relies on […]
Introduction WebRTC is the native real-time audio, and video plus low-latency data exchange stack of the web that offers peer-to-peer enabled communication with built-in NAT traversal, encryption support as well as adaptive transport selection. It opens up browser APIs for media capture, secure connection establishment, and streaming audio/video/data between peers by use of RTCPeerConnection, MediaStream […]
Introduction If you’ve ever used apps like Netflix or Prime Video on Android TV, you’ve probably noticed how smooth and professional they feel. Navigation is effortless, focus never feels random, and the UI gently guides your attention without you realising it. You don’t need a massive engineering team to get that level of polish. With […]
Introduction Smart TVs are now capable platforms for streaming OTT, VOD, and live content, not just screens for watching cable. Similar to mobile ecosystems, well-known companies like Samsung (Tizen OS), LG (webOS), and Hisense (Vidaa) offer app stores where developers can release apps. Selecting the appropriate framework is essential for developers. Because of its component-driven […]
As an Apple TV developer, I have a major challenge to work with Focus Engine. So basically, Focus engine is used to navigate or redirect your focus to one to another. The Focus Engine works seamlessly with Siri Remote actions such as up, down, left, and right. The main challenge, however, lies in navigating focus […]
Introduction If you’ve ever tried integrating Google IMA (Interactive Media Ads) into your smart TV video experience, you have probably hit a few roadblocks. While IMA works like a charm on web and mobile, it’s a different beast altogether when it comes to smart TVs. Let’s talk about why that is, and explore a more […]
