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
CTV Video-Start Benchmarks: Targets and Test Method
Define tap-to-first-frame consistently, segment TV devices into cohorts and publish median/p95 video-start results without inventing cross-platform averages.
Read guideAndroid TV Emulator Setup and Troubleshooting
Set up an Android TV emulator in Android Studio, choose a compatible system image and diagnose launch or acceleration problems before testing on a real TV.
Read guideDRM Playback Testing for CTV: Streams, Licenses and Devices
Plan DRM playback testing for CTV apps: check protected streams, license requests and device evidence across Android, Samsung and Apple playback workflows.
Read guideAndroid TV App Development with Compose for TV
Android TV app development with Compose for TV: choose current TV components, configure the manifest, build a focused screen and verify remote navigation.
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.