Kontiki is working with digital media systems integration company ioko to deliver what it claims will be the first secure, legal peer-to-peer video-on-demand system in Europe.
Kontiki and ioko have announced a European partnership to design, develop and deliver dynamic internet protocol television and video-on-demand solutions for a range of broadcasters and media companies.
A number of leading European broadcasters are understood to be interested in using the system. Among them is satellite broadcaster BSkyB, whose online services are already managed by ioko.
First reported by informitv in June, further details about the planned BSkyB broadband video service for movies and sports were announced by James Murdoch in August. It is now known that they will use the same Kontiki grid technology as a peer-to-peer distribution system being developed at the BBC, and are likely to be the first to enter full public service, with a launch expected in November.
The service will initially be available to personal computers, but this will be extended to include the Windows Media Center platform, enabling subscribers to view downloaded content on their televisions.
Fearghal Kelly is joining ioko as Media Solutions Director from BBC Broadcast, where he was leading the implementation of the BBC interactive media player project, which is currently known as the MyBBCPlayer. The BBC system is due to enter a limited public trial.
BBC Broadcast was also demonstrating its own example of a broadband video-on-demand system to prospective clients at IBC.
The Open Media Network in the United States, established by the chairman and co-founder of Kontiki, already provides a system that offers free programming over the internet.
The Kontiki grid distribution system claims to enable cost-effective distribution of material that scales efficiently as the number of users rises.