Tinkering at the edge

Countless pieces have been written recently speculating on the true extent of shortcomings in Microsoft's IP TV solution, and given what we believe about the long-run trend for video consumption, it's interesting to see Microsoft apparently hedging with a P2P project codenamed "Avalanche," which looks to me like it may end up being pitched as the content publisher's friend in the nasty world of file sharing (note that the article mentions an impending BBC tender for a P2P platform).

While Microsoft is working to insinuate itself into P2P content distribution, BSkyB yesterday unveiled its new initiative in WTVML, a language for repurposing web content for presentation on Sky's interactive digital TV service, which the company claims is accessed by 10m unique viewers each month. Household PC penetration in the UK is above 65%, internet penetration is at 60%, and household broadband penetration is pushing 30% - i.e., I'm not sure I entirely buy the claim that this is a great opportunity for web content publishers to have visibility in households which lack internet access.