TvStream

TvStream is a modern streaming web application built on a MERN-oriented stack, with Vite providing a fast and efficient development and build environment.

Problem It Solves

Traditional TV and streaming UIs often provide fragmented discovery, limited personalization, and inconsistent performance across devices.
TvStream addresses this by offering a unified, responsive web experience focused on:

• Centralized streaming discovery: Aggregate and browse content from multiple sources in a single interface.
• Improved engagement: Modern UX that encourages longer session times and repeat visits.
• Operational efficiency: Web-based client that is easy to deploy, iterate on, and integrate with existing backends.

Business Value / Benefits

• Faster time-to-market: MERN-style architecture and Vite-based tooling reduce development and iteration cycles.
• Scalability: React front end and Node/Mongo-backed APIs (when integrated) can scale with user growth.
• Cost-effective: Open-source stack minimizes licensing costs and infrastructure overhead.
• Extensibility: Easily extend with premium features (subscriptions, targeted ads, recommendations) to create new revenue streams.

Tech Stack

• Frontend Framework: React (functional components and modern hooks)
• Build Tool / Dev Server: Vite (high-performance HMR and optimized production builds)
• Language: JavaScript / TypeScript
• Styling: CSS / SCSS (and optional UI libraries)
• Backend (MERN): Node.js + Express (for RESTful APIs and server-side logic)
• Database (MERN): MongoDB (for application and content data)
• Code Quality: ESLint (linting and basic static analysis)

Core Features

• Responsive UI: Optimized layout for desktop and mobile browsers.
• Content catalog: Browse and search a catalog of shows or channels (static or API-driven).
• Modern navigation: Clean routing and state management for smooth user flows.
• Extensible modules: Architecture designed to plug in authentication, user profiles, and recommendations later.

API Design (Planned)

The front end is designed to integrate with a Node.js/Express API. A typical API surface could include:

• GET /api/content – List available shows/channels.
• GET /api/content/:id – Get details for a specific item.
• GET /api/user/profile – Retrieve current user profile and preferences.
• POST /api/user/favorites – Manage user favorites/watchlist.

Note: These endpoints are indicative and should be aligned with the actual backend implementation.

Getting Started

1. Install dependencies

   npm install

2. Run the development server

   npm run dev

3. Build for production

   npm run build

4. Preview production build

   npm run preview

Project Structure

• src/: Core React application (components, pages, hooks, utilities)
• public/: Static assets served as-is
• index.html: Vite HTML entry point

An Express/MongoDB backend can be integrated to provide the full MERN stack experience for TvStream.

Deployment

• Development: Run npm run dev for local development with hot module replacement.
• Production build: Run npm run build to generate an optimized static bundle in dist/.
• Static hosting: Serve the dist/ directory via any static host (e.g., Nginx, Netlify, Vercel, static S3/CloudFront).
• Full-stack deployment: When coupled with an Express/MongoDB backend, deploy the API and serve the built front end behind a reverse proxy or platform-as-a-service of your choice.