Android TV Apps experience

by qLau4

Hello guys,

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) ?

Any thoughts? :D

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.