Opera TV Store Brings HTML 5 Apps To The Small Screen

Opera has announced that it will bring apps to the connected TVs out there in a big way. Opera is giving TV OEMs and devs tools to construct HTML 5 apps for the TV. The apps will be offered via the Opera TV Store that will need to be implemented into connected TVs by the TV OEMs. Opera does say that the Opera TV Store will extend beyond the TV to make the store "an all-device experience."

The benefit of the new platform for OEMs is that it can leverage more developers to design apps for the TV. Since the Opera TV Store will be cross-device, an app designed for a smartphone would be able to run on the TV and vice versa. That means that the TV platform alone doesn't have to try and draw developers as a stand-alone TV app would.

Opera also says that porting an app to the Opera TV Store is very easy for those with HTML5 knowledge. TVs that are based on the Opera SDK 3.1 can access the Opera TV Store. The store supports HTML5, SVG, Canvas, CE-HTML, and OIPF based apps. Vimeo has already pledged to support the store, as have some of the developers behind other popular apps already on the market. Opera TV Store trial software is available as of today for OEMs and content providers to try out.