- What Is Google TV?
- How Can I Write Apps for Google TV?
- What Kinds of Apps Can or Should I Write for Google TV?
- How Can I Optimize My Web Application for Google TVs?
- How Can I Write Native Android Applications for Google TVs?
- Conclusion
What Kinds of Apps Can or Should I Write for Google TV?
Just as smartphones put apps in your pocket, Google TV brings them to your living room. The sky’s the limit when it comes to the types of apps and content you might want to provide to Google TV users. But let’s talk for a moment about what types of applications are suitable for Google TV users.
Suitability may very well be less of an issue for web-based applications. However, many Android applications rely upon hardware assumptions that are not applicable to Google TV users[md]including the existence of cameras, location-based services, sensors, and such. The good news? You don’t have to worry so much about state changes like orientation changes or frequent network drops because your user is traveling through a tunnel or in a cave. Therefore, only certain classes of existing Android applications are really appropriate for porting. These include most productivity apps (Business, News, Shopping, Reference, Education), communication apps (email, messaging, social networking) and entertainment (Games, Comics, Books and Media). What are some examples of apps that wouldn’t really fly well on Google TVs? Barcode scanners, augmented reality apps, and turn-based navigation apps.
One caveat here when it comes to app suitability is that only you (as the developer) can really determine if your app is suitable. There’s nothing stopping you from developing interesting apps that fuse the power of existing smartphones and tablets (that have cameras, sensors and such) with the power of Google TVs.