Versatile video-on-demand platform
A platform providing fast and high-quality transactional video-on-demand (TVOD) to its customers
TIME
Ongoing
TEAM
4 members
PLATFORMS
Android, iOS, tvOS, Web
TYPE
Video on demand
INDUSTRY
Entertainment
Blockbuster was an iconic US company known for video and game rentals. Danish TDC acquired its brand rights to launch a video streaming platform in the Nordics. Now Blockbuster is over 8,000 movies and 350 seasons of TV series.
Blockbuster
Project idea
Create a streaming service that allows viewers in the Nordic region to purchase or rent high-quality movies and TV series.
Target audience
Viewers across the Nordic region (Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway)
Project challenges
- Create a sophisticated filtering system
- Implement a parental control feature
- Allow offline access to purchased movies (iOS, Android)
- Integrate a payment system for purchasing/renting movies
- Non-standard development approach with management, testing, and design on client’s side and engineering on our side
Results
Our team developed a complex search system and created video players for iOS and Android. We’ve designed a completely new UI, built iOS, reengineered Android and Android TV apps, and partially moved to GraphQL.
The client initially had:
- Ready-made Android app
- Android TV app that didn’t meet customer expectations
- Custom UI design.
We did a careful project analysis:
- Code review
- Tech stack review
- Meetings with Account Manager
Our work resulted in:
- Defining list of tech requirements
- Putting a project team together
- Reengineering Android and Android TV apps
- Changing old UI to the one provided by the client
Main features of the project
After all the requirements were set and analyzed, our development team got to work.
Clip cards for renting movies
Users can buy clip cards for renting any three movies from all available on the platform. The card is a payment method that works on all devices and allows users to rent movies. Once a user starts the rental period, they can watch a movie as many times as they want within 48 hours.
Viewing progress
Viewers always keep track of their watching process. Even if they’ve closed a movie and decided to get back to it later. As the platform saves viewed movies and progress in a user profile, customers can play the video again at any moment. Or check how much time is left without even hitting the play button.
Parental control
Movies are sorted out by rating: allowed for all, for all but kids under 7, under 11 or 15 years. Thus, parents can set restrictions for their underaged kids in their profiles. If a movie falls into the 'restricted' category, the platform asks viewers to enter a password to get access to the video.
Our team was working on this product with cross-platform capabilities in mind. Users can watch their library via native apps for Android, iOS, Android TV, and tvOS. There is also a web version and support for video streaming from mobile devices to TVs via Chromecast and AirPlay.
Technology stack
See the ways how the development teamx implemented client’s requirements
Mob Architecture
Android
Kotlin
Java
RxJava
Android
ObjectBox
Room
Retrofit
DRM
iOS
Swift
Core Data
Alamofire
Web Architecture
Node.js
CloudFront
Lambda
Apollo
Graphql
Elastic
Tools
AWSApp
Google Cast
Youbora
Testing
Fabric
Crashlytics
Jira
TestFlight
Henrik Loop
CTO at Blockbuster, TDC
“We’re very happy with Cleveroad. They seem to work in the way that we do, and we have a close collaboration with them. Every day we talk to the developers and outline what needs to be done."