How to make a TV App for Android (No Coding Required) Blog

Apr 21, 2022

What would you tell people that if I told them that, with just one program it could connect to the world's biggest Smart TV audience?

In the world, 40% of the people have an Android application for streaming content to their Smart TVs. In turn, smaller companies and creators of content now have the ability to tap into this viewership pool using the TV app for Android in addition to making it easier for viewers to stream their content.

If you've read this article, you've probably searched for 'how to create a TV application to run on Android and came across guides which were stuffed with technical terms, not.

Let's get started.

What exactly is the meaning of an Android video streaming application?

If you were aware that there is an audience of 131.2 million users within it, Would you rather not need to be a participant?

This is exactly how many users use Android applications in the United States alone.

The apps allow users to download, install and save their content. They can also watch streaming videos or on demand content right from their mobile devices.

Simply put, Android apps essentially turn your TV into a live streaming service in just a couple of minutes.

They are very well-liked for consumers since a lot of Smart TV producers use Android software as a default. In this case, for instance , when you purchase TVs made by manufacturers such as Sharp, Philips, and Sony they'll use the Android operating system for watching videos and streaming content. Similar is the case for set-top box models that are popular with makers like AirTV Player and Nvidia Shield.

What is an Android application mean to your business and the content it contains?

It's your time to be among the top TV audience in the world. But first, you need to understand the fundamental elements for a successful Android TV app--and how to create one yourself.

What is the best Android TV app?

1. Accessibility to information

Consider how you view programs on your TV.

Once you turn your device on, it will browse through channels or streaming options, to find something you want to stream. A great Android TV application must provide a simple interface and enable users to browse channels easily and find the information they want. Netflix is notorious for having amazing app experiences.

Netflix homepage

Though a good TV app should be easy to use, it should also:

  • Display content using concise thumbnails which makes it simpler to decide what you want to watch.
  • We can recommend content that you might enjoy based on your previous viewing choices.
  • Allow users to skip ahead to the next episode in an ongoing series without returning back to menu.

And there is a single goal behind all of these features--streamlining the app so it's simpler to use.

2. Intuitive UI

Do you realize that viewers of TV typically sit about 10 feet away from the television?

The Android development team advises users to keep at heart that the resolution of TV screens aren't as high for mobile devices. Because of this, you should pay close attention to the arrangement and layout of the application so that you can provide more pleasant user experience.

It's the best thing about it is that it doesn't involve the use of any advanced technology. Android is a good choice for developers who adhere to basic design principles when creating apps. This includes:

  • Create layouts based on the orientation of the landscape (as the TV screen is submerged in the landscape).
  • Separating the screen into sections lets you make the most efficient utilization of the horizontal screen.
  • Making use of gadgets which automatically alter the view's position in accordance with the dimensions, pixel density, and the aspect ratio of the TV display.
  • By inflating the margins of the content on your website to ensure that your display does not appear overly cluttered.

Small details like this could have a an impact significant on the overall quality of the viewer's user experience.

3. Simple navigation

The efficiency of your app's navigation is what can either make the difference between successful and unsuccessful.

Think about, for instance the old-fashioned remotes to control TV. They were very restrictedand did not allow users to manage things like increasing the volume of their TV or switching channels.

Your Android app's navigation needs to do a lot more. There are some guidelines to follow for making it simpler for users to navigate your app::

  • Beware of action bars as well as pull-down menus (they're difficult to navigate with the remote for your TV).
  • The D-pad controller can be enabled on the remote, so that viewers are able to use the directional pad arrows for selecting what they want to watch.
  • The idea of breaking text into tiny pieces , and staying away from fonts that are lightweight and make text hard to comprehend.

Create navigational functions that are easy to operate, too. For instance, the predictable behavior of back buttons lets users move backward using the back button on the remote:

TV app UI design
Image source

By using a navigational axis makes use of hierarchy to navigate through clusters of information with the conventional remote control:

Image source

You've learned the fundamentals of building a simple Android application. Let's discover more about how you can launch one you've created.

3 ways to build an Android TV application.

1. Develop an Android application with an application developer

The most effective method to build and launch an Android application shouldn't be a surprise with the help of a professional.

Developers can create an application completely from scratch, and then modify it to fit your brand precisely. The choice of a developer will give the user more control over its user interface, navigational control, and even the most minor aspects like font size.

A quick search of a site for freelancing such as UpWork will show that ins of developers can create Android apps.

Websites such as UpWork let you look at the developer's review and previous projects prior to hiring the developer. But this kind of flexibility is not without cost:

UpWork pricing.

When the hourly cost has been set it is the time to start planning the app's groundwork that includes wireframing and visual design as well as design. The survey conducted from Clutch discovered that after the app is released, prices can vary from $5000 to over $50,000.

Graph of app development cost.

Got a smaller budget? No worries.

2. Get a (fully coded) app template from a marketplace

If the expense of creating apps is too high There are Android app templates allow you to modify your own.

The Android templates are already-designed source-code templates, giving companies with less money a foundation for their apps. Although this choice is less expensive however, it restricts the type of applications you're able to personalize and build the app of your own.

There are a few advantages to buying templates for apps is a good idea:

  • It's cheap: App templates essentially offer a jumpstart to building an Android app as a lot of the code is has been put in place. Your brand has an opportunity to cut down on the time (and cash) creating an app on hand.
  • The (relatively) safe: The correction of bugs within the code is among the most significant problems and expenses when creating an app from scratch from the bottom up. The app's code template is correct from the beginning.

Marketplaces such as Envato have a broad selection of designs for templates on the marketplace. In each template you can look at a glimpse of the design that is going to look like and breakdowns to ensure you know exactly what you're getting.

However, there are some disadvantages of using a template. It is necessary to connect it into your backend, and be sure that it's suitable for Google Play to accept on its platform. If you're not a pro in technological advancement, this can be a an intimidating task.

3. Use an over-the-top (OTT) service ( OTT)

The easiest option to build an application that can be used for television for Android is to sign-up to an over-the-top (OTT) subscription.

For instance, at OTT we have the ability to develop and deploy the TV application in 30-days using four steps:

2. Develop: Our in-house programmer can step in to join all the pieces together to build your own application.

3. Test: Here, the application is tested with functions and quality assurance to ensure that everything from the programming process to user experience is as it's intended to be.

4. Submission: The final step is submitting your app to Google's Android Developer Platform, and going through the approval process after which you will be accepted prior to your app being able to start your app!

What makes an OTT option distinct from other options?

It all boils down the control. It's not just that OTT allow you to modify your application as you want, but it also has an in-built backend that has detailed statistics which allow you to find out more about your users. This app handles important components like navigation and user experience so they'll fit perfectly on everyone's televisions.

The wrap-up: Making an app to watch TV to run on Android

Through Android TV, you are able to place your videos in view of the world's most popular market for video.

There are a myriad of choices for starting the process of creating your Android TV app, choose one suitable for your needs as well as your viewers.

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