Firefox Smart Tv



If you are a power user, you are in for a delight with the TV Bro browser. TV Bro supports video playback, multiple tabs, bookmarks, etc. Moreover, after the recent update, your browser tabs stay persistent even after a reboot. The TV Bro app also lets you switch the User-Agent of the TV from mobile to tablet to iPad. I bought a JVC 40″smart TV with a built-in DVD December 2016. On the whole the TV and DVD function are fine. But I rarely used the smart TV apps apart from the iplayer and occasionally the Google search pre December 2018 that is when I registered with Netflix, Netflix would at times be slow to load up and You Tube slow but my Internet speed and connection was fine. Firefox will no longer support Amazon Fire TV or Echo Show devices starting April 30th, Mozilla announced on Friday (via Android Police). “You will no longer be able to install Firefox on FireTV. The Firefox for Fire TV home screen even includes quick access to popular video sites and some of the web’s best content and ideas. Firefox for Fire TV is made by Mozilla, the non-profit champions of a healthy internet. Additional parental controls besides the App PIN protection feature in the Fire TV preferences will be enabled in future updates.

Since spring 2015, all of Panasonic’s TVs have been powered by Firefox OS that provides access to Netflix, YouTube and other services via apps. But this is the end. Mozilla has stopped all commercial development of Firefox OS, including for TVs.

Just like the Chrome browser, there isn’t any specialized Firefox browser version for smart TVs. However, you can sideload Firefox with your smart TV and access several browser extensions. A good example is the uBlock extension that allows you to block ads while surfing the web. Also, you can sync your mobile browser history and bookmarks with your smart TV Firefox browser for greater access.


Firefox OS is dead

The writing was on the wall and in our review of Panasonic DX900 we called Firefox OS a dead end. Not because it is a bad TV platform – on the contrary it is very user-friendly – but because it had almost no support from the developer community. Today, operating systems rise and fall with developers’ support.
And now it is official: Firefox OS is dead.
- ”In the spring and summer of 2016 the Connected Devices team dug deeper into opportunities for Firefox OS. They concluded that Firefox OS TV was a project to be run by our commercial partner and not a project to be led by Mozilla,” Mozilla wrote in a blog post.

What now Panasonic?

The only TV manufacturer to use Firefox OS is Panasonic. The Japanese company now has two options:
  1. Starting from 2017, Panasonic could team up with a new partner, for example Google’s Android TV.
  2. Panasonic could continue work on Firefox OS, under a new name, in-house. Mozilla will release the code as open source.

FlatpanelsHD has contacted Panasonic to ask them about the future but has not received a reply. While option 2 cannot be excluded, one has to remember that Panasonic chose Mozilla as a partner after having trying and failed to develop an in-house TV platform.
Firefox OS was developed by Mozilla, which is best known for the Firefox web browser. Work started in 2012 and the company had grand plans for Firefox OS, which is based on a web browser core, for the mobile space. Those plans were abandoned in late 2015 but Mozilla assured everyone that it would continue development on Firefox OS for TVs. Now, about half a year later, the company has also pulled the power cord on TVs. The code will be releases as open source.Firefox

Version 2.6 to be the last

Earlier this month, Panasonic told FlatpanelsHD that a new version 2.6 of Firefox OS is still planned. Mozilla confirms that version 2.6 will be the last release. However, with the two main Smartnew features being 'web apps' and 'mobile-to-TV' (a Chromecast-like feature) it seems largely irrelevant. Neither of these two features can evolve without developer support.
- “We realize that these decisions are painful for those of us who had high hopes and dreams and work tied up in Firefox OS,” said Ari Jaaksi and David Bryant from Mozilla.
Goodbye Firefox OS. We hardly knew ya’.
Update 30-9-2016: We have received the following official statement from Panasonic:
Opdatering 30.9.2016 kl. 12.49: Vi har modtaget fřlgende officielle udmelding fra Panasonic:
'In order to deliver the very best Smart TV experience to our consumers, Panasonic has for the past few years combined our proprietary technology with open source technology. To this end from 2015 we have shipped Firefox OS in our TVs in order to give our users a simpler, easily usable User Interface.
It is our intention to continue to build on this platform by integrating the assets we have developed including Firefox OS and adopting evolving open source technologies. By this we develop a superior, next generation Panasonic Smart TV.
There is no change for customers who already have a Panasonic Smart TV powered by Firefox, who can continue to enjoy a great Smart TV experience'
< Firefox OS
  • 4Plans/Ongoing Work
    • 4.5Program Management (Josh)
    • 4.6Gecko (SC)
    • 4.7Gaia (Evelyn)
  • Enjoy the best independent and personalizable Web experience on big screens and across devices

Firefox Cast To Smart Tv

  • Mountain View
  • San Francisco
  • Vancouver
  • Toronto
  • Paris
  • Taipei
  • Tokyo
  • Portland
  • Berlin
  • London
  • Auckland
  • Product Management
    • Joe Cheng
  • Business Developement
    • Charles Chen
  • Technical Account Management
    • Francis Lee
  • Product Marketing
    • Christina Lu
  • Program Management
    • Josh Cheng
  • UX
    • Jack Lin
    • Tori Chen
    • Peko Chen
  • Gecko
    • Shian-Yow Wu
    • Shih-Chiang Chien
    • Junior Hsu
    • Kershaw Chang
    • Kilik Kuo
    • Gary Chen
    • James Cheng
    • Tommy Kuo
    • Kevin Chen
    • ChunMin Chang
    • Daosheng Mu
    • Eric Tsai
    • Amy Chung
    • Chih-Yi Leu
  • Gaia
    • Evelyn Hung
    • Rex Lee
    • Luke Chang
    • YiFan Liao
    • Sean Lee
    • Fischer Liu
    • Dan Huang
    • Joseph Yeh

Firefox OS 2.6 for TV

  • Please refer to https://wiki.mozilla.org/TV_2.6

Product

  • To offer the best independent and personalizable Web experience on big screens and across devices, the three areas below is being explored
    • Seamless Firefox Experience
    • Independent web experience
    • Openness (involve the community)

UX (Jack, Tori)

  • All released spec
    • IxD https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5RN80W56Ga9WkNBRlZmWUtiaU0
    • Visual https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2-G3kew1WpXLURNc29vTWl5eUk
  • v2.6
    • Home
      • IxD https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5RN80W56Ga9VlFsNG9IS194Nms
      • Visual https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2-G3kew1WpXdHNCUXN4Q2lMbnc
  • v2.5
    • Firefox account integration
      • IxD https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4dMhI4hp32OanhJQ1NnMVMydTA
    • Seamless experience on Fennec
      • IxD https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4dMhI4hp32OZDBaR2FtMEhTb3c
    • Tutorial
      • IxD https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5RN80W56Ga9fjlncXJuZW5YbW0zX2tDX0sta3FsMXU3cmRYM0hTOEJXZFZ2ck5wSW1PZlU
      • Visual https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B4K8q1qWmtAvdUJFYUx5NFBEaVk&usp=sharing
  • Prior v2.5
    • Building Block
      • IxD https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5RN80W56Ga9VVJrWDI4MzJfWGs
      • Visual https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2-G3kew1WpXMjBQSTFCay1TalE
    • TV Deck
      • IxD https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5RN80W56Ga9eW9uNDFyWDVKakE
      • Visual https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2-G3kew1WpXYWtyS1hXenJOSUE
    • EPG
      • IxD https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2-G3kew1WpXfkRKcGVGb3lyRzRqODFjb1czdGI2SHUwZjUtWkcwY3ZKOUlnYWx5V3dOaTQ
      • Visual https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2-G3kew1WpXfkRNT2pkUER3RklNd25RS0FaYmVWM2Z1SFhwT3JVSjlFR3lCQ0JQQ3Y4cVU
    • App Deck
      • IxD https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5RN80W56Ga9Um1NcWxLSUduREk
      • Visual https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2-G3kew1WpXajJRV3hkeUw4QjA
    • Browser
      • IxD https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5RN80W56Ga9V3k3VEpsNXd6M00
      • Visual https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2-G3kew1WpXdEEyVGlOSERVc0E
    • Device Deck
      • IxD https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5RN80W56Ga9WnQ4c1JWeXk3QVk
      • Visual https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2-G3kew1WpXYmVLNC1LRDBwZFk
    • Dashboard
      • IxD https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5RN80W56Ga9STZmRmNIelJTTU0
      • Visual https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2-G3kew1WpXVmtRamhKbFZmZWM
    • Keyboard
      • IxD https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5RN80W56Ga9SVBGWE1PbHhqOUU
      • Visual https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2-G3kew1WpXfko0YnVjaVk3bHF3TmUydGdoT2lUQTRDWGY2U3FzbVVBX2RrR2o0OF82MkE
    • Trackpad
      • IxD https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5RN80W56Ga9MnZZbWdOUEo5bzA

QA (Mike, Teri)

  • v2.5

Program Management (Josh)

  • 2.6 Tracking wiki
  • TV 2.6 Meta

Branching and Key milestones

Development happens on m-c and gaia-master, TV 2.6 will be branched in Apr 18 with FF 48

  • Branch Date for 2.6 : Apr 18 2016
  • Feature Complete (FC) : Jul 15 2016
  • Code Complete (CC) : Sep 1 2016
  • (Shipped) 2.5 Tracking wiki
  • (Shipped) TV 2.5 Meta

Gecko (SC)

Web API

  • TV Manager Web API - bug 998872
    • It is on going to polish a first version then open to public space. ex: Bugzilla and dev-webapi@lists.mozilla.org.
  • Input Ports Web API - bug ?
    • The purpose is to let web app show media stream and detect plug-in status from HDMI/AV cable.
    • It is on going to discuss for leveraging getUserMedia series Web API.
  • HTMLMediaElement.audio/videoTracks Web API - bug 744896
  • MediaStream
    • Implement Track related methods and events in MediaStream.webidl - bug 985265
    • Create a new type of MediaStreamTrack for text and metadata - bug 987501
  • Expose a client UDP datagram socket API to web application - bug 745283
  • Presentation API - bug 1069230
  • mozWidget API - bug 1005818

Media

Firefox For Samsung Smart Tv

  • DOM Level
    • Support HTMLMediaElement.audioTracks and videoTracks - bug 744896
      • Probably won't implement the audio mixing and video selecting in our decoding pipeline.
      • How to map AudioStreamTrack to AudioTrack? (Video as well)
        • Proposal 1: Change the spec of MediaStreamTrack
        • Proposal 2: Implement the mapping internally
    • Implement Track related methods and events in MediaStream.webidl - bug 985265
      • Not necessary for this TV project, but would benefit the user experience of using front/end camera with getUserMedia a lot.
  • Internal Only
    • Add a new kind of MediaStream to by pass our media pipeline - bug 987498
      • aka. HWOverlayMediaStream.
      • Construct a new kind of MediaStream, this would be an abstract layer, indicating its media resource is fetched from a particular hardware driver.
      • By pass our MediaStreamGraph pipeline, and hook up its listeners with HAL interface specific to the platform.
    • Create a new type of MediaStreamTrack for text and metadata - bug 987501
      • In order to let MediaStream handle tracks such as subtitles, captions, metadata.
  • HW Key Management - bug 989198
    • Capturing & bubbling phase between system app & it's nested iframe. Wiki
    • Work with Keyboard app.
    • How to detect which keys are supported by platform?
  • Allow nested oop <iframe mozbrowser> without nested content processes - bug 879475
    • Just be transferred to stream 3.

EME

Gaia (Evelyn)

System Architecture

  • 2-layered widget support - bug 983001
    • A prototype of 2-layered widget can be found at https://github.com/luke-chang/gaia/tree/TV_arch1
  • Hybrid Widget Approach (more: https://wiki.mozilla.org/FirefoxOS/Stingray/Hybrid_Widget_Approach)
    • meta bug - bug 1002336

Applications & Integration

  • Browser
  • Device Deck
  • FTU - Tutorial
  • Settings
  • Keyboard
  • TV Deck
  • TV program
  • Dashboard
  • App Deck
  • Home
  • System
  • Presentation API
  • Firefox account integration and cross experience

Others

  • Build system supports multiple devices - bug 979784 landed to master by Gary Chen
    • Step 1. Add 'GAIA_DEVICE_TYPE' flag in gaia build system.
    • Step 2. New apps.list structure for multiple-devices.
    • Step 3. Overwrite common-setting.json from build/GAIA_DEVICE_TYPE/settings.js
    • Step 4. Remove distribution_tablet folder from gaia code base. bug 996461
      • Step a. Let homescreen APP's build system support 'GAIA_DEVICE_TYPE' flag.
      • Step b. Let wallpaper APP's build system support 'GAIA_DEVICE_TYPE' flag.

Program Stakeholders

Role Name IRC
EPM Josh Cheng JoshCheng
Gaia EM Evelyn Hung evelyn
Gecko EM ShianYow Wu swu
PM Joe Cheng jcheng
TL SC Chien schien
UX Tori Chen, Jack Lin tori, jacklin
QA Mike Lien mlien
  • EPM = Engineering Program Manager
  • EM = Engineering Manager
  • PM = Product Manager
  • TL = Tech Lead
  • UX = User Experience
  • QA = Quality Assurance

UX/Visual Specs

Feature UX Spec Visual Spec
Browser apphttp://bit.ly/1jrWGMwhttp://bit.ly/1jrWNI3
Firefox Account integrationhttp://bit.ly/1jrW6OPhttp://bit.ly/1OHIHxs
Pocket integrationhttp://bit.ly/1jrWBZg
Remote Controlhttp://bit.ly/1jrWqgnhttp://bit.ly/1jrWQU3
Cast/Send to TVhttp://bit.ly/1jrWvRehttp://bit.ly/1jrWMDL
Marketplacehttp://bit.ly/1NwrKGk

Reference Links


Goodbye deponia download.

Firefox


Firefox For Lg Smart Tv

  • UX spec: http://bit.ly/1JJEKlU
  • Visual spec: http://bit.ly/1NfcCvg
  • Smart TV Wiki: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Firefox_OS/ConnectedDevices

Firefox Tv App

Retrieved from 'https://wiki.mozilla.org/index.php?title=Firefox_OS/Smart_TV&oldid=1124851'