Google's supersite YouTube to get makeover and new features

Google's supersite YouTube to get makeover and new featuresYouTube is expected to get makeover, new features, and new looks! Google is likely to introduce new features and some design changes to its supersite YouTube shortly. Well, Google has always been striving to introduce new feature to its services, but with the makeover of its video sharing site, Google seems to be going Facebook way.

Let’s start with “YouTube RealTime,” the new feature that Google is planning to add to YouTube. YouTube RealTime allows YouTube users share with their friends in the moment what they are doing with the site.

On Wednesday, Google started testing the new feature YouTube RealTime. Commenting on the new feature, Google said, "This is building on the success of the YouTube friend activity feed, letting people see what their friends are watching, rating, commenting on, etc.”

With YouTube RealTime, Google is certainly looking to go Twitter, Facebook way. With YouTube RealTime, Google is aiming to introduce social networking features to YouTube. YouTube RealTime will let users share what they are doing, what they are watching, etc. in real time, though the service will be optional; the friends will have option to accept or deny the request.  

Secondly, Google is reportedly planning for makeover of YouTube. According to ClickZ report, Google is gearing up for redesigned feature on YouTube that will allow users to “separate the site’s premium and long-form programming from the user-posted videos that account for most of the site's activity”. Doing away with the current navigation way, Google will introduce new navigation system with clearly defined sections for professional content.

The report states that the new YouTube layout will offer four tabs, namely Movies, Music, Shows, and Videos. The tabs under Movies, Music and Shows will have premium shows, clips, and movies on offer from the network and studio partners of Google. The Videos tab will feature amateur and semi-pro content. The new YouTube layout will look similar to that of Hulu. The changes will also be fetched to YouTube's video player. The new video player will feature visual markers in places where ads are scheduled to play. It will also allow users to reduce the brightness of screen. According to the report, Google is planning to sign new deals for more recent shows and movies of YouTube.

Well, it’s good, if Google is changing YouTube for better. Google should not forget that Facebook’s new look didn’t get good response from its users. Anyhow, it will be interesting to see what response the redesigned YouTube gets from its users.     

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