Chapter 4. Testing on a Consumer Device

The next phase of development testing is using a consumer device to test your app on a TV. You must test the following on a TV (and not the Simulator):

  • Performance
  • Memory Management
  • Color Quality on Television Monitors
  • Sound Quality
  • Media Playback

Overview of the TV Testing Process

A production consumer device does not allow console access. In order to get your app software on a TV, you must first submit your app to the TV Store (in test mode) using the TV App Upload Tool and then download your app to a production consumer device for testing.

The final QA and approval process does not start until you send the Acceptance Criteria form to yctvsupport@yahoo-inc.com. Prior to submitting the Acceptance Criteria Form, you can upload your app to the TV Store as many times as you need for testing purposes. Once uploaded, you can then download your app to specific connected TV devices for specific test-users.

Before starting this process, make sure you have completed testing using the Simulator. The following steps will not work with the Simulator. See Install Your Own TV Apps to test apps in the Simulator.

Get your Developer Code

  1. Press the Yahoo! TV Key to go to the dock.
  2. Launch the the TV Store by navigating to the TV Store app in the dock.
  3. Press the GREEN key on the remote control while you are in the TV Store sidebar to launch the Settings view. The GREEN key on the remote control corresponds to the color-coded keys at the bottom of the sidebar, as seen below:

  4. Select the Developer Settings button.
  5. Toggle the Show My Test Apps button to On, as seen below:

  6. Sign-in with your Yahoo! ID.
  7. A unique Developer Code for your TV is displayed. This four-digit code is bound to a tester’s Yahoo! ID and a device code. Note this code for future reference.

Upload your TV App (formerly called widget) to the TV Store

  1. Make sure the .widget directory is zipped as follows:
    • Use the naming convention: TVAppID-TVAppVersion.widget
      • For example: com.mycompany.myapp-1.0.12.widget
    • Make sure you zip your app from the .widget directory (and not from the Contents directory).
    • Rename the filename extension of the archive from .zip to .widget.
    • The app must be zipped without extra files, for example there should be no invisible files (starting with . or ._ ) nor any Thumbs.db files on Windows nor any .DS_Store files and __MACOSX folders on Mac.
    • You can use the following zip command:

      zip -x "*/.git/*" -x "*/.svn/*" -x "*/.DS_Store" -x "*/*~" -x "*/*.bck" -r <TVAppFile> <path>

  2. Go to the TV App Upload Tool (formerly called Widget Upload Tool): http://gallery.tv.widgets.yahoo.com/publisher/
  3. Make sure you are signed in to the TV App Upload Tool with the Yahoo! ID that you use to manage all of your app submissions. This Yahoo! ID may be the same Yahoo! ID that is associated with your Developer Code, however it is not required to be the same Yahoo! ID.
  4. Make sure you fill out all mandatory fields identified with asterisks in the TV App Upload Tool form in the Upload TV App tab.
  5. Make sure the TV App ID value in the widget.xml file is lower case.
  6. Make sure there are no spaces in the TV App File filename.
  7. You can associate more than one Developer Code with a specific Yahoo! ID by separating them with commas. For example: HFV5,XM89,R54H.
  8. The Store Icon File and Store Image File are the images that get displayed in the TV Store. If you do not upload these images, defaults will be used.
  9. Once you Submit the form, select the My TV Apps tab to see that your app has been uploaded. Please note that there is no confirmation screen when the app has finished uploading. If the app shows up in the My TV Apps tab, it has successfully uploaded and will be available in the Test Apps category in the TV Store app on your TV.
  10. If the app does not show up in the My TV Apps tab, it is usually caused by TV App ID or TV App File filename errors. Using upper case characters in the TV App ID and using spaces in the TV App File filename are not permitted.
  11. Using the right-mouse-button, click on the app in the My TV Apps tab to add and remove testers (by Developer Code), to remove an app, and to view the information related to your app.
  12. You can upload and test several versions of your app prior to requesting approval.

View your app on a TV

  1. Make sure you are signed in on the TV with your Yahoo! ID.
  2. Open the TV Store app on the TV.
  3. Select Categories and navigate to the last page.
  4. Select the Test Apps category
  5. Select your app and add it to your profile. The app will now be in your dock and ready to test.

Submit your TV App for Approval

  1. When you are ready to submit your app for approval, please send an email to yctvsupport@yahoo-inc.com containing the following information:

Table of Contents