The short version
TVs are weird computers. They ship with 512MB to 2GB of RAM, weak processors, and the only input is a remote with four arrow keys. There is no mouse, no touch. Every DOM element costs something. Every kilobyte counts.
We have been building for these things since 2018. Over 40 applications, six platforms: Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Vestel, and Arçelik. IPTV, OTT, live TV, VOD. If it runs on a television, we have probably built one.
What we actually did
Focus engine
No mouse means you need a focus system. We wrote one from scratch. It handles 8 different navigation modes, remembers focus positions across page transitions, and uses GPU-accelerated transforms. Navigation went from 1400ms down to 150ms.
Device profiling
A 2019 Samsung and a 2024 Samsung are completely different machines. So we built a profiling layer:
- Ultra Legacy (2019–2020): zero animations, aggressive memory cleanup
- Legacy (2021–2022): minimal transitions
- Modern (2023+): everything on
Virtual rendering
We brought DOM count from 1000+ elements down to around 250. Memory dropped from 150MB to 60MB. Frame rate doubled from 15fps to 30fps. The trick is simple: don't render what's not on screen.
The framework
Every new TV app used to take 4 to 5 weeks. We built a modular framework with ready templates for navigation, video playback, and authentication. Deployment dropped to about a week. That framework has been used in 40+ projects since.
Numbers
- 6 platforms, single codebase approach
- 40+ apps shipped
- 5M+ users across the Middle East and Turkey
- 90% faster navigation
- 75% fewer DOM elements
- 60% less memory
- 2x frame rate
- 400% faster deployment
Who we built for
Most of this work was done in-house for large organizations, so we can not share specifics. But here is the shape of it:
- A major pay-TV provider's Smart TV app that we developed and maintained for 6 years across four operating systems, serving tens of thousands of daily users with DRM-protected streaming.
- One of Turkey's biggest digital entertainment platforms, built from scratch and scaled across webOS, Tizen, Vestel, and Arcelik with native player DRM alongside Video.js and Radiant playback.
- A Jordanian national broadcaster's Smart TV app deployed to Samsung and LG devices.
- A premium MENA streaming service backed by a major Hollywood studio, where we currently build CTV applications for Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, and Android TV with a shared component library across web and TV.
Our applications run in living rooms from Istanbul to Dubai to Amman. Some serve entire countries. A few have been bundled with hardware by the TV manufacturers themselves.
Platforms
Samsung Tizen 2.3–7.0 · LG webOS 3.0–23 · Android TV · Amazon Fire TV · Vestel · Arçelik
Tech
React · Redux Toolkit · Vite · Webpack · TailwindCSS · SASS · Shaka Player · Video.js · Radiant Player · Widevine DRM · HLS/DASH · Azure DevOps · Fastly CDN
Building for the big screen? We have probably seen your edge case. Get in touch.