Race fans watch twenty on-board cameras while the timing screen keeps pace to the tenth of a second. Making a live video stream and a live data feed agree with each other on a phone was the interesting part of F1 TV.
About the brand
The F1 TV app is the official Formula 1 streaming app. With a subscription it streams every session live and on demand, with onboard cameras, live team radios, live timing and coverage of support series such as F2 and F3. It runs on mobile, the web and TV platforms. Source: Wikipedia. Source: F1 TV Pro.
My role
I worked on the F1 TV mobile app.
What I built
- Led a five-person iOS and Android team delivering the mobile and video-on-demand features of the official F1 TV app, working with product, backend, video and mobile teams.
- Built live video for F1 TV Pro: live races with all 20 driver on-board cameras, dual-stream live video, timing synchronisation and content scheduling.
- Stayed hands-on in production code while leading mobile architecture discussions with client and technical stakeholders.
Architecture and approach
- Native Android and iOS clients sharing one product backlog and one release train.
- Live and VOD video playback driven by a content schedule, so sessions appear and go live at the right moment.
- A timing layer that keeps lap-time data aligned with the video position, including when two streams run side by side.
- Code review, automated testing and CI/CD release processes across the product, backend, video and mobile teams.
Hard problems
Keeping data and video in step
Live video and live timing data travel separately. The client had to keep them aligned so what the timing screen shows matches what the viewer is watching, including with two streams on screen.
Many streams, one screen
F1 TV Pro offers every driver's on-board camera. Dual-stream playback means two video pipelines on a phone, with the buffering, battery and bandwidth cost that brings.
Outcome
- 500,000+ Android installs in 2019.
- 800+ hours of archive content available by 2020.
- Delivered as Mobile Lead, June 2019 to March 2020.
Tech and keywords
- Android
- iOS
- Kotlin
- Mobile architecture
- Technical leadership
- Live streaming
- VOD
- Adaptive video
- Timing synchronisation
- Code review
- CI/CD
- Team lead
Quick facts
- App: F1 TV
- Category: Sport and streaming
- Built by: David Miller, Digital Space Agency, Hamburg
- Type: Client work
Discuss a similar project All work
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FAQ
What did David Miller do on F1 TV?
I worked on the F1 TV mobile app. Details of scope and stack are shared on request.
Who developed the F1 TV app?
F1 TV work was done by David Miller of Digital Space Agency, a Flutter and mobile developer based in Hamburg. I worked on the F1 TV mobile app.
Can David Miller build a similar app?
Yes. I take contract engagements and am open to full-time roles, working in Hamburg or remotely on CET. Email info@dsa.team with a short description of the project.