blinkx BBTV officially launched today. Using blinkx’s patented speech and visual recognition technology, blink BBTV delivers a high-quality Internet TV experience and links the video content to the endless information available on the Web.

Using hybrid peer-to-peer (P2P) streaming and a point-and-click channel interface, blinkx BBTV delivers full-screen, TV-quality content that is immersed in the Internet . By fusing TV and other video with the Web, blinkx BBTV enables users to browse or interact with online sources related to what they are watching, whether it’s Google, Wikipedia, IMDB or other Web sites offering relevant information, the company said.

“The Web is the largest repository of connected information in the world – on any subject and from myriad sources,” said Suranga Chandratillake, founder and CEO of blinkx. “BBTV delivers television over the Internet, but it also fuses that TV with the wealth of information on the Web, rather than appearing as just another layer floating above it.”

blinkx’s patented video indexing automatically creates a speech track of content within the video, making it easy for viewers to navigate word-for-word and jump to specific points in a program by searching for a spoken word or name, the company said. While watching programs or movies on blinkx BBTV, viewers can access transcripts of the audio track, background information on actors and personalities, reviews and locations shown within the video.

blinkx BBTV users can also opt to sit back and watch the video full-screen, on-demand, and in TV quality, without any distractions.

At launch, blinkx BBTV is offering a library of independent films and a variety of programming from existing partners. In the coming months, blinkx said that it will be adding dozens of additional channels and premium video content to the BBTV offering.

As of April 2, blinkx BBTV is available, free of charge, as a small download (1.8 MB) at the company’s Web site.

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