Periscope live video viewing app in development for next-gen Apple TV - report
Katie Marsal
Twitter's Periscope platform will come to the next-generation Apple TV in the form of a third-party app, to be available for download on the device's dedicated App Store, a new report reveals.
Secret development of the alleged Periscope app for Apple TV was reported on Tuesday by TechCrunch. Unsurprisingly, it's expected that the new app will be focused on watching streams broadcast from portable devices like iPhones.
It's unknown when the Periscope app is intended to launch, but Tuesday's report is the first indication of any third-party apps actively in development for the anticipated Apple TV refresh.
Current developers would need for the product to become official and an accompanying development kit to be released before work could begin on third-party apps. It's likely that those developer-focused details will be revealed at tomorrow's event.
Given the popularity of Periscope and its parent company, Twitter, it's not surprising that Apple would give its developers early access to an alleged Apple TV SDK.
Downloadable third-party games are also expected to be a central focus for the new Apple TV App Store. It's believed that casual games will be playable with a new remote control, featuring a touchpad, microphone, and motion sensors for new input methods.
Apps aside, previous reports have indicated that Apple also plans to address content discovery in the updated Apple TV with a new "universal search" feature. Using Siri, consumers would be able to enter the name of a program and find out where they can watch it, from a number of providers like Netflix and iTunes.
The new Apple TV is expected to carry beefed-up internals that include a more powerful A-series processor, possibly the A8X found in the iPad Air 2. That and other changes — including the addition of a new remote control with a built-in microphone and touch pad — could bump the retail price as high as $150.
All will be revealed on Wednesday at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern, when Apple's media presentation will kick off in San Francisco. AppleInsider will be there live with exclusive coverage, and readers can install our official iOS app for live updates.
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10 Comments
I was hopeful that any Apple TV App Store wouldn't be limited solely to games. This seems to imply that the door will be wide open for all types of apps, not just games.
I was hopeful that any Apple TV App Store wouldn't be limited solely to games. This seems to imply that the door will be wide open for all types of apps, not just games.
I was thinking that's what would make games such a success, that they are just *one* aspect of a device that provides lots of functionality, gaming being just one of them. That way the ATV doesn't live or die with gaming. I can't wait to see what an App Store will offer outside of games, I think we're going to see some really creative and fun apps hit that store once the clever developers are allowed access. Games, yes, but lots of other types of apps too!
I'm hopeful that there are a lot more apps that have been given the green light and will appear tomorrow during the "Hey Siri" event. I may finally get an Apple TV box.
They would somehow have to figure out how to do the interactive bit. Periscope seems like it would be disappointing without interaction. It would be like viewing your email in-box or better, your twitter feed, and not able to reply/retweet, etc.
That said, the attention from Periscope for Apple TV makes me think there are some big changes afoot. TV is changing indeed. Things are going in a lot of directions and there's room for Apple to be the leader here. A lot of the hardware and service offerings cover much of the same ground. It would be interesting to see someone break away as the leader and Apple is in a good position to do that.
I'm so ready to place an order for an Apple TV. I don't have one right now and was going to order one a few weeks ago but then rumors...
It's gonna be fun to watch all these portrait feeds on a 16/9 TV :)