Freeview set-top box supplier, 3view have along with Sky and Virgin, joined in the criticism of Project Canvas. 3view MD John Donovan has said that he is “concerned” about the potential market impact of IPTV joint venture Project Canvas and even suggested it should join predecessor – Project Kangaroo and be scrapped.

3view’s internet enabled Freeview HD set-top box launches in May in the UK and receives all standard and hd Freeview channels, and a bunch of video on demand and subscription services including the Sky player pay to view service. The receiver will  allow viewers access to internet content including YouTube and other video sites, social networking using the inbuilt browser.

Donovan thinks that the release of their hardware plus other forthcoming hardware means Project Canvas is not unnecessary. The box will even allow users access to the BBC iPlayer, although Donavan says the BBC have not been in touch. Talking to Digitalspy he said:- “The honest answer is that no-one has spoken to me from the BBC about what Canvas will entail,” he said. “We do not understand what Canvas’s remit will be and we do not subscribe to the belief that Canvas will provide something the commercial market can’t. We have proved that we can do it.”

He thinks that Canvas will become a publicly funded dominant player in the internet tv market at the expense of rivals like 3view.  also thinks that Canvas could well go the way of its doomed predecessor Project Kangaroo which was blocked by the Competition Commission.

“I think Kangaroo’s fate will probably be the same for Canvas. That was a project that got binned basically. Canvas may not be good news for people like us as it could be a big, big competitor, a state backed one too. I am not pro-Canvas. It’s difficult at the moment to say what Canvas will do or what impact it will have on us until it’s made very clear in their business plan, which nobody really knows outside the BBC. I am concerned about it, though.”

He continued: “As a small business that is doing some great technology, which I think the consumer really wants, it could stop that. It could actually stop consumers from getting access to this technology and we’re the only country in the world that I know where that could happen.”

Donovan declined to be drawn on whether 3view would consider a legal challenge to Canvas, but did say that his business will defend its ability to compete in the market.

He added: “Clearly there is an appetite for this sort of product. We have got a huge amount of support, and this product actually exists. The product is working, there are no smoke and mirrors. If we can get the box into the high street, then the consumer will think it is fantastic; so why do we need Canvas or a service like that?”

Project Canvas, is an IPTV software/hardware hybrid with partners including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five, TalkTalk, BT and Arqiva which will bring video on demand nd and internet content to freeview and Freesat hardware. Last month, the Canvas partners made a submission to the Office of Fair Trading as part of efforts to alleviate concerns that the project will create a monopoly player in the nascent IPTV market.

The Project Canvas decision is still in consultation with the BBC Trust, and Head of Future Media and Technology at the BBC, Erik Huggers has warned that the debates around Project Canvas could delay the project until 2011. With Sky, Virgin and now 3view jumping in to criticise the project, the question has to be in who’s interest is the incessant Canvas bashing? Probably not the publics that for sure.

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3. BBC Deliver More Details About Project Canvas
4. Project Canvas Online TV Could Be Approved This Week
5. Project Canvas Shows The Future Of Internet TV