Canvas blanked - for now

Nomad had planned a big post on Project Canvas which supposedly was due to enter another public consultation phase staring next week. It looks like that has been postponed. On the whole this is good news as the more delays there are, the more irrelevant the project will become.

In simple terms Canvas is a plan to provide a set top box which combines video download on demand with reception of Freeview. Why not just use seperate boxes? Well, then people might decide to unplug one of the boxes and supposing they unplugged the Freeview box they might then decide not to buy a licence. Project Canvas will lock people in to the licence. A cunning plan - no?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/5446288/BBCs-Project-Canvas-internet-on-TV-plans-attacked.html

and there is more here

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/digital-media/5445295/Channel-4-and-Five-look-to-join-Project-Canvas.html

Incidentally Nomad had planned to make a submission himself along the lines of: Why is 'the corporation' defining a new technical standard when there are suitable existing technical standards. This will have to wait till the subject is open for public comment.