Net TV will render the internet futile
Well it will for internet TV anyway (and no, this probably won’t involve porn). A plan to bring iPlayer-esque services to goggle boxes means the middle man, which in this case refers to the internetz, will no longer be needed. The BBC-backed proposals to produce online set-top boxes are currently under scrutiny from the BBC Trust, but if they were to give it the go ahead, this would mean on-demand TV services such as the iPlayer and ITVplayer would available without having to power up your computer or laptop.
Project Canvas would be hugely beneficial to those who haven’t yet signed up to on-demand subscription services or don’t have the necessary recoding equipment. The BBC has said it doesn’t want the “53 percent of UK households that do not subscribe to pay television services falling behind”. So, the aim of the project is to bring broadcasters, ISPs and web firms together to back a common technology that’ll make all TV content accessible via the TV set-top box, as opposed to finding your TV favourites online and run the risk of ostracising those that haven’t joined the online party yet.
It is thought, the initial machines will be set-top boxes with an internet connection, costing up to £200. However, the service all depends on getting a green light from the BBC Trust. So, subject to approval, we could be seeing the service introduced as soon as 2010.
[via BBC]More tech news here
