How to create an television App for Android (No Coding Required) - Blog

What would you tell people when I said that with just one application, you could access the world's biggest Smart TV audience?

In the world, 40% of the population are using an Android application to stream their Smart TVs. In turn, smaller companies and creators of content now are able to tap that audience pool with the TV application for Android as well as make it simpler for viewers to access their contents.

If you've come across this article, you've probably looked up 'how to build a TV application to run on Android and came across guides that were packed with technical terms instead.

Let's get started.

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

If you knew there was an audience of 131.2 million customers in it would you not want to have to be a part of it?

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

They allow users to download, install and save content, while they can also watch streaming videos and on-demand content directly to their mobile devices.

In simple terms, Android apps essentially turn your TV into an on-demand streaming service in a matter of minutes.

The apps are extremely popular with consumers because many Smart TV producers use Android software as a default. In this case, for instance when you purchase televisions from manufacturers like Sharp, Philips, and Sony they'll use the Android operating system for watching content and stream video. The same can be said for set-top box models that are popular with producers such as AirTV Player and Nvidia Shield.

What exactly does an Android application mean to your company and its content?

Now is your chance to access the biggest TV viewers in the world. However, first you have to understand the fundamental elements for a successful Android TV app--and how to develop one on your own.

What is the best Android TV application?

1. Accessibility to content

Think about how you watch programming on your television.

When you switch the device on, it will flick through the channels, or streaming options, to find something you want to stream. A great Android TV app should also be as simple and allow people to navigate through content easily to find what they want. Netflix is notorious for having excellent app experiences.

Although a successful TV app must be simple to operate, it should also:

• Display content using concise thumbnails, so it's easier to choose what to watch.
• Recommend content you may like based on past watching choices.
• Let users skip the next episode in an ongoing series without returning to the menu.

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

2. Intuitive UI

Did you know that TV viewers typically sit about 10 feet away when watching TV?

The Android development team advises users to keep in mind that the resolution of television screens isn't as high for mobile devices. For this reason, it is important concentrate on the layout and layout of the application in order to provide a more pleasant user experience.

The best part is that this doesn't require any rocket science. Android recommends sticking to some fundamental design guidelines when developing the app. These include:

• Design layouts using the orientation of a landscape (as the television screen is immersed in landscape).
• Dividing the screen into sections allows for the best use of horizontal screen space.
• Making use of devices that automatically adjust the view's position in accordance with the size, pixel density, and the aspect ratio of the TV screen.
• Inflating the margins of your page content to ensure that the display doesn't look too cluttered.

Little details like this can have a an impact significant on the quality of the viewer's user experience.

3. Simple navigation

The performance of your app's navigation is what can either be the difference between success and failure.

Consider, for instance, an old-fashioned remote for TV. They were extremely restrictingand only allowed viewers to manage things like volume or changing the channel.

Your Android app's navigation needs to do a lot more. Again, here are few rules to be following to make it more easy for users to navigate your app::

• Avoiding action bars and pull-down menus (they're tough to navigate using the remote for your TV).
• Enabling the D-pad controller on an remote so that users can use directional pad arrows to choose what they want to watch.
• Breaking text into small chunks , and staying clear of lightweight fonts that make text hard to comprehend.

Make navigational actions easy to use, as well. Like, for instance, a predictable back behavior allows users to move backward using the back button on the remote:

By using a navigational axis uses hierarchy to traverse clusters of information using the normal remote control:

Now you understand the basics of building a simple Android app, now let's discover more about how you can launch one that you have created.

3 ways to build an Android TV application.

1. Create an Android application using an application developer

The most efficient way to create and launch an Android app shouldn't surprise you by hiring a developer.

Developers can create an application from scratch and customize it to fit your brand perfectly. And choosing a developer gives you more control over its user interface, navigational controls, and even the most minor details like font sizes.

A quick search on a freelancing website like UpWork shows that t ons of developers can create Android applications.

Sites like UpWork let you look at the developer's review and previous work prior to hiring the developer. But this kind of flexibility is not without cost:

After the hourly price has been set it is time to plan for building the app's groundwork that includes wireframing and visual design, and design. The survey conducted from Clutch found that once an application is launched prices can vary from $5000 to over $50,000.

Got a smaller budget? No worries.

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

If the cost of developing apps is too high, there are Android application templates that you can edit your own.

The Android template apps are pre-made source-code templates, giving brands with smaller budgets a foundation for their apps. And although this option is less expensive, it limits the amount of app you are able to customize and create your individual.

Still, there are some motives why purchasing 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 basic code already in place. Your brand has an opportunity to cut down on the time (and cash) developing an app by hand.
• The  (relatively) risk-free: The fix for bugs in the code is among the most significant problems and costs when creating the app completely from the ground up. The app's code template is correct from the beginning.

Marketplaces such as Envato provide a wide selection of template designs available from the market. In each template you can see a preview of what the display will appear like, as well as breakdowns so that you are aware of exactly what you're getting.

But, there are certain disadvantages of using a template. You'll need to integrate it with your backend and ensure it's viable for Google Play to accept on its platform. If you're not an expert in technology the task can be difficult task.

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

The easiest option to build an application for television on Android is to sign-up for an over-the-top (OTT) service.

As an example, at OTT we are able to develop and deploy the TV application in 30-days with four actions:

2. Develop: Our in-house programmers will step in and connect all the pieces together to create your custom app.

3. Test: Here, the app is tested using quality assurance and functionality to ensure that everything from the coding process to user experience is where it is supposed to be.

4. Submission: The last step is submitting your app to Google's Android developer platform, going through the review process, before being accepted before you are able to launch!

But how is an OTT option different from other solutions?

It all boils down the control. It's not just that OTT make it easy to customize your app as you wish, but it also has a backend with detailed analytics that allow you to learn more about your users. The app also handles essential elements like features for navigation and user experience so they'll fit perfectly on everyone's television screens.

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

Through Android TV, you can put your video content in view of the world's most popular video market.

There are a myriad of choices for starting the process of launching your Android TV app, choose the one that is most appropriate for you and your audience.