Skype releases online TV beta

Beta software for an online television viewer developed by the team behind internet telephony company Skype is now available.

The Venice Project, which was set up by members of the Skype organisation, is an online broadcast viewer. 

The group claims that the viewer is not a video download service but a system that lets content providers, viewers and advertisers customise content for internet broadcast.

"Finally we're done," said Fredrik de Wahl, chief executive of the Venice Project. The first beta version of the TVP client is fully cooked. We had a bit of a last minute frenzy to get the user interface shipshape, but all is well now."

The new system uses peer-to-peer technology so that the user's computer becomes a broadcaster rather than relying on a central server.

The team is confident that the project will not be hit by intellectual property issues, but details remain sketchy.

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