Google has upgraded and updated its online video service to offer free adsupported access to premium content among other things.
Google has launched a beta version of its new "sponsored video" service which makes available a variety of videos that are paid for by companies like HP. The free content ranges from music videos to cartoon shows interviews and movies.
In order to offer the content for free Google has gone with advertisements of the noninvasive variety. Instead of popup ads the sponsors post links to their Web sites as well as to commercials they've uploaded onto the Google Video service.
In addition Google users can now rate label and post comments on each video. Videos are rated on a fivestar scale enabling users to offer up personal input engage in discussions with other users and see which videos are most highly rated. Google says it added the label feature to help users associate a video with a specific word or phrase to help locate it at a later time.
Lastly Google has added a "Share this Video" feature which lets users send videos to friends and family or post to different Web sites.
"A few clicks and your current favorite is directly embedded into the most popular blogging platforms like Blogger TypePad MySpace and LiveJournal" said Jon Steinback product marketing manager for the Google Web site.
