GET OFF YOUR SOAP BOX!

Welcome to the future of U.K. Television – available on a screen near you…soon?

I do like to have a moan on this blog, but am more than happy to ’sing the praises’ when it is due. And I think this should be greeted with a whole heap of positivity.

Project Canvas isn’t some dodgy dossier being scripted by Whitehall Mandarins in readiness for a bit more regime change. It is a proposed partnership between broadcasters and internet service providers with a view to establishing an internet-connected platform. Those signed up to the project are the BBC, ITV, C4, FIVE, BT and Talk Talk.

To cut to the chase, it is about defining, agreeing and building an brand platform (yet to be named) which means set top boxes or TV offering the services proposed all work to the same common technical standard. As well as the current Freeview or Freesat TV channels, on demand internet content, web applications (like You Tube) and catch up services such as BBC iPlayer and ITV Player will all be wrapped up together and accessible through one nice, clean user friendly interface. Now that does sound good, doesn’t it ?

There is talk on the internet that the platform would be available this year, 2010. And if you think about this is important. Freeview HD will start to be rolled out this year, which will mean the purchase of a new set top box, if you want to get the high definition channels. But what happens then if Project Canvas is launched soon after….another set top box. That could cheese a lot of people off.

SKY isn’t very keen on the plan obviously as, if it becomes the animal I can imagine, would effectively neutralise the rationale to subscribe to SKY, except for the footie. But the platform will be available to all, including SKY, and this ‘open to all’ approach will widen customer choice to extraordinary levels and all through the TV. Would you pay to subscribe to SKY Movies or rather pay to view the film of your choice say through Lovefilm or other provider? Consumer electronic manufacturers don’t like it either. Creating an open platform is not what they like, especially one limited to just the UK. They want you to buy their product, iphone, PS3, for example, which then leads you a walled garden (with very high walls) where they can then generate revenue from consumers.

So, Project Canvas sounds very positive in my opinion. A British platform, designed by the British, for the British and offering endless possibilities. I just hope OFCOM don’t mess it up.

The official Project Canvas website here.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 18th, 2010 at 6:23 pm and is filed under BBC HD, Media, Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.