The main smart TV platforms
- Samsung Tizen: Samsung televisions; apps are web-based
- LG webOS: LG televisions; apps are web-based
- Android TV and Google TV: Sony, TCL, Hisense and many others, plus operator boxes
- Fire TV: Amazon sticks and televisions
- Apple TV (tvOS): Apple's set-top box
How a TV app differs from a mobile app
- Input is a remote control: everything must be reachable with arrow keys and select
- The screen is viewed from a distance, so text and artwork are larger and layouts simpler
- Typing is slow, so sign-in is usually done by scanning a code with a phone
- Hardware is modest and long-lived: apps must run on sets that are several years old
- Each platform has its own DRM and playback requirements
What makes TV apps costly to build
The platforms share little code. A Tizen app does not run on webOS, and neither runs on Apple TV. Each has its own store, certification tests and yearly changes. A service that builds its own must maintain four or five separate apps, which is why most use a platform that supplies them.
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