• Building for the Future of TV with Android
  • By Rachel Berk
  • The Nuggets translation Project
  • Permanent link to this article: github.com/xitu/gold-m…
  • Translator: JayZhaoBoy
  • Proofread by hanliuxin5, LeeSniper

New features to engage audiences on the big screen

It’s cold and the holidays are over, and this is the one time of year I like to squeeze in some time in front of the TV in comfort. I love watching the Great British Baking Show on PBS. The chaos of kids and work disappears, and I indulge in the beauty of the Viennese Whirls. By watching my new Android TV, I can easily find where I was watching last time, and by using my smart assistant, I can tell when a blizzard is coming, while I can still comfortably lie on my couch with a hot cup of tea, Watch contestants learn how to make a Victorian Tennis Cake.

Regardless of personal viewing preferences, as a business development manager for Android and Google Play, I work with entertainment companies to ensure that content that audiences love can be accessed, discovered, and shared on Android TV. We’re living in a media Renaissance where there’s more great programming than ever before, and people want to be able to watch what they want, whenever and wherever they want, with the best experience. In this era of binge-watching, Android TV is a platform to bring big-screen content to high-value users.

Why Android TV

Android TV is taking center stage at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), showing off a lot of new support devices and features. Android TV is growing fast, doubling the number of new users each year, and is expected to double again in 2018. This growth is the result of partnerships with forward-thinking OEMs and operators around the world, and the flexible platform also means that Android developers have to offer the best products.

Android TV has many other advantages, from high-end SONY TVS that offer an immersive 4K experience to Nvidia Shield media players that offer top-notch viewing capabilities. Currently, Android TV is served by 8 of the top 10 OEMs and 20 operators in 14 countries. Given this global reach and a wide range of price points, Android TV appeals to a wide range of global audiences.

Have a TV party in your living room with your high-value users

Android TV attracts a lot of highly engaged users, 87 percent of whom are active every day. The average number of apps installed to drive this interaction is 15 per device.

Surprisingly, with Netflix, new subscribers may sign up for the service on mobile or desktop devices, but watch two-thirds of the time on TV. Therefore, building an immersive TV experience is an important means to retain these users.

Android TV will not only increase viewing time, it will also create a more engaged audience. In November, free trial conversion rates for Showtime Android TV subscribers were twice as high as for Android phones. Overall, Android TV users last about twice as long as those who bought Android phones. Those who experience their favorite shows on the forward-thinking, smart Android TV will gravitate toward their subscriptions and the platform as a whole.

Catch up on shows on Android TV

Even for apps that don’t make money from subscriptions, Android TV can attract users. On average, TV apps are viewed 1.8 to 3 times more per month on Android TV than on mobile devices, and these engagement rates are even higher with O (Android 8.0) new features such as live preview.

What are the new features of Android O (Android 8.0)?

Google Assistant will begin supporting Android TV in a cross-platform extension in the fall. Conversation assistants allow people to dig deeper into what they know and love, and discover new content. Android TV Assistant makes discovering new content and navigating easy. Users can use commands like “play back five minutes” or “Play the next episode” to control the TV, or search for content across apps. In addition, Android TV can now serve as a living room fulcrum, allowing people to control their iot devices (” convert lights into movie mode “) or access third-party services (” order my favorite pizza from Pizza Hut “). For the true entertainment connoisseur, the assistant can serve as your know-it fan Pal, answering pertinent questions such as “What planet did Luke Skywalker rise on?” .

Android O (Android 8.0) has redesigned the home screen for Android TV. On the new home screen, content comes first and users can access the content they care about most with a single click. Android TV now offers simple and intuitive browsing and functionality that allows for personal customization. With these changes, retention, engagement and re-engagement became the foundation of design.

Let’s take a closer look

A new streamlined installation process allows users to easily find and download the applications they use and love.

With a channel-based content-first user interface, users can easily view and access what they want to watch. At the top of the screen, viewers can deploy the assistant for a simple search, while below it there is a “favorite app” row with a “Watch Next” option.

As you move down the screen, you see multiple lines of “channels.” These channels are a key part of the design of the new home screen. By programming these channels, you can target the content that the target audience wants to enjoy. You now have complete control over what is promoted in a channel, the order of shows, content metadata, and the name and branding of the channel.

And instead of being limited to one channel, content creators can build and orchestrate more channels tailored to specific user interests. For example, you could create a holiday or Marvel Heroes channel, or a new, original show.

Finally, the new Android TV user interface features the ability to play a video preview when a show is in focus. In these previews, you can choose to include live TV, trailers or VOD clips. Early data suggests that these previews are compelling enough to motivate people to click through to see the details.

Android TV can be easily built using a single APK

Android TV apps use the same architecture as mobile devices, so existing Android APK can be easily extended to Android TV. Typically, developers rely on just one APK for mobile and TV platforms. The Android Resource System provides clever solutions for handling different screen sizes and layouts, and by using the LeanBack library developers can build custom UIs for the premiere content experience.

I hope the insights I share about the latest Android TV features will help you create more engaging content for your viewers. You can also find more to help you build top-notch Android TV apps that will attract and retain high-value users for years to come. Seize the future of Android TV now!

What do you think?

Do you have any ideas for the latest Android TV update? You can comment below or send a tweet using # AskPlayDev. We respond via @googleplaydev. We often share information and tips on how to succeed on GooglePlay.

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