The online tv technology from the BBC known as ‘Project Canvas’ is expected to be approved later in the week. The project allowing free use of online tv services from a set-top box is expected to be available late next year for a price of around £200 ($480), and letting viewers access websites such as the corporation’s seven day catch up service, iPlayer straight to the television.

If the ok comes, then Project Canvas will become the leading platform for internet services on television, as the partners in the venture are the UK’s top tv networks – BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five and leading broadband providers – BT and Carphone Warehouse.

The project has up until now been under review, but the BBC Trust informed the BBC executive that it would make a provisional ruling in favour of the BBC’s continued involvement in the venture, according to newspaper the Financial Times.

It needs to be approved as the BBC have so far spent around £1 million on the project, from a budget of £6 million across five years to develop the technology needed to support the service.

Richard Halton, Project Canvas programme director, said last month that internet-connectivity would have a “transformational effect on TV”.

He said: “By seamlessly converging broadband and broadcast content, project canvas can help secure the future of free-to-air broadcasting and create an open platform that gives online services a route to the TV set.

“The potential for innovation goes far beyond bringing video-on-demand to the TV set and there’s a huge opportunity for a wide range of new commercial models to thrive.”

There is of course always a villan in the online tv wars, and for Canvas it has been Sky TV. The satellite broadcaster, has been vociferous in its criticism of the project, claiming that the BBC is merely paying “lip service” to the idea of other broadcasters participating in the platform. They also expressed concerns that the BBC will use public money to finance a dominate position in the nascent video-on-demand market, squeezing out competitors and other broadcasters in the process. The satellite provider also said that the high cost of entry – an estimated £20 million – to become a partner in the project would exclude some smaller broadcasters. Project Canvas is expected to cost around £115 million over the first four years, including a marketing budget of just over £48 million.

Erik Huggers, head of future media and technology at the BBC, said last month that he hopes the first Canvas-enabled set-top boxes will be on sale by next Christmas

When the official announcement comes, we’ll let you know.

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2. Channel 4 Jump Aboard Project Canvas
3. Project Canvas Shows The Future Of Internet TV
4. BBC Deliver More Details About Project Canvas
5. Sky trying to stifle Project Canvas Free TV