Google Video (beta)

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With free content, Google Video is more successful, although it's no more than a time-killing diversion. Users can post their own videos to the store, which are free to view, although within a few weeks, people will be able to charge for them (good luck). Free content can be viewed through Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari on any Windows or Macintosh computer, and most of it can be downloaded in AVI for either Windows or Mac computers; or in the correct format for PlayStation Portables or video iPods. Some pages have icons for sending the listing to a friend or adding the video to your Web site, but not all of them do. We hope that you'll soon be able to download a version that works with Windows Media PlaysForSure devices.

Google won't say how many titles are on the site, except that the number is in the thousands. With no organization to the store, you're left browsing commercial or popular content, or searching on keywords. It's an entertaining way to spend some time, and the inclusion of so much free content is a smart idea, but with so little organization, it's hard to discover interesting content in the store.

We didn't experience any major problems using the site or purchasing video, although purchases downloaded far too slowly. One 30-minute program took 20 minutes to download. Also, the Google Video player is far too simple, with no way to view your library of titles.

If you're having problems, Google Video offers several FAQs online, as well as a page to e-mail a question.

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