Soapbox: Microsoft's "YouTube Killer"

posted by soulxtc in windows // 717 days 14 hours 21 minutes ago

Well Microsoft, as usual, continues on in its game of catch up with just about everybody around.

From its new Zune player, aka "iPod killer," to the new Windows Live, aka "Google killer," those deep pockets up in Redmond have taken reverse-engineering to a different level.

Now they have devised a new site called Soapbox, their venerable answer to YouTube. The site is still closed to the public, but for those wishing to volunteer they have a sign up list for beta testers starting today. It will launch to the public as part of MSN Video within 6 months.

What's not really addressed so far as I can see is why? Why is Microsoft bothering with this "YouTube killer?" YouTube has not only found it difficult or make real money from its site, but it has also been recently sued by Universal Music Group for alleged copyright infringement. The only real bright spot for YouTube was news from a a few days ago, that Warner Music had agreed to distribute its songs and music videos on the site under an ad revenue sharing deal. Could Microsoft have similar deals in the works or will each and every piece of media be vetted by their legal dept.? Microsoft does make some note of this by apparently offering to to take down any material per objection by the copyright holder.

Either way I'm not sure Microsoft is filling a niche here and most likely instead looking to push aside the competition as usual.

"It's really early days in online video; this is still act one," said Rob Bennet, general manager of MSN's entertainment and video services."We're definitely not blind to the fact that YouTube has a big lead right now." Isn't this what they also said about Netscape?

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#1 bastards

leave my youtube alone!

posted by StonedCabbage 717 days 7 hours 10 minutes ago
#2 Seems like microsoft isnt about innovation no more, there trying to catch up to the people and sites that have taken off.. Microsoft doesnt lead the way no more, but are trying to catch up from behind everyone after they got a strong following of people.

posted by shawners 717 days 6 hours 47 minutes ago
#3 I couldnt agree more..........

posted by soulxtc 717 days 6 hours 32 minutes ago
#4 Microsoft doesn't work with "Partner(s)" & using their proprietary DRM technology. They believe they can enter online video business, however Microsoft isn't known for running great online socializing services. So, I bet they will "not" be able to compete with YouTube & MySpace!

posted by DigitalJunkie 717 days 6 hours 12 minutes ago
#5 Microsoft is going to flop in all the music and video content distribution schemes, because they are simply too restrictive. It is already a fact that most people that buy an iPod which is THE most popular mp3 player, already do not purchase most of their tunes from the iStore! What makes Microsoft think they can charge the same amount, DRM it to death and people will pay the same high prices as their competition??

If apple and youtube are the leaders, what makes Microsoft think they can de-throne them? Because they make an operating system that is used in a majority of computers?? I don't think so. They had better stick with trying to make a DECENT OS...because after Vista bombs, and it will, they will already have their hands full trying to make a decent OS again.

posted by meyou123 717 days 5 hours 38 minutes ago
#6 Well, I think it's funny with all of the money they rake in, and the amount of minds they have employed there that they haven't innovated a single thing since...ever. I mean, the original MS Dos was stolen for heaven's sake. Even Windows Vista is FAR behind apple if any of you have a mac, you know what I'm talking about. Sure Windows has more compatibility, but duh!. One of these days, Linux is going to get it's crap together and make the ULE (united linux effort) version and put Microsoft on the ropes, then maybe they'll get the eye of the tiger back. I guess Microsoft just needs something else to blow their money on.

posted by Theinfamousone 716 days 22 hours 23 minutes ago
#7 Well, thats really the sad thing, I mean with all that cash and employees its a downright shame. They need to divide everyone into like groups of 10 and just have them brainstrom and be given carte blanche to truly come up with new and innovating ideas.

The sad thing is that with all the thousands of employees and billions spent annually what are al these people doing exactly? Fixing bugs in IE or XP? I mean c'mon now. Turn that wasted talent loose like Google and give people the freedom to create new and exciting things for a change.

It has to be really depressing as an employee there to have to "imitate" the great works of others rather than being given a chance to let your imagination and talent run free and create bold and new innovations rather thane merely squash the innovations of others. Again, Netscape anyone?

All that wasted talent, such a shame. And even more of a shame is all the people out there who know of IE and nothing else. Windows runs their world by default and they dont even know it.

Hopefully know that Apple has decided to put Intel chips into their new Macs will we perhaps at last have a true choice. Time will only tell but, hopefully Jobs will ease up on his iron fisted control of all things Apple and allow it to finally openly compete with dam Microsoft. Otherwise we'll all be sentenced to a new MS OS, Vista, and all bets are off on that one.

posted by soulxtc 716 days 21 hours 30 minutes ago
#8 YouTubeRobot.com today announces YouTube Robot 2.0, a tool that enables you to download video from YouTube.com onto your PC, convert it to various formats to watch it when you are on the road on mobile devices like mobile phone, iPod, iPhone, Pocket PC, PSP, or Zune.

YouTube Robot allows you to search for videos using keywords or browse video by category, author, channel, language, tags, etc. When you find something noteworthy, you can preview the video right in YouTube Robot and then download it onto the hard disk drive. The speed, at which you will be downloading, is very high: up to 5 times faster than other software when you download a single file and up to 4 times faster when you download multiple files at a time.

Manual download is not the only option with YouTube Robot. You may as well schedule the download and conversion tasks to be executed automatically, even when you are not around. Downloading is followed by conversion to the format of your choice and uploading videos to a mobile device (if needed). For example, you can plug in iPod, select the video, go to bed, and when you wake up next morning, your iPod will be ready to play new YouTube videos.

Product page: www.youtuberobot.com

Direct download link: www.youtuberobot.com/download/utuberobot.exe

Company web-site: www.youtuberobot.com

E-mail: support@youtuberobot.com

posted by max0211 96 days 2 hours 57 minutes ago