YouTube adds live streaming as Google bets big on TV

Taking internet video the next logical step, YouTube are to begin streaming live content under the “Live on YouTube” banner. Initially a test of their live streaming platform, this heralds a major shift in YouTube’s content with on-demand video being joined in the future by a raft of ‘channels’.

At present the content is only from YouTube partners Young Hollywood, Howcast, Rocketboom and Next New Networks, but this isn’t to say in the future YouTube Live Streaming won’t offer channels from major broadcasters.

There’s no plans at present to offer the live broadcast facility to the public at large – lets face it, it would be a nightmare to censor the variety of oddities that would no doubt be on show. However if the trial is a success, YouTube has ambitious plans to roll it out to more partners.

Of course this is great news for those with you with web-enabled TVs like the excellent Panasonic TX-P42G20B plasma and media devices like the cracking LG HB405SU Blu-Ray surround system – with them already having YouTube built-in, they can begin playing the channels right now.

With this development YouTube, and by extension Google, can become major players in the fledgling IPTV world, with YouTube bringing the content and soon Google bringing the Google TV hardware plus the requisite piles and piles of cash.