Is Apple TV OS meaningfully distinct from iOS?

[mtimothydoyle]

I'm trying to establish whether Apple TV OS, which is said to be "based on" iOS - is actually different enough from iOS to be considered a different category of OS - thoughts?

 

[Raz0rEdge]

The underlying OS on Apple TV is likely the same basis as iOS, but the UI is different due to the lack of a touch interface..

Apple would be silly to maintain an entirely separate OS just for one product if it can leverage an existing piece of software..

But all the discussion is just guesswork at best since these are all closed software systems with no insight on what happens underneath the covers..

 

[XJ-linux]

There are tools that allow you to ssh into ATV. They look about the same inside as any other iOS device. The "GUI" and interface are different, and certain commands are restricted or enabled based on the various devices. Point being, it's all flavors of iOS. Current ATV iOS build is 7.0.2 (12B466).