Smart televisions are the new norm in the TV market. Over the past few decades, televisions have been the primary source of entertainment for people around the world. With the rise in the usage of the internet and smartphones, the popularity of TVs slightly declined. However, the innovations in the field of television have kept the market alive. The TVs have got smarter, thinner, and more efficient and are still a source of entertainment. You can hire smart TV app development company to bring your business online.
- Smart TV Market Size & Stats
- Top Platforms for Smart TV Apps
- Top Smart TV App Categories
- Monetization Model of Smart TV App
- Important Things to be Considered While Developing a Smart TV App
- Solutions & Features to Have in Smart TV App
- Smart TV App Development Process
- Tech Stack for Smart TV App Development
- Top Smart TV Applications
- Overcoming Challenges in Smart TV App Development
- Cost of Smart TV App Development
- Why Hire Octal IT Solution For Smart TV Application Development?
- Wrapping up
- Frequently Asked Questions For Hiring Smart TV App Development
The first smart TV hit the market in 2006-2007, but got traction after five to six years. Since these were expensive, not many people opted for them. However, the cost has become affordable nowadays. With the addition of lucrative features and functionalities, the adoption has significantly increased.
From the time when we used to have black and white televisions at home which also used to force a particular time to watch a particular show, we are now witnessing the days which have changed the television scenario thoroughly. Be it picture quality, appearance, technology, or features, everything has transformed over time. Now we have Smart Television which allows us to watch any show, anytime without any restriction. However, these televisions require support from different types of applications. Not only do such application provides remote access to control the features of smart television, but they play a significant role in leveraging the upgraded features as well.
Not only for the users, Smart TV applications have delivered great benefits to the application owners as well. The major shift of population toward the Android TV or Smart TV has made these applications an integral part of daily life. In this blog, we will talk all about the types of smart TV apps, how they help in ROI, the tech stack to develop such apps, and much more.
Smart TV Market Size & Stats
Before discussing the theoretical ocean of information, let’s dive into the numerical world of the Smart TV market to understand its depth and space for new innovators.
Image Source: Data Bridge Market Research
- According to Data Bridge Market Research, the smart television market was valued at $239 million in 2021 which is expected to achieve a valuation of $1.08 billion by the end of 2029.
- The market is all set to shed a CAGR of 20.77% during the forecasted period.
- Also, as per the data from 2018, 70% of the total television sale around the world was contributed by only Smart Televisions.
- According to Statista, the smart TV market in the US alone will carry a worth of $67 billion by the end of 2025.
- The smart TV market around the world is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 16.52% from 2021 to 2026.
- TV manufacturers are joining forces with the streaming device manufacturers and smart TV app development companies to set a strong footprint in the market. For example, Samsung teamed up with several personal fitness brands to build fitness and wellness apps for its smart TVs.
- Android is the most used OS when it comes to TV apps development. It grabs a 40% share in the market, followed by Tizen, webOS, Roku, and others. The main reason behind people choosing Android is the native experience that it brings from smartphones to TVs.
Read Also: How to Develop a Video Conferencing App like Zoom?
So, these statistics are enough to understand that the market for smart televisions is only going to grow and so is to demand for smart television applications. There is no doubt in the truth that it has never been a better time to invest in such application development which has the potential to give significant ROI shortly.
Top Platforms for Smart TV Apps
There are various platforms that you can choose for smart app development. Following are some of the famous representatives:
- Amazon Fire TV app development
- Android TV app development
- Apple TV app development
- LG smart TV app development
- Panasonic smart TV app development
- Roku TV app development
- Samsung smart TV app development
- Sony smart TV app development
- Vizio smart TV app development
Top Smart TV App Categories
As we interpreted in the above section, there are several features and functionalities that make the smart TV a better option than traditional television sets. For the same, there are requirements for different types of applications to leverage those features and functionalities. So, here are the main types of Smart TV apps that enhance the user experience of using the smart television-
- Video Streaming
As the name suggests, video streaming applications allow users to access a huge variety and quantity of content on their smartphones. The users can watch their television shows, movies, theaters, and much more without the restriction of time and quality. At the same time, these kinds of video streaming applications also allow users to watch live television with the help of an internet browser.
- Learning TV applications
Especially after the COVID and digital revolution, the way children and we all learn has transformed significantly. To encourage better learning and remote education, the learning TV applications play a broad role. These kinds of applications help students and learners to broaden their horizons and develop new skills with interactive learning sessions. Moreover, the larger screen of televisions enables one to grab and observe things better than a mobile device.
- Gaming application
Be it the television or mobile screen, gaming is always the fun. The Gaming TV applications are designed so that users gamers can connect their mobile devices to the smart TV and play almost any game on the big screen with the help of a wireless connection. Technologies like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are used to establish such connections.
- TV controlling mobile applications
As the name suggests, these applications enable the user to control the different features and functions of the smart television from their devices. Be it managing the volume, switching between the screens, changing the channels, connecting or disconnecting the devices, or setting the streaming quality; these TV control applications makes it significantly easy for users to navigate through the different dashboard while sitting on the couch.
Monetization Model of Smart TV App
Smart television applications are considered a good investment idea due to the monetization models it can be integrated into to give a significant return on investment to the owner. These are different monetization strategies that help to earn money from users to generate a good income. Here are some of the top monetization models for a smart TV application-
- In-app purchase
This is one of the most used monetization strategies that helps bring a good profit after developing a smart TV application. Here, the app owner can provide the different features and accessibilities in the app which can be unlocked by the users by paying a fee. For example, different themes, in-app sound experiences, night modes, etc. are the features that users prefer to pay for to get a better experience.
- Advertising
If the smart TV application is being used by a broad user base, it can open the doors for an advertising monetization model. The app owner can invite businesses to put the advertisement of their products and services on the application and charge a good amount of money. This is one of the best and most revenue-generating strategies if the application has achieved a good user base.
- Pay-per-view or transactional model
If a user wants to pay only when he is using the application at a certain time of the day, this monetization strategy can be most effective. As the name suggests, this model will ask the user to pay a fee every time they want to watch a show or access any feature of the application. This model favors the end users as they don’t have to pay for the application when they are not using the app.
- Subscription-based model
This model works on monthly, weekly, or annual basis charges where the users pay a certain amount in a periodical cycle. By implementing this model, the user will have to a fee once the time limit of their existing package has expired. It is important to deliver the worth of user money; they might have to think twice before renewing the subscription, which increases the user turnover rate.
- One-time payment
This is the simplest monetization model that can be implemented in any kind of mobile application. This method charges a one-time fee from the user at the time of registration. Having registered into the application after paying the charges, the user can leverage all the features and functionalities of the app without any restriction of time limit.
Read More: OTT Mobile App Development: Cost & Key Features
Important Things to be Considered While Developing a Smart TV App
As we have already interpreted earlier, developing a mobile application requires a good amount of investment as well as time. So, it becomes important to ensure that everything goes right by considering different considerations while developing a smart TV application. Below are some important things that you should consider during your app development project-
- In-depth market research
You should know the particular void in the market and focus on filling that void to attract a good user response. For the same, one should conduct efficient market research about the smart TV applications, the existing apps, popular features and functionalities, and customer preferences. Moreover, the approach of competitors, their strategies, target audience, and achievements can also be a good source of information to make informed decisions.
- Choose the right development partner
The app development partner that you choose for your project is going to play a huge part in the success and efficiency of your project. While a novel development company might save you a couple of dollars, the consequences can cost you in multiple. One should select an experienced development partner with similar projects already in the portfolio.
- Transparent communication with the development team
Your development partner must have a clear vision about your project to give you the right consultation. So, you must place transparent communication about your project, vision, mission, features, and more at the center. It helps the development partner to give you the right suggestions about the project as well as craft a solution that meets your expectations.
- Budgeting
Having a certain budget in mind is always a good idea as it helps to determine a lot of things during the project. However, your budget should not restrict the features and functionalities of your application, and it should not be a hurdle in your way to hire a proficient app development partner.
- Efficient testing
Testing will make your application best for the end users by ensuring that the application doesn’t carry any kind of bugs or anything. Your application should be tested on multiple smartphone devices as well as television screens to make sure that it works best with all devices and operating systems. Moreover, feature testing will help to determine if all the functionalities of the application are delivering its purpose or not.
Solutions & Features to Have in Smart TV App
Easy Registration
This is usually the first step for users after installing the app. You must have a quick registration process that doesn’t consume much time for the user to sign-up and use the app. For Android smart TVs, you can allow them to register with their Google Account directly, or ask them to enter their email address, phone number, and password.
You can also allow them to browse the content overview without logging in. For accessing full content, you can restrict them to register or log in to the app.
Search Option
Users expect a hassle-free experience while browsing the app. You may have several things in your app for the users, but it will result in a poor user experience if it is difficult for them to find what they are looking for.
That’s why you must have a search feature that allows users to find their desired things quickly. The smart apps created by the top-notch smart TV app development company include this feature and make the lives of users easier. For instance, if it is an OTT app, users can type the title, genre, or other key terms to find desired shows, movies, or other videos. In the case of shopping apps, they can simply enter the product name or category and find the items they want to buy.
Smart Recommendations
This is a smart feature used by most popular TV apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime. What this feature does is track the preference, mood, history, and favourite genres of the user and suggests the content they are more likely to browse. A smart recommendation feature will boost the app engagement and the time spent by the users on the app.
It is not limited to OTT apps or shopping apps, but also to other types of smart TV apps such as e-learning, fitness, etc. For instance, if it is an e-learning app, it will recommend the courses, videos, or chapters on the basis of the user behaviour, browsing history, and other factors.
Continue
The role of this feature is to enable users to continue reading, watching, or browsing the content they had left unfinished the last time they used the app. For example, there can be long videos that they couldn’t watch in one go. So, when they log in again, you can help them to continue from where they left. This way, they won’t have to wonder how much they watched and from where to continue. It is great for user experience.
Information
You can include an Info feature or FAQs section in the app where users can look for help related to the key features of the app, content, support, etc. Having this feature means they can find all the essential information related to the app within the application.
Voice Search
People nowadays use smart devices and digital assistants like Amazon Echo, Alexa, and Google Assistant. These devices can be connected to most of the smart TVs. In order to allow them to search using the voice commands, integrate a voice search option.
Fast UI
When it comes to the app’s performance, you should never give a second thought to the speed at which it loads. It must be fast in all instances. Don’t make users wait for the things to load. The user interface must be faster and interactive so that users don’t get irritated with your app.
Media Player
Not every app will need a media player. But if any content on your app is video, audio, or photo, then you need to integrate a media player to play the content. For instance, it is more convenient for a family to see the pictures on a big screen rather than seeing these on a small mobile phone.
Read Also: How to Create a Streaming App like Netflix- Key Features & Cost
Share
Since it is a connected television, users can share the content with their friends or family members right from the TV. Ask your smart TV developer to integrate this feature if your application has content that users would like to share.
Support
Most of the smart TV app development companies integrate this feature to allow users to report the issues or send feedback. For instance, if some feature is not working properly, they can get in touch with your team to get it resolved.
Seamless remote control
Users will be navigating throughout the app using a remote. Ensure that they get a seamless and comfortable experience in navigation. The options shown in the app should correspond to the buttons on the remote so that users don’t get confused about which button to press for certain operations.
Smart TV App Development Process
1. Market Research
If you want to develop a smart TV app, then the first thing to do is do a market analysis. Based on your region of the target audience, find the number of smart TV users in the market, current competitors, likelihood of your app to be used, most used operating system, and the future aspects. This is vital for the success of the app. You can’t launch a smart TV app in a region where the majority of people are still using traditional televisions.
2. Finalize key features & functionalities
Based on the type of the app, finalize the main features you want to have in the app for the end-users. To compete in the market, you must choose smart and essential elements that can drive more users and gain traction.
3. Select the operating system
Android, Tizen, WebOS, and Roku are the most popular operating systems for smart televisions. Depending on the users of the operating systems in your target market, choose the right OS for your app. For instance, if the majority of your target audience prefers Android or Tizen, get your app developed for these platforms.
4. Choose app development company
There are several mobile app development companies today, but only a few specialize in TV app development services. You must rely on an expert smart TV app development company in this field that can build the best app for you and deliver the expected outcome.
5. UI/UX design
While choosing the company for app development, ask them if they can take care of the UI/UX design part as well. This will save you time and money from finding another company for the design part.
6. Testing
Once the development and UI/UX parts are done, the final stage is the testing. To provide the best experience to users, the testing phase will get rid of all the potential bugs and errors in the app. It is crucial to run the tests on several screen sizes to make sure that the app works properly and meets your expectations. When you are sure that everything is good to go, then launch it on your chosen platform.
Tech Stack for Smart TV App Development
The Tech Stack or the Technology stack is the suite of all the technologies, frameworks, libraries, programming languages, and integrations that collectively help to build the mobile application. The technology stack that helps smart TV app development companies build a smart television mobile application looks like this-
| Application and Data | JavaScript, ES6, TypeScript, CSS3, Apollo, Amazon CloudFront, Python, GraphQL, Node.js, Python, React, Java, PostgreSQL, Amazon S3, Amazon EC2, Flask, Amazon EC2, Hadoop, Amazon DynamoDB, Cassandra, Oracle, Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL, CloudBees, Pig, Presto, winjs, Atlas-DB |
| Utilities | Amazon SES, Falcor, Urban Airship, Optimizely, Segment |
| Business Tools | Slack, Jira, G Suite, Zeplin, OneLogin, Confluence, HubCommander |
| DevOps | GitHub, Jenkins, Git, Gradle, Apache Mesos, Sumo Logic, Express Gateway, LogicMonitor, Dynomite, Boundary, GitLab, Vector, Webpack, Yarn, Sentry, Amazon CloudWatch, Flow (JS), Prettier, Jest |
Top Smart TV Applications
There are already the smart TV applications giants that have established their prime position in the TV app market. Multiple smart TV applications with their respective purpose are ruling the market by adding value to their user’s life. Knowing the top-performing giants in the industry you are planning to enter can be a great thing to get inspiration and put the smart work in the right place. Here are some of the best smart TV applications delivering different functionalities to their target audience-
- DirecTV Now
- FuboTV
- Hulu with Live TV
- SlingTV
- PlayStation Vue
- Philo
- YouTube TV
- Samsung TV Plus
- HBO Max
- AccuWeather
- Spotify
- Plex
- Steam Link
- Vudu
- Echelon FitPass
- TED
- Tubi TV
- Samsung SmartThings
- Amazon Prime
- Netflix
- HBO Now
- Apple TV Plus
- Jio Movies
- Vimeo
Overcoming Challenges in Smart TV App Development
Developing a smart TV application is prone to a range of challenges that have to be tackled efficiently to achieve the best version of the application. Top smart TV app development companies are well aware of these challenges and thus have their mitigation strategies ready to be implemented. Some of the challenges that smart TV app developers might face during the projects are-
- Compatibility issues with different smart TV applications
There are a range of operating systems for the smart TV application which the manufacturers choose according to their preferences. The top smart TV operating systems are Android TV, webOS, Tizen, and Roku OS with their biggest market share in smart TV operating systems. Thus a challenge in making the smart TV app compatible for all these devices has often been confronted by most of the developers.
- Performance optimization and resource management
Smart televisions are allowed to connect to a very limited number of external hardware, unlike laptops or smartphones. The whole of the connectivity between the smart TV app and the television is dependent on their internal connectivity features. Thus it becomes necessary to optimize the code to reduce unnecessary computations, implement a caching mechanism, and compress the media assets.
- Security concerns
Just like smartphones or personal computers, smart televisions are also connected to the internet which makes them vulnerable to different security concerns like malware attacks, data breaches, data hacking, and much more. It has always been a big challenge for smart TV app developers to build mobile applications that can prevent users from these kinds of digital fraud risks. Implementing the user authentication and authorization mechanism is the best method to mitigate this risk.
Read More: How to Develop a Video On-Demand Streaming Mobile App?
Cost of Smart TV App Development
The cost of developing a TV app will depend on several important factors. These factors include the chosen operating system, the experience of the smart TV app developer or the app development company, UI/UX design complexity, tech stack, testing, and the key features to be integrated.
On average, the smart TV app development cost will be somewhere between $15,000 to $40,000.
Why Hire Octal IT Solution For Smart TV Application Development?
Octal IT Solution is a leading smart TV app development company in the landscape. As we interpreted in the above section, the performance and quality of your project depend largely on your app development partner. We carry an experience of more than 15 years in developing different types of mobile applications.
Octal IT Solutions works with a 250+ proficient team of smart TV app developers, carrying expertise in their respective areas of specialization. Talking about our key highlights, we have completed over 1500 projects while maintaining a client base of 700+ businesses. Currently, we have 100+ running projects with us in different domains and niches.
Our long experience in the information technology landscape has allowed us to explore the different types of challenges and problems that we might face during the project. We work on a broad technology stack that allows us to build customized applications from scratch.
We invite you with your idea of smart TV app development and take the first step to transform it into a reality.
Wrapping up
With the increasing craze of smart TV users around the world, the demand for smart TV apps has been increasing continuously. However, there are a range of considerations that we have to ensure while developing a smart TV mobile application. For example, the application should work perfectly with different types of smart TV operating systems as well as meet all the security measures and concerns. For the same, it is important to be partnered with a proficient smart TV app development company.
Do you have any doubts or questions related to app development? Get in touch with our experts or share using the comments section below.
Frequently Asked Questions For Hiring Smart TV App Development
