So far in this chapter I’ve covered mostly mobile device development, but a new and thriving area lies in development for Internet-connected smart TVs. The big players in this arena include device manufacturers Samsung, Sony, and Panasonic; plug-in box makers Roku and Boxee; and the browser vendor Opera. Installable apps on smart TVs are generally seen as a good idea, as it’s easier to navigate a series of icons than it is to type long URLs when using a remote control.
Early smart TVs had proprietary and conflicting app development platforms, but 2012 saw a sector-wide move toward web platform technologies that made developing for TV much less demanding. Each party to the development maintains their own developer program and documentation, some of which is free. If you’re interested in developing in this area, Opera’s developer portal has some great articles and tutorials on best practices (see Appendix K).