Tag: YouTube
CONFIRMED: MGM to offer full-length films on YouTube
As we reported last Thursday, full-length movies are going to be hitting YouTube in the near future, and we now know that they’re going to come from 84-year-old film studio MGM. The studio has suffered financial trouble in recent years.
It’ll initially be uploading ancient episodes of American Gladiators, but following that, it’ll be putting up classics like Bulletproof Monk and The Magnificent Seven. There’ll also be officially-sanctioned clips from newer films like Legally Blonde. Unfortunately, as part of the deal, they’ll also be taking down thousands of user-uploaded clips from the James Bond and Rocky movies…
Four Google executives to stand trial in Italy
This is a rather worrying story. Google is awaiting confirmation from Italian courts that four of its employees will face trial there for failing to stop a video being uploaded that shows a disabled kid getting bullied. Sources claim that they stand accused of defamation and failure to exercise control over personal data.
The video in question shows, over the course of three minutes, four kids harassing a kid with Down’s Syndrome, and hitting him over the head with a pack of tissues. It was posted back in September 2006, and Google removed it within a day after it received a complaint, but that wasn’t good enough, claim prosecutors. It gained about 12,000 views…
Full-length movies to hit YouTube
Sick of watching videos of people’s cats in crappy quality on YouTube? Soon you’ll be able to watch full-length movies in crappy quality on YouTube! And by “soon”, I mean possibly as early as next month.
Google would dearly love to launch an ad-supported streaming movie service, but given the flagrant copyright violations which occur there every second of ever day, the movie studios haven’t been too keen. However, two unnamed executives have confirmed that although it’s not “imminent”, a project along those lines could go live in the next “30 to 90 days”…
3 to launch one-touch YouTube mobile phone in UK early next year
With all the fuss surrounding the likes of the iPhone (O2) and the HTC G1 (T-Mobile), it seems that 3 is feeling a little left out, and so has said that it will launch a Sony Ericsson Walkman phone offering one button access to YouTube.
Due to be launched first in Italy, followed by the UK early next year, the phone will allow users to upload videos directly to YouTube. Sounds like a recipe for disaster as it becomes even easier to upload videos of drunken nights out. According to 3 Italia, mobile service usage increases by around one-third when direct access is supported — in other words, stick a button on a mobile phone that gives access to just one service, and people are more likely to use it. Magic…
YouTube adds deep video linking
YouTube’s just enabled a feature that users have been clamouring for for a while – deep linking within videos. By appending a short code to the end of the video url, you can link directly to a specific point in a video. Want an example? Here you go…
Sky adds iPlayer listings to Sky Player, but Discovery doesn't want anything to do with the Internet
Sky has just added listings from rival BBC’s iPlayer to its own content-catchup service, Sky Player. The new sections carry BBC branding, but just consist of links to play the content in BBC’s own iPlayer environment…
YouTube Video of the Week – Terry Tate: Office Linebacker
This week’s YouTube video of the week is Terry Tate: Office Linebacker. It’s a few years old, but I’d forgotten how good it was, and you might not have seen it, so grab some headphones, hit play and enjoy total enforcement of office rules.
Related Videos: Dom Joly delivers gadget fakery on a market stall | Computer history via interpretive dance
Higher definition YouTube collage: Rickrolling to new extremes
While YouTube might be taking its time upgrading the resolution of uploaded videos, one enterprising developer has coded up a web page to display a synchronised YouTube video wall, allowing four videos to be played almost seamlessly.
It all feels a bit hit and miss, and relies on someone creating four videos, one for each quarter of a much larger original video.
Given that the highest non-widescreen YouTube videos currently play at 480 x 360 resolution, creating a 2×2 wall offers up a 960 x 720 video. It’s not quite high definition, and there’s definitely some judder, not to mention the YouTube watermark plastered all over the screen, but it’s an interesting experiment…
YouTube Video of the Week: Computer history via interpretive dance
Again, not quite on YouTube, but I couldn’t resist this adorable video of pixellated office workers taking you through the history of computing in the form of interpretive dance. The music’s rather charming as well. I think we might have a rival to our very own Tech Trumpet.
Related videos: Deepest fish…. ever! | Lil’ Bill O’Reilly
Google still trying to monetise YouTube, adds "click to buy" links on videos
Google has long admitted that it’s having trouble making any money from its purchase of YouTube. The latest wheeze is to add clickable “Buy this now!” links on videos of buyable stuff. I’d love to show you you a less-grainy picture, but it only works in the USA so far. Check out the Amazon and iTunes links below the video.
The Goog is promising to expand the program internationally, as well as expanding the range of things it advertises next to. This scheme might also placate content owners, who will be happier to learn that there are now “Buy this” links next to the content that they own, but didn’t upload themselves…
