SEL: Google Video Store Roundup

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Search marketing in the new media era.

January 09, 2006

Google Video Store Roundup

So Google's video store announcement has to have NetFlix and Blockbuster worried... will movie rental stores/services fall to free, ad-based rentals?

Not that Google's said anything about renting new release movies, but I imagine talks are underway.

If you're just catching up:
Google announced a service on Friday that will let people rent or buy downloadable videos online.

The online behemoth said Google Video Store will be "available soon" at video.google.com.
(from Google set to push play on Video Store)

Tristan Louis offers a fantastic overview of how portals (and he includes Google as a portal) are venturing into video, and investigates, among other things, digital rights management:

If only Apple, Microsoft, and possibly Google, could sit down and agree on a standard way to handle this, it would make everyone's life easier. However, because they all want to lock-in users, we will see an increasing amount of incompatibilities pop up.
(from Portals and Video - An Overview)

Battelle's thoughts:
What is really interesting is the pricing leverage: Google is splitting revenues 70/30 - that's 70 to the content producer. Also very important is that the producers of content are the ones who set the price - again, totally different from traditional models. Thirdly, Google is doing its own DRM.
(from Thoughts on Google Video Store, and Google Pack)

Price is AWESOME at providing historical/ecosystem context:
Although Google Video has been grabbing the headlines the expected release of a Google Video download/rental service, many other services have been around for a couple of years while others have just come online. These services allow customers to record, search, browse, download and/or purchase video content online.
(from Google Faces Plenty Of Competition In Online Video Rental & Sales Marketplace)

ClickZ blog speculation:
When Will Paid Video Give Way to Video Ads?

Yes, everyone is still wondering "what's in it for me?"
The cost to consumers will be as much as $1.99 per download, but other economic details of the plan remain unknown. Page ducked several questions about actors' rights, revenue splits, and international syndication during the post-presentation question-and-answer period.
(from Google Opens Video 'Store,' CBS Sells Shows Without Ads)

Garrett French - MarketSmart Interactive | permalink | +marktd |

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