Google ups ante in online video gold rush with intro of Google Video

[mandy]

Google Inc. is upping the ante in the online video gold rush, allowing content owners to set their own prices in a bid to create a more flexible alternative to Apple Computer Inc.'s pioneering iTunes store.

Google's video expansion, announced Friday at the Consumer Electronics Show, already has lined up commitments to sell thousands of downloads...

"It's the biggest marketplace of content that was previously offline and is now brought online...

With Google's marketplace, content suppliers can name their own price, from zero on up. The content owners who charge for video downloads must share 30 percent of the revenue with Google.

The video providers have the option of offering content on a download-to-own or download-to-rent basis...

full article: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8EVG9R06.htm?campaign_id=apn_tech_down&chan=tc

[mandy]

A review of the new Google Video store. 

If, like us, you expected the new and improved Google Video service to rival something like Apple's iTunes store, then do yourself a favor and don't visit the Google shop for a few months. Google has done nothing to celebrate its unique access to shows such as CSI, Survivor and Star Trek. Instead, the company has buried CBS's shows beneath a dismal interface wrapped in a shambles of a delivery mechanism.

Think we're being too harsh? Have a look for yourself...

...We're not even sure what life form Google Video is. It's certainly not human

full article: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/11/goog_vid_store/

[rose]

We're not even sure what life form Google Video is. It's certainly not human