LG Electronics Places Open Source Bet on Smart TV Apps

For years now, pundits have predicted that the age of connected TVs is upon us, and televisions have become much smarter, but LG Electronics is one of a growing number of companies betting that an open source development model can really drive the trend forward. The company recently made Connect SDK, an open source software development kit, available to Android and iOS developers for the creation of apps that could reach tens of millions of big TV screens around the world.

According to LG's announcement:

"By unifying device discovery and connectivity across multiple television platforms, Connect SDK is the first to truly address the complexity associated with implementing second screen capabilities while reaching the largest installed base of smart TVs and connected devices. For consumers, this means that LG's new Smart TVs, powered by the webOS platform, as well as other popular TV devices, will be able to connect and interact with more mobile apps – further enhancing their second screen television experience."

What is meant by the "second screen television experience?" There is a growing body of market research that shows that many of today's television watchers access mobile devices while they watch. For example, a user may access stats and social media related to a sports event on television. There are several companies looking to capitalize on the trend, but LG Electronics is notable for making an open source play.

With Connect SDK, Developers can build TV-optimized web applications and media viewers that will work with many devices, such as Google's Chromecast. Samuel Chang, LG Electronics USA vice president and head of the LG Silicon Valley Lab, said, in a statement: "Connect SDK is breaking down barriers to enable apps and devices to work together harmoniously."

Other efforts to make TVs smarter through open source have done well. For example, we've covered Boxee since its inception. 

Connect SDK for iOS, Android and Cordova/PhoneGap plugins are available immediately at http://ConnectSDK.com and released under Apache License 2.0.