Android video streaming app development: reduced maintenance costs and increased customer retention

Innowise has built an Android video streaming app for an M&E vendor.

Customer

Industry

Media & Entertainment

Region

Client since

2022

Our client, a niche software vendor in the media and entertainment industry, is based in the EU and creates software solutions for all kinds of media-related institutions — from universities to radio stations, and even national broadcasters.

Detailed information about the client cannot be disclosed under the provisions of the NDA.

Challenge

The client required a solution that would be easy to maintain and run on devices with different screen resolutions

The client wanted to break into the TV streaming world with their own VOD service. For that, they needed an easy-to-use and customizable mobile app. One of the most important requirements was the app’s adaptability: their old version had trouble adapting the content layout to different screen sizes, especially those of tablets and smart TVs. So, they turned to Innowise to rely on our experience of mobile app development.

Solution

An adaptive Android app for tablets and smart TVs

Innowise suggested re-building an Android app designed for two key platforms: tablets and smart TVs, which are the most popular devices for streaming TV and radio content. In addition, the team also offered to transfer the entire project to the more scalable architecture, and include a couple of new features to increase user satisfaction with the service.

Microservices architecture

We went with a microservices-based architecture. This modular setup makes it easier for developers to add new features and update existing ones quickly — no headaches down the road.

Cross-device adaptability

Our mobile engineers made sure that the app automatically adjusts to different screen sizes and resolutions. So, whether someone’s watching on a tablet or a smart TV, the experience is smooth. This also meant the client didn’t have to create separate apps for each device — one app does it all.

User-friendly interface

The Android video streaming app development team built the user interface simple and intuitive, so that the users could easily get around the app both on a tablet or a smart TV. Plus, we added Google Authentication: this way, the users don’t have to fuss with creating new logins or remembering extra passwords.

Optimized streaming performance

To keep the streaming quality always on point, we built in features to handle buffering, content delivery, and adaptive bitrate streaming. Even if the internet speed isn’t great, the users can still enjoy their favorite shows without interruption.

Content categorization and TV guide

We included a solid search and categorization system so users can easily find what they want to watch. The app also has a custom TV guide that shows the upcoming schedule across all channels, making program browsing a breeze.

Technologies

Frontend

React.js

Database

MariaDB, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Galera, MaxScale, Sphinx search

VCS

Git, GitLab

DevOps

Nginx, Docker Compose, CI/CD pipelines for GitLab

Mobile

Java, Kotlin, ExoPlayer, Media3

Documentation

Swagger, Confluence

Process

Once we got a clear picture of the client’s needs, we kicked off the development process using Scrum. Our team worked in two-week sprints, with tri-weekly meetings to tackle any pressing issues. Our team stayed connected via Slack and Jira, and the client received weekly updates through Teams calls to stay in the loop.

Team

Full-Stack Developer

Mobile Developer

Data Engineer

Results

Reduced maintenance costs

With help from Innowise, the client successfully made their move into digital TV distribution, expanding their reach to a new audience. The Android app we developed made it easy to manage the platform across both tablets and smart TVs. Plus, since it’s just one app for both, maintenance costs are way lower — a huge win for the client.

Project duration

January 2023 - December 2023

33%

reduction in maintenance costs

57%

increase in customer retention

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