The BBC Trust, is considering proposals dubbed as 'Project Canvas' through which the BBC plans to enable its iPlayer service to be built into new set-top boxes.

Project Canvas, is a joint scheme between the BBC, ITV and BT aimed at developing standards that would enable the iPlayer services to be delivered through Freeview boxes, or the free satellite service, Freesat. Long term, the technology could even be delivered directly to internet-enabled televisions.

Expanding the iPlayer's audience by making it available to Virgin Media's 3.7 million subscribers has already been hugely successful. This particular audience alone accounts for 30 per cent of all viewing requests logged by iPlayer. This succes is due in no small part to the fact that Virgin subscribers can access iPlayer directly through their TV's.

A proposed catch-up TV service backed by the ITV, Channel 4 and BBC, was blocked by the Competition Commission earlier this month, citing that 'Project Kangaroo' as it was known, would stifle video on-demand competition.