There has been much hype regarding the Venice Project, codename of IPTV service started by Skype founders Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom in July this year. I came to know that Janus-Niklas duo has finished the project and set to launch the broadband TV service sometime next year.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Janus Friis expressed that the Venice Project is currently under trial involving 6,000 people and would be available next year.
The Venice Project combines the best things of television with the social power of the Internet. It displays high-quality, full-screen video on a computer screen. It supports both PC and Mac. Like Skype, the IPTV services will be free for all. The customer needs Net connection to access the TV programs of Skype founders.
Friis said,
At the time we launched Skype, broadband capacity was extremely ripe for communication,’ Mr Friis recalls. ‘Now, three years later, it’s the same thing for video: you can do TV over the internet in a really good way. TV is a huge medium - that’s something we’d like to be a part of.
He went on saying,
The overall picture is that this is happening. Video is moving online, and people have to find strategies for that.
The rumor is that Skype founders have invested the money that they have gained from eBay by selling Skype for the development of IPTV services.
