"Canvas" - the new way to watch tele

On the face of it the proposed Canvas Project is the future of television. The project is a consortium "The Venture Group" of BBC, ITV, BT, Ch4, Five, Talk Talk, Arquiva (Seesaw).

Canvas is a project to create an industry standard for making STBs or TVs that receive programs from satellite or the internet. Providing both linear and view on demand TV. It will also allow TVs to access the internet. It will be possible to implement the system on internet portable media players like the iPad.

It is intended to solve two major problems: playing media from multiple producers and enabling consumers to view internet media. Canvas will require consumers buy new STBs or new TVs. There is no indication today that any computer maker is interested (e.g. Apple TV) but clearly a new partition of the electronics is possible, into the Display only plus a Box (essentially a computer with media software, TV tuner and internet access).

Now there's a huge opportunity for equipment makers. But beware of media lock-in proposals from Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, LG etc etc.

Problems

But Canvas as foreseen today has a wide definition, it is not just a technology, but covers Standards/technology platform, Brand, and Interface. The total cost is estimated at £115m, with launch and marketing costing £75m (!!!) and the technology £30m.

Canvas will include free to air program transmission, EPG, an SDK and may have a payment billing system.

The technology standard (connected TV devices) is being developed by the DTG and should be available 2q10. This will enable any manufacturer to develop equipment.

The major problem is...

Canvas is too over arching as a project, my opinions on the current proposals on the Canvas web site are:

It will have a trade mark for Canvas compliant products and internet services (quite unnecessary).

It will develop and maintain a consistent user experience (absolutely not wanted)

It will ensure technical compliance of web services - 3rd party (what?)

It will maintain a consistent platform environment -metadata... (good)

It will collate user data (no, it is not an advertising agency)

It will manage customer service (no, equipment makers should do this)

On the other hand there are some things it says it won't do, but perhaps it should?

It will not own the specification (I agree this has to be governed by an independent standards body)

It will not control content (OK)

It will not operate a billing system (It must do to make any sense, get Visa on board!)

It will not set equipment prices (It can't anyway)

It will not offer prominence for membership (but it will promote a trade mark - seems incompatible?)

I think the £72m costs for launch and marketing are absurdly large. If only £30m is needed to develop the technology that would be reasonable, but I am sure it will be much more.

There is talk of ensuring compliance with European developments (of the EBU, OIPF & HBBTV) but no firm commitment. This has to be made, so that equipment makers have an export market. We need EU standards.