Companies are so intently focused on the potential new-frontier of InternetTV that they are being blinded by the realities and weaknesses of the delivery system.    The   average ISP does not stay connected 24/7 and the speeds that can be delivered vary enormously.  The connectivity of devices to the ADSL modem is also a complex affair.  There are subscriptions to pay and content streaming restrictions in some cases.  It is a much more awkward technology than say a Digital Terrestrial STB or Satellite Dish set-up.  Cable operators have a pipe to the home and handle the system to maximise delivery and ensure quality of service….The Internet has multiple owners and various stages of the value chain and that makes it inherently weak.

At the weekend whilst on a jaunt in London I learnt that ChannelBee the InternetTV Channel started by Ex Sky Soccer AM host Tim Lovejoy and Simon Fuller (Pop idol etc.) has ceased operations as of the 20th of November 2009.  Ironically Fuller stated this less than a year before : “Everyone is excited to see what Tim and his former Soccer AM team will do next. Channel Bee will surpass their expectations and change the face of what can be achieved online”.

It is plainly clear what can be achieved TECHNICALLY on-line in terms of video and audio and yes you can create “On-line TV Channels”,  HOWEVER can you create a following, make them connect, pay subs and generally attract advertising and all the other aspects that make a BUSINESS run?

I also read that Sony is calling their new attack on this brave new world “Sony Online Systems” (SOS) and therefore ladies and gentleman it finally comes to pass that the marketeers  have finally come clean;  SOS =  “Save our Souls” –  Which if I remember my days in the military as a radio engineer it is an acronym that is “A Desperate Cry for Help When the Ship is Sinking”…. —- ….

The Hype and the Reality need to be in synch for this to be a credible move for Television.  No we will not stop the tidal wave towards the Internet as a delivery mechanism for Television – HOWEVER it will create many more victims along the way.