--- title: "Multiple TV Platforms, One Codebase: React Native TV App Development" description: "Is TV app development is the same as mobile, but bigger? It's not. In this episode, Michael Khirallah (DIRECTV) and Chris Trag (Amazon) will explain why." url: https://www.callstack.com/podcasts/multiple-tv-platforms-one-codebase-react-native-tv-app-development updated: 2026-10-24T08:39:42.924Z --- # Multiple TV Platforms, One Codebase: React Native TV App Development Is TV app development is the same as mobile, but bigger? It's not. In this episode, Michael Khirallah (DIRECTV) and Chris Trag (Amazon) will explain why. _Guests: Chris Trag, Head of Developer Evangelism @ Amazon; Michael Khirallah, Senior Director Engineering @ DIRECTV · Host: Łukasz Chludziński, Engineering Manager @ Callstack · Published 2025-03-05 · Duration 54:31 · Category: TV_ Listen: [YouTube](https://youtu.be/G1_RMxtswsc) · [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3JAuBdtv7g7G7Vi93jQJ88?si=Vl5Yce3JS_S7xsUYvp4Q9w) · [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/multiple-tv-platforms-one-codebase-react-native-tv/id1525543072?i=1000697859120) · [SoundCloud](https://soundcloud.com/user-985069846/multiple-tv-platforms-one-codebase-react-native-tv-app-development-react-universe-on-air-49/s-rtuReIfE28r?si=b42cb9ed4cab425abb990f918381fd49&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing) Do you think TV app development is the same as mobile, but bigger? You couldn’t be further away from the truth—and in this episode, we’ll explain why. In the 49th episode of React Universe On Air, Łukasz Chludziński teams up with Michael Khirallah, Senior Director of Engineering at DIRECTV, and Chris Trag, Head of Developer Evangelism at Amazon, to explore the complexities of building TV apps with React Native. From optimizing performance on decade-old hardware to managing focus behavior across different TV remotes, they share hard-earned lessons on turning a single codebase into seamless experiences across every screen in your living room—and maybe even your basement. ## Building scalable TV apps: Strategies, tools, and real-world lessons from React Native experts This episode takes a no-nonsense approach to building cross-platform TV applications, with practical advice and real-world experiences shared by guests, including: - **Eighteen TV platforms, one codebase**—find out how to tackle the technical and UX challenges of building for Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TV, Tizen, and more—all with React Native. Learn why cross-platform development is not just a time-saver, but also a way to deliver a consistent user experience. - **Performance optimization, also on legacy devices**—with devices like Samsung’s Tizen TVs released in 2017 (running Chromium 47!), performance is a serious concern. Michael and Chris share real-world techniques for optimizing TV apps, from architectural choices to strategies that avoid unnecessary performance hits on newer devices. - **Testing across multiple platforms**—the complexity of TV app development doesn’t stop at coding. Our host and guests discuss how they balance unit, integration, automation, and manual testing, leveraging tools like AWS Device Farm and custom-built frameworks to ensure stability across all supported platforms. What’s in it for you? Tips on automating QA without compromising on thoroughness, and why manual testing remains a crucial step for end-user experience. - **Custom abstraction layers for consistent UX**—building apps for TVs means dealing with wildly different remote controls and navigation models. Hear how DIRECTV engineers developed custom abstraction layers for focus management and accessibility, and why this approach is crucial for creating seamless, intuitive interfaces. - **React Native Directory & open source contributions**—learn about Amazon’s initiative to test all 1,200+ public libraries for Fire OS compatibility and how recent updates to React Native Directory filters can save you time when choosing the right tools for your next project. - **Use cases with all the challenges and opportunities**—from dealing with unique key bindings on TV remotes to solving the challenges of delivering a unified experience on vastly different hardware, this episode dives into practical scenarios and how-to approaches that you can apply in your own projects. ## Resources mentioned in the episode Don’t just listen—get hands-on! Check out the episode resources, including links to frameworks, libraries, and tools mentioned in the discussion. Download [_Mastering the Big Screen: React Native for TV_](https://www.callstack.com/ebook/mastering-the-big-screen-react-native-for-tv-guidebook) to step up your TV app development game today, and share your experiences with the React Universe community. - [_Mastering the Big Screen: React Native for TV_](https://www.callstack.com/ebook/mastering-the-big-screen-react-native-for-tv-guidebook) guide - Łukasz Chludziński on [X](https://x.com/lukasz_app), [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/lukasz.app), and [GitHub](https://github.com/lukasz-app) - Michael Khirallah on [X](https://x.com/mkralla11), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-khirallah/), and [GitHub](https://github.com/mkralla11) - Chris Trag on [X](https://x.com/chris_trag), [LinkedIn,](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ctraganos/) and [web](https://trag.dev/) - [React Universe Conf 2025 panel](https://youtu.be/j2b_bG-32JI?feature=shared) “Over the Top”: Building Streaming Apps for Mobile, Web, and Smart TVs - [Giovanni Laquidara & Eric Fahsl – Extending React Native Apps to the Big Screen](https://youtu.be/WafaEfSTsk0?feature=shared) - [Max Phillips – TV Apps in the Wild](https://youtu.be/MIXaSbdnEZo?feature=shared) - [React Native Directory](https://reactnative.directory/) Insights ## Learn more about TV Here's everything we published recently on this topic. [View all](https://www.callstack.com/insights) - [AI-Assisted React Native Migration for TV: Lessons From Zattoo](https://www.callstack.com/blog/ai-assisted-react-native-migration-for-tv-lessons-from-zattoo) (Jun 11 · Article): A practical look at React Native TV migration, based on Zattoo’s experience with shared code, platform differences, and team change. - [From Native to React Native for TV: The Zattoo Case](https://www.callstack.com/events/from-native-to-react-native-for-tv-the-zattoo-case) (Apr 27 · Webinar): Learn why and how Zattoo moved from native TV apps to React Native, what changed for their team, and what it takes to scale across multiple platforms efficiently. - [Amazon's Vega OS: A New OS With React Native Built-In](https://www.callstack.com/podcasts/amazons-vega-os-a-new-os-with-react-native-built-in) (Nov 25 · Podcast): Giovanni Laquidara (Amazon) introduces Vega OS, a new lightweight operating system with React Native built-in, designed for high-performance on low-end media devices. - [Cross-Platform TV Apps With React Native for tvOS, Android TV, and Tizen](https://www.callstack.com/blog/cross-platform-tv-apps-with-react-native-for-tvos-android-tv-and-tizen) (Oct 3 · Article): Learn why React Native is a powerful choice for TV app development. Discover how it unifies development for tvOS, Android TV, Tizen, and more with a single codebase. - [Building React Native App for Vega OS](https://www.callstack.com/events/deep-dive-building-react-native-app-for-vega-os) (Oct 2 · Live Stream): React 19.2 brings \ and useEffectEvent, new ideas for React state management arrive, and Vega OS debuts as a React Native-powered Linux OS. - [The Bigger Picture](https://www.callstack.com/events/the-bigger-picture) (May 29 · Talk): React Native lessons from TV that scale: performance, architecture & cross-platform code strategies, beyond mobile, across devices. - [Developing a React Native TV App](https://www.callstack.com/blog/developing-a-react-native-tv-app) (Dec 6 · Article): Build React Native TV apps. Explore Expo and Bare React Native TV setups, add TV support to existing projects, and structure apps for multi-platform builds. - [Mastering the Big Screen: React Native for TV](https://www.callstack.com/events/mastering-the-big-screen-react-native) (Oct 2 · Webinar): Tune in to the recording of a webinar we held with with Amazon to explore the best practices of TV app development in React Native. - [React Native for TV App Development](https://www.callstack.com/podcasts/react-native-for-tv-app-development) (Dec 13 · Podcast): Learn about the current state of the TV development space and the benefits and considerations of applying React Native to it.