Google’s submission to the BBC Trust’s Project Canvas consultation suggests either it or YouTube want carriage on the proposed open IPTV platform. Google’s European policy associate Luc Delany wrote: “Google (NSDQ: GOOG) recommends that Canvas allow users to access any service, or more broadly the web as a whole, and in particular should not limit access to a few pre-determined re-purposed broadcast content platforms.”

The BBC’s proposal in February made no mention of YouTube, but did say Canvas “would also allow access to other internet services (these may include audiovisual content)”. YouTube on free-to-air UK TV would pretty much be the holy grail. Responding to BBC views on delivering Canvas over low-speed broadband, Google also warned: “Canvas should not violate the principles of Net Neutrality”, while “the Canvas EPG should offer a level playing field for all publishers of Canvas-compliant services”.

The response is amongst dozens the BBC Trust published on Thursday in a 392-page document, after asking the BBC executive for more detail on the proposal. It’s a hefty read but gives revealing insights in to many major players’ views of the Canvas proposal, so I’ve sifted the document and summarised below…

—All3Media: Mostly supportive, but calls for more PPV VOD: “Project Canvas should offer payment methods ... whereby a viewer can buy content with a simple click of the remote control”. Wants retailers to take customers’ personal details when they buy a box.

—Arqiva: The radio masts company says it’s “entirely consistent” with the BBC’s role of driving technology adoption, but warns it “raises the prospect of a “gatekeeper” function with implications both for a reduction in the range of content and services available to the consumers who purchase Canvas-enabled receivers and for the abuse of the gatekeeping function for anti-competitive purposes”. It warns against harming Freeview: “The IPTV tail mustn’t wag the linear dog.”

—BBC Audience Council Northern Ireland: “There are many unknowns in the proposal ... many people who already have on demand television through Virgin and Sky+ are not interested in Project Canvas because they are happy with the service they pay for ... Some sections of the audience would expect access to the entire internet whilst others suggested that some areas were of less value e.g. YouTube.”

—British Film Institute: “Making (our) collections available through platforms provided by Project Canvas would encourage ever more people to view the material.”

—Broadband Forum: Suggested a whole raft of existing standards and protocols to the BBC which could be used on Canvas boxes.

—Broadband Stakeholder Group: “Is likely to lead to a significant increase in backhaul and customer service costs incurred by ISPs ... provides a clear opportunity for ISPs to up-sell a premium broadband service to consumers ... it is important that the Canvas proposal is developed in such a way that supports new forms of revenue throughout the value chain ... There needs to be more detail on the access model.”

—Digital TV Group: “Excited”, but “confused over the detailed proposition and precise project definition and specification”. “Our membership suggests that the Canvas specification has not been developed in conjunction with industry. DTG wants to play an “integral part in writing and maintaining the specification for a truly open IPTV standard”.

—Freeview: Proposes that “Freeview and Canvas messaging and branding are aligned”, ie. Canvas “is essentially next-generation Freeview”.

—FremantleMedia: “We have a unique, unrepeatable opportunity to reposition on demand viewing in viewers’ minds as a paid-for service ... The infrastructure to support paid-for services must be built in from launch ... the proposal provides no reference as to how the project might support paid-for services.”

—Miniweb: “Not the best way to deliver the stated objectives ... does not specify or seem to accommodate the commercial and operating model ... likely to fail the BBC’s ‘public purpose’ ... not an open standard available to all ... a complete underestimation of the task in hand ... lack of Industry Involvement.”

—Sony: Aligned itself with the Digital TV Group: “We already have a pan European IPTV standard developed by the Open IPTV Forum. Surely the BBC working on another competing IPTV standard is in effect beginning a ‘standards war’, creating greater confusion in the marketplace and ultimately not delivering the UK license fee payer value for money.”

—Tiscali:  “The ‘plan’ ... is only really a vision of convergence. The consultation document is lacking in substance, on technical, market and commercial aspects ... The apparent timescales are impossibly ambitious ... No answers are yet available as to how the Canvas concept would work with ISPs and their networks, especially with respect to traffic management.” Suggests the BBC JV should pay “tens of millions” for a content delivery network to ease the traffic burden.

—UK Film Council: “Canvas will help to stem online copyright theft and infringement ... “a ‘once in generation’ opportunity to massively expand public access to
culture”.

—Virgin Media: Complained it “will only be compatible with Freeview and Freesat”. “Has the potential to have a very material adverse market impact ... Canvas will inevitably become the de facto VOD standard and the dominant VOD service in the UK.” Virgin supports an open Canvas, which it, to, could deliver: “Canvas should not mandate the form and functionality of the UI or EPG ... there should be no editorial gatekeeper role for the BBC ...  explanations of Canvas by the Executive and the Trust contain material inconsistencies and discrepancies.”

—Voice of the Listener and Viewer: “Access to the internet brings the risk of receiving or unintentionally accessing undesirable content or spam.”

• BBC Must Give Regulator More Detailed Canvas Proposal
• Viewpoint: Canvas Will Explode UK TV, But BBC Must Stand Back