The Smart TV market is steadily growing alongside increasing business interest in this format. According to Mordor Intelligence, the Smart TV market in the USA reached 31.87 million devices in 2024 and is forecasted to hit 34.68 million by 2029. Companies, especially startups, see Smart TV as a promising growth point: you can enter the market with minimal competition, occupy a niche, monetize content, or expand product access.

Five mistakes that waste budget during Smart TV app development

Launching an MVP for Smart TV seems easier than for mobile apps: the screen is wider, and competition is lower. However, most startups face updates, publication rejections, customer complaints, and budget losses. In half of the cases, the problems stem from common mistakes that could have been avoided:

1. "Scalable" architecture without understanding actual scales

• Startups often design complex "future-proof" systems: microservices, custom video players, distributed queues. This approach makes sense if you’re already handling thousands of simultaneous sessions.
• In reality, early-stage products have low load, and all this infrastructure only increases development, support, and update costs.

What to do: Focus on an MVP with a minimal yet robust architecture. Use cloud solutions that scale as you grow. Don’t build like Netflix if you don’t even have 1% of their traffic.

2. Complex and unclear navigation

• A common mistake is trying to adapt mobile interface design for TV. Users see attractive apps but can't navigate them properly.
• Navigation on Smart TV relies on arrow keys. No touch, no mouse. Interaction logic must be redesigned from scratch.

What to do: Design UI from scratch for Smart TV: large UI elements, predictable transitions, tile layouts, remote control-friendly logic. Test behavior on different devices, e.g., LG’s Magic Remote on webOS, Siri Remote on Apple TV, basic remote controls on Android TV.

3. Lack of useful analytics

• Many teams either skip analytics or collect "empty" data: sessions, devices, views. But this doesn’t give insights into user journey: where they get lost, what they search for, why they leave.

What to do: Implement event-based analytics: screen navigation, exit points, in-player behavior. Integrate with CMS and visualize data dashboards. This is essential for improving retention and UX.

4. Poor login and authorization design

• During MVP, teams often neglect how users will log in. Result: long forms, awkward remote control input, errors during authorization. This is critical for paid, subscription, or content-protected apps.
• Problems with login flow prevent users from reaching main screens. Document or card verification may discourage usage altogether.

What to do: Design login processes considering platform constraints: QR code login, automatic account sync, short codes, or external verification. For identity confirmation, consider AI solutions integrated directly into the interface, avoiding operator involvement.

5. Overestimating "universal" developers

• The costly mistake is hiring a full-stack developer who tries to do everything. This leads to unstable behavior across devices, bugs in publication, and rejection from app stores.
• Each platform has its languages, SDKs, and UX guidelines:
• - Tizen (Samsung): JavaScript + Samsung API
• - webOS (LG): web technologies with strict limits
• - Android TV: Kotlin/Java with certification
• - Apple TV (tvOS): Swift + Siri Remote UI testing
• - Roku: BrightScript, a separate stack

What to do: Engage a team experienced in Smart TV app development, consider platform specifics from the start, and test on real devices, not just emulators.

How an AI-Certified Smart TV Application Reduced Costs by 3 Times

We were approached by a client who launched a streaming platform for Smart TV with login via passport and card. Initially, user verification was manual: operators checked documents and photos, which took up to 15 minutes. This process delayed access to content and increased operational workload.

After conducting an audit and revising the login logic, an automatic verification system was implemented directly into the Smart TV app interface.

Results:

• Verification time decreased from 15 to 1 minute.
• Operational expenses were reduced threefold.
• Return on investment was achieved a month earlier than planned.

Working with platforms like Tizen (Samsung), Android TV, webOS (LG), Apple TV (tvOS), or Roku requires planning architecture and user-friendly scenarios beforehand. This minimizes subsequent modifications and saves budget.

Our team, DigiNeat, handles Smart TV application development from concept and design to testing, publishing, and support. We identify bottlenecks early, estimate the budget, define essential functionality, and launch the product on time without extra costs.