Custom Internet TV, OTT & IPTV Platform Development — Live Streaming, VOD & Netflix-Like Services

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OTT & IPTV
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Two smartphones displaying a streaming app with movie and series thumbnails on a blue background, one showing a group of characters from a show with a 'Resume' button.
project example

Vodeo

100,000 people who use Janson Media Inc. can now watch movies and series from their iPhone in the iOS app. Users rent individual titles with a ticket-based system, and video quality automatically adjusts to the connection speed. Built with adaptive bitrate streaming, DRM protection, and a seamless payment flow.
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Internet TV, OTT & IPTV Development: Key Differences
OTT and IPTV are 2 kinds of Internet TV – television delivered to viewers by the Internet Protocol – IP:
YouTube homepage showing recommended videos including design tutorials, movie trailers, and relaxing piano music.
OTT
OTT (Over-The-Top) delivers video content over the open internet — no cable infrastructure required. Viewers access it on any device: smartphones, tablets, Smart TVs, laptops, and desktops, from anywhere with an internet connection. Examples: Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Disney+. OTT is the dominant model for modern streaming platforms.
TV interface screen showing a channel list for Switzerland including BBC, VH1, CNN, and Eurosport, with 'Our Earth' documentary playing and mountain landscape in the preview.
IPTV
IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) delivers content through a managed private network — a dedicated LAN or WAN, not the public internet. This enables guaranteed bandwidth, lower latency, and broadcast-quality streams. Ideal for telecom operators, hotels, hospitals, and corporate campuses. Examples: DIRECTV STREAM, Movistar+, Rostelecom TV.
Check infographic
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Check our infographic below to see more on the difference between OTT and IPTV as well as Cable and Satellite TV, or read more in
this detailed article.
Flowchart showing 5 kinds of television delivery: by air via antenna (Broadcast TV), satellite dish (Satellite TV), or cellular networks; by wire (Cable TV); or through Internet Protocol paths as closed IPTV or open OTT streaming, with examples like Comcast, DirecTV, Netflix, and YouTube.

Features

Split-screen image of a woman wearing cat-ear headphones and holding a game controller showing improved streaming quality with left side pixelated and right side clear.

AI-powered video quality improvements ✨

We integrate AI-powered video quality enhancement that adjusts resolution, bitrate, and compression in real time based on network conditions and device capabilities. We applied AI video optimization for V.A.L.T (video surveillance SaaS serving 650+ US organizations) and built adaptive streaming for Worldcast Live (10,000+ concurrent viewers).

Content recommendations 🎞

We develop AI-powered content recommendation engines that analyze viewing history, preferences, and engagement patterns to suggest personalized content — increasing watch time and retention. We built recommendation systems for Bellicon Home (530+ workout videos with personalized plans), TradeCaster (46K+ users), and Perspire (Twitch-style fitness platform).
Streaming service personalized offers display featuring posters of Gilmore Girls, Gossip Girl, Westworld, Doctor Who, and Black Mirror with a speech bubble saying 'Jessica, these are personalized offers for you!'
Two smartphone screens showing navigation directions: left screen with desert road and 'Turn left' instruction, right screen with Tower Bridge and 'Tower Bridge is in front of you' message.

Content moderation 🔒

AI content moderation automatically screens user-generated content — uploaded videos, comments, and live streams — for compliance, safety, and brand guidelines. We implemented AI moderation for Sprii (live video shopping with real-time audience monitoring) and Worldcast Live (10K+ viewer broadcasts with automated content filtering).

4 types of content: live, pseudo-live, on schedule, on-demand 📺

How to create a streaming service? Start with the decision of what type of content you’ll have.
Table comparing four types of TV content: Live streaming, Pseudo-live streaming, Streaming on schedule, and Video-on-demand (VOD), with details on when the audience watches, simultaneous viewing, content quantity, and examples.
Live streaming
Live TV broadcasting delivers real-time content to viewers as events happen. We build live streaming infrastructure using WebRTC (sub-second latency for up to 500 viewers) and HLS/DASH (2–60 second latency for 500+ viewers). We built live streaming for Worldcast Live (HD concerts to 10,000+ viewers) and TradeCaster (live trading streams for 46K+ users).

How to create a live streaming service: the choice of technology is a balance between latency, scalability, and cost.
Two male soccer players competing for the ball on green grass, one in black and the other in white and red sportswear.
Technologies in use
WebRTC
for sub-second latency but the audience of fewer than 500 viewers
HLS
for a big audience of 500 to millions of viewers but with a latency of 2-60 seconds
WebRTC with Kurento and adjustments
for sub-second latency and a big audience but for a higher cost: read more in our article
Pseudo-live streaming
Pseudo-live streaming plays pre-recorded content as if it were live — commonly used for news shows, TV series premieres, and events without audience interaction. The stream is recorded in advance, server-processed for optimal compression, and delivered on schedule. Benefits include smaller file sizes (lower CDN costs) and higher video quality from optimized encoding. We implemented pseudo-live streaming for Vodeo and Smart IPTV platforms.
You get better video quality for less money when you do not compress in real-time:
  • Less money:
The stream has a smaller size because there’s time to compress more effectively. Each of the video resolutions has a higher degree of compression. The smaller size goes through the servers the fewer you pay for that.
  • Better picture quality:
What video resolution to show depends on the user’s Internet speed. The same video size has a lower resolution (worse quality) in real-time and higher resolution (better quality) when compressed before sending to users. The same user has the same video size limitation due to his Internet speed. Therefore the user gets a better quality video – with a higher resolution – with pseudo-live streaming.
Two people conversing on a quiz show set with geometric blue background, displaying TV guide overlay for 'New Game' on MRT Channel.
Streaming on schedule
Organizing pre-recorded content into an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) creates a traditional TV experience: parallel channels with scheduled shows running back-to-back. Viewers browse the program grid and tune into any channel in real time. We built EPG-based scheduled streaming for Smart IPTV (Android STBs and Smart TVs with Stalker API integration).

We program the ability for the admin to create the channels and build their schedule with videos. Different versions for different countries and timezones.
TV channel menu showing Swiss channels list including BBC, VH1, CNN, Eurosport, and Discovery with a mountain landscape preview for the program 'Our Earth' on RTS Un channel 003.
Video-on-demand (VOD)
A Video-on-Demand library of movies, series, and other content available to watch anytime. Features include free/paid tiers, favorites, AI-powered or admin-curated recommendations, genre filtering, search, ratings, parental controls, and scheduled releases. We built VOD platforms for Vodeo (Janson Media’s movie rental app for 100,000+ users) and Bellicon Home (530+ fitness videos with personalized plans).
Some of the VOD features:
  • Free and paid videos
  • Favorite videos
  • Recommended videos – set by admins or picked based on the user’s taste
  • Filter and sort by genre, popular, newest, highest rating
  • Direct search for videos – with a virtual keyboard for Smart TVs to type from a remote
  • Rate videos
  • Pin code before opening adult videos
  • Schedule video release and expiration date – when the video stops being available
Grid of ten TV show posters including House of Cards, Sherlock, The Sons, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Grey's Anatomy, Gilmore Girls, Westworld, Lost In Space, Doctor Who, Black Mirror, and Gossip Girl with labels indicating free, buy for X USD, or by subscription.
World map showing an original server connected to multiple CDN servers which then deliver content to end users in different global regions.

Content Delivery Network (CDN)

Physics limits streaming: the greater the distance between your server and viewers, the higher the latency. Building your own global infrastructure costs a fortune. A CDN (Content Delivery Network) solves this by caching your content on edge servers worldwide, delivering it from the nearest node to each viewer. We integrated CDN architecture for Worldcast Live, TradeCaster, and Vodeo — ensuring smooth playback for audiences across multiple continents.

CDN solves this problem. CDN is that network of servers in almost every country that someone has already bought and is ready to rent you. Each piece of your content is downloaded on each server – but only when the 1st user requests it. So the very 1st user still has the delay, but all the following do not.

Amazon’s CloudFront and Cloudflare are CDNs that we use most frequently at Fora Soft. Read more on CloudFront and Cloudflare differences in the article.

Video player for video streaming services ⏩

Video player paused at 9 seconds of a 19-second video with a cursor on the progress slider.
Video controls
Play, pause, stop, rewind, fast-forward buttons.
Scene from The Hollow Crown featuring a man with curly hair and fur cloak asking, 'Hello, guys! How about a party?'
Subtitles
Upload subtitle files in industry-standard formats: SRT, SUB, SSA, AQT, ASS, WebVTT, and JSON. We also support custom formats and can integrate AI-powered auto-captioning for automated subtitle generation. We built subtitle support for Vodeo and multi-language captioning for TransLinguist.
TV guide interface showing channel 405 RTS UN FHD airing The Hollow Crown from 09:30 to 11:30 with a scene image.
Picture-in-Picture
The current video shrinks into a floating mini-player while viewers browse the TV guide, search for content, or queue up the next show. Picture-in-Picture works across web browsers and native apps. Check a PiP demo at the end of our article. Works on mobile devices as well: read more about PiP on Android in this our article.

Video recording 🎬

Video player showing an aerial view of ocean waves crashing on a shore with a menu displaying options 'Start record', 'Record on schedule', and 'Language'.
Recording in real-time
Record live streams or shows while watching, then save to the device, app storage, or cloud (AWS S3, Google Cloud). We built cloud recording for iMind.com (video conferencing SaaS) and V.A.L.T (video surveillance platform serving 650+ US organizations).
Video player paused at 9 seconds showing two soccer players on green field, with menu options for recording visible.
Recording on schedule
Set a time, and the recording will switch on. For STB-based solutions you need to leave the STB switched on.
Video player paused at 9 seconds showing a turquoise lake surrounded by rocky mountains under a cloudy sky with the text 'Lago di braies'.
Time shifting
Some channels support timeshift – rewind the allowed hours back and watch what you’ve missed.

Payment and monetization in a streaming platform 💰

Streaming app interface showing a cola commercial video overlaid on a paused scene from the film Killer's Party with three men, alongside a sidebar menu and an advertisement for the Vodeo mobile app.
Monetization by ads
Advertising-based Video-on-Demand – AVOD: viewers watch content for free, with revenue generated through pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll video ads. We integrate ad networks (Google Ad Manager, SpotX) and build custom ad insertion pipelines. Example: YouTube free tier. We implemented ad-based monetization for TradeCaster ($550K+ in verified user profits).

Advertisements on a website page or app page but not in the video: integrate programmatic ad networks (Google Ad Manager, Amazon Publisher Services) to serve targeted ads across your platform. Revenue comes from impressions, clicks, and completed views. We build custom ad insertion pipelines with server-side ad stitching for seamless viewer experience.
Subscription options screen with pricing for 1 month at $9.23, 3 months at $12.30, and 1 year at $20.40, and a payment card section showing a Mastercard debit card.
Paid subscription
Premium content unlocks when users subscribe. Recurring payments are processed automatically via Stripe, PayPal, or in-app purchases — monthly or annual plans with trial periods, upgrades, and cancellation management. We built subscription systems for Perspire (Twitch-style fitness subscriptions), iMind.com, and TradeCaster.
Movie purchase screen showing The Dark Tower poster with pricing options for Full HD $14 and SD $12, alongside other fantasy movie thumbnails.
Buy a movie
Transactional Video-on-Demand (TVOD): users pay per title — rent a movie for 48 hours or purchase a full season permanently. We built TVOD with ticket-based payments for Vodeo (Janson Media’s 100K+ user platform).
TV shows thumbnails including House of Cards, Sherlock, Suits, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Grey's Anatomy, Gilmore Girls, Westworld, Lost in Space, Doctor Who, Black Mirror, and Gossip Girl with labels indicating free, buy for X USD, or by subscription.
Hybrid model
Combine multiple revenue streams: a free ad-supported tier, a premium subscription for exclusive content, and individual title purchases. This hybrid approach maximizes revenue across different user segments. Most successful OTT platforms (Hulu, Peacock, Paramount+) use hybrid monetization.
Screen displaying a numeric keypad and symbols with a prompt to enter the access code.
Access code
Enter an activation code on the TV to unlock access — ideal for hospitality IPTV (hotels, resorts, cruise ships) and corporate environments. We implemented code-based access for Smart IPTV deployments.

Adaptive video quality 👓

Viewers deserve the best possible quality at any connection speed. Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (ABR) monitors bandwidth in real time and automatically switches between quality levels — from 360p to 4K — preventing buffering even on volatile networks. We implemented ABR with HLS and DASH protocols for Worldcast Live, TradeCaster, and Vodeo.
Three side-by-side images of green leaves with water droplets showing decreasing image clarity from sharp to pixelated.
Video player interface showing a scene from 'The Hollow Crown' with playback and quality options visible.

Video processing ✏️

Hybrid model
Transcodes videos into optimized formats (HLS, DASH, RTMP, WebM) for seamless delivery across all devices — web, iOS, Android, and Smart TVs.
Different resolutions
Generates multiple resolution renditions (360p, 720p, 1080p, 4K) for adaptive bitrate streaming, ensuring smooth playback at any internet speed.
Compression
Decreases video size without a loss in quality by removing doubling data.
Split into chunks
When the videos are delivered chunked, the user never needs to stand by until a full movie is downloaded. The playback starts almost immediately, and keeps on, while the remaining parts are being downloaded in the background. Scrobble through a movie seamlessly – once you move the playhead to the desired location, the stream will resume in a moment, no matter how long was the skipped part.

Digital Right Management (DRM) 📋

DRM encryption protects your video content from piracy and unauthorized access. Major studios require DRM-compliant platforms before licensing content. When a user clicks play, the system verifies their license key with the DRM server. We implement all major DRM standards: AES-128, FairPlay (iOS/Safari), Widevine (Android/Chrome), and ClearKey. We built DRM-protected streaming for Vodeo (Janson Media's movie rental platform) and Smart IPTV.

When a user clicks play, the program checks the license server if he has the key. The server gives the decryption key if all is fine, and the player decrypts the video file with it and plays it.
Technologies:
TV screen showing 'Permission denied' message with a lock icon, channel details for Balley from 09:30 to 11:30, and navigation options for TV Guide, Favorite, and Menu.

Devices

  • Web browsers – use without download
  • Smartphones and tablets – iOS and Android
  • Desktop PCs and laptops
  • Smart TVs – Samsung, LG, Android-based STBs, Apple TV
  • Virtual reality (VR) headsets
Array of digital entertainment devices including a VR headset, two tablets, a smartphone, a set-top box, and an Apple TV against a turquoise background.
Laptop screen showing a movies.com webpage with a selection of TV films and serials, including House of Cards, Sherlock, Suits, Soul, Game of Thrones, and others, with labels indicating free, buy, or subscription access.

Website

A responsive web application is the fastest and most cost-effective way to launch an OTT streaming platform. When optimized for mobile, it works seamlessly across smartphones, tablets, and desktops — no app store approval needed. We build OTT web apps with React, WebRTC, HLS, and FFmpeg.
  • It opens on laptops and desktop computers.
  • If optimized for mobile devices – it looks and works well on smartphones and tablets in a browser. Optimization requires extra time and cost because the UI for each page should be re-thought over for smaller screens.
  • Modern Smart TVs open websites as well – so you can watch such OTT on a Smart TV. iPhone users share screens to modern smart TVs with 3 taps too – so for them, it’s even easier, and the full-screen view looks exactly like any other movie on TV.
So if you want the most cost-effective option, a web Internet TV application is the best.
How to make a streaming website? We use JavaScript, framework React for web development, mainly WebRTC, HLS, and Kurento technologies for video streaming, and FFMPEG and GStreamer for video processing.
Two smartphones displaying movie rental apps: one lists comedies including Star Wars 8, Sonic The Hedgehog, Doctor Dolittle, and Jumanji II; the other shows rental details for Dark Phoenix with a red 'Resume' button.

IOS and Android native apps

Native iOS and Android apps deliver a superior viewing experience with push notifications, offline downloads, and device-optimized playback. We develop mobile streaming apps using Swift (iOS), Kotlin (Android), with WebRTC and HLS integration. We built the Vodeo iOS app (100K+ users) and mobile apps for Bellicon Home and Perspire.

How to make a mobile streaming platform? We use native programming languages: Swift for iOS, Kotlin for Android, mainly WebRTC, HLS, and Kurento technologies for video streaming, and FFMPEG and GStreamer for video processing.
Television screen showing the program 'The Hollow Crown' on channel 405, with an overlay of a man in a car and a small inset video of a person walking up stairs, accompanied by a black remote control in front of the screen.

Smart TV

Smart TVs have their own app stores, and a dedicated TV app delivers a far better experience than browser-based streaming. We develop native Smart TV applications for Samsung (Tizen), LG (webOS), Android TV, and Apple TV. We built Smart TV apps for Bellicon Home (fitness streaming on Apple TV and Android TV) and Smart IPTV (IPTV app for Android set-top boxes with Stalker API).
How to create such an OTT platform or make an IPTV server?
We use JavaScript for Samsung and LG Smart TVs, Swift for AppleTV, Kotlin for AndroidTV.

Examples of OTT services worldwide

When planning your Internet TV platform, study the market leaders. Here are the top OTT services by global subscriber base (2025 data):
  • Netflix – 283 million subscribers worldwide (2025)
  • Amazon Prime Video – 200+ million subscribers (2025)
  • Disney+ – 157 million subscribers (2025)
  • HBO Max
  • Apple TV Plus
Check more indicators in this research from Statista.

Costs

We develop custom OTT, IPTV, and Internet TV platforms tailored to your business requirements. Our process starts with a discovery phase, UI/UX design, and a clickable prototype, then we provide a detailed estimate. Below are approximate timelines and budgets based on our experience delivering 625+ projects since 2005. Final pricing depends on your feature set, number of platforms, and content delivery requirements.
Mobile app interface showing popular movies like Aladdin, Bohemian Rhapsody, and The Matrix on the left, and account settings with options for credit balance, changing login, profile settings, changing password, help & support, and logout on the right.

The simplest VOD OTT app for 1 platform

~ 2 weeks · from $3,200
A complete VOD streaming app with movie catalog, user authentication, payment processing, content rating system, and search. Single platform (web, iOS, or Android).
TV interface showing Switzerland channel list including BBC, VH1 Music, RTS Un, with a mountain landscape preview for the program Our Earth on RTS Un.

The simplest IPTV app for 1 platform

~ 1-2 months · from $6,400
A fully functional IPTV system with live channel grid, EPG (Electronic Program Guide), channel switching, and recording capabilities. Ideal for hospitality and telecom deployments.
Movie streaming interface showing fantasy genre selected with posters of Maze Runner, Annihilation, The Mummy, Beauty and the Beast, Black Panther, Blade Runner 2049, War for the Planet of the Apes, and Avatar; feature for purchasing The Dark Tower movie in Full HD or SD.

OTT solution similar to Netflix for 1 platform

from 2 months · from $12,800
A Netflix-like OTT platform with VOD library, live channels, hybrid monetization (AVOD + SVOD + TVOD), AI recommendations, user profiles, parental controls, and multi-device support.

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