The BBC's IPTV programme director, Richard Halton has stated that set-top boxes compatible with the project canvass initiative will be in UK homes by 2010.
Project Canvas, is a joint venture between the BBC, ITV and BT aimed at incorporating the iPlayer service into Freeview boxes, as well as 'Freesat', the free satellite service. Long term, the technology could even be delivered directly to internet-enabled televisions.
Although the BBC Trust is still considering the implications of project canvass before it is given the go-ahead, it is widely anticipated that they will give the new IPTV platform the go ahead.
The BBC are keen to expand the iPlayer's penetration, having seen the huge success achieved by introducing it to Virgin Media's 3.7m subscribers. This particular audience alone accounts for 30 per cent of all viewing requests logged by iPlayer. This success is due in no small part to the fact that Virgin subscribers can access iPlayer directly through their TV's.
The move towards an integrated IPTV platform by the BBC, ITV and BT is significant in that standards for IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) have yet to be established. If the group makes a success of the new venture they could set standards not only in the UK but worldwide and reap the benefits of the massive potential for internet TV.
If you would like to find out more about Freesat, you might like to read our Freesat guide
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