Building Live TV Apps

YOU SHOULD ALSO READ

• android.media.tv

Watching live television shows and other continuous, channel-based content is a big part of the TV experience. Android supports receiving and playback of live video content through the TV Input Framework in Android 5.0 (API level 21). This framework provides a unified method for receiving audio and video channel content from hardware sources, such as HDMI ports and built-in-tuners, and software sources, such as video streamed over the internet.

The framework enables developers to define live TV input sources by implementing a TV input service. This service publishes a list of channels and programs to the TV Provider. The live TV app on a TV device gets the list of available channels and programs from the TV Provider and displays them to a user. When a user selects a specific channel, the live TV app creates a session for the associated TV input service through the TV Input Manager, and tells the TV input service to tune to the requested channel and play the content to a display surface provided by the TV app.

Figure 1. Functional diagram of the TV Input Framework

The TV Input Framework is designed to provide access to a wide variety of live TV input sources and bring them together in a single user interface for users to browse, view, and enjoy content. Building a TV input service for your content can help make it more accessible on TV devices.

For more information about TV Input Framework, see the android.media.tv reference.

TV Apps Checklist

CHECKLIST SECTIONS

• TV Form Factor Support
• User Interface Design
• Search and Content Discovery
• Games

YOU SHOULD ALSO READ

• TV App Quality
• Material Design on Android Checklist
• Launch Checklist

Users enjoy the TV app experience when it is consistent, logical, and predictable. They should be able to navigate within your app and throughout Android TV without getting lost or having to "reset" the UI and start over. Users appreciate clear, colorful, and functional interfaces that make the experience magical. With these ideas in mind, you can create an app that fits nicely in Android TV and performs as users expect.

This checklist covers the main aspects of development for both apps and games and provides guidelines to ensure that your app provides the best possible experience. Additional considerations for games only are covered in the Gamessection.

For criteria that qualify an Android TV app on Google Play, seeTV App Quality.

TV Form Factor Support

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These checklist items apply to Games and Apps.

1. Identify the main TV activity with the CATEGORY_LEANBACK_LAUNCHER filter in the manifest.
   See Declare a TV Activity.
2. Provide a home screen banner for each language supported by your app
   • Launcher app banner measures 320x180 px
   • Banner resource is located in the drawables/xhdpi directory
   • Banner image includes localized text to identify the app.
   See Provide a home screen banner.
3. Eliminate requirements for unsupported hardware in your app.
   See Declaring hardware requirements for TV.
4. Ensure permissions do not imply hardware requirements
   See Declaring permissions that imply hardware features.

User Interface Design

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These checklist items apply to Games and Apps.

1. Provide appropriate layout resources for landscape mode.
   See Build Basic TV Layouts.
2. Ensure that text and controls are large enough to be visible from a distance.
   See Build Useable Text and Controls.
3. Provide high-resolution bitmaps and icons for HDTV screens.
   See Manage Layout Resources for TV.
4. Make sure your icons and logo conform to Android TV specifications.
   See Manage Layout Resources for TV.
5. Allow for overscan in your layout.
   See Overscan.
6. Make every UI element work with both D-pad and game controllers.
   See Creating Navigation and Handling Controllers.
7. Change the background image as users browse through content.
   See Update the Background.
8. Customize the background color to match your branding in Leanback fragments.
   See Customize the Card View.
9. Ensure that your UI does not require a touch screen.
   See Touch screen and Declare touch screen not required.
10. Follow guidelines for effective advertising.
    See Provide Effective Advertising.

Search and Content Discovery

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These checklist items apply to Games and Apps.

1. Provide search results from your app in the Android TV global search box.
   See Provide Data.
2. Provide TV-specific data fields for search.
   See Identify Columns.
3. Make sure your app presents discovered content in a details screen that lets the user start watching the content immediately.
   See Display Your App in the Details Screen.
4. Put relevant, actionable content and categories on the main screen, making it easy to discover content.
   See Recommending TV Content.

Games

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These checklist items apply to Games.

1. Show your game on the home screen with the isGame flag in the manifest.
   See Show your game on the home screen.
2. Make sure game controller support does not depend upon the Start, Select, or Menu buttons (not all controllers have these).
   See Input Devices.
3. Use a generic gamepad graphic (without specific controller branding) to show game button mappings.
   See Show controller instructions.
4. Check for both ethernet and WiFi connectivity.
   See Networking.
5. Provide users with a clean exit.
   See Exit.