Where OTT apps run
Each platform has its own technology, store and review process, so an app for one does not run on another. Services usually begin with the web and mobile and add television as the audience grows.
- Mobile: Android and iOS phones and tablets
- Television: Android TV and Google TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung and LG smart TVs
- Web: a responsive site that works in any browser
What an OTT app has to do
- Present the catalog: home rows, search, title pages
- Sign viewers in and keep profiles, watchlists and progress in sync across devices
- Sell: subscriptions, rentals and in-app purchases where the store requires them
- Play video reliably with adaptive quality, subtitles and audio choices
- Enforce protection: DRM, device limits and regional rules
- On television, work entirely with a remote control
Building vs using a platform's apps
Writing native apps for five or six platforms, and keeping them current as each one changes every year, is the most expensive part of running a streaming service. A white-label platform supplies apps that are already built, applies your branding and publishes them under your name.
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