Smart TV specifications · Development Documentation

This documentation focuses on webapps (HTML, JS, CSS) run on embedded browsers on TV platforms controlled with Remote Controls navigation.

The applications are run on browsers that specifically support the input, media players and a few (optional) propriatary interfaces for TVs.

Foxxum has been supporting Smart TV solutions since 2011. While the core specifications for these Smart TVs are still the same they have evolved together with the introduction of new W3C standards and constantliy evolving browser engines. While applications developed in 2012 can still be supported on most modern platforms (downwards compatibility) applications based on newer standards might not work on older platforms.

Recommendations: For (non-DRM) applications that should reach the largest available platform without using deprecated standards we currently suggest to develop an application using the Smart TV Alliance SDK 3.0 guidelines:

https://developer.foxxum.com/smarttvalliance/www.smarttv-alliance.org/sdk-documentation-and-sample-code.html

https://developer.foxxum.com/smarttvalliance/www.smarttv-alliance.org/devwebsitedownloads/safe/Smart_TV_Alliance_SDK_Development_Guidelines_5.0.0.pdf

The use of outdated features or interfaces defined propriatary from the OIPF or HbbTV standards should only be considered if it is required for the targeted devices.

Each of the additional specifications added new features over the years:

Year	Smart TV Standards	important features	Link
2009-2011	CE-HTML CEA-2014	CE A/V object RC control via keyEvents ECMAScript 5.0	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE-HTML
2009-2012	OIPF Open IPTV	oipfDrmAgent oipf config object other TV specific interfaces	https://developer.foxxum.com/iopftv/
2012-2015	Smart TV Alliance	CSS3 HTML5 A/V introduction of newer W3C features	https://developer.foxxum.com/smarttvalliance/www.smarttv-alliance.org/specification.html
2016+	HbbTV Forum	Maintanance of the Smart TV Alliance standards as HbbTV 2.0.1 (TS 102 796 V1.4.1) related to broadcast-independent applications	https://www.hbbtv.org/resource-library/specifications/

The noteable features/support time lines:

Browser engine support	Year
CE-HTML A/V (audio / video) player	2011+
ECMAScript 5	2011+
CSS3	2013+
HTML5	2014+
ECMAScript 6	2018+ (partially)

Streaming protocols	Year
http progressive	2012+
HLS (HTTP Live Streaming)	2014+
MPEG DASH	2017+ (partial support)

DRM licence interface	Year
oipfDrmAgent object	2014+
EME	2017/18+ (not all brands)

DRM Systems	Year
MS PlayReady 2.5+	2014+ (not all brands)
Widevine Modular	2017+ (not all brands)