BBC NEWS | Technology | Microsoft to launch YouTube rival — Do these idiots think everyone is a competitor? This, to me, is incredible. Someone will have to explain the rationale to me because I really do not get this one — at all.
Microsoft is aiming to capitalise on the user-generated video phenomenon by launching an online service to compete with YouTube, Google and Yahoo.
Soapbox starts testing on Tuesday and will launch within six months as part of current service, MSN Video.
“It’s really early days in online video; this is still act one,” said MSN’s Rob Bennett.
What is with these people? If they thought there were profitability issues with some of their other schemes, wait until these numbers come in. I have to assume there is a report out there someplace describing a pot of gold at the end of the video rainbow. I’d love to get hold of it. It sounds hilarious.
found by Sergio Gasparrini
John, is there a link between this and Microsoft’s support for the “Broadcast Copyright” that WIPO have been discussing. IF the Broadcast right went through and IF this suceeded then Microsoft would have made a rather nice IP landgrab.
The biggest business out there is gathering information on YOU.
If they can create a big enough network of seperate sites, they can SEE where you go and what you are interested in, and Tag your information.
If you think MS cant gather your info from your browser, esp IE…you are WRONG.
They will even probably ask you to insert most of your info, and then tag your ISP location to your name and address…
then you can expext MORe and MORe snail mail, and spam, and adverts hitting your door.
The $400 plus price tag for Vista makes sense now….
Can’t microsoft ever be the first to do something? They ride on the coat tails of everyone else, its pathetic.
Microsoft isn’t looking for profits anymore, they got them. Now they are looking for market saturation, why? Once they get in the door it’s just like telemarketing and jehovahs. Once they get in your home, you’re an easy mark.
Why do you think every console is sold at a loss, to hit you up on the overpriced games that make the console worth anything. Market saturation is the single most important statistic any business can look at. Plain and simple.
#5 – okay, but – what market? The net boom in short amateur videos and rave-ups hasn’t shown a profit for anyone yet, so far as I know. Saturating a profitless market makes little business sense.
Actually, linking the move to possible DRM developments (#1) makes a lot more sense, given Microsoft’s history in that area.
Okay, I can explain this one. By the time Microsoft is ready to release, the other companies (especially YouTube) will have given up due to the high, unrecoverable cost of hosting videos.
If Microsoft can’t buy back enough stock, at least they can use up their excess billions hosting everybody’s videos.
-Precision Blogger.
M$ is the modern definition of Jack of all trades, master of none. Again why are they worrying about such nonsense, when Vista and Office 07 still hasn’t shipped, and Windows and IE are still full of holes. This is why many hate M$ so much, they are trying to inject themselves into everything and doing it badly in most areas.
Comment 8 may be true, but you could also substitute the word Google in there and it is almost as true.
You would think they would have been so threatened by Linux and other “free” OSes that they would have made all their Windows OSes free to “compete”…because that’s what others are doing, right?
Also, what about the free office applications out there, shouldn’t Office become free now to “compete”?
Difference between M$ and Google is, Google is doing it right, M$ is not. They have plagued with delays and security problems with windows for years. Yet even with their cash cow in jepordy, they still waste their time on these stupid ventures that they arrive late to and never seemed to do well at. I think Google is great. I can’t say the same for M$
Lets hope they can at least do a better job. The image quality on YouTube is bad and on Google Video it’s terrible, and this must also steer the quality of the content downwards.
I’ve wanted to post some beautiful footage, as have some visual effects people I know, and it just gets destroyed by the low-bitrate compression these sites are doing. This must be one reason such sites favor dormroom antics and America’s Funniest Arkansas Wedding Reception Mishaps over, say, breathtaking visions of incomparable loveliness.
I wish one could at least post video to YouTube et. al. but host the file on your own server, where you can control quality.
Is it really wrong to see other companies as potential competition? How about entering into a market that has the potential of changing how information is shared and exchanged?
Sorry John, I think you may be a bit extreme in your view here about Microsoft…
The money is not in hosting freebies, it is in being a viable alternative to Apple’s content delivery juggernaut.
Question: How do you beta-test your online movie delivery system before you start charging for the service?
Answer: Host freebies to a) get people used to visiting your site and b) load-test your software and servers.
Apple got years ahead of everyone on this by letting people watch free movie trailers on the Web, and free music videos on iTMS.
It was ideal for building a following: professional-quality content, frequent turnover in content to keep the site “fresh”, probably cheap/free content – because the content is the ad…
Once that “beta testing” was complete, they moved into selling music videos and Pixar shorts, then TV shows, and now feature-length movies.
Apple has already been hosting HD-versions of movie trailers, and has pre-announced a WiFi device with an HDMI output…
Anyone who wants a piece of the market for online movies had better get off their butt and start chasing that train, because it is leaving the station…
We could be in for years of announcements regarding “the next iTMS-Killer”, the same way we have been hearing – for years – about “the next iPod-Killer”. 🙁
Can someone clarify this for me?
Bandwidth is worthless..
Once you build out the system, you just have to pay for hydro and upgrades… both being relatively cheap
other than greed.. what is the problem here?
I’m just surprised the didn’t just buy Youtube.
Don
Innovate you morons in Redmond – just once in your life – change the game, don’t muscle in on everyone elses. How do you go to sleep at night!
Microsoft is just a late entry here, there are several other small players which are launching their products in same market. Here is the proof of its popularity….
http://www.webscripts.in/blog/youtubecom-clone/