January 25, 2005

Google Tunes Into TV

Google Video Enables Users to Search TV Content From PBS, the NBA, Fox News, C-SPAN, and others

Mountain View, Calif. – January 25, 2005 – Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced the availability of Google Video, a new service that enables users to search the content of television programs from leading TV content providers including PBS, the NBA, Fox News, and C-SPAN, among others. This announcement demonstrates Google's commitment to creating innovative technologies that provide access to a greater diversity of the world's information.

"What Google did for the web, Google Video aims to do for television," said Larry Page, Google co-founder and president of Products. "This preview release demonstrates how searching television can work today. Users can search the content of TV programs for anything, see relevant thumbnails, and discover where and when to watch matching television programs. We are working with content owners to improve this service by providing additional enhancements such as playback."

The Google Video beta (http://www.google.com/video) enables users to search across the closed captioning content of a growing number of TV programs that Google began indexing in December, 2004. Entering a query such as iPod will return a list of relevant television programs with still images and text excerpts from the exact point in the program where the search phrase was spoken. Google Video offers these additional search features:

• Preview page: Displays up to five still video images and five short text segments from the closed captioning of each program.
• Upcoming episodes: Shows when the program will be aired next.
• Search within the show: Enables searching for specific words within a given program.
• Program details: Offers program and episode information including channel, date and time.
• Change location: Finds the next time and channel where a program will air locally according to zip code.

June 27, 2005

Google Video Playback

Thought you might be interested in the latest development with our video search beta, which is this: today, content on the Google Video service comes to life! In addition to the still video captures from the more than 20 TV stations we've indexed, we've made the free, user-submitted content from our recently announced "Video Upload" program available to the world for playback. Right there in the browser, and for free.

Starting this morning, users who visit http://video.google.com will see a link on the homepage for the Google Video Viewer, a free downloadable browser plug-in that enables users to watch videos they find with Google. Our viewer isn't an all-purpose player; rather it's designed to play content available only from Google Video.

After downloading the viewer, users entering keywords into the Google Video search box will see a list of results that look about the same as before – with brief text snippets, still screen captures and so on.

But now, videos available for playback will feature a small triangle "play" icon next to the snippet. If a user clicks on one of these results they will see a page with up to five still screen captures which make it possible for them to play the specific part of the video that's most relevant to their query. Click the "play" icon and the video jumps into action.

September 26, 2005

New Google Video and UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris" Premiere

Today UPN and Google are announcing an exclusive online screening of the critically acclaimed series premiere of "Everybody Hates Chris." This is the first time Google users can watch an episode of a brand new television show on Google Video.

Those who didn't catch the show on TV can visit video.google.com/chris to view the entire pilot episode via streaming video. The episode will be available for four days.

Google is also introducing several new enhancements to Google Video to improve the overall viewing experience of playable content. Available at video.google.com, Google Video now enables users to view videos online without downloading any Google software. Additional new Google Video features include:

• More Accessible: Users running Macintosh and Linux (in addition to Windows) can now watch videos on Google Video using a variety of web browsers, including Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari.
• Better Viewing: Users can now watch videos in a larger viewing window that is resizable to fit their browser.
• More Control: Google Video now includes user controls for play, pause, skip back, skip forward, position timeline with slider, and volume control.
• Faster Searching and Viewing: Large thumbnail video "snippets" enable users to play 10-second previews of videos that are available for playback right on their results page.

Google Video aims to make the world's video content accessible and useful to users worldwide. Anyone can easily upload videos to the site using the Google Video Upload Program at upload.video.google.com and Google will host the video and play it back for free.

Google to Launch Video Marketplace

CBS Leads List of Video Providers with CSI, Survivor, NCIS, Amazing Race and Classics Including I Love Lucy, The Brady Bunch, Twilight Zone and Many Others

NBA Introduces Current Season Games for the First Time on the Web

Google Video Store To Show News and Historical Videos from ITN, Charlie Rose Interviews; New Titles Will Be Added Everyday

LAS VEGAS, NV – Jan. 6, 2006 – Live from the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced the planned opening of the Google Video store, the first open video marketplace enabling consumers to buy and rent a wide range of video content from a major television network, a professional sports league, cable programmers, independent producers and film makers. This fast growing collection of videos will include prime-time and classic hits from CBS, a full slate of NBA games from this season and outstanding performances from the past, music videos from SONY BMG, Charlie Rose interviews as well as news and historical content from ITN and new titles being added everyday.

"Google Video will let you watch lots of high quality video on the web for the first time. You can search and browse, and we make it fast and easy for you to watch," said Larry Page, Google's co-founder and president, Products. "For video producers and anyone with a video camera, Google Video will give you a platform to publish to the entire Google audience in a fast, free and seamless way."

Available soon, people who visit the Google Video homepage at http://video.google.com will be able to browse listings of video by category from the store or search Google's entire collection of videos by simply entering keywords into the search box.

Google and Viacom's MTV Networks to Test New Online Video Distribution Model

MTVN Hit Programs Also Available Now for Download-To-Own on Google Video

NEW YORK, NY, and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - Aug. 7, 2006 - Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) and MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), are collaborating to test an innovative video distribution model that will serve consumers, web publishers and advertisers. Google will distribute ad-supported content from MTV Networks to targeted website publishers, allowing publishers to showcase clips from premium programming like Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants and MTV's Laguna Beach to enhance the content on their websites. As the first-of-its-kind offering from both companies, this new model will provide users with new ways to experience content and create targeted marketing vehicles for advertisers. It will also serve to promote programming that is available via cable, satellite and other distribution platforms carrying MTVN's on-air channels. The companies expect to be testing the model later this month.

This venture marks the first time integrated video programming and advertising will be made available directly to Google's extensive AdSense network, which delivers targeted text and image ads to its network of websites and blogs. This also represents the first time clips from MTV Networks' kids and family, music and entertainment programming will be available to consumers widely across the Web on an ad-supported basis on sites outside MTVN's proprietary sites.

"Collaborating with Google gives us a terrific opportunity to take our content and distribute it even more widely on the web in a seamless and targeted way," said Tom Freston, President and CEO, Viacom. "This deal fits in perfectly with our strategy to deliver the best content to our audiences – wherever they are. We're very happy to be working with Google, a true innovator in content distribution."

"We're excited to work with MTV Networks on new ways of distributing its content to consumers via the Internet and on Google Video," said Eric Schmidt, Google's CEO. "With the combination of our video technology, and extensive advertiser and publisher network, Google is in a leading position to help content owners, web publishers and advertisers generate interest and increase revenue opportunities."

MTVN programming that initially will be distributed via Google Video and targeted publishers includes clips from:

• MTV's "Laguna Beach: The Real OC" – video clips detailing major plotlines from the hit show's third season, which premieres on television August 14.
• MTV Video Music Awards – promotional clips from this year's VMAs, airing Aug. 31, memorable highlights from past VMAs, and exclusive clips from the upcoming "Scandalicious Show" previewing this year's VMAs.
• Nickelodeon's "SpongeBob SquarePants" – Your Brain on SpongeBob, taken from the hugely popular animated series.