[REQUEST] TvProvider app channels for Android TV "O" new TV Launcher (UI)

[Hedda]

Android TV “O” developer preview 2 (which will become Android TV 8.0?) have got a new TV Launcher user interface that allegedly “makes it easy to find, preview, and watch content provided by apps” directly from the launcher without first opening content apps (like Netflix or SPMC/Kodi).

Couple of quick overviews of what is new from an end-user perspective posted on androidtv.news here (including the new TvProvider APIs):

https://androidtv.news/2017/05/tonight-learn-android-tvs-new-ux/ https://androidtv.news/2017/05/analysis-whats-new-android-tv/

Anyway, from a developers point this new TV Launcher is customizable as users can control the channels that appear on the homescreen. App developers will be able to create app channels using the new "TvProvider" support library APIs.

https://developer.android.com/preview/features/tvlauncher.html

UPDATE: androidtv.news posted a quick deep-dive into the new the TvProvider APIs here:

https://androidtv.news/2017/05/deep-dive-tvprovider-apis/

To summerize; everything in Android TV “O” new TV Launcher is now organized into “Channels” and “Programs”.

You can take a look at both in this CNET interview with the Android TV lead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=XNnB9184qGA

You can see the new TV Launcher seems to be completely revamped with inline videos. As you highlight over a certain item, a video can start playing and the background transitions to new colors based on the thumbnail. These videos come from different sources, like Netflix or SPMC/Kodi, and provides a much faster way of accessing content. It will be coming with Android "O".

There are now also an additional demo available in yesterdays Google I/O 2017 session “What’s New in Android TV“ (from 6PM PST on the 17th of May):

https://events.google.com/io/schedule/?section=may-17&sid=bd623b44-d26a-4b62-9833-c0301bd4217b

Video of that session is avialable here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=32&v=LMB9B6Z__bM

You can test Android TV "O" developer previews by joining the Android O beta program if you own a Nexus Player

http://android.com/beta

[Hedda]

androidtv.news posted a deep-dive into the new the TvProvider APIs here:

https://androidtv.news/2017/05/deep-dive-tvprovider-apis/

[koying]

Yep. It's exactly the same interface as for "Live Channels"

Suggestions welcome on how to present the Kodi library as Channels / Programs, genuinely.

[Hedda]

Maybe only duplicate SPMC/Kodi's existing Leanback Recommendation implementation as proof-of-concept and then improve upon that later once implemented?

Suggested content like unwatched random movies, (maybe based on 'recently added' or rating) and TV Show episodes to continue watching them till the end. For music show random albums from library to keep your listening as diverse as possible.

Or as suggested by androidtv.news here https://androidtv.news/2017/05/analysis-whats-new-android-tv/

"The Watch Next is a sort of universal queue for content. If you need to stop halfway through a movie, that app can put the content in Watch Next so that you can quickly resume. Or if you finished episode 3 of a series, it can suggest episode 4. This will always appear second in the rows."

[hstamas]

100% agree with @Hedda. Keeping it simple and to the point works best. I am already aware of what I have in my library so a bunch of random movie/TV tiles is just clutter in my opinion. The next TV episode to watch is a must. Saves us from having to dive into the application itself. Recently added movies works for the movie section as my family usually wants to watch the latest greatest. If we are in the mood for something older we are usually browsing around the app itself anyway trying to decide.