IPTV English News by InformITV (08/06/2009)
BBC Canvas platform fails to find industry support Plans by the BBC to form a joint venture partnership to promote a platform for internet connected television, known as Project Canvas, have been roundly criticised by…
BBC Canvas platform fails to find industry support
Plans by the BBC to form a joint venture partnership to promote a platform for internet connected television, known as Project Canvas, have been roundly criticised by a number of influential industry stakeholders. Following an initial industry consultation, the BBC Trust is now asking its executives for further information on the proposals, which seem sketchy to some and over ambitious to others.
YouTube and Hulu offer lean back experience
YouTube has released a version of its site specifically designed for viewing on a large screen. Called YouTube XL, it runs in a web browser and can even be operated with a remote control. Hulu has meanwhile released a desktop application based on Flash for Windows and Mac personal computers.
S&T and Humax show online video using MHEG
At the ANGA cable show at Cologne in Germany, Strategy & Technology and Humax showed the first applications to bring streaming video from the internet to the television under broadcaster control using the latest MHEG-5 middleware specifications. These build on the open standards currently used for interactive services on digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom.
Alternative to Canvas based on open standards
While the BBC is attempting to define and promote its own view of broadcast and broadband convergence with Project Canvas, broadcasters in France and Germany have been coming up with their own version. It appears to be based on existing open standards and they are aiming to work with the European Broadcasting Union to develop the draft specification for possible submission to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, which seems promising.
Hulu in hulaballoo over number of users
Hulu, the online video site, is serving up more streams but has been serving fewer users, according to Nielsen. Hulu is in the top two or three video sites, but still comes some considerable way behind YouTube, which accounts for over half the video clips viewed online in the United States. There is now some controversy over the actual number of users Hulu has. Hulu prefers to believe comScore figures of over forty million, while others put the figure at less than a quarter of that.
