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Project Canvas is a proposed partnership between Arqiva, the BBC, BT, C4, Channel Five, ITV and Talk Talk to build an open internet-connected TV platform, subject to BBC Trust approval.
The partners intend to form a venture to promote the platform to consumers and the content, service and developer community.
Like the UK's current free-to-air brands Freeview and Freesat - a consumer brand (not canvas) will be created, and licensed to device manufacturers, and internet service providers owners who meet the specifications.
‘Canvas compliant’ devices (eg set-top boxes), built to a common technical standard, would provide seamless access to a range of third-party services through a common, simple, user experience.
These proposals are currently being assessed by the BBC's governing body the BBC Trust.
Still in its development stages, there are three main elements to the project: setting the technical standard, building the technical platform, and creating the user experience.
Standards
A common technical standard for internet-connected TV devices
There is no current agreed industry standard for internet-connected TV devices. An agreed standard, freely published, would allow any consumer electronics manufacturer to build devices: creating an open, competitive market.
Adopting a technical standard is an essential pre-cursor to the canvas project.
As part of its submission to the BBC Trust, the BBC asked for permission to develop the technical specification for devices in conjunction with the industry. The BBC Trust granted permission for the partners to begin this work with standards body the Digital Television Group (DTG) in July 2009.
The DTG's work to establish a standard for "connected TV devices" will be published as an industry standard (DBook 7) in early 2010.
All "Canvas compliant" devices will meet this standard.
Platform
A technology project to build an open, internet-connected TV platform
As well as a lack of standards in the internet-connected TV market, there is no open platform. This creates two main problems:
- The UK's current free to air TV platforms Freeview and Freesat have been unable to evolve and keep pace with technical innovation in the consumer electronics industry. While some internet services are emerging on some commercially-owned/ pay-TV platforms - these platforms are working to their own (proprietary) closed standards. A fragmented market is emerging, which could put internet-connected TV out of the reach of consumers who don't want to subscribe to pay-TV.
- The internet services need to have a commercial relationship with the TV platform to obtain a route to the shared screen. This, combined with a fragmented market of varying standards, is slowing the development of internet-connected TV services.
Project Canvas intends to build, run and promote a platform that solves both problems: providing an upgrade for free-to-air TV, and an open platform of scale that will bring a wide range of internet services to the shared screen.
User interface
Making it all simple
While consumers are familiar with linear TV services: scrolling up and down and Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) to choose channels, bringing an on-demand world into a linear TV platform is complex.
History suggests simple design and a consistent experience is key to consumers: iPhones would not be so popular if they all had different menus and layout.
For the platform to be a success, it has to be simple to use, unlocking the choice that internet content brings without confusing consumers.
Central to the project is a common, consistent user-interface, that seamlessly links broadcast content to broadband. This user interface would be owned and licensed to device manufacturers by the canvas venture.
About this website
The site has been constructed and commissioned by the BBC, but on behalf of all partners. Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed are that of the collective partners (and not the BBC).
