YouTube is hoping to turn to original content as a way of making content for Google TV and otherwise drawing in viewers, sources said Wednesday. The Google video site is planning to launch about 20 "premium" channels that would have roughly five to ten hours of unique content every week. The WSJ heard YouTube would be willing to spend as much as $100 million to get the content.
YouTube confirmed recent rumors on Monday and bought out Next New Networks. The podcast producer was being brought on to become a "laboratory" to both professional studios and newcomers profit from shows on the streaming video site. A dedicated team, YouTube Next, was coming at the same time and would help with grassroots efforts such as buying cameras or supporting community events.
Google, which owns YouTube, is involved in negotiations to buy out Next New Networks, a video podcast producer, a report said Thursday. The unofficial rumor comes from a person familiar with the matter, and maintains that YouTube wants to improve the quality of its content thanks to Next New's development and partnership service. Google may be considering closing down Next New's studios and invest in developing partner videos instead with the newly purchased assets, the source said.
Syabas has established a concrete ship date for the Popbox. The media hub should ship on July 23. It was originally due to ship July 4, but the company had decided that the software to go with the firmware "wasn’t quite where we wanted it" and held off for nearly three weeks. Pre-orders had already begun in May.
Syabas preluded CES today with its most ambitious media hub to date. The Popbox replaces the Popcorn Hour as the flagship media hub and revolves around a major, much more polished interface overhaul designed by Moxie's inventor and former Microsoft executive Dewey Reid. In addition to showing visual thumbnails of virtually everything and universal search, the interface has applets known as Infopops that show weather, Twitter feeds and other data whenever the viewer pauses what's playing. As with the previously available Popapps, new Infopops can be added over time.
