Microsoft: YouTube? MeToo!

[Joe Gronlund]

Microsoft announced today that it's rolling out a limited public beta test of an upcoming service called Soapbox on MSN Video that will compete with YouTube and Google Video, offering consumers a place to share and enjoy video clips. Like the competition, Soapbox will let people rate videos and link to them from their own Web sites.

"Soapbox delivers on a critical component of the MSN growth strategy of deepening audience engagement by enabling people to participate in the content experience," says General Manager of Entertainment and Video Services for MSN Rob Bennett. "By adding a user-uploaded video service, we are rounding out our existing investments in commercially produced and original content on MSN Video."

I spoke with Mr. Bennett about Soapbox recently, and although Microsoft is a bit late to the shared video arena, the service looks strong. Video uploading is much simpler than on similar sites, and Soabox's unique layout and UI makes it easier to find and share videos and doesn't require you to navigate away from the video that's currently playing. The community of Soapbox users can also take advantage of unique features such as tagging and emailing videos. YouTube looks pretty primitive by comparison.

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[DanaSoft]

Go figure; when has Microsoft even been a pioneer on the Internet? It's enitre business model is to try and duplicate whatever is hot and muck it up.

[Freesteyelz]

Or do what Sony does and take existing products and improve upon them. I'm for their Soapbox.

Go MS!

[whitetigergrowl]

Or do what Sony does and take existing products and improve upon them. I'm for their Soapbox.

Go MS!

Improve them? How so?

[minx]

absolutly no point to this...we already have 2 services which do it all... M$...bugger off, we don't need more re-hashed stuff!

[filburt1]

I just hope they build it on Flash. I hate the WMP plugin to a ridiculous extent. Hate it.

[tgillespie]

absolutly no point to this...we already have 2 services which do it all... M$...bugger off, we don't need more re-hashed stuff!

There is no negative aspect to it either. The more competition YouTube has keeps it improving on itself and also free of cost.

[WurkAnimal]

Microsoft just copies and tries to compete with them.

[tgillespie]

Microsoft just copies and tries to compete with them.

and thats bad?

[WurkAnimal]

and thats bad?

Did I say it's bad? were in my posts am I saying its bad?

[tgillespie]

Did I say it's bad? were in my posts am I saying its bad?

lol. I didnt say that you said it was bad, just was curious if you thought it was bad

[Vile]

I find amusing that so many people complain about the big bad Microsoft "copying" others ideas and "mucking" them up.

Welcome to basic economics folks...welcome to the real world. When something is in demand, people will step up and supply it. All this does is help everyone else, i.e. us users.

If comapnies did not take ideas and try improve on them and force competition, we'd be years behind in a number of apects.

[Freesteyelz]

I agree with Vile. Bill Gates is a visionary and is able to turn his concepts into reality. Remember, it's the market that dictates the direction of any company and whether people accept it or not, MS is currently the standard.

[WurkAnimal]

lol. I didnt say that you said it was bad, just was curious if you thought it was bad

No I didn't ''thought'' it was bad. If so, I would of said.

[Creepshow]

I find amusing that so many people complain about the big bad Microsoft "copying" others ideas and "mucking" them up.

Welcome to basic economics folks...welcome to the real world. When something is in demand, people will step up and supply it. All this does is help everyone else, i.e. us users.

If comapnies did not take ideas and try improve on them and force competition, we'd be years behind in a number of apects.

Well said....... couldn't have put it better myself