Emerging Platforms: IPTV 2011
Vision+Media in partnership with the BBC are running an initiative to support Northwest digital and creative industries businesses in the development of digital interactive content for emerging IPTV platforms.
IPTV (Internet Protocol television) is a system through which television services are delivered over (broadband) Internet access networks instead of through traditional radio frequency broadcast, satellite signal, and cable television formats. IPTV is distinguished from general web-based multimedia services such as BBC iPlayer, ITV Player and 4oD by its preferential deployment in subscriber-based telecommunications networks via set-top boxes, for example.
In the UK a consortium of the countries’ terrestrial broadcasters BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five and communications companies Arqiva, BT and Talk Talk have formed the joint venture YouView (formerly known as Project Canvas), aimed at creating an open internet-connected television platform built on common standards. On 25th June 2010 the BBC Trust approved the BBC's involvement in the venture after the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) ruled that the venture does not qualify as a merger in May 2010. On 16th September 2010 YouView was officially announced as the new name of the project.
The platform is scheduled to launch in 2011 as a YouView set-top box which will extend the services of the current Freeview boxes to include on demand services such as iPlayer and a third layer of digital interactive content, possibly akin to the Apple App Store model. These IPTV apps/widgets may exist as standalone content, i.e. games, may bring social networking tools to sit atop live broadcast, i.e. Twitter feed, or may integrate directly with the broadcast content, i.e. an augmented layer of digital interactive content attached to the IP.
The Vision+Media and BBC partnership initiative is supporting 5 prototype development projects focused on collaboration between broadcast media and digital businesses. The businesses taking part in the programme are Citrus Suite, Onteca, Libra Television, magneticNorth, stardotstar, All Out Productions and So Television.
Each of the participating businesses will be blogging about their experiences of collaborative working, how they are finding working with the BBC, and the technical challenges that they are coming across whilst developing for a new platform. Follow their development diaries here:
All Out Productions & Stardotstar (aka The All*Stars)
Citrus Suite & Onteca
Libra Television & Onteca
magneticNorth
For further information about YouView and to be kept up to date with news either visit the YouView website or follow the YouView Twitter account.