Freeview set-top box supplier, 3view have along with Sky and Virgin, coupled in the unfavorable judgment of take to Canvas. 3view MD John Donovan has said that he is “concerned” about the potential market impact of Live Internet TV sum embark Project Canvas and even suggested it should join predecessor – Project Kangaroo and be scrapped.
3view HD set-top box
3view’s internet TV enabled Freeview HD set-top box launches in May in the UK and receives all received? and hd Freeview channels, and a bunch of video on demand and subscription helps including the Sky histrion pay to view service. The receiver will Army of the Pure viewers approach to internet content including YouTube and other video sites, social networking using the built-in browser.
Donovan believes that the personnel casualty of their hardware plus other forthcoming hardware means Project Canvas is not unnecessary. The box will even allow users access to the BBC iPlayer, although Donavan says the BBC have not been in touch. Talking to Digitalspy he said:- “The honest answer is that no-one has spoken to me from the BBC about what Canvas will mean,” he said. “We do not understand what Canvas’s remit will be and we do not subscribe to the flavor that Canvas will Furnish something the commercial market can’t. He thinks that Canvas will become a publically funded dominant player in the internet tv market at the expense of rivals like 3view. also thinks that Canvas could well go the way of its doomed predecessor Project Kangaroo which was blocked by the Competition Commission.
“I think Kangaroo’s fate will probably be the same for Canvas. That was a project that got binned basically. Canvas may not be good news for people like us as it could be a big, big competitor, a state backed one too.
He continued: “As a small business that is doing some great technology, which I think the consumer really wants, it could stop that. Donovan declined to be drawn on whether 3view would consider a legal dispute to Canvas, but did say that his business will preserve its ability to compete in the market.
He added: “Clearly there is an appetite for this sort of product. We have got a huge amount of support, and this product actually exists. If we can get the box into the high street, then the consumer will think it is fantastic; so why do we need Canvas or a service like that?”
Last month, the Canvas partners made a submission to the Office of Fair Trading as part of efforts to alleviate concerns that the project will create a monopoly player in the emerging IPTV market.
The Project Canvas decision is still in consultation with the BBC Trust, and Head of time to come Media and Technology at the BBC, Erik Huggers has warned that the debates about Project Canvas could delay the project until 2011.
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