Monitor LG webOS video playback

LG webOS smart TVs lack built-in playback telemetry, which means buffering, startup failures, and rendition switches go undetected unless you instrument the player yourself. FastPix Video Data uses the same @fastpix/video-data-core JavaScript SDK you run on the web, because LG webOS apps are HTML5/JS applications. So you get QoE visibility on the big screen without a separate integration path. Install the SDK, pass your Workspace Key and player instance to fastpixMetrix.tracker(), and playback metrics flow to the FastPix dashboard alongside your web and mobile data.

IMPORTANT:
The FastPix Player, SDKs, and player integrations covered in this guide work with JavaScript-based applications only. LG webOS apps built with HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript are fully compatible. If your application is not JavaScript-based, these integrations won't work.

Prerequisites

A FastPix account with access to a workspace
Your Workspace Key from the FastPix dashboard → Workspaces section
An LG webOS smart TV app project set up with HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript
The webOS TV SDK installed on your development machine (CLI tools and VS Code plugin)

NOTE

The webOS emulator does not fully support third-party video players. Test on a physical LG smart TV with Developer Mode enabled.

Get your Workspace Key

Log in to the FastPix dashboard.
Navigate to the Workspaces section.
Copy the Workspace Key for the workspace you want to monitor.

Include this key in your JavaScript code on every page where you track video performance. The key identifies the workspace that receives your Video Data events.

Use the FastPix Player (built-in analytics)

If your LG webOS app uses the FastPix Player (@fastpix/fp-player), Video Data collection is built in, no separate SDK integration is needed. Add the <fastpix-player> element with your metadata-workspace-key attribute and data tracking starts on first play.

The player collects and reports playback metrics including buffering rates, video startup time, rendition switching, playback errors, and viewer device information. You can also pass additional metadata attributes directly on the player element for richer analytics.

<fastpix-player
  playback-id="your-playback-id"
  metadata-workspace-key="your-workspace-key"
></fastpix-player>

For complete setup instructions and available metadata attributes, see Integrate Video Data with the player.

NOTE

If you use FastPix Player, skip the third-party integration sections. The sections that follow cover HLS.js, DASH.js, and native HTML5 for apps that do not use FastPix Player.

Choose a third-party player integration

LG webOS apps are HTML5-based, so you can use any of the following FastPix Video Data integrations. The setup code is the same as the standard web guide for each player — follow the linked guide and apply the webOS-specific considerations in the next section.

HLS.js

LG webOS apps that use HLS.js for adaptive HLS streaming can integrate FastPix Data by installing @fastpix/video-data-core through npm, create your HLS.js player instance, and pass both the player instance and the Hls constructor to fastpixMetrix.tracker() along with your workspace_id and metadata.

For complete setup instructions, code examples, and configuration options, see Monitor HLS.js.

DASH.js

LG webOS apps that use DASH.js for MPEG-DASH streaming can integrate FastPix Data by installing @fastpix/video-data-core throiugh npm, initialize your DASH.js MediaPlayer instance, and pass both the player instance and the dashjs module to fastpixMetrix.tracker() along with your workspace_id and metadata.

For complete setup instructions, code examples, and configuration options, see Monitor DASH.js.

Native HTML5 video element

LG webOS TVs support HLS playback natively through the HTML5 <video> element without an external player SDK. If your app uses the built-in native player, you can still monitor playback by installing @fastpix/video-data-core, setting the video source on the <video> element and passing it to fastpixMetrix.tracker() with your workspace_id and metadata. No hlsjs or dashjs option is needed, only the data object is required.

For the complete integration pattern and configuration options, see Monitor HTML5 video element guide.

Apply webOS-specific considerations

The SDK code is identical to the standard web guides linked in the previous section. LG webOS apps have platform constraints that affect how you deploy and test.

Manage memory

LG webOS TVs have less memory than desktop browsers:

Limit concurrent network requests: The FastPix SDK batches analytics events, but avoid loading unrelated resources alongside it.
Destroy the player on exit: When the viewer navigates away or closes the app, call hls.destroy() for HLS.js, dashPlayer.reset() for DASH.js, or clear the <video> element source to free resources.
Run one player instance at a time: Creating multiple simultaneous instances risks out-of-memory crashes on older webOS models.

Handle remote control navigation

LG webOS apps are navigated with a remote control. Map play, pause, and seek actions to remote key events. The FastPix SDK tracks playback state changes automatically.

Deploy and test with Developer Mode

Enable Developer Mode on your LG TV.
Use the webOS TV CLI to deploy and launch:

# Deploy your app to the TV
ares-install --device myTV ./my-app.ipk

# Launch the app
ares-launch --device myTV com.myapp.webos

Set debug: true in the FastPix tracker configuration during development to verify events in the Web Inspector console.

Confirm network access

Ensure the LG TV has network access to reach FastPix's data collection endpoints. On restricted networks (corporate or hotel Wi-Fi), analytics events may be blocked.

Tag views with metadata

All player integrations accept the same metadata fields inside the data object. Set custom_1 to "LG webOS" and custom_2 to the player SDK name (for example, "HLS.js", "DASH.js", "native-html5") so you can filter smart TV performance against other platforms in the FastPix dashboard.

data: {
  workspace_id: "your-workspace-key",
  player_name: "LG webOS HLS.js Player",
  custom_1: "LG webOS",
  custom_2: "HLS.js"
}

Verify the integration

After deploying your app to an LG webOS TV:

Set debug: true in the tracker configuration.
Open the Web Inspector through the webOS TV CLI to check for FastPix debug logs in the console.
Play a video and confirm events appear in the FastPix dashboard under the Data section.
Filter by the player_name you set (for example, "LG webOS HLS.js Player") to isolate smart TV views.

Frequently asked questions

Does the webOS emulator work for testing FastPix Video Data?

The webOS emulator does not fully support third-party video players such as HLS.js or DASH.js. You can verify basic SDK initialization in the emulator, but accurate playback metrics require a physical LG TV with Developer Mode enabled.

Do I need a separate SDK for LG webOS?

No. LG webOS apps are standard HTML5/JS applications, so the same @fastpix/video-data-core package used on the web works on webOS. No platform-specific SDK is required.

How do I debug analytics events on the TV?

Set debug: true in the tracker configuration and open the Web Inspector through the webOS TV CLI (ares-inspect). FastPix logs each event to the console, including the workspace ID, event type, and metadata payload.

Can I monitor playback if my LG app uses a native (non-JS) player?

No. The FastPix Video Data SDK requires a JavaScript runtime. If your LG webOS app uses a non-JavaScript player engine, the SDK cannot instrument it. The SDK works with HLS.js, DASH.js, native HTML5 <video>, and FastPix Player.