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Remember when YouTube was little more than an online video portal filled with crappy videos shot in blurry SD? You could argue that much of the content still sucks, but at least the picture quality is much improved with so many HD uploads. Google has begun taking a proactive role in improving the actual content too, and as 2012 rolls around, you'll be able to watch scheduled broadcasts with professional actors, just like cable and satellite TV.
Google is keeping mum on its plans, but according to a report in The Wall Street Journal, it's all but a done deal as Google finalizes contracts for what will be the first of many channels. The goal is to have content ready by early 2012.
In order to make this happen, YouTube will pay up to several million dollars to content creators. Digital Trends says you can expect some of these channels to feature famous celebrities to star and/or host. Despite the amount of money it will take to make this happen, it appears these premium channels will be free to watch, with Google planning to collect a king's ransom through in-video advertising and lucrative sponsorship deals.
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Eoraptor
September 27, 2011 at 7:24am
Between this and the Netflix deal last year, it seems like the first true nails in the coffin for traditional bundled cablesat media. (and none too soon! I hate paying more than eighty dollars a month for 250 channels just so I can try to find SOMETHING that isn't reality TV)
Of course, we can now also watch the media circus as the big cablesat players go all RIAA on Netflix and the Youtube Channels the same way they have on netflix Streaming, Google TV, and TV Shows on itunes.
