Like any process of creating something new, smart TV software development comes with a bunch of obstacles. If you don’t address them rightly or even ignore them, you will have a snowball of long-lasting problems with your application.

In this post, we will discuss several key challenges of smart TV application development, just so you know what to do with them beforehand.

Platform fragmentation

If we talk about mobile app creation, everything is pretty obvious here. We have Android and iOS as the main platforms. With smart TV app development, this is ten times harder. There are many smart TVs with their own unique operating systems (Android TV, Roku, Tizen, WebOS, etc.). Consequently, they need unique codebases, SDKs, APIs, and guidelines. Consequently, they require separate development and maintenance efforts.

What adds fuel to the fire is that new OS versions often don't work well with older TVs, leading to compatibility issues.

Solution:

• Prioritize the types of platforms you want to step into. This can be done by conducting a market analysis. We recommend studying the market with a development company you plan to work with.
• Use cross-platform development. This will eliminate the need to write the code from scratch for every platform.
• To minimize fragmentation issues, a reliable developer should assess the feasibility of supporting very old televisions and write custom code to ensure backward compatibility with legacy TV hardware.

UI/UX issues

TVs can be very different in their screen size and resolution. The aim of a UI/UX designer is to tailor the smart TV app for all target devices and ensure it’s convenient to watch the content on the screen.

Solution:

• Consider the specifics of TVs. Address TV-specific issues like blinking and backlight bleeding by using appropriate colors, avoiding pure black and white, and distributing content evenly. Choose font sizes that are legible at varying distances.
• Ensure seamless in-app navigation. Create a user-friendly navigation experience by steering clear of drop-down menus, using lists, and enabling smooth page transitions. Develop an intuitive back button and make remote controls straightforward to set up and use, allowing users to complete tasks with fewer clicks and more efficient navigation paths.
• Prioritize clear focus-state design. Design a distinct focus state that helps users navigate with a remote control. Ensure the focus highlight stands out, and avoid similar colors for focus and other UI elements, making it easily recognizable.
  
  

Content delivery

Managing high-quality video streaming with minimal buffering and latency is challenging. Users expect a smooth and uninterrupted viewing experience. If they don’t get it, they will switch to another app with better content delivery.

Solution:

• Efficient CDNs. During smart TV application development, implement content delivery networks (CDNs) to distribute content efficiently.

A note about CDNs: By caching material across several geographically dispersed servers, CDNs improve user load times and performance by lowering latency.

• Adaptive bitrate streaming. To adapt the video quality to the user's internet connection, utilize adaptive bitrate streaming.
• Local caching. Employ local caching strategies to reduce latency and improve streaming performance.

Security and privacy

Security considerations are acute in every type of app, and smart TV apps are no exception. The main challenge lies in protecting user data and preventing unauthorized access.

Solution:

• Strong encryption techniques. Secure user data, such as login passwords and personal information, by using strong encryption mechanisms to safeguard data while it's in transit and at rest.
• Safe transfer of data. To safeguard data transferred over a network and avoid unwanted access and data breaches, use SSL/TLS encryption.
• Examinations of security. To maintain a strong defense against prospective attacks, conduct frequent security audits to find and fix vulnerabilities.

App store approval

Meeting the stringent guidelines and passing app store approval processes for each platform can be time- and labor-consuming.

Solution:

• Submit a comprehensive application map to the app store. After the smart TV app development, create a map describing the functional features, navigation, and other aspects of the user experience in the app.
• Create a thorough test plan. Carry out testing to make sure the app satisfies approval criteria.

The key to solving the problems below…

…is partnering with a reliable smart TV development company. With the help of this relationship, you can be confident that your app will be professionally designed, thoroughly tested, and successfully maintained, offering a seamless and safe user experience. Utilizing technical expertise and professional insights, you may successfully negotiate the challenges of smart TV app development and provide your audience with a superior product.