YouTube die-hards rant over new overlaid ads

23 August 2007 16:42 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

Die-hard YouTube fans aren't happy with the changes to the video-sharing site as signalled by the InVideo adverts announcement.

Disgruntled users have posted negative responses to the news on the site that vary from a simple "Yuck" to the heartfelt:

"Video is art. Film is art. And for you to paint over their artwork is a complete atrocity. Place your ads somewhere else."

In an ironic twist, one YouTuber even gave the site a taste of its own medicine by posting a video to protest and voice his displeasure.

In YouTube's defence you could argue that the ads are only appearing on select YouTube videos from content partners and that a very large proportion of YouTube clips, mainly involving people's pets or other dull amateurish efforts, really ain't art.

Announced yesterday, the InVideo advertising program on YouTube is a new way for companies to reach the video sharing site's 130 million viewers.

Advertiser's clips will appear on select YouTube videos, not as a "pre-roll" but as "overlays" which will run at the bottom of the screen.

Fifteen seconds into a video with an overlay, viewers will be "invited" to view the ad and if they want to the clip is paused and the ad is shown in a flash player in the video window.

If users choose not to click to watch the advert, it disappears after 10 seconds, and will not reappear if the video is replayed.

The industry response to the announcement has been mixed, with some welcoming the non-obtrusive nature of the system while others have pointed out it very closely resembles a similar scheme on the VideoEgg video network.

Despite the user protests Google, YouTube's owners, will not u-turn on InVideo - industry analysts have predicted the internet giant will rake in tens of billions of dollars per annum within a few years thanks to the scheme.

Full tags

Software, YouTube, Websites, Google, Online