Ad Stack, OS Upgrades, and Platform Enhancements for Dual-Screen Smart TVs

Background and Challenges

Our client launched a unique approach to TV monetization. Instead of selling televisions, the company distributes a dual-screen smart TV to households for free. Company revenue comes from advertising shown on a permanent second screen placed below the main display.

The device includes two panels:

• Main (top) screen – the standard TV display used for streaming, broadcast TV, and gaming.
• Second (bottom) screen – a narrow built-in display that stays active while the TV is on and shows ads, widgets, and branded content.

Ads do not interrupt video playback. They remain visible below the main content throughout the viewing session, which creates a continuous advertising loop rather than traditional ad breaks. The TVs also come with an AI-powered voice assistant that acts as a conversational companion in the living room.

When the project started, the company faced multiple hurdles:

• No system to deliver ads continuously across devices.
• Performance and reliability issues in the back-end part.
• No stable OS setup ready for scale across different TV versions.
• No system-level support for dual-screen synchronization.

Goals

The client defined the following goals:

• Build a system that continuously delivers personalized ads in multiple ad formats.
• Integrate advertising inventory from ad providers and aggregators.
• Implement flexible ad prioritization strategies to maximize revenue potential.
• Provide reliable analytics for tracking impressions, clicks, and campaign performance.
• Upgrade the operating system to enhance stability and reliability across device variations.
• Improve core system apps to streamline updates, app launches, and ad playback.
• Refine back-end microservices for user authorization, account management, and event tracking.
• Support real-time interactions like chats and video calls across devices.
• Optimize system processes to ensure reliable content delivery and a better user experience.

Solutions

Ad delivery system

Our developers built a custom advertising delivery platform that sources, processes, and distributes ads to the client’s dual-screen TVs.

Continuous ad rotation

Ad playback never pauses across devices. They pull creatives from a ready queue, while new ads stream in automatically from external networks. This helps every screen show fresh content without gaps.

Top-screen video ads

The platform also delivers video ads on the main screen during scheduled programming, such as news programs. Ads run in flexible pods, with multiple videos shown in sequence for set durations. This setup expands revenue opportunities by combining continuous bottom-screen ads with high-impact top-screen video placements.

Multi-source ad integration

The system connects with several advertising providers and aggregation platforms that supply advertising inventory. As a result, our client maintains stable ad delivery across devices, avoids empty slots, and captures more revenue per screen.

Targeted ad delivery

The platform delivers ads as precisely as possible without relying on personal data. Ads on the bottom screen can match the context of what’s playing on the top screen within privacy rules and the constraints set by ad partners.

Ad prioritization

The system supports configurable strategies that determine which ads to display. For example, ads from premium partners can be prioritized first. If no inventory is available from that source, the system automatically switches to alternative providers.

Support for multiple ad formats

The platform supports a wide range of advertising formats, including:

• Display banners.
• Video ads delivered through VAST tags.
• Instream video inventory.
• Interactive ads.

Campaign tracking and reporting

To support performance measurement, the platform tracks core metrics:

• impressions,
• clicks,
• viewability, etc.

Monitoring and reliability

Built-in monitoring tools track errors and device-level issues in real time. Engineers receive alerts and can quickly resolve problems to maintain stable ad delivery.

Compliance and audience safeguards

The system flags ad requests in households with children to enforce COPPA compliance. This capability gives advertisers confidence that campaigns meet regulatory requirements and maintain safe viewing environments.

OS upgrade

Alongside the advertising platform, our team worked on the system layer that powers TV sets. They maintained core system apps and updated the operating system. This work kept the software stable and optimized the TV interface, apps, and advertising services.

OS upgrade and stabilization

The team migrated OS from Android 11 to Android 14, fixing problems with HDR, audio, and reset functions. The system has become more stable, and devices rely on a modern, reliable OS build.

Core system apps

Developers built and maintained system apps responsible for updates, app management, and device control. These applications are the backbone of TV devices, supporting everything from ad playback to user-facing features.

Dual-screen coordination

The team handled system-level behavior for two screens. Ads and interactive content on the bottom screen trigger the right actions on the top screen. Everything runs in sync, so users have a seamless experience and the system captures every interaction.

System reliability

The client’s TVs come in different configurations. Our development team tested changes across all variants to maintain consistent behavior.

Back-end service

Geomotiv built and strengthened the back-end engine behind the client’s digital TV service. This system runs every feature, delivers content to viewers, and now handles more users and interaction types.

Key system services

Our developers refined the existing microservices for user authorization, account management, and event tracking. Now, viewers log in quickly, their preferences persist, and every action flows as intended. For our client, it means a more personal experience for users and fewer headaches for support.

Real-time interactions

Chats and video calls went live across devices. Users can talk, react, and interact instantly. Every change updates instantly, so what happens on one screen shows up on the other without glitches.

Optimal performance

System processes, updates, and app launches now happen consistently. Viewers experience fewer delays, devices run more reliably, and the streaming service can handle more activity without compromises.

Technologies

Results

Our client rolled out the new ad delivery system, updated the OS across every device, and significantly improved its back-end services. Every dual-screen device, every ad, every moment now works in sync, driving revenue, keeping viewers engaged, and making every interaction count:

• More TVs in households: The number of TVs shipped to households increased.
• Ads deliver expected returns: Revenue per device reached planned targets.
• Ads never stop: Ad rotation stays live on every device.
• User satisfaction boost: Viewers enjoy responsive apps, and a polished dual-screen experience.
• Stable TV service: OS upgrades and system refinements reduced crashes, errors, and delays across all devices.
• Smarter back-end core: Microservices now handle users, content, and real-time interactions faster and more reliably.