Seeing the pace at which the OTT market grows, the development of custom TV apps becomes a great way of video content monetization. The industry is projected to rocket from $45 billion in 2021 to $123 billion in 2028 opening up immense opportunities for turning your business into a success story. Fire TV is one of the most popular platforms to go for when creating big screen applications. Let’s see what the OS looks like from the inside.
Fire TV App Development: Global View
From its launch in 2014, Fire TV has become a promising app development ecosystem that has conquered the hearts of viewers from all over the world. In 2021 the OS was in active use in 97 million households, increasing its market share to 32% according to the number of installed devices. The rapid annual growth and constant platform improvement help Fire TV hold leading positions in the industry.
Fire OS In-Depth Look
Aiming to create cohesive user experience, Amazon decided to develop Android open-source code into its own operating system to power TV and tablet devices and boost digital sales across various channels. Since the OS is basically an Android sibling, apps developed for Android can be run on Fire after minor alterations and vice versa. Here’s what you need to know before looking for an expert Fire TV app development vendor.
Fire OS or Google Android?
It would be wrong to say that there is no distinction between the two operating systems but in fact, an average user can only spot a difference when finding Amazon Appstore instead of Google Play Store. Amazon TV apps look extremely familiar since they are built on the basis of Android using the same frameworks and tools. For developers, such “kinship” means easy code adjustment for seamless access to the Fire OS ecosystem.
Still, the percentage of code reuse varies in each particular case, being determined by the app’s functionality that should be implemented for Amazon Fire TV.
Whereas there are some basic patterns and to a great extent similar UIs, which allows quick porting from Android to Amazon, please pay earnest heed to distinctive features like purchases, analytics, push notifications, or advertising. From the development perspective, many of the Google services are to be replaced with the ones that are specific for Amazon Fire TV.
Also, the difference in approaches might concern both client-focused and backend-focused customizations. Advanced remote controls are important to consider as well — in case their adaptation for Fire TV is needed, this causes a couple of alterations to create a seamless navigation experience.
Amazon Fire TV stick
Languages, APIs and SDKs
Fire TV app development is primarily based on Kotlin, while Java may also be instrumental. С and C++ can be used for some particular tasks, still far less commonly.
As for Amazon-specific APIs and SDKs, you can use Amazon In-AppStore SDK for in-app purchasing and Amazon Fling SDK to allow users to enjoy video content from multiple screens and share watching experiences.
Amazon Pinpoint will assist with analytics, while Amazon Publisher Services (APS) can optimize ad monetization.
Video Skills Kit (VSK) and Media Session API are among the tools for voice-enabling Amazon Fire TV apps.
Amazon Fire TV App Development Specificity
Fire OS has introduced the Fire App Builder framework to provide developers with a comprehensive solution for building high-quality, functional, and beautiful TV applications. The platform uses well-known Android tools and features to customize, configure and extend app capacity.
UI/UX Features
There are not many changes in the UI of Fire TV applications since the core is based on the Android UI framework and developers can make use of all the OS’s widgets except for Menu and ActionBar. To see those items, users have to tap the Menu button on a Fire TV remote or Game Controller. This modification has been put in place to avoid screen cluttering.
To improve user experience, Amazon TV developers have introduced the “far-field control” feature that allows people to manage their big-screen sessions by voice. With the help of Alexa virtual assistant, Fire TV Cube, and Amazon Echo, Fire TV followers can enjoy your apps hands-free.
Additional Ecosystem Products
Creating Fire TV apps, you can ensure your audience will get unmatched lean-back experience. Fire TV Cube, Streaming Media Player, and Soundbar devices are targeted at providing top-notch immersion into movies and games by boosting audio, image, and navigation quality.
Specifications
Building TV apps, it’s always good to know that the operating system is flexible and powerful enough to run any application or game. Fire OS allows making use of a quad-core CPU, 2GB RAM, 8GB internal storage, 4K video, HDR, and Dolby Atmos audio. You can find format and resolution specifications for all the compatible devices on the Fire TV Device Specifications Overview.
How we can help
Want your subscribers to enjoy your video content to the fullest? We know how to create TV apps that conquer the hearts of millions. Let Oxagile take your idea to the next level.
App Submission Process
To make sure your TV app is successfully integrated into Amazon Appstore, look into the Amazon Appstore Presubmission Checklist and review all the necessary requirements. Continue by pre-testing your app and finally submitting it to Amazon. Putting it more precisely:
- Add information about the app availability, price and description.
- Choose images and screenshots for app visual representation.
- Add content rating figures.
- Submit the TV app and wait for the verification of its status.
Ecosystem Devices
Fire operating system powers Smart TVs, automotive screens, and Amazon tablets. The range of supported TV models is extended by Fire TV Stick USB streaming media player that can turn almost any modern TV into a smart one. Motorists can also enjoy their rides by watching and listening to their favorite video content. Amazon tablets run by its own OS provide cost-effective yet high-quality watching, gaming, and reading experiences for everyone.
Wrapping Up
Amazon Fire TV app development is a step toward uncovering new audiences, expanding your business outreach, and adding value to your app. Leverage Fire OS not to miss the boat when the platform reaches the top in the OTT industry.
