SmartTUBE Apps

SmartTUBE Apps are customizable client applications built to modern streaming standards, available for major device platforms. They provide unified access to live TV, catch-up, nPVR, VoD, and shared recordings with a consistent experience across all screens.

The UI/UX of SmartTUBE Apps evolves continuously; screenshots below may not reflect the latest version.

Home Screen

The Home screen appears when the app loads or when users press the Home button. Operators configure its layout by managing the top banner, main menu, and content rails.

Operators can choose among three banner styles:

Regular banner: Opaque background with clear bottom edge, not overlapped by UI elements
Faded banner: Gradient lower edge, typically overlapped by the main menu or first content rail
Auto-play trailer: Faded banner that automatically starts movie/series trailers after focus delay (large-screen apps only)

Large-screen devices offer vertical or horizontal menu layouts. Horizontal layouts support icons or plain text display.

Available menu items:

TV: Channel list with current/next programs, details, and screenshots
EPG: Classic grid view showing program durations on horizontal timeline
Search: Unified search across all TV and VoD content
Movies: Library view as mosaic or themed rails
TV Series: Series library with season and episode navigation
Radio: List of IP radio stations
My [operator name]: Watch history, favorites, recordings, reminders, purchased content
Applications: Integrated Android apps (Android TV/STB launcher mode)
Settings: Profile and system settings (time zone, network, video output)

Mobile devices use bottom tabs: Home, My, Search, and Downloads. The Downloads section lists offline content. Users access TV, Movies, and Series via the top menu on the Home screen.

Content Rails

Operators populate pages (Home, Movies, Series, My Profile) with predefined or custom rails:

Predefined rails:

TV channels: Posters for current broadcasts; favorites appear first
Manually recommended: Operator-curated xVoD or TV programs
Auto-recommended: Personalized xVoD content via SmartTUBE Recommender
Top 10 TV programs: Most-watched shows
Applications: Integrated apps (Android TV/STB launcher)
Continue watching: Unfinished programs or movies
Watch history: Chronological list of viewed items
Favorite channels/movies: User-marked favorites
Personal recordings: nPVR recordings
Reminders: Upcoming program alerts
Purchased movies: xVoD titles purchased by subscriber

Custom rails: Filter by content or account attributes (e.g., "1980s French comedies", "Modern Bollywood", "Jackie Chan action films")

Search

Unified search across TV programs, movies, series, and optional external sources (e.g., YouTube). Search by localized or original titles and descriptions with real-time results as you type. Supports multilingual keyboards and displays structured results on one screen.

Live TV & Catch-up

Channel browsing:

Vertical list with current/next program info, descriptions, and screenshots
EPG grid with horizontal timeline and preview window (large-screen devices)
Theme-based filtering by genre or content type

Program information:

Extended descriptions with cast details
Recording quota and retention period
Age ratings and content warnings

Content management:

Set reminders with pop-up alerts for upcoming programs
Schedule recordings (nPVR): single programs, full series, or recurring schedules
Mark favorite channels (appear first on Home and in filters)
Resume from watch history or clear viewed items

VoD Library

Catalog browsing:

Mosaic or rail view layouts
Filter by type, genre, year, country, ratings
Sort by popularity, release date, alphabetically

Content details:

Full description with cast and crew
User ratings and age restrictions
Release year and country of origin
Screenshots and promotional images
Play trailers within content cards

Series navigation:

Season selector with episode lists
Episode thumbnails and descriptions
Progress tracking across episodes

Personal collections:

Mark favorites for quick access
Purchased content library
Continue watching list

Radio Stations

Browse and play IP radio stations (STB and Smart TV apps).

Playback Experience

Media Player Capabilities

The integrated player supports industry-standard codecs and protocols (MPEG-DASH, HLS).

Streaming features:

Adaptive bitrate streaming with automatic quality switching
Manual quality override options
Resume playback from last position

Playback controls:

Pause, rewind, fast-forward with thumbnail previews
Skip opening credits and end credits (timed auto-skip)
Next-episode autoplay for series
Multiple bookmarks per title

Audio & subtitles:

Multiple audio tracks with language selection
Subtitle format support varies by device: DVD, DVB, SSA/ASS, SRT, WebVTT, CEA-608/708, SMPTE-TT, Teletext
Audio and subtitle language preferences

Display options:

Aspect ratio adjustment with multiple presets
Stream quality and bitrate information (large-screen only)
Auto-hide timeout customization

Advertising:

VAST integration for AVoD content
Ad marker detection
Enforced no-seek rules during ad playback

Full-Screen Player

Large-Screen Devices

Live TV and catch-up:

Full DVR controls (pause, rewind, fast-forward)
Program guide rail for current channel
Set reminders and recordings during playback
Quick channel switcher
Stream information overlay

VoD content:

Standard playback controls
Content recommendations during playback
Chapter navigation
Multi-bookmark support

Mobile Devices

Supports all playback features with touch-optimized interface and gesture controls.

Touch gestures:

Single tap: Show/hide controls (auto-hide after 3 seconds)
Double-tap center: Toggle full-screen/portrait modes
Double-tap left/right edge: Seek ±10 seconds
Swipe left/right: Switch between channels
Vertical slide (left edge): Adjust brightness
Vertical slide (right edge): Adjust volume

Gesture behavior may vary between iOS and Android.

Mobile-specific features:

Stream casting (Chromecast, AirPlay)
Portrait and landscape orientation support
Offline content downloads (iOS, Android roadmap)
Native Picture-in-Picture (iOS with HLS streams only, Android)

Transfer playback sessions between devices while preserving playback position:

Apple AirPlay: From SmartTUBE iOS App to AirPlay 2-enabled devices
Google Chromecast: From SmartTUBE iOS/Android App to Chromecast-enabled TVs and devices
SmartLabs Screen Sharing: Proprietary handoff between SmartTUBE Apps with remote control from origin device

Account & Personalization

User Profiles

Multiple users can share an account via individual profiles with synchronized preferences across devices. The master profile manages other profiles.

Profile features:

PIN-protected access controls
Individual channel sorting preferences
Content restriction settings
Separate watch history and favorites

Kids profile options:

Maximum age level for TV and VoD content
Downtime window scheduling
Daily viewing time limits

Sign-in methods depend on operator configuration. Users can authenticate with or without credentials. New users may receive a 30-day trial to explore services and features.

Subscriptions & Purchases

Service management:

View active subscriptions with content access and terms
Add or cancel subscriptions directly in-app
Upsell recommendations for unsubscribed channels and add-ons

Purchase flow:

Display prices and purchase options in content cards
Transaction history available in Settings
Purchased content library in My Profile

Settings & Configuration

General Settings

Personalization:

UI language selection
Time zone configuration
Audio and subtitle language priorities
Aspect ratio preferences

Playback:

Player control auto-hide timeout
Idle-stop timer
Resume playback preferences

Support:

Operator contact information
Diagnostic report tools
App version and device information

STB-Specific Settings

Additional options available on set-top boxes:

Factory reset
Firmware update
Standby timer
Video/audio output format configuration
Network settings (Ethernet, Wi-Fi, IP configuration)

Operator Messages

Subscribers receive messages immediately or view them later in message history. Messages may include text and images. Urgent messages appear full-screen, while watermark messages overlay video content.

Platform Support

SmartTUBE supports a wide range of devices with expansion possible through integration projects. Supported streaming protocols (HLS, MPEG-DASH) and DRM systems (Widevine, PlayReady, FairPlay) vary by device—see compatibility matrices below.

Linux-Based STB

Requires SmartSDK with support for:

HiSilicon chipsets
STMicroelectronics chipsets
Amlogic chipsets
Broadcom chipsets
Sigma Designs chipsets

Compatible hardware from SmartLabs, Albis, Arris, and others. Contact SmartLabs for current platform support and integration options.

iOS

iPhone and iPad running iOS 12+

Android

Smartphones and tablets:

Android 7.0+
Must meet Android Compatibility Definition Document (CDD) requirements

Web Browsers

Browser	OS	Min Version	Min with Widevine DRM
Chrome	Windows / Linux / macOS	≥ 69	≥ 128
Firefox	Windows / Linux / macOS	≥ 100	≥ 100
Edge	Windows	All	≥ 88
Safari	macOS	≥ 11	Not supported

Use Widevine-enabled browser installations for secure DRM playback. Support for additional browsers available on request.

Smart TV

LG webOS:

webOS 4.0+ officially supported

Support for NetCast and earlier webOS versions may be possible on request.

Samsung Tizen:

All years currently supported on Samsung App Store

Other platforms:

Hisense (VIDAA OS)
Whale OS (zeasn.com)

Android-Based STB and Android TV

AOSP and Android TV 9.0+
Must meet CDD requirements
SmartTUBE App on AOSP can function as system launcher

Amazon Fire TV

Fire TV Stick Lite
Fire TV Stick
Fire TV Stick 4K
Fire TV Stick 4K Max
Fire TV Cube

Feature Compatibility

Device Features Matrix

Feature	Linux STB	Android STB	iOS	Android 7.0+	Samsung (Tizen)	LG (webOS)
Multicast	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Voice search/input	Yes (BT RCU)	Yes (BT RCU)	Yes (native)	Yes (native)	Yes (native)	Yes (native)
External apps	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
AirPlay	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Chromecast sender	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Native PiP	No	No	Yes*	Yes	No	No
Offline content	No	No	Yes	Roadmap	No	No

* PiP available on iOS for HLS streams only.

Content Delivery & DRM Matrix

Device / Platform	Widevine / DASH	PlayReady / DASH	FairPlay / HLS
Samsung legacy (2012–2015)	No	No	No
Samsung Tizen (2015–2016, no updates)	No	Yes	No
Samsung Tizen (2016 updated)	Yes	Yes	No
Samsung Tizen (2017+)	Yes	Yes	No
LG NetCast (≤2014)	No	No	No
LG webOS 2.x (≤2016)	No	No	No
LG webOS 3.5+ (2017+)	Yes	Yes	No
SmartLabs STB, Android 7.0+	Yes	No	No
iOS 12+	Not recommended	No	Yes