AfterDawn: News

Skype founders working on broadband TV service

The founders of the Internet phone service, Skype, are working on a broadband TV service. The Financial Times reported that the service is expected to roll out next year and is already being tested by about 6,000 people. Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom have invested money from the sale of Skype to eBay into the service, dubbed The Venice Project.

According to Friis, the peer to peer technology at the heart of the service would make it possible to offer the service to tens of millions of people while also protecting the content. "The overall picture is that this is happening. Video is moving online, and people have to find strategies for that," Friis said in an interview.



According to the Financial Times, the service properly displayed high-quality, full screen video on a computer monitor.

Source:
Reuters

Written by: James Delahunty @ 19 Dec 2006 5:34

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• 8 comments

• limelight

  Good idea, put it into channels like sat/cable, and let me watch it on my tv with no hassels, and this looks like the future of television.

  19.12.2006 17:33 #1

• limelight

  Good idea, put it into channels like sat/cable, and let me watch it on my tv with no hassels, and this looks like the future of television.

  19.12.2006 17:33 #2

• h8xor

  Awsome. I you can pick what channels you want. Paying 50 a month for 3 good channels and 57 crap ones is BS.

  20.12.2006 05:36 #3

• akaangus

  Yeah right, this will not work. They will be sued and eventually kicked out of countries like Australia and the UK where their channels put delays on US programming. Just like I Crave TV was like 5 years ago.

  20.12.2006 12:26 #4

• wjburch

  Great News I use Skype now

  21.12.2006 13:21 #5

• hfulleraz

  I work in this industry. At first I thought it was a bad idea but, everyone is doing it (Apple too). And, you will be able to display it on your home TV,

  22.12.2006 05:49 #6

• zabadoh

  This already exists. It's called itvn.com. They give you a box for free, then you subscribe to channels, say Setanta sports satellite $15/month. Cheaper than satellite or cable. Quality is so-so, between broadcast and VHS.

  22.12.2006 09:22 #7

• hitman01

  Great idea. Cant wait. I currently use www.wantena.com to watch TV on my pc.

  30.12.2006 16:59 #8