Android TV Development, Porting and System Integration

What is the difference between Android TV and Google TV?

Android TV and Google TV share the same underlying platform but offer different experiences to end users. Google TV is Google’s own implementation and content discovery layer, built on top of Android TV, featuring a personalised home screen that aggregates content recommendations across apps.

Android TV is the base platform that operators and OEMs build on, including the Operator Tier, which allows qualifying operators to deploy a fully custom launcher in place of Google’s default experience.

Most operator deployments target the Android TV Operator Tier rather than Google TV.

What is the Android TV Operator Tier?

The Android TV Operator Tier is a programme that allows qualifying Pay TV and broadband operators to deeply customise the Android TV home screen experience, including deploying a proprietary launcher to control content discovery, app presentation, and the subscriber experience.

To access the Operator Tier, operators must meet Google’s eligibility criteria, and their implementation must pass the full suite of Android compatibility tests.

In return, operators retain control of the first-screen experience while still benefiting from Play Store access and Google’s content ecosystem.

What is a custom Android TV launcher and why does it matter?

A custom Android TV launcher replaces Google’s default home screen with a purpose-built interface that the operator controls entirely.

For Pay TV operators, the home screen is the most commercially significant real estate on a subscriber’s television. It determines which content is surfaced, which apps are promoted, how the brand is experienced, and how subscriber data is used.

Operators who deploy a custom launcher retain ownership of that experience rather than ceding it to Google’s content discovery model.

Building a compliant custom launcher from scratch is one of the most resource-intensive parts of an Android TV programme. Operator Tier certification alone can consume months of engineering time, and the back-office integration required to support silent sign-on, entitlement management, and OTT app authentication adds further complexity.

Our pre-certified Operator Tier launcher removes that barrier. It is field-proven in production deployments, meets Google’s Operator Tier requirements out of the box, and includes Play Store access, OTT app integration, silent login, and a documented back-office API as standard. Operators license it as a foundation to build on rather than developing from scratch – compressing time to market and significantly reducing certification risk.

What certifications does Android TV require?

A production Android TV implementation must pass several test suites to be eligible for Google certification and access to Google services.

The Compatibility Test Suite (CTS) validates framework-level compliance.

The Vendor Test Suite (VTS) tests driver and hardware abstraction layer compliance.

The Google TV Test Suite (GTS) covers Google-specific services and APIs.

The TV Test Suite (TVTS) addresses TV-specific requirements.

Devices targeting the Security Test Suite (STS) and Bluetooth Test Suite (BTS) must also pass those.

Managing these test suites, resolving failures, and handling recertification for OS version upgrades is one of the most resource-intensive aspects of Android TV programme management.

What does Android TV porting involve?

Porting Android TV involves adapting the platform to run on a new hardware target or upgrading it to a newer OS version.

Hardware porting requires BSP development, SoC-specific driver integration, hardware abstraction layer configuration, and full CTS/VTS validation on the new platform.

OS version upgrades require resolving API changes, revalidating third-party app integrations, and completing recertification before the upgrade can be deployed to devices in the field.

Both processes carry significant testing and certification overhead that is commonly underestimated at the planning stage.

Can you extend the life of existing Android TV devices?

Yes. Device longevity is one of the most commercially valuable services we provide for operators with large deployed device estates.

We manage OS version upgrades, security patch maintenance, performance optimisation for ageing hardware, and feature backports that extend the useful life of devices beyond their original roadmap.

This is substantially less expensive than a full device refresh for operators with large deployed populations.