Channel Five has quit Project Canvas to review its digital investment
strategy. Canvas is a collaboration between TV content providers and broadband
network operators to develop an open-standards based set-top box for viewing
on-demand TV such as iPlayer through the television. Thought to be branded
YouView, the service is expected to launch in the first half of 2011. It
continues to receive the backing of the six remaining project partners which
includes the BBC, BT, ITV, Channel 4, TalkTalk and Arqiva.
“We continue to support the objectives of Project Canvas and despite
withdrawing our interest in the venture we believe it will be a critical part
of our strategy for reaching consumers in the future.”Charles Constable, (Director of Strategy) Five
Channel Five has been put up for sale by parent company RTL and a source
told the Guardian that Five struggled to convince RTL’s majority
owner, Bertelsmann that Canvas was a valuable thing to be involved with.
“We’ve had excellent support from Five. They share our goal of bringing the
benefits of internet-connected TV to all. We look forward to working with them
as a content provider to the platform in the future.”Richard Halton, (Director) Project Canvas
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The idea is good, it is another way to get T.V and it won’t all be paid content.
The problems is that most people have limits on their broadband and the free content will just be the same old dross that is on normal Freeview or Sky for that matter.
An alternative to corporate media on TV would be beneficial.
Five is currently up for sale and one of the potential buyers is Sky. This might be an indication that negotiations with Sky may be at an advanced stage as it is well known that Sky are opposed to Project Canvas. By the way, Five are not expected to join the Freesat platform in the near future.
http://www.freesat.co.uk/file_uploads/freesat_Large_Print_Channel_Guide.pdf
… currently includes Five.
So, any FreeSat users, is it working or not ?
I don’t have FreeSat at the moment, though even without FiveUSA I probably will be interested in future (as I could have several boxes in different rooms via 4 cables from dish into a 16 or 24 channel mux)
Sorry I meant to type Five HD. Five SD has been available on Freesat for a while. Five USA and Fiver are not available on Freesat but are on Freeview (depending on transmitter).
OK, just had me puzzled for a bit. Luckily I can get the other channels.
(Postcode check suggests 10 channels, but I get 20+)
I assume you are writing about the Freeview availability. According to my postcode check I don’t get any Freeview channels but I do get around 6 depending on the weather. My neighbor gets far more as he has a new aerial pointing at another transmitter.