Whilst a section of consumers are embracing catch up tv streaming from the internet, it has still to really take off in certain demographics of the population. In the UK, this year will see that happen. Led by the BBC’s iPlayer, the isolation of watching tv on your pc screen will expand onto your traditional tv set this year.

This change will happen this year according to industry experts. Richard Lindsay-Davies, the director-general of the Digital TV Group (DTG), said: “A big step change will happen in the UK this year. More TVs will come with internet connections in the set, and the move to bring free-to-air catch-up TV through Freeview and Freesat is a positive move.”

The current problem with watching catch up tv is the large selection of catch-up services you need to navigate. Providers such as BT, TalkTalk and Virgin Media supply catch up using their closed networks. The y also decide on what content you can watch. Mr Lindsay-Davies said:- “There is no universal, mass-market, easy-to-use on-demand internet product currently available.”

However set-top boxes from Freeview and Freesat will change this. The new HD boxes, in the late stage of testing, will allow viewers complete and free access to a range of catch up tv on their television sets. From iPlayer to ITV.com and more.

David Cutts, the managing director of S&T, told the DTG’s summit last Friday that “of the 60 per cent of internet users who watch video, 69% watch catch-up TV. And when they can do this on TV, as with Virgin, they do it more.”

The BBC Trust is also running the slide-rule over whether to approve Project Canvas, the joint venture between the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five and BT to bring a totally comprehensive video-on-demand to the consumer. Both Sky and Virgin have raised concerns over the BBC’s involvement in Canvas, fearing the corporation will control the branding and the interface of the system, and lose them the control they currently have.

Of course its not just the UK, look around the world and similar innovations are happening. It just appears that right now, the UK is a hotbed for internet tv innovation.

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