RSSMicrosoft 'Soapbox' Takes On YouTube
By Nate Mook | Published September 18, 2006, 11:54 PM
From video blogs to lonelygirl15, broadband has ushered in an era of viral video that has surprised an industry. User-created clips on YouTube and Google Video reach millions of screens each day and now Microsoft wants a piece of the action with "Soapbox."
An expansion of its current MSN Video site, Soapbox enables users to upload their own videos much like current offerings from Microsoft competitors. Aside from market leaders YouTube and Google, AOL recently launched "UnCut" and social networking giant MySpace now supports video uploads.
With Soapbox, Microsoft is betting that its established Windows Live Spaces and Messenger user base will give it a leg up despite a late entry into the market. Spaces is currently the fastest growing blog community and Messenger, thanks to a partnership with Yahoo, now reaches more consumers than AOL's AIM.
Microsoft says Soapbox -- currently in beta testing -- will be closely tied to both services and "deeply integrated" with its other Windows Live properties as well.
"Soapbox delivers on a critical component of the MSN growth strategy of deepening audience engagement by enabling people to participate in the content experience," said Rob Bennett, general manager of Entertainment and Video Services for MSN. "By adding a user-uploaded video service, we are rounding out our existing investments in licensed and original content on MSN Video."
Soapbox handles the video processing on the back-end, enabling users to upload in all major digital video formats. Users assign tags to submitted videos to assist in searching, and RSS feeds let visitors subscribe to video feeds that interest them. Soapbox users can also rate, comment on and share videos.
Like other video sites, Microsoft additionally offers a Soapbox player that can be embedded into a Web site or blog. The Soapbox site works with Internet Explorer 6 and Firefox on Windows XP and Mac OS X. Microsoft's main MSN Video service, however, requires IE6 and Windows.
For now, Soapbox remains a closed beta test that requires an invitation to join. Microsoft says it will expand the beta in the coming weeks and months, and asks users to provide their e-mail address if they wish to join. Existing users will also soon be able to invite their friends to the service.
This and the Zune coming out so close together i can see the potential for it all they need now is to add a camera to the zune and a freinds list and advertise why settle for boring old text messages when you can send/recieve video instead on top of blogging and everything else the kids would eat it up all that would be needed is more wireless internet spots atleast around here theres a lack of them.
Even potential for revenue advertisements while the vids are up/downloading.
With soap Box and Zune tied together Microsoft could potentialy become a youtube/ipod killer in one shot but Microsoft doesn't think that far ahead or fears the anti trust suits filed because they tie things together and the competition whines.
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|MS Technology Envy
Here we go again with another case of Microsoft technology envy. You know, where some one, or some company is jealous because "their" technology is bigger than ours. And so it goes with Soapbox, Microsoft's supposed answer to YouTube, the highly popular, entertaining and non-profitable video sharing website.
I mean, I sort of understand Microsofts reasoning. Why produce a few world class, pricey software packages and/or services, when we can produce a whole slew of average, pricey software packages and/or services. Microsoft marketing must be doing caffeine IV's just thinking about the possibilities.
Reviewers have mostly been under-whelmed. Soapbox brings a few nifty tech tricks to the table, but nothing earth shattering. So customers who currently use and peruse YouTube, will have no compelling reason to switch to Soapbox. I'm guessing this will be another Xbox (losing $100 - $300 per game unit) or Zune (not sure how much they'll lose, but pretty sure it will be enough to feed a small city for a month).
Once again, Microsoft's ego has gotten in the way. They just can't handle it when another tech company is successful. Instead of tipping the hat and giving kudos, they insist on trying to enter a market where they have no expertise, just because they can. Technology envy, bad, tipping the hat and giving kudos, good. Why am I not surprised which one Microsoft chose?
And, really, what's with that name anyway?. When is the last time anyone got on/off a Soapbox? Seems Microsoft thinks it's been too long.
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|"Here we go again with another case of Microsoft technology envy."
You know how many YouTube, Google Video, etc no name copy sites are available today? Just because MS has their name on this makes them a target for ridiculous comments.
"YouTube, ... non-profitable ..."
Hah
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|Who are the F**king losers who go onto these sites and get fooled by lonelygirl15 or someother flake craving attention?
GET A LIFE LOSERS
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|Apparently you,and why are you posting your filthy language on here....let me guesse to get attention.
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|Let me "guesse": you are from London...
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|Competition in the marketplace is always good.
www.fcdg.biz
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|The site's intro has to be one of the silliest things I've seen. A grown man dressed-up as a mutant dancing butterfly? Who at Microsoft has even a single clue about advertising? No one, it seems. There's nothing like making something appear completely idiotic and unappealing even before its launch.
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|The funny thing is that has been their iconic symbol for almost 5 years now, and share has dropped, not increased.
Also note how you can see his nads silhouetted against the dance floor. Can't be good for about, oh, 90% of your audience.
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|"The site's intro has to be one of the silliest things I've seen."
Indeed...I have to say that the butterfly kind of creeps me out.
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|I did NOT notice his nads. Perhaps I'm part of the 90% who did not actively look for them with sheer anticipation.
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|...
Soapbox ? ~Who~ at Microsoft is in charge
of inventing these stupid names ?
...
The Computer Rodent
...
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|Probably comes from that old saying "I'll get off my Soapbox now" when someone has just given a speech about something. Allowing users to upload videos allows them to get on a Soapbox and say something they think is important. Would you rather have had it called "Microsoft Windows Live Spaces Video Service for Users" or something?
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|Actually, I thought that was about the first really good name MS has had in many years.
Imagine: A non-generic name that actually is relevant to what the product does. What other MS product has that kind of name?
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|Better than "YouTube".
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|Well, ya know, Microsoft does know something about being on the ole soapbox.
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|Nice screenshot
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|I signed up. If the video quality is the same as on the opening page - I'll actually use it. I've got beef with YouTube and Google Video for their lousy gainy video unworthy of my precious time.
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|Copying what others have done successfully is probably not that easy in environment that is moving so fast as the web 2.0 world is right now.
Klas from MyWebDesktop.net
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|Microsoft has mastered themselves in the art of later entrant. They wait & learn from the mistakes of other early birds. Later they come-up with product that is actually usuable not only by few young geeks but by general population. Good step Microsoft. Keep it up!!
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