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TvOS for Developers
- rcraft 11y agoCan specific apps still block airplay? I haven't used AppleTV in a long time, but it was crazy frustrating when certain apps restricted you from being able to airplay to a big screen. I'm guessing mirroring the entire screen might be a possible workaround but I thought perhaps apps could detect this as well and shutdown. Can anyone clarify?
- atommclain 11y agoApps can still block airplay and mirroring.
- numbsafari 11y agoIn a lot of cases this can be due to licensing restrictions. These companies may not have licenses to allow streaming off of the mobile app to a big screen. It has less to do with the company and more to do with the content licensor (who may have previously licensed the content to someone else with exclusive rights to TV but not to mobile). Content licensing and not technical issues are usually the reason for these annoying practices. Blame the content owner.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- capkutay 11y agoI wonder if Apple's marketing team has a template for these releases. "We've reimagined _____ - an innovative ______ that redefines ____."
- prgmatic 11y agofollowed by long pause followed by "This is {epic|awesome|amazing|special}"
- robalfonso 11y agoThis is {epic|awesome|amazing|special|revolutionary|groundbreaking}" Any others?
- abstractwater 11y agoAnd then and "I'm {thrilled|so excited} to be here today to announce..." This time there was more thrill... a lot of thrill.
- paxcoder 11y agoI reckon a list of words meant for creating needs and wants.
- numbsafari 11y agoConsistency is really important in branding. I don't understand why people rag on Apple for being so incredibly consistent in their branding. I bet your own marketing department would love to have that kind of discipline. How much time is spent here on HN talking about A/B testing things and going with the best result. Apple is incredibly profitable. As much as it might irk you, I bet their phraseology performs VERY well.
- volandovengo 11y agoAnyone understand why they didn't launch this as a chromecast like USB stick vs. a standalone box? Surely price point will be a big issue with adoption.
- prgmatic 11y agoI think from a consumer marketing perspective they want really want a box with an Apple logo sitting in every living room in the country. I think that, and maybe because of the SSD and other hardware.
- realityking 11y agoConsidering the amount of processing power put into this thing, how should it fit into a stick? I also got the impression they want it to be standalone device. IMO a good idea, if I'd tell my parents to use their phones' to watch TV I'd get some very weird looks.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- rsynnott 11y agoThe Chromecast basically doesn't need to do anything except stream video. This, on the other hand, has a reasonably hefty mobile processor (same one as iPhone 6). Also, the Chromecast's wifi is pretty anaemic; not much room for antennae.
- oksawe 11y agoDon't understand why people like the Chromcast. I couldn't believe it didn't run apps natively. What a joke.
- dragonwriter 11y ago> Anyone understand why they didn't launch this as a chromecast like USB stick vs. a standalone box? The same reason that Google didn't do that with Nexus Player, which is the nearest equivalent consumer product from Google to the Apple TV. > Surely price point will be a big issue with adoption. Possibly -- I think there is a reason why Google did Chromecast first. But Apple has been pretty successful in the past aiming at the high end of the market and not worrying about price point effects on adoption, trusting on marketing and prestige.
- prgmatic 11y agoDoes it really make more sense to create _another_ OS, rather than extending OS X or iOS? It seems like they're doing that anyway seeing as games etc will work "across all devices"...
- madeofpalk 11y agoApple TV has always been based on iOS, but was 'forked' a while ago and has diverged a lot since then. Initial reports suggested that this 'new' tvOS is based on iOS 9, which makes sense seeing as it's using a lot of iOS API's and frameworks
- alttab 11y agoDepending on how they structure the teams and how they share their code, this will either go well, or very, very poorly.
- savoytruffle 11y agoRecall the 1st generation Apple TV (announced in autumn 2006 and sold until 2010) was actually using a version of Mac OS X on an Intel CPU.
- steckerbrett 11y agoYes, that's an exception though. Very weird device really.
- bickfordb 11y agoIt's probably not another OS in the traditional sense, but a different set of ObjC/Swift frameworks that are TV / set-top box relevant
- guelo 11y agoHere it mentions XML and Javascript which is, um... different. https://developer.apple.com/tvos/ https://developer.apple.com/tvos/
- funkedelic_bob 11y agoDoes anyone know that if we mirrored a game from our iPhone 6s would it graphically look better than if we played it natively on the Apple TV? Seeing as the graphical horsepower in the phone is better than what the Apple TV offers.
- robalfonso 11y agoMy concern is the apps that are approved for this device and the speed at which it occurs. I've bought into the whole eco system in terms of hardware: macbook, Apple tv, iphones, ipads etc. But I don't really care for apple radio, itunes music, or itunes video. I use netflix and amazon and spotify. So my concern is that those apps will be quickly available without any slow down or blocking by Apple. I also like to stream local content which I can do easily with my ipad. I think as long as I can get the same selection of apps I get for ios I'll be happy, but I've seen apple make arbitrary choices before.
- sciurus 11y agoAmazon doesn't support the current Apple TV or Google's Chromecast, so I doubt they'll support the new Apple TV either. Maybe they think this is an effective way to get people to buy a Fire TV or Fire TV Stick.
- alttab 11y agoThe way Amazon has tried to edge itself in is by supplying custom content, both in TV and games. Netflix has kept its edge with content, HBO has kept it's edge with content. Whether you like Amazon's content is up for debate, but what's not up for debate is Apple is behind in this regard.
- simonh 11y agoGoing into content would be a terrible mistake for Apple. It would set them up as a competitor against the very services they rely on to make the Apple TV competitive. As a neutral party, they can provide an attractive platform for Netflix, HBO, etc services. Sony made the mistake of getting into content decades ago. Their aim was to deliver content to their device businesses, but it made them the enemy instead of an ally of every other music, TV and film company on the planet. Apple had an exclusive with HBO Go last year. That would never have happened if Apple had their own TV service.
- abstractwater 11y agoI don't think so. Amazon has always been about being everywhere, no matter what devices you use. So I'd be surprised if Amazon doesn't release a (Prime) Video app soon. And it should be ok for Apple too, since they allow an equivalent app on iOS.
- jaimebuelta 11y agoAccording to the Programming Guide [1], no persistent data can be stored in the device, everything should be in iCloud, and the maximum size of the Apps is 200MB (at any given point, it seems, you can use on-demand resources) This is an interesting way of trying to squeeze more apps and circumvent some of the latests storage-related issues in iOS [1] https://developer.apple.com/library/prerelease/tvos/documentation/General/Conceptual/AppleTV_PG/index.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40015241 https://developer.apple.com/library/prerelease/tvos/document...
- code_sterling 11y agoThis actually concerns me, I think 400mb would have been a much more reasonable maximum. We're not going to get a lot of good games if this isn't increased.
- jaimebuelta 11y agoI checked in my iPad and most of the games are in the range of 300~500Mb, so it seems possible to use on-demand resources to have a good experience. But it can be challenging for HD 3D games, something like Tell Tale games or Infinity Blade...
- kevingadd 11y agoOut of curiosity I went through my Steam folder to look at all the games I have installed. Even many of the 2D ones are well over 200mb - almost all of them are over a gig, most are 2-8 gigs. Some of them are even mobile games, like Republique. Simple 2D games will probably be just fine with a 200mb limit but pretty much any high tier game is going to have size issues, I think. Hopefully streaming assets down will work out for those games, but there are significant numbers of games for which network streaming is impossible (open-world games, for example, Really Need all their assets on local storage at all times.) On my Android phone as well I have multiple games up above the 500mb mark, 2d and 3d alike.
- elithrar 11y agoBastion (a 2.5D isometric action RPG) on my iPhone is 1.2GB. Transistor (one of the games they featured) is 1.84GB on the App Store for the iPhone version. Feels like a disconnect between the docs and reality. PS: Transistor is fantastic - that music!
- frame_perfect 11y agoIt's so shitty how the Raspberry Pi has been able to do the same technical things as this for almost 3 years now with complete freedom and ease of use, but the only thing stopping it was DRM. Now this non-innovative POS is probably going to overtake it simply because Apple can cut a deal :/
- simonh 11y agoHow many cores does a Pi have? What's it's clock rate? How many and what type of GPUs does it have and what's their performance? Is it 64 bit? What controllers does it provide? What's the voice command system? What are it's versions of Metal, UI Kit, Cloud Kit? What's the software distribution mechanism? Sorry, but this isn't Slashdot.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- gurkendoktor 11y agoAs a developer, I wish that were true. I bought a Raspberry Pi, and just opening a window with OpenGL in it was frustrating beyond belief. You can apt-get install SDL2, but like most packages it hasn't been adapted to the Pi and won't work with GLES. So you have to build it from source. And even then I couldn't figure out how to stop keyboard input from my SDL window from leaking into the terminal that started the game. And so on... I ended up giving the Pi away. And that was ~a full year after it came out, I never buy things on launch day. In Xcode, it takes something between 5 and 10 clicks to create a working project for OS X or iOS (with OpenGL or whatever framework you want to use). The developer experience is a big part of what makes the Apple TV what it is. I'm not saying it's perfect - I can't believe the App Store doesn't allow for time trials yet - but it's really, really easy to beat the developer experience for any other living room device.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- snyp 11y agoWow apple is embracing javascript
- rimantas 11y agoHow is this news?
- jonknee 11y agoBecause they don't do that for iOS, MacOS or watchOS? The last time they did something similar was for Dashboard Widgets and that was 10 years ago.
- polpo 11y agoAFAIK, the "Channels" on the Apple TV gen 2 and 3 are already JavaScript and XML-based (a while ago, people discovered that they could spoof the XML and JS on the Trailers channel to play arbitrary videos). So it's somewhat natural that the new Apple TV continues with Javascript.
- glasshead969 11y agoApple introduced Native JavaScript bridge for iOS in iOS 7. you can call objective-c apis in javascript.[1] [1]https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/AppleApplications/Conceptual/SafariJSProgTopics/Tasks/ObjCFromJavaScript.html https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/AppleA...
- jonknee 11y agoThat's not what this is about though, it's for UI layout (much like with Dashboard). You don't call Objective-C APIs from JS inside a WebKit container, you're actually using JS to layout the app. Update: the docs are up and the JS framework is called TVJS, https://developer.apple.com/library/prerelease/tvos/documentation/TVMLJS/Reference/TVJSFrameworkReference/index.html https://developer.apple.com/library/prerelease/tvos/document...
- epmatsw 11y agoDisappointing it won't run on the old AppleTV, considering they're still selling it.
- prgmatic 11y agoThis is apple - are you surprised? :)
- jhugg 11y agoAlso curious what updates are coming to the older box. Presumably it will run a tvOS light, or something?
- skrause 11y agoMy guess is that no significant updates will come to the old Apple TV anymore.
- seiji 11y agoThis is where HN breaks down. The branding is explicitly tvOS, not TvOS (HN used to have pedantic mods manually change all titles to make first-letter-caps even when not relevant, not sure if it's automatic now or not). There's actually a special unicode character you can use to begin a sentence if your subject is lowercase: http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/203e/index.htm http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/203e/index.htm
- JosephRedfern 11y agoAre you serious? HN is breaking down because someone didn't follow Apple's brand identity when posting about a product that was launched about 2 hours ago!? If anything, THIS is where HN is breaking down!
- seiji 11y agoEnforcing arbitrary rules breaking brand names is a bad thing. IPhones should never be typed like that. Now we also have watchOS and tvOS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUAK7t3Lf8s&t=3m22s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUAK7t3Lf8s&t=3m22s
- vezzy-fnord 11y agosite:wikipedia.org "stylized as" No one but the original marketer is obligated to honor stylized brand names. How many people have you seen type out "c|net" instead of "CNET"?
- ceejayoz 11y ago> Enforcing arbitrary rules breaking brand names is a bad thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proof_by_assertion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proof_by_assertion Why is it a bad thing? What measurable harm has come to Apple - hell, anyone - by having the link here titled with 'TvOS' instead of 'tvOS'?
- karimhossenbux 11y agoMaybe he was saying that because HN puts a uppercase to the title first char?
- josteink 11y agoLet's hope this move from Apple forces Google to put some more effort into marketing Android TV. It's a good (superior?) platform, but could definitely use a little better app-support.
- tootie 11y agoFireTV is pretty awesome. By far the best FireOS product. I love voice search via the Android app. It's actually the only voice recognition software I use. Games aren't very interesting, but I am extremely dubious of AppleTV stealing much market share from the consoles. It'll be big screen versions of Candy Crush.
- dominotw 11y agois it same as chromecast?
- gmrple 11y agoAndroid TV is different from Chromecast. Android TV can behave exactly as a Chromecast (you can wake it up by casting from your phone), but it also has a remote driven interface, voice recognition, and apps with non touch interfaces. Developers must release a android TV version of their application in order for their app to work with Android TV, the entire android ecosystem is not available to TV by default.
- therealmarv 11y agono, it's totally different approach. At Chromecast the center is your phone/tablet and it seems for tvOS it is Siri and the remote control.
- Tloewald 11y agotvOS seems to support seamless transitions of apps across iOS devices (they mentioned it in a game context) so it may prove to be much better than that -- e.g. watch a show on Hulu, walk into room and hand the app over to the TV and so forth.
- pibefision 11y agoNot again, not another walled gardened experience please
- exelius 11y agoShow me a way to make money off a consumer experience in 2015 that isn't a walled garden. You're either a platform or you're a feature waiting to be integrated into a platform.
- frame_perfect 11y agoFuck making money. This is shitty.
- kkirsche 11y agoThe fact that the VM's are that large are a testimate to lack of modular code in
- matthewmacleod 11y agoVery interesting to see the alternative JavaScript and XML approach to creating apps. I guess it makes a lot of sense for the simple apps that will be available. Good that there's still basically the whole of iOS available for use, however.
- therealmarv 11y agoFinally HDMI-CEC in their new Apple TV! And about the OS: It seems a lot of XML and JS for tvOS.
- glasshead969 11y agoUIKit apps are possible too. https://developer.apple.com/library/prerelease/tvos/samplecode/UICatalogFortvOS/Introduction/Intro.html https://developer.apple.com/library/prerelease/tvos/sampleco...
- riemannzeta 11y agoThey've got webviews. But what about browsers? And will apple bluetooth keyboards connect?
- realityking 11y agoThe current AppleTV can be used with a bluetooth keyboard, so it's fair to assume this will continue to work.
- iraphael 11y agoI'm waiting to see the ability to use iPhone/iPad keyboards as inputs for the Apple TV. I think Google TV does this.
- realityking 11y agoYou can do that with the remote app.
- X-Istence 11y agoDownload the remote app onto your iOS devices, and turn on home sharing. Now your Apple TV will show up as a device you can control from your iOS device or even Apple Watch.
- ascagnel_ 11y agoThe "Remote" app has been around for years (dating back to before the previous "black hockey puck" iteration of the Apple TV) and can control the TV as well as iTunes.
- jawngee 11y agoWhere are you seeing Webviews? Webkit isn't listed in the available frameworks.
- riemannzeta 11y agohttps://developer.apple.com/library/prerelease/tvos/documentation/UIKit/Reference/UIWebView_Class/index.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40006950 https://developer.apple.com/library/prerelease/tvos/document...
- datashovel 11y agoJust the other day I realized I didn't even have batteries in my TV remote anymore. Haven't had the desire to turn my TV on in who knows how long. As a consumer I'm not optimistic this will change anything.
- TheCapn 11y agoI'm at a loss for what you're trying to say here. So you don't watch TV? Like, in any of the possible ways that a TV could be utilized? No Cable, No DVD/BluRay, No YouTube/Netflix hookup, no XBMC/Kodi/Plex style streaming, no console gaming? Sure its possible that all those options and others are not of your interests, but then what were you expecting to change? You're obviously not the target demographic.
- datashovel 11y agoI guess just contemplating out loud whether this is a play to try to "rescue" "TV as a commonly utilized device in the household", or if I truly am an anomaly, and that TV is still trending well among all the new devices everyone may choose to use these days as an alternative. I should've thought this through though, realizing that this is a new Apple device on a heavily "pro-apple" forum :)
- peteretep 11y agoI don't watch any broadcast TV, but the large screens with HDMI connectors in my living room and bedroom are awfully useful for watching movies on, photos, and so on
- datashovel 11y agoThat's been my thinking as well. Not to put words into your mouth, but it sounds like you would agree that TV and "computer monitor" are converging.
- chaostheory 11y agoI found that I used the TV a little more often if I could talk to it via Xbox One. If it worked as well as Amazon's Echo for voice recognition, I'd probably use it a little more. This said, I'm not excited about having to press a button for Apple TV to hear me, nor am I likely to use it if I end up losing that small remote. It would be nicer if you could either have it always on or have an option for it to continuously listen for an hour or two.
- ThomPete 11y agoInteresting. 3rd party game controller for apple tv. Was hoping for that. http://www.apple.com/tv/games-and-more/ http://www.apple.com/tv/games-and-more/
- mpg33 11y agoA little surprised apple didn't create they're own game controller...I think it would make Apple TV even a bit more compelling overall.
- duaneb 11y agoAnd open themselves up to be judged as a serious game player? I don't think they want that, as someone who views the gaming community with a great deal of disgust. Whiny, entitled children who are extremely critical. Apple has an amazing casual market and it makes more sense to capitalize on that.
- ThomPete 11y agoI upvoted you because I dont think you deserve to be downvoted for an opinion. Having said that do you care to elaborate on your first claim. Not sure I understand where you are getting that from.
- duaneb 11y agoThis is coming from a few observations: 1. The gaming community is one of the most critical, volatile, toxic cultures I've ever seen. See: Gamergate. This isn't a comment on individuals, just the collective. This is where my impression of whiny, entitled children comes from. 2. Apple seems quite comfortable in the casual gaming community. 3. Coming out with their own hardware would be a commitment to gaming that would open themselves up to actually WANTING the criticism of the gaming community. I don't see Apple relishing this at the moment, especially after the Apple Watch flop and the introduction of a stylus 8 years late.
- qzervaas 11y ago
- finalight 11y agowas wondering if my current apple tv is upgradeable to the new OS? my apple tv is the latest generation though (before this new one obviously)
- adultSwim 11y ago"We’ve reimagined the TV experience" ha - must have some pretty limited imaginations