The Planetarium

What with the doubling of disc sales, better quality players (and even ones that will rent the movie for you...), increased availability and rumored inclusion on the Mac, its easy to think of the only Java apps you'll see on your TV will be the ones that come on a BluRay disc. (And you can create them in the recently released all-in-one Java ME SDK)

But not so !

This excellent article on the Java programming environment for TV set-top boxes is a reminder that other kind may be interactive TV apps that arrive down the wire from your cable operator as you watch a show. The OCAP Java API for settop boxes encompasses bound applications that are closely tied to the TV channel you're looking at: Sports scores and team records, integrated on-screen celebrity gossip, to unbound ones that have nothing to do with any particular TV channel: live gaming, TV listings...  And it has much in common with the Blu-J APIs for Blu-Ray apps have much in common: the CDC profile as a base, the Xlet component model and lifecycle and so on.

Another Java string to your bow in an economy that values them ?

Since the core Java language and core APIs exist on everything from servers down to smart cards, if you know them already, you have a head start programming for a new platform - like JavaTV.

For which you'd need the new Java TV SDK. And for a kick start on how to use it, take a look at this collection of hands on tutorials and video presentations on how to create applications that look like this for TV set top boxes and disc players. Like how to take a mobile phone version of PacMan and turn it into on that runs on a TV settop box. Or this interesting presentation on how to migrate from other Java ME profiles, or even Java SE to the TV platform.

Maybe its time to add another string to your bow ?