What Video Players Are Best for Smart TV Apps?

When building a Smart TV or CTV app, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is which video player to use. At Norigin Media, we’ve spent over a decade helping broadcasters, pay TV operators, and streaming services deliver world-class TV apps. In this post, we’ll explore what makes a great video player for Smart TV apps, and why the right choice depends on your platform, content, and long-term product strategy.

Why the Video Player Matters for Smart TV Apps

Unlike mobile or web apps, Smart TV platforms come with strict certification processes, fragmented hardware capabilities, and unique user interface challenges. Your video player must:

• Support adaptive streaming standards such as HLS and MPEG-DASH.
• Handle DRM integrations (Widevine, PlayReady, FairPlay) to protect premium content.
• Deliver consistent performance across a fragmented ecosystem (Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Android TV, Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, and more).
• Enable advanced features like subtitles, ad insertion, catch-up TV, and low-latency live streams.

A poor video player choice can mean buffering, failed app store certifications, or an inability to expand to new markets quickly.

Popular Video Players for Smart TV Apps

When evaluating players, most teams consider one of these paths:

1. Platform-Native Players

• ExoPlayer (Android TV & Google TV)
• AVPlayer (Apple TV / tvOS)
• Samsung & LG Native APIs (Tizen Player, webOS AVPlay)

These are lightweight and optimized for their respective ecosystems but require significant customization to maintain a unified experience across multiple platforms.

2. Open-Source Cross-Platform Players

• Shaka Player (by Google, widely used for web and CTV)
• Video.js (popular for browsers, adaptable with work)
• HLS.js (community-driven, for adaptive HLS playback using MSE)
• dash.js (the official MPEG-DASH reference player maintained by the DASH IF)

These offer flexibility and strong community support but often need significant adaptation to pass Smart TV certification tests or achieve consistent performance across devices.

3. Commercial / Vendor SDKs

• Licensed SDKs that come with a range of premium features including built-in DRM, subtitle handling, ad insertion, and a continued road-map — as one would expect with any productized technology.
• Notable providers include Bitmovin, VOPlayer, Castlabs, THEOplayer, and Dolby.io, among others. These solutions can accelerate time-to-market but may lock you into a vendor ecosystem. (If you’re a player vendor and want to be included, get in touch!)
• Often includes professional support, analytics, and monetization, and a range of other services which help enhance features out of the box.

These can accelerate time-to-market but may lock you into a vendor ecosystem.

What to Look for When Choosing a Video Player

When selecting a video player for your Smart TV apps, ask these key questions:

• Does it pass app store certifications easily? Each platform has strict requirements.
• How well does it handle DRM and regional rights management?
• Is the playback consistent across multiple TV brands and OS versions?
• Does it integrate with ad tech (SSAI, CSAI) and analytics platforms?
• Will it scale as you expand globally?

The best player isn’t just about playback, it’s about ensuring your app meets technical, business, and monetization needs.

How Norigin Media Helps

At Norigin Media, we don’t just integrate video players, we provide our own player and the integration framework that connects it seamlessly to your app’s frontend UI/UX.

Whether you’re building SVOD, AVOD, linear TV, or live sports apps across Smart TVs and Connected TV devices, we ensure that your frontend and video player work as one.

Our team:

• Delivers a full-featured Smart TV player built on open-source technologies, ensuring flexibility and adaptability in a fast-evolving video ecosystem.

• Integrates the player into any frontend framework from cross-platform JavaScript to native Apple and Android TV environments.

• Optimizes playback, DRM, and ad integrations for a consistent, certified experience across Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Android TV, Apple TV, and beyond.

• Supports every business model: live TV, catch-up, VOD, and hybrid monetization with scalable implementations tailored to broadcasters and streaming providers.

By combining our player with customized Smart TV app development and certification expertise, Norigin Media ensures your video experience performs flawlessly from the first frame to the final viewer interaction.

Conclusion

So, what video players are best for Smart TV apps? The answer depends on your business model, target markets, and technical needs. Native players, open-source options, and commercial SDKs all have strengths, but the real key is ensuring they are integrated and optimized for your streaming service.

That’s where Norigin Media comes in. With decades of experience in TV app development, we’ll help you pick the right video player, pass certifications, and deliver the kind of premium user experience your viewers expect. 👉 Looking to launch or upgrade your Smart TV app? Contact us now to discuss.

Have a question about what player to use? Want to grab a quick demo or hear more about our other TV App Solutions and Services? Fill in the form below and someone from our team will be in touch with you soon!