{"id":5982,"date":"2016-06-01T12:00:03","date_gmt":"2016-06-01T19:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thinkapps.com\/blog\/?p=5982"},"modified":"2016-06-02T18:37:35","modified_gmt":"2016-06-03T01:37:35","slug":"apple-tv-should-you-create-an-app","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thinkapps.com\/blog\/development\/apple-tv-should-you-create-an-app\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple TV: Should You Create An App for the Little Black Box?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wondering whether you should build an Apple TV app? Read on to find out whether it’s right for you.<\/em><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Apple TV<\/span><\/a> has been around for quite some time. In fact, it was introduced back in 2007, when the very first iPhone was released.<\/span><\/p>\n

But, unlike the iPhone, the Apple TV had a back-seat status of being more of an Apple hobby. And despite numerous incremental improvements over the years, this little black box had still not received much attention from Apple. <\/span><\/p>\n

This all changed, however, in fall 2015.\u00a0<\/span>Amidst the excitement of Apple\u2019s announcements of the new iPhone 6S and iPad Pro in September, the company\u00a0finally put Apple TV in the spotlight.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Apple<\/a><\/p>\n

The device has been reborn with an array of hardware enhancements<\/a>, including a fast A8 processor. And the new Apple TV will be controlled through a cleaner interface with deep searching, a gesture-friendly remote control, and the ability to hook up gaming controllers\u00a0\u2014 all powered by Siri.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the most notable improvement is the all-new tvOS framework, which opens up the platform for the first time to third-party developers<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

The first obvious category of apps we expect to see\u00a0are games, and the bridge from iOS to powerful and immersive TV-room games shouldn’t be too difficult.\u00a0<\/span>But of course, games aren’t the only type of app well-suited to the Apple TV.<\/p>\n

Read on to find out more about the various use cases for the Apple TV and determine if building an app for this platform is the right approach for you and your company.<\/h3>\n

\"Apple<\/a><\/p>\n

Why Build an App for the Apple TV?<\/span><\/h2>\n

To answer that question, we need to look at what type\u00a0of apps would be useful and engaging in the living room, sharing one big screen with your friends and family.<\/span><\/p>\n

Games and Sports<\/span><\/h3>\n

Using controllers and a large TV screen, Apple games will become more social and inclusive \u2014 a shift from people hiding away and playing alone on\u00a0their small screens.<\/span><\/p>\n

The new platform Apple launched\u00a0sets the stage for it\u00a0to compete with other gaming consoles like Nintendo, XBox and Playstation.<\/span><\/p>\n

We will see developers like EA extend their gaming offering from current iPhone and iPad games like NBA 2K16 and John Madden Football, promising a more addictive experience.<\/p>\n

While Guitar Hero has already announced it\u00a0will be building for tvOS, we expect to see\u00a0many more family-oriented games (like we’ve seen on the Wii) make their way onto the Apple TV.<\/p>\n

\"Apple<\/p>\n

Apple has already demonstrated the new and improved MLB at Bat app, allowing viewers to stream live baseball games at 60 frames per second, with split-screen viewing for live video combined\u00a0with full statistics. <\/span><\/p>\n

The NHL is also working on a similar experience for all of the hockey fans out there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But the real anticipation is for\u00a0any sports channel to be\u00a0able to jump in with their own subscription-based live offering.<\/span><\/p>\n

TV and\u00a0Video Content<\/span><\/h3>\n

In addition to games and sports, the Apple TV is, of course, ideal for TV and video content.<\/span><\/p>\n

Netflix and Hulu have had a presence on Apple TV for quite some time. But Apple had negotiated with these major streaming services individually, in order to make them available\u00a0as channels on Apple TV. <\/span><\/p>\n

Apple had also previously negotiated with other broadcasting partners, such as MLB and the NHL. But smaller companies and app developers were not part of the equation.\u00a0<\/span>This has now changed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With the Apple TV now having its own App Store, any developer big or small is capable of showcasing their\u00a0content through the\u00a0tvOS platform.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Apple<\/a><\/p>\n

Podcasters and video producers can now\u00a0create their own apps and channels for the benefit of consumers. <\/span><\/p>\n

Using Apple’s new <\/span>Television Markup Language (TVML)<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and a bit of JavaScript, companies don\u2019t even have to go to the trouble of developing in Swift or Objective-C to create a simple tvOS app. <\/span><\/p>\n

Apple has more than\u00a0<\/span>18 free\u00a0<\/span>TVML templates<\/span><\/a> to help companies get started on their apps. These templates make the development effort relatively straightforward, requiring\u00a0minimal mobile coding expertise. <\/span><\/p>\n

The templates are also a perfect delivery mechanism for video-hosting apps, such as\u00a0educational software like Lynda and Coursera, to make their way onto Apple TV.<\/span><\/p>\n

Travel and Shopping Apps<\/span><\/h3>\n

Airbnb<\/a>\u00a0was one of the first partners announced for\u00a0tvOS, and the company even demonstrated during Apple\u2019s September 2015 event.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Apple<\/a><\/p>\n

Airbnb, as well as real estate app Zillow and travel app Expedia, are a natural fit for the type of sharing environment provided by Apple TV, as they provide content that makes sense to consume communally.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than emailing or\u00a0texting friends and family, you can all share a large television screen in the comfort of your home and peruse holiday rentals, hotel packages, and flights all together, discussing and\u00a0debating the various options. <\/span><\/p>\n

E-commerce retailer<\/a>\u00a0Gilt has also demonstrated a compelling experience for\u00a0using Apple TV for shopping.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Apple<\/a><\/p>\n

Other apps that we imagine would make for a great sharing experience on tvOS include:<\/span><\/p>\n