Channel surfing might become a thing of the past for Dish Network subscribers if the Network’s developer apps platform becomes successfully integrated with the Dish’s Hopper DVR. Although customers have previously been able to use their smartphones or tablets to control what they see on TV, to change the channel, or record a program, Dish is now opening up their app platform to allow third-party developers to create apps that work with the Dish system.
Such as with Thuuz Sports, which alerts viewers as to when their preferred teams are playing and makes it possible for users to change channels directly with their phone, Dish is offering other trusted partners to create apps that enable an ever-personalized smart-viewing experience that could slowly make television guides obsolete as viewer programming recommendations come into vogue.
By opening up app development to third-party companies, the Dish Network remains competitive in the vastly changing climate of pay-tv, which is increasingly integrating customer’s personal mobile and entertainment devices, such as the iPhone and Xbox, into the programming landscape. Indeed, as discussed in TechHive, “greater interactivity among phones, tablets, and cable boxes seems inevitable, so Dish is starting to build its own platform rather than hand over the keys to Apple or Microsoft.”
Still, Dish is keeping a close eye on possible third-party integration, only allowing vetted partners such as Thuuz, and possibly Zeebox and Fan to add on to the app platform.
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