Project Canvas Explored
If you follow the media news, you may be aware of a TV service going by the codename Project Canvas. Here's a transcript of our Project Canvas overview
|
Listen to FrequencyCast Show 55 - Project Canvas
|
An early look at Project Canvas:
Project Canvas is launching in 2011, but what exactly is it? Here's a transcript of our Canvas Preview:
Carl:
Fabulous! So, just looking through the list of things to do today, we've also got Project Canvas - oh Canvas, yea - what is this? I've heard quite a bit about this on the news recently.
Pete:
Yes, you will have done. Project Canvas is a new service that's going to be launching next year. Yes, you will have done. Project Canvas is a new service that's going to be launching next year. It's a joint venture from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 (Who did pull out for a while, but are now back as partners.)
Carl:
OK.
Pete:
Also worth mentioning that BT and TalkTalk are involved, as is your favourite mobile phone network operator, Orange.
Carl:
We all love Orange. Now, I still want to know - what is Canvas all about?
Pete:
OK, so it's an on demand TV service. This is intended to kind of pull everything together, all of the individual on demand TV services, like the ITV Net Player, and Channel 4OD, and BBC iPlayer. It links it all together, but rather than being the free, seven day catch up service, it's going to be a mix of the free and the paid for content. So if you want to watch on demand telly, the ultimate idea is Canvas is going to be your one-stop shop for that.
Carl:
OK, that's very clever. But haven't we got something like this with Sky and Virgin?
Pete:
We haven't quite got it with Sky yet. We've got it with BT Vision and we've got it with Virgin, and there's also some new boxes out there. We've got things like the Fetch TV and the new 3view box that are out there, all doing this. But the idea is, this is going to be pulling absolutely everything together, nice and consistent. The way it's actually going to be sold is you buy a Freeview box, and this service is available as part of it. They're also putting in some extras, so it'll link into Facebook and into Twitter, so you can share what you're viewing with other people. Get it as a Freeview box, so you get your live TV with Freeview, plug it into the internet for your on demand content. It means you're not tied to something like a Virgin or a BT contract, which is where it's going to potentially beat the rest.
Carl:
Oh I see - that's where they're being clever. I bet there are quite a few upset people about this, aren't there?
Pete:
Yeah, funnily enough, yes. Sky and Virgin are both not happy with this, but for different reasons.
Carl:
What are they?
Pete:
At the start of August, Virgin lodged a complaint with Ofcom, the regulators, saying that they thought Project Canvas was "anti-competitive, a cartel that would crush the online TV market".
Carl:
OK, so they're quite opinionated?
Pete:
Yep. Sky went with a slightly different angle, they're pretty anti the BBC's involvement. The BBC is obviously using licence fee money to go into developing this, and that Sky's angle is, it shouldn't be using public funds for effectively what could become a commercial service.
Carl:
Right. So what we're looking out for is Project Canvas, yes? That's what it'll be called, yeah?
Pete:
That's just a working title. The current plan shows this service launching in spring 2011. It's not going to be called Project Canvas, that's the working name. The smart money is on it being called YouView.
Carl:
YouView ... what's the connection, sorry?
Pete:
I think they're trying to go somewhere between YouTube, so your video service, and Freeview.
Carl:
Oh, I see - very good, yeah. A bit trademarky, sort of link in with others - yeah, nice. I should have thought of that, shouldn't I?
Pete:
There you go, so keep an eye out for Canvas. More news when we get it.
Carl:
Fantastic. So that probably means that Sky is going to be the only one that doesn't do any on demand stuff now, I guess?
Continues: Sky Anytime + Transcript
Listen to FrequencyCast Show 55 - Project Canvas |
More information:
Share This Page:
