Development of an Android application player for the online TV service

We need an Android developer to create a native Android application for an online TV service.

Two versions are planned:

• for mobile devices: smartphones and tablets;
• for Android TV / Android STB: set-top boxes.

Estimated timeline: up to 3 months.
Estimated budget: 150,000 UAH.
It is preferable to work in stages/milestones.

Project goal:

To develop an application for watching online TV, streaming live broadcasts, working with channel archives, EPG, and video libraries.

Platform:

• Android 8.0 and above;
• Android TV / STB;
• mobile Android devices.

What we already have:

We have:

• a ready interactive HTML production design;
• API and documentation;
• functional specifications;
• assets: channel logos, screen examples, test media;
• a description of the required architecture and UI behavior.

A native Android application needs to be developed from scratch.

Main functionality

Authorization:

• login and password input screen;
• data verification via API;
• session/token retrieval and storage;
• automatic session recovery if provided by the API.

Channels and EPG:

• loading the channel list via API;
• loading EPG via API;
• displaying the channel list according to the ready design;
• channel categories;
• search;
• adding channels to favorites;
• sorting/filtering by lists and categories.

Viewing broadcasts:

• playing video streams from the server;
• support for HLS / HTTP and other formats as per API documentation;
• pause/resume playback if supported by the stream;
• channel switching through the menu;
• switching and navigation with the remote for STB;
• player overlay according to the design.

Channel archive:

• access to recordings with date and time selection;
• EPG for archived programs;
• starting archived broadcasts from EPG;
• pause and rewind of the archive.

Video library:

• content list divided into categories;
• content page;
• playback through the player;
• sorting by genre, popularity, etc.

Additionally:

• changing audio tracks if supported by the stream;
• turning subtitles on/off;
• application settings;
• possibility for future updates and support.

Important requirement: performance.

The application must run smoothly on real Android TV/STB devices, not just on an emulator.

We need a developer who can not only implement the UI but also explain why the application may lag, how to measure it, and how to optimize it.