Google Updates Its Video Delivery Plans

Google it seems lives for controversy. Always in the news for offering a new feature or expanding into the new market nary a day goes by when they are not in the news. Their latest expansion is sure to attract the attention of the likes of RIAA/MPAA and television executives. That is because Google has begun offering old movies, cartoons and television shows on the internet - for free. The search major has launched an experimental video site offering access to old TV serials and their ilk. This site is funded entirely by advertising. Users will soon be able to watch Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps in a window under an advert for Netflix, or relive the animated adventures of their favorite cartoon characters under a banner ad for Burger King. Hewlett-Packard, the normally sedate computer maker, is also among the advertisers to have signed up to the trial. HP’s presence itself should indicate how potentially profitable this move could be for Google. HP does not normally associate with any project that might cause it to lose public face. While Google Video had previously offered access to film and television contents on a paid basis this is the first time they are entering the free to air market. Placing adverts on online video could also become a big new revenue stream for Google and a natural expansion of their adsense programme.