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Sky COO puts situation against Project Canvas

Sky Chief Operating Officer Mike Darcey continues to be blogging around the Protector website media blog OrganGrinder, explaining Sky's opposition to Project Canvas.

Sky isn't the pay only-tv broadcaster opposing Project Canvas - Virgin Media, rarely seen among Sky's pals, has additionally made its opposition to Project Canvas obvious.

Project Canvas is really a venture including the BBC, BT, TalkTalk yet others. It aims to build up a platform having a consistent interface which enables Freeview and Freesat customers with broadband connections to gain access to broadband-shipped catch-up TV services and Video when needed (VoD) services for example iPlayer and ITV Player on their own Televisions. Basically, it'll offer internet-shipped programming with an internet-enabled tuner, so customers will still view programmes on their own Televisions. Furthermore, Project Canvas aims to build up common standards for broadband video delivery.

Sky COO Darcey makes obvious that Sky's towards the development of broadband-shipped video but that Sky objects to a different, openly subsidised platform for example Project Canvas "that distorts fair competition or undermines the scope for other innovative services to emerge later on". Quite simply, the licence fee money that needs to be happening programme development and creation is going to be diverted to platform-creation and Project Canvas's single interface and BBC backing will discourage others from developing their very own services, that will reduce competition.

Read more about Darcey's Protector blog - it's an interesting read although it is a-on the sides (a scenario that's somewhat balanced out by some intriguing and informative comments below his blog publish).

Another article about Sky and Project Canvas within the Protector reviews that Sky's declaring that what it really calls "natural tension" within the BBC Trust's role has led to it not dealing with board industry concerns over Project Canvas - which there's conflict between your BBC Trust's role because the Protector of licence fee payers as well as its responsibility for setting the proper span of the BBC.sky

Personally, like a BBC licence fee payer and Sky customer I'm searching toward watching broadband-shipped TV programmes when needed via my TV, but I'd prefer some choice over what platform I personally use to look at them.