BBC calls for standard IPTV platform

Erik Huggers, the BBC's Director of Future Media & Technology, told a conference in London today that there are now 16 different versions of the BBC iPlayer, and he wants "a standard IPTV player before that becomes 100".

Speaking at the Intellect Consumer Electronics Conference, Huggers said: "Audiences are super-hungry for on-demand content, [but] we want to avoid market complexity and consumer confusion".

He also described the BBC Canvas project as a "subscription-free television experience that converges broadcast with broadband and democratises access to TV".

The BBC has been trialling Project Canvas with the public and believes the user interface is key – "on-demand TV should be as easy to use as an iPod", says Huggers.

He believes innovation in pay-TV is moving much faster than in free-to-air TV, and seems more excited by Project Canvas than Freeview HD, according to our correspondent.

The BBC Trust is expected to make a decision on Project Canvas this year. It could launch next year if the project gets the go-ahead.

Follow our live news feed from the Intellect Conference on Twitter. Next up: Gerry O'Sullivan, Sky's Director of Strategic Product Development.