Digital TV News

Next-generation iPlayer service on the way

Friday 2 July, 2010

By Becca Talbot - becca@consumerchoices.co.uk

New on-demand internet TV venture Project Canvas is on target to be launched early next year, says Canvas chief.

Brits could have Project Canvas set-top boxes in their living rooms by this time next year, barring any new hurdles.

Project Canvas is an on-demand TV venture based on Freeview, which will allow consumers to watch catch-up TV on services like the BBC iPlayer and 4oD as well as the standard TV channels on Freeview. It will also have internet TV services such as BT Vision and TalkTalk TV via an internet-connected set-top box.

Speaking at Intel’s Shaping the Future of TV conference earlier this week, Project Canvas’ chief technology officer, Anthony Rose, said that the internet TV service is set to be launched in the first half of 2011.

Rose said: “Canvas is the next evolution from the [BBC] iPlayer. It’s an open platform and that means anyone can come up with something for the platform.”

He added that the partners of Project Canvas - the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five, BT, TalkTalk and Arqiva - would welcome rivals Sky and Virgin Media onboard.

However, chief executive of Virgin Media, Neil Berkett, recently said Virgin Media and Project Canvas were in deadlock.

Project Canvas told Virgin Media that if it wanted to use the Canvas service, it must do so through the Canvas interface, rather than through Virgin Media’s own set-top boxes.