Google Video Dead

Matthew Torino April 17, 2011 0

In a move that probably should've taken place about five years ago, Google is finally shutting down its Google Video service and recommending users, if they somehow haven't already, use their other Internet video property, YouTube. Maybe you've heard of it. On April 29th, videos will no longer be able to be viewed on the site and if your uploaded videos aren't downloaded by May 13th, they'll be gone forever and lost to the archives. 

People just assumed this service would be integrated with YouTube once Google bought it way back in 2006 but for whatever reason that didn't happen. Whenever you search Google Video, most of the links are to YouTube, owned by Google obviously, yet Google Video was kept for some reason. 

Users haven't been able to upload videos to Google Video in about two years, rendering the site pretty much useless since then if it wasn't already. YouTube is apparently finally becoming profitable for the Internet giant so there really was no reason to keep this site around. Strangely there's no option to port your videos from Google Video straight to YouTube. No, we have no idea why. 

Here's the email Google sent its Google Video users this week:

Dear Google Video User,

Later this month, hosted video content on Google Video will no longer be available for playback. Google Video stopped taking uploads in May 2009 and now we’re removing the remaining hosted content. We’ve always maintained that the strength of Google Video is its ability to let people search videos from across the web, regardless of where those videos are hosted. And this move will enable us to focus on developing these technologies further to the benefit of searchers worldwide.

On April 29, 2011, videos that have been uploaded to Google Video will no longer be available for playback. We’ve added a Download button to the video status page, so you can download any video content you want to save. If you don’t want to download your content, you don’t need to do anything. (The Download feature will be disabled after May 13, 2011.)

We encourage you to move to your content to YouTube if you haven’t done so already. YouTube offers many video hosting options including the ability to share your videos privately or in an unlisted manner. To learn more go here.
Here’s how to download your videos:

1. Go to the Video Status page.
2. To download a video to your computer, click the Download Video link located on the right side of each of your videos in the Actions column.

Once a video has been downloaded, “Already Downloaded” will appear next to the Download Video link.

If you have many videos on Google Video, you may need to use the paging controls located on the bottom right of the page to access them all.
Please note: This download option will be available through May 13, 2011.
Thank you for being a Google Video user.

Sincerely,
The Google Video Team

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