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May 24, 2005
tivo HME SDK
tivo released a new version of the Home Media Engine SDK [sourceforge.net] yesterday. I've played around with the last version, but really didn't accomplish anything great. I found the APIs a little clunky and really needed to mind shift away from the Java Swing way of things. For those of you that don't know,
HME is the code name for TiVo’s powerful new open platform for applications that are displayed and controlled by broadband-connected TiVo Series2 DVRs.
Basically, Joe Hobbyist can write an application that uses a tivo for its user interface. The user can interact with the app through the remote and the app can interact with the user through the attached television (audio and video). Unfortunately, the power of the tivo remains locked away from developers. There is no access to the guide, recording options, actual recordings, etc. So you can use the tivo to display some stuff from a computer (web pages, pictures, whatever) and you can play sounds (mp3s) through your television...that's it. No support for playing movies either.
But, that's the way the web started out too. Static content with very little user interaction, and now look at us! I still have great hopes for the tivo HME, but not on the current platform, i.e. series 2 DVRs. I think they need a lot more power [engadget.com] before anything really revolutionary can be developed. Here's to hoping and waiting.
Posted by Guy at May 24, 2005 08:39 AM