Google has released a preview of the Google TV addon for the Android SDK, enabling developers to start creating apps for the Google TV platform. At the moment not all the features are implemented but APIs for TV interaction are there along with the UI guidelines (many Media Center developers will already know) .

The viewing environment of a television is commonly referred to as the ten foot (10ft) environment and the television screen as the 10ft UI. When you create apps for the 10ft environment, remember these basic concepts:

  • The 10ft environment is traditionally for consuming content.
    • The 10ft environment is a fun environment, not a work environment.
    • The 10ft environment is usually a social environment, not a single-user environment.
  • The viewing experience for a 10ft UI is a mix of computer and TV.
    • TV screens have both computer-like and TV-like characteristics
    • Display resolution is computer-like, but is affected by TV characteristics.
    • Color is different on TV screens.
  • TVs have high-quality sound.
    • TVs are usually connected to the best sound system.
    • Unlike computers, users expect sound from a TV and don’t find it disruptive.
  • The 10ft UI requires simple and visible navigation tools.
    • Set up navigation to progress from left to right and top to bottom.
    • Limit the need for a mouse.
    • Provide visual feedback.
  • The 10ft UI works best with well-established UI patterns based on content zones.
    • Zones themselves are independent of device types.
    • The arrangement of zones are particular to device types.
    • Many different UIs can be based on the zone concept.

Checkout the documentation to see what features are supported (eg not touchscreen!)

Unavailable Features

Google TV devices do not support some features that may be available on other devices.

Unsupported features are listed in the following sections.

Touchscreen support

Google TV does not support touchscreen

Maybe its time to try and get hold of one of the cheap Logictech Revues? Any developers thinking of targeting Google TV?

via Mark Cawley

Leave a Reply