Making apps for the Apple TV: -What is the Apple TV? -AirPlay -Adding AirPlay support to iOS apps -Testing AirPlay in the iOS simulator -Design considerations Video from NSScotland 2014 at: https://vimeo.com/album/3132071/video/111942376 Presented at NSScotland 2014 and LiDG November 2014

1. Making apps for tv
Sally Shepard // @mostgood
1

2. One thing I hear a
lot is…
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3. I want an Apple TV SDK
3

4. • What is the tv
• Making apps!
• Design considerations
• What the future might hold
X

5. What is tv?
5

6. *does not include hand
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7. 512 MB of RAM
8 GB of flash memory to cache content
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8. Apple TV gives you access to the
best 1080p HD content —
including blockbuster films, hit TV
programmes, live sport, your
music, photos, videos and more
— all on your high-definition TV.
You can even play content from
your iOS device or Mac on your
TV using AirPlay.
X

9. Device as a remote
8

10. 9

11. tv features
• Home Sharing
• iCloud
• iTunes
• AirPlay
10

12. 11

13. Focused on sharing
and watching.
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14. If an SDK came out
tomorrow, what would you
make?
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15. Making an tv app.
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16. 
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17. *holy grail*
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18. How are these apps
made?
X

19. 17

20. design
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21. How does one navigate?
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22. Apple remote
Remote app20

23. Collection View Table View
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24. Coverflow-esque
Table View
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25. Buttons
Labels, Text Views
Images
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26. Ultra clear.
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27. Would this work for
your app?
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28. Controls
X

29. Class dump
http://nshipster.com/backrow/
X

30. Back Row UIKit
<BRResponder> <UIResponder>
<BRAppliance> <UIApplication>
BRController UIViewController
BRMenuController UITableViewController
BRControllerStack UINavigationController
BRGridView UICollectionView
BRListView UITableView
X

31. bad
*obligatory cat imageX

32. AirPlay
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33. What is AirPlay?
X

34. Enabling AirPlay
• Mirroring
• Second screen
• Multi-user
• Controller
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35. Mirroring
• No code needed
• Not optimised for TV screen
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36. Second Screen
• Optimised for TV
• Same or related content as device
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37. Multi-user
• Multi-player games
• Multi-user apps
• Each user can view their view in addition
to other users
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38. Controller
• Main display on tv
• Device acts controller
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39. Second Screen
UIWindow *window = !
[[UIApplication sharedApplication] keyWindow];
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40. Second Screen
[UIScreen mainScreen]
33

41. Second Screen
1. Check for an external screen at app startup
2. Register for notifications for screen state changes
3. Create a second window, link to a screen and display it.
34

42. Second Screen
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application
didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions {!
//…!
!
NSInteger screenCount = [[UIScreen screens] count];!
if (screenCount > 1) {!
UIScreen *secondScreen = [[UIScreen screens] lastObject];!
[self setupSecondScreen:secondScreen];!
}!
//...!
}
1. Check for an external screen at app startup
35

43. Second Screen
// previous code!
[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] addObserver:self !
selector:@selector(screenAdded:) !
name:UIScreenDidConnectNotification !
object:nil]; !
!
[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] addObserver:self!
selector:@selector(screenRemoved:)!
name:UIScreenDidDisconnectNotification!
object:nil];!
//...
2. Register for notifications for screen state changes
36

44. Second Screen
2. Register for notifications for screen state changes
- (void)screenAdded:(NSNotification *)screenNotification {!
UIScreen *newScreen = [screenNotification object];!
[self setupSecondScreen:newScreen];!
} !
!
- (void)screenRemoved:(NSNotification *)screenNotification {!
if (self.secondWindow) {!
self.secondWindow.hidden = YES;!
self.secondWindow = nil;!
}!
}
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45. Second Screen
3. Create a second window, link to a screen and display it
- (void)setupSecondScreen:(UIScreen *)newScreen {!
CGRect windowBounds = newScreen.bounds;!
if (!self.secondWindow) {!
self.secondWindow = [UIWindow alloc]
initWithFrame:windowBounds];!
self.secondWindow.screen = newScreen;!
//setup UI content and add as rootViewController!
self.secondWindow.hidden = NO;!
}!
}
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46. Second Screen
Things to remember
1. Notifications will queue when you’re app is in the background
so always add observers in an app lifetime object like
AppDelegate.
2. To change the UIWindow attached to a UIScreen, hide the
window first as it’s possible but an expensive operation.
3. Your second screen has no access to orientation information
or notifications so use status bar orientation.
4. Use UIScreens availableModes to determine if a lower
resolution is available for graphically intensive content
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47. Controller
Once you’ve setup a second screen and assigned
it a rootViewController, you can then change the
content on your main screen to be a controller
or other content.
*hands still not
included
40

48. Multiple Users
You can expand the experience to display content from multiple
users onto your second screen by using Game Center API’s,
or for non-game collaboration, the Multipeer Networking API’s
Game Center Bonjour
WWDC 2013 - Session 708WWDC 2013 - Session 506
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49. Testing AirPlay
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50. Testing in the simulator
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51. 44

52. Testing with devices
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53. !!!
46

54. Design considerations
47

55. Screen sizes
48

56. TV screens are not for
reading.
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57. You can use sound!
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58. Video & images == "
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59. Design like everyone
is looking.
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60. The future of the tv
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61. "Think how much your life has changed,
and all the things around you that have
changed, and yet TV, when you go into
the living room to watch TV or wherever
it may be, it almost feels like you're
rewinding the clock and you've entered
a time capsule and you're going
backwards.”
-Tim Cook
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62. Something will probably
happen, but who knows when
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63. X

64. X

65. X

66. My wish list:
• Sign in with TouchID
• Notification Center
• Vision
• Siri
• HomeKit Hub
X

67. Routes
AirPlay

X

68. Summary:
• You don't need an SDK
• Relatively unexplored space
• 20 million+ sold
• New revenue possibilities
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69. Thanks
@mostgood
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