The Apple TV is fantastic as it currently stands, but there’s no denying that Apple could benefit from letting the world’s best development community gain access to the Apple TV iOS framework. Jonathan Geller over at Boy Genius Report is reporting that an Apple TV SDK will be announced at WWDC next week:
“We have heard from a source that Apple will be introducing a TV SDK at WWDC next week. This would enable third-party developers to create software for Apple’s TV products. BGR reported late last month that Apple has plans to demonstrate an all new TV operating system during its WWDC keynote next week.”
The Apple TV already has a ton of great content with Netflix, Vimeo, MLB and NHL GameCenter, and a whole host of other services like Apple’s very own Movies and TV Shows portal, but what if major television networks were to release their very own app channels? Think NBC, CBS, or Fox application on the Apple TV. It could act just like the iPad version of their apps, but instead of having to use AirPlay to stream, it could all happen directly on the Apple TV. What about a weather network application that automatically turns on the TV in your bedroom with an alarm, and then displays the weather forecast. Or, an ESPN application that grabs the scores feed and displays a small animation with a rundown of all the major league scores from the night before.
Clearly there’s room for innovation in this regard, and clearly Apple could gain tremendously from putting tools in developer’s hands. I don’t need overlays, Twitter feeds, and FaceTime chats popping up while I’m watching video, but I could certainly use some more single serving apps on the Apple TV.
Apple, let’s get it done. Please?
