Canvas & related news roundup - 25 Aug

In Project Canvas news roundup:

  • Digital Spy have a Q&A with BBC’s director of IPTV Richard Halton here. The resulting article is here (in which Halton restates the 2010 launch aim).
  • We mentioned it on Twitter when it happened, but early last week, Sky hit out again at the BBC Trust over its handling of the Project Canvas consultation - FT article here. Sky’s two main issues: that the Trust has not submitted Canvas to a full public value test, and that the 5 weeks between the release of the further detailed info and the close of the consultation period (Sep 1) was vastly insufficient.

In VOD & IPTV-related news for the last few weeks:

  • Channel 4 is to run a week of 3D programmes in autumn. 3D glasses will be available from Sainsbury’s. The programmes include unspecified movies, and footage of the Queen’s coronation.
  • Speculation continues around a UK launch for Hulu: The Tele yesterday on its site ran two different articles: one claiming ITV is signing up imminently including exclusive rights on a few of its programmes; the second saying no content partners have been signed (and also that Channel 4 is reportedly going to start showing full length episodes on YouTube); both saying a 2010 launch is the earliest possible. PaidContent points out that no one at Hulu itself (or any of the potential content providers) has ever come out and given timing objectives around the UK launch.
  • Blinkbox adds BBC Worldwide content. Some shows will be free/ad-supported while others will be paid (Broadband TV news article).
  • ITV will launch ITV1 HD on Freeview, starting with London by end of 2009 - Broadcast Now article.
  • A consumer survey by Deloitte & Yougov has found more than half of people wouldn’t watch more VOD even if they had a faster, more reliable broadband connection. 29% said they didn’t see the point in watching TV online. Media Guardian article here.
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Related news roundup - 05 July

After a period of quiet from us, below is some news from the world of VOD, PVRs, and more:

  • BrandRepublic: Ofcom released the latest stage of its report into the subscription TV mrket, with its recommendation being a load of sports should be added to an anti-syphoning list. Understandably, this has upset BSkyB, who are entertaining legal challenges.
  • The Guardian: Freeview confirmed its goal of getting 50% of households onto Freeview HD by next summer (in time for the football World Cup. The first regions for Freeview HD broadcasts will come online by the end of this year.
  • PaidContentUK: Joost’s CEO Mike Volpi is leaving his post (but remaining chairman), as the company admits its portal ambitions are going nowhere. It will become a “white label video provider”.
  • The Telegraph & BroadcastNow: ITV is funding some of the Digital Britain research into viability and success of micro-payments for content, and is considering introducing them in the future, both as a part of its VOD offering and a part of its Canvas offering.
  • PaidContentUK has a summary of Hulu-related news / non-news, including the possibility of UK broadcasters getting an equity stake in the venture.
  • LATimes: Cablevision in the US has had the legal obstacles to its offering of a cloud-based PVR removed. Users wouldn’t be limited to just the physical storage space available on the set top box in their home.
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