Build apps for
the big screen.
Tools, guides, and resources for developers building TV apps. Test, debug, and deploy across every smart TV platform, without owning every device.
The toolkit we are building in the open
A reference layer for the whole TV app lifecycle. Guides ship first, then the interactive tools they describe.
Device & compatibility database
Every mainstream smart-TV platform in one place: OS, engine, resolutions, input model, and the quirks that break apps.
Filter by brand, OS, model year, and rendering engine. Know what you are shipping to before you buy a single panel.
TV app simulator
Preview a TV app by brand, market, and screen size — with the resolved OS, real per-platform keycodes, safe-area overscan, and a 10-foot legibility check.
QA checklist generator
Pick your target devices and get a tailored test matrix and QA checklist you can export and hand to the team.
Community field reports
Real device reports, gotchas, and working configs submitted by engineers who ship on these platforms.
From the lab
Latest testing and deployment guides
Connected TV release-readiness checklist: ship without getting rejected
A connected TV release readiness checklist for Roku, tvOS, Fire TV, Android TV, Tizen and webOS, with every requirement cited to its vendor doc.
Read guideRoku certification checklist: the numbers Roku actually measures
A Roku certification checklist built from the numbers Roku actually measures, plus the tooling it hands you and what the criteria never say.
Read guideHow to test an app on a Samsung TV (Tizen) without buying one
A practical workflow for testing web apps on Samsung Tizen TVs: the TV Simulator, the emulator, real-device remote debugging, and the bugs each layer can and cannot catch.
Read guideHow to test an OTT app across every smart TV platform
A cross-platform testing strategy for OTT and streaming apps: how to cover Samsung, LG, Roku, Fire TV, Android TV, and Vizio without owning every device, and which bugs each layer catches.
Read guideQuestions TV app teams actually ask
How do you test a TV app without owning every device?+
Most bugs are caught with a three-layer approach: a browser-based resolution simulator for layout and 10-foot UI, official platform emulators (Tizen Studio, webOS TV Simulator, Android TV emulator) for OS behavior, and a small rotating fleet of real panels or a cloud device farm for the last mile. TVAppLab documents which bugs each layer can and cannot catch so you buy the fewest devices possible.
Which smart-TV platforms should I test first?+
Prioritize by your audience's install base. For most US and EU apps that means Samsung Tizen and LG webOS first (largest smart-TV share), then Roku and Fire TV for streaming-heavy audiences, then Android TV and Vizio SmartCast. tvOS matters if you have an Apple-leaning audience. Our device database ranks platforms by reach and testing difficulty.
What is the hardest part of TV app QA?+
Three things dominate real defects: remote-control focus and D-pad navigation, memory ceilings on low-RAM devices (Fire TV and older Tizen especially), and codec or DRM support that varies by firmware. Screen size is rarely the real problem; input model and hardware limits are.
How do teams deploy across Samsung, LG, Roku, and the rest?+
Each store has its own packaging and certification flow: Tizen .wgt packages, webOS .ipk, Roku .zip channel packages, and Android TV .aab through Play. Teams that ship to all of them script the packaging step per platform and keep a certification checklist per store, because rejection reasons differ wildly between vendors.