Encodica has got a request from MCN Studios to develop an application for Android TV, the “Streamee for Android TV”.
If you’ve used an app on a smart TV, you would know how frustrating the entire experience can be. TVs aren’t usually built for smart apps. Their processors are slow, navigation is completely different from touchscreen devices, and remote controls are notoriously clunky. In short, developing an app for Android TV is a niche, highly specialized engagement.
The Streamee for Android TV context had to be managed on the back-end Content Management System and every TV would be displaying the particular media depending on users’s demands.
MCN Studios wanted Streamee for Android TV to work seamlessly with its existing mobile app by supporting nearby connection pairing, and design for large screens. It also wanted to retain the core functionalities of the mobile app on Android TV, including the ability to:
- Browse and listen to radio stations, podcasts, DJ sets, and other live streaming or audio-on-demand sources.
- Search for radio stations abroad by name, location and genre.
- Personalize the Android TV app with favorites and user library
- Play music in the background
The design inspiration for the Android TV app came from the client’s mobile application “Streamee”, which allows users to listen to music on their phones. Close collaboration between the Encodica designers and MCN Studios ensured that the final project aligned with the client’s expectations.
Following Agile practices, our team planned sprints in Trelo and work closely with the client throughout the process to give demos and receive real-time feedback.
Our team selected the proper technologies stack to be able to do fast development and meet timelines.
Our team also optimized the process of installing builds on test machines and Android TV Emulators to simplify the QA procedure during development.
After the project’s development was finished, we’ve also promoted the client’s application on the Play Store.
For this project we’ve used technologies as:
- Java for Android client
- Goggle Leanback library
- Custom extensions to Leanback library
- Audio background services and notifications
