Google to launch European variations of YouTube?

Plus YouTube Mobile and YouTube Remixer

18 June 2007 17:05 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

YouTube goes mobile, gets in-house editing and might launch in different languages - we've got a trio of YouTube-related stories for you today.

Firstly is the news that the mobile phone optimised version of YouTube has launched to a rather lukewarm reception.

The site (link below) is xHTML-optimised for mobile phones and can be viewed by any mobile user across all networks as long as the phone has video streaming capabilities.

The mobi-site offers a small selection of videos from certain categories such as "Top Rated", "Recently Added" and "Most Viewed" as well as the option to view a random vid.

YouTube have provided the following warning to anyone logging onto the site: "YouTube Mobile is a data intensive application. We highly recommend that you upgrade to an unlimited data plan with your mobile service provider to avoid additional charges".

In addition to the data horrors, initial reports suggest that the videos take too long to load and poorer quality clips, of which there are obviously tons on YouTube, are near impossible to view on a mobile phone's screen.

Also getting an unimpressive reception is YouTube's newly launched video editing tool.

Called YouTube Remixer, it is a simplified version of Adobe's Premiere.

Remixer allows YouTubers to first upload their videos, then add subtitles and other captions, mix clips together, add clip-art and create a music soundtrack. The video can then be published directly onto YouTube.

Remixer does not offer anything that other video editing software doesn't and will be of little use to expert editers, or indeed anyone who already has even the most basic editing software.

The final YouTube news snippet is more of a rumour at this stage - Google is apparently going to be launching regional European versions of YouTube with different language offerings.

Apparently due to be announced at a big-wig Parisian press conference, France 24, a French TV channel, has apparently confirmed that it has been in talks with the search engine giant about a Gallic version of the video-sharing site.

YouTube is popular in Europe, despite being an English-language only site, with over 60 million European users, but versions of the site offered in a selection langauges would no doubt increase popularity, and potential revenue, further.

We'll bring you more news as we have it.

Full tags

Software, Websites, Online, YouTube, Google