Samsung Smart TV App
Can we create apps for Samsung Smart TV in dot net?
If no, which languages can we use to create them? I guess Adobe AIR is one.
Answer
Download SAMSUNG TV APPS SDK and use the "Apps editor" and the "Visual Editor" included in the SDK to create programs.
In the Visual Editor you create scenes that can be used in the program. A Scene can contain components from the toolbar, like textboxes, listboxes and so on, following components are predefined:
- Button: Handles button events
- Check Box: Provides a check box button for selecting options
- Date Picker: Allows the user to select calendar dates
- Help Bar: Displays a 960px-width bar at the bottom of the screen.
- Image: Displays an image.
- Input: Provides an empty field into which the user can enter text
- Label: Displays a simple string
- List Box: A vertical list
- Loading Image: Displays a waiting image for situations like network loading
- Popup: Displays a popup message with an OK button
- Popup (OK, Cancel): Displays a popup message with an OK button and a Cancel button
- Scrollbar: Displays the currently selected position on a list
- Video: Provides movie playback/volume buttons
For each type of component, there is an XML file which defines its default properties and parameters. This includes the component's thumbnail image, default size, resize options, etc. When you drag a component from the Component panel to the editing window, an instance of the component is created according to the elements in the XML files. These properties can then be adjusted for the specific instance in the Visual Editor.
In the Apps Editor you import your scenes and bind it together with code to make an functional program. You are working with CSS and javascript. You can run the program in the emulator and trace errors using the Log Manager Panel.
All SmartTV applications are in fact html-applications running online from the server containing the apps. A small part (icons and some other information, sometimes media is downloaded to get fast access) are downloaded and installed on the TV but it seems like you can't run the program without internet connection on the TV so it seems like it needs to connect and run it from the source.
I have'nt succeeded in uploading a project to run on my smart-TV yet, so anyone that has done it, please enter more information here about that.
Samsung TV Application SDK
The Samsung TV Application SDK (SDK) can be downloaded from the Samsung Developer Forum in the SDK & Tools section under Apps Guide menu. It is currently compatible only with Windows OS. Please register at www.samsungdforum.com/eu to download it.