Dish working on SDK / App Store for 922

[Scott Greczkowski]

EchoStar Corp. LLC (Nasdaq: SATS) is developing a TV app store for Dish Network Corp. (Nasdaq: DISH), Light Reading has learned.

EchoStar is developing the store, will provide the software development kit (SDK), and will be Dish's liaison to developers, EchoStar officials said at this week's TelcoTV conference in Orlando, Fla.

"We're the ones to make sure the apps past muster, that they don't use too much of the resources in the box, for example," says Jeffrey Hale, an EchoStar national account manager.

The app store will be another feature of Dish's upcoming ViP 922 set-top box, also being developed by EchoStar. Dish is expected to deploy the box, which also includes place-shifting powers à la Slingbox, early next year. (See EchoStar: No Cable Sale Guarantees and EchoStar Slings Its First Tru2way Set-Top.)

EchoStar officials at the booth weren't sure when Dish intends to launch the app store, but they said APIs are available and developers are working on the apps already.



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Cable Digital News - Video - EchoStar Preps IPTV App Store - Telecom News Analysis

[Hikerdave]

So they are saying "Dish is expected to deploy the box, ... early next year." now. I guess no 922 for Christmas this year.

[scottbakertemp]

[cditty]

I'm glad they are waiting. They are damned either way.

Everyone is going to complain its late, but if they put it out, everyone will bitch about the bugs.

[S-c-o-t-t-y]

I'm glad they are waiting. QUOTE]

I don't care when... I would just like to have a real date - not a sliding development estimate (SDE) - even if it is January 2011.

[BobMurdoch]

I think I've just been vindicated..... I knew there was no way they would drop it before CES.... Now they can show off a finished box with solid code and have the tech press rave about it before the release in February (My assumed date of release)

[ReconPJ]

I'll say March 2nd for the release date. Gives them about 7-8 after XES to rpmote the finished product. Probrably around the time of some new HD channels as well...

[legatebroke]

So they are saying "Dish is expected to deploy the box, ... early next year." now. I guess no 922 for Christmas this year.

If you notice they are at the "Cable guys" show. The box they are showing there is the version they are creating for the cable companies. Not to say the 922 will be out before the end of the year but I bet it is released before the cable version.

[jdmacor]

I wonder if someone could write an app that allows DVRs to stream recordings to each other... Although, Echostar probably isn't allowing programmers to access all features of box, just particular API calls...

[jerryez]

I'm glad they are waiting. They are damned either way.

Everyone is going to complain its late, but if they put it out, everyone will bitch about the bugs.

Shit, the 722 and 211 still have bugs and they have been out for years.