Okay. When I first read about the Java TV API last year, I thought
the idea of Java running on set-top boxes was quite amusing. After all,
we've all had the experience of slow loading applets running inside
Web browsers, that amount to little more than eye-candy for the easily
amused. Certainly, there are some serious Java applets out there, but
they're few and far between, and with cross-browser compatibility
issues, limited in their audience reach.
Then the enormity of it hit me - while the number of computers in
households is still small, and the number of Internet users even more
so, the number of people with television sets is MASSIVE. This
one concept has the potential to introduce the word "Java" to
hundreds of millions of people world-wide. Digital TV may be slow to get
a foothold, but it's almost a certainty. Now imagine all those
people running Java applications (or applets) right from their
television. High bandwidth HDTV or cable connections could be integrated
with interactive Java content, ranging from simple games, stock tickers,
and online shopping. The scope of the Java TV API is very big indeed.
The Java TV API is designed to allow Java applications access to the
functionality of the television host on which it runs. Through the Java
TV API, which will provide access to television programming content
(de-multiplexed on-the-fly), content selection (program guides), and
control over the television screen appearance. Applications can run on a
Java Virtual Machine (JVM) designed for set-top boxes, televisions, and
real-time devices. The underlying hardware details are abstracted away,
leaving developers free to concentrate on developing interactive
content, not porting it from one system to another.
Java TV Overview
Here's where Java technology comes into its own. Not only is it
portable, not only is there an existing code base to work with and
familiarity amongst developers, but it will be easy to move applications
from one system to another. That means consumers (and cable companies)
won't be left with antiquated systems that can only run a small range of
software.
Integrated with the Java TV API will be other related technologies.
For example, Java already has support for decoding and processing
multimedia content, through the Java Media Framework. New decoders for
television content can be added, as well as existing mechanisms such as
MPEG. Imagine a high speed cable network that allows audio playback of
MP3 music! As new content streaming formats are developed, applets can
gain access to decoders as they are added to the JMF. This means that
set-top software doesn't need to be manually updated - new formats can
be downloaded on-the-fly.
The Java TV API has the potential to revolutionize the Java
landscape. Sure, Java has made inroads into browsers, and is having
increasing success in the server-side market, but imagine the potential
of set-top boxes all around the world running Java. That's a big market
for Sun, for cable and television companies, and for software
developers.
For more information on the Java TV API, you can follow its progress
at Sun:
http://java.sun.com/products/javatv/
