YouTube making jump to TV screens
A YouTube manager demonstrates the new YouTube XL viewing page.
(Credit: Greg Sandoval/CNET Networks)Like everyone else, YouTube hopes to make its way from the PC to a more prime entertainment location--the TV set.
Google's video service is rolling out a new browser feature, called YouTube XL, designed to present YouTube videos on big screens, company managers said Tuesday.
During a demonstration before a handful of media, YouTube showed how XL is designed for people who have hooked up their TVs to their laptops or video game consoles, such as Xbox 360 or Sony PlayStation 3.
How does it differ from YouTube's typical Web page?
It's a much more stripped down player. There are no scroll bars or viewer comments. There's little more than a search field and video thumbnails to help direct users. YouTube XL will work with any Web-connected device and on any browser.
The new feature is another sign that the battle in online video now is being waged in the living room.
One of the drawbacks is that you can't yet watch YouTube's modest library of movies or premium TV shows, as the company is working through licensing issues, managers said. I can see this being used by people who might want to throw in some user-generated fare into their TV-viewing mix.
YouTube XL brings along the same basic UI that came to game consoles, but it can be accessed on normal PCs.
(Credit: CNET)
Greg Sandoval covers media and digital entertainment for CNET News. He is a former reporter for The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. E-mail Greg, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sandoCNET. 
Robert
- by ed_salgado June 3, 2009 12:25 PM PDT
- Simply put, this is the way TV will work in the future. As a software provider for television stations, we see this as an eventuality. You'll go home, decide what you want to watch, and enter it in a search box. So if you want to watch "Boston Legal" you'll see all the episodes right there. The system will remember which ones you've seen and which ones you haven't. It'll download those episodes you want to your DVR for faster viewing. Think Star Trek. It's TV on *your* schedule.
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(4 Comments)With all that said, we are still quite a ways from there. There is still no one spot for going to see all episodes of everything. Google is trying to make YouTube that source, but CBS has TV.com and everyone else has Hulu. Unfortunately, for Google, they have pretty much placed themselves opposite the content producers by siding with advertisers in all of their campaigns thus far. Eventually a shakedown will occur and one day, you'll have a source or two for everything. We've already gone through this with iTunes, Napster and the other portals for music.
As to how this will all be monetized is anyone's guess. CPM is one way, CPV (cost per view) is another. Advertisers will help subsidize this as well once the technology comes about that will allow insertion into streaming video. The commercials will be targeted to boot. Think Minority Report. Based on previous searches, shows watched, and sites visited, the system will place commercials that you are most likely to watch.
And all this is just the tip of the iceberg!
-ed
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