Android TV Apps experience

by qLau4

Hello guys,

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Quick introduction, I'm an Android Developer, most of my experience is based on TV Applications.

After working on different ATV apps and different STBs for customers I have decided to spend some time building my own ATV Application. I have a strong idea of what kind of app I want to develop, but I would love to hear some opinions.

So.. I want to build an app to "rule them all", the idea is to implement multiple useful functionalities into a single app, functionalities like: news aggregator, weather, smart home control, tv guide, player (where you can use a stream URL to play something), radio, integration of the analog signal of the TV to the app (This thing might open a lot of cool features). Beside these I still have some on my list, but not for the first version of the app.

- What is missing from your ATV experience and you would like to have?

- Do you think that something like this can work?

- Would you use such an app?

- Whats your experience in relation with third party apps (Not these from the big guys, like Google, Youtube) ?

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Any thoughts? :D

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Thanks!

Mr_You

I don't think people use STBs/AndroidTVs like your app presumes. Most all vendors are keeping their apps feature-less, even YouTube, when compared to their browser-based versions. The last thing a user wants to do is enter URLs into an app.

cdridge

Perhaps include some sort of DVR recording/scheduling or integration with Plex.

A TV guide that has customizable channel listings would be useful.

beerman_uk

Smart home control would be pointless imo. Anyone with smart home functions usually had them connected to a Google home or Amazon Alexa. Much easier to use voice control rather than open an app in the TV. Good luck with it though. Button remapping would be a good feature. There are apps it there already but I feel button remapper isn't very intuitive to use.

joeybeegood

TV tuner integration for OTA sources

Farhanito

Lyrics, from all music services.