The CEO of Blinkbox, the online TV and movie streaming site, is backing YouView as a service, believing that it will standardise video on demand in the UK.
In an opinion piece in Paid Content, Michael Cornish said about the IPTV venture: "Without YouView, UK consumers will be stuck for the foreseeable future with vast number of competing and very different standards for accessing internet video on TVs, games consoles, set-top boxes and Blu-Ray players.
"Think VHS and Betamax, or Blu-Ray and HD DVD. The formats only took off when a single standard emerged, creating enough scale to justify the launch of a huge number of titles."
Blink and you'll miss it
The introduction of YouView will also bring down the cost of VoD, according to Cornish, especially for the companies who are involved in the service.
And costs being reduced from the supply side of VoD will mean cheaper priced content for consumers.
"For a company such as Blinkbox, servicing all the different devices that offer internet video requires a bespoke service for every box and/or TV set. It's hugely expensive, complex and time consuming.
"An open, not-for-profit platform like YouView ensures that viewers gain access to the largest selection of programmes at the lowest price.
"When we offer consumers programming through a service like YouView, we can lower our prices because do not have to share revenues with the platform."
Although the idea of YouView has riled Sony, Sky and Virgin Media, Cornish does seem to be speaking a good deal of sense.
If VoD is to succeed then a standard agreement does need to be reached.
Via PaidContent
