Five joins BBC and ITV in Canvas picture

UK TV broadcaster Five has announced it has joined Project Canvas.

Canvas - a BBC, BT and ITV Canvas joint venture announced in December 2008 - will provide UK homes with access to IPTV via a broadband enabled set-top box in much the same way as Freeview and Freesat currently do with digital TV.

A mock up image to illustrate what the Canvas electronic programme guide could include. (Picture credit: BBC)

Five chairman and chief executive, Dawn Airey, said in a statement: "Project Canvas is an important step forward because it will extend choice and significantly improve the television experience for viewers. Its widespread adoption is central to driving Digital Britain."

The addition of Five means Channel 4 remains the only free-to-air terrestrial broadcaster that hasn't signed up for Canvas and suggests momentum for Canvas is growing despite the project currently being scrutinised by the Beeb's independent regulator, the BBC Trust, to ensure it doesn't create any competition issues and represents a good use of licence payers' money.

The BBC Trust recently asked for more information from the BBC to help with its decision on Canvas. If the service gets Trust approval, Canvas is expected to be available by the end of 2010.

Richard Halton, programme director of IPTV at the BBC, told silicon.com that the aim with Canvas is to make it flexible enough for as many vendors, network providers and content providers to get involved as possible.

He added that there is significant market for free-to-air television which comes with all the same functionality benefits as subscription services, as shown by the 10 million homes now using Freeview.

"We want to make sure that we continue to deliver their expectations of that functionality as the pay platforms themselves innovate," he said.