Could the Internet become a way to distribute HDTV? Most definitely, according to the latest report from international research firm Strategy Analytics.

The report says that the technical barriers to delivering
online HDTV are slowly but surely coming down, as evidenced by the recent launch of streamed HD shows on the ABC web site.

The report is titled “Online HD: Disney's ABC Throws Down Gauntlet To Competitors and Access Providers.” It cites three companies—Move Networks, Vividas and Itiva—as being among the key technology developers enabling the next generation of web video services.

“Most people’s experience of web video is characterized by the tiny, pixilated windows familiar to YouTube users,” said David Mercer, principal analyst at Strategy Analytics. “But tomorrow’s web users will expect service quality much closer to television, and major content owners like Disney recognize that they will have to step up to this mark to win and retain web viewers.”

This report discusses the implications of high-def video streaming and concludes that network capacity and control will be key issues in determining whether broadband becomes a viable alternative for HD video and television delivery.