Android TV and Google TV
Google TV is the newer home screen and recommendation layer that runs on top of the Android TV operating system. An app built for Android TV runs on Google TV devices as well, so for a streaming service they are a single target.
Where Android TV is found
- Smart TVs from Sony, TCL, Hisense, Philips and others
- Google's own streaming devices
- Operator and pay-TV set-top boxes, in a variant customized by the operator
- Low-cost boxes and projectors
What an Android TV app needs
- An interface built for a remote control, using Android's TV components
- Playback with Media3 ExoPlayer or similar, and Widevine for protected content
- Home-screen integration: channels, recommendations and continue watching
- Voice search and deep links into titles
- A Google Play listing with TV artwork, and approval under Google's TV quality guidelines
Android TV and Fire TV
Amazon's Fire OS is derived from Android, so an Android TV app can be adapted for Fire TV with relatively little change. The two differ in store, billing and some services, which is why they are usually delivered together but submitted separately.
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