Microsoft rolls out Bing Video

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Microsoft announced today that it is consolidating MSN Video into Bing Video.

Bing Video will offer MSN's array of videos, and videos from sites such as Hulu, ABC, Youtube and more than 300 content providers. The old video.msn.com portal will now forward directly to Bing Video. In a company blog posting, a Microsoft spokesperson detailed Bing video:

"Today, we are announcing a new version of Bing Videos that brings together the rich editorial content and programming of MSN Video with the web-wide breadth and great search capabilities of Bing, to deliver a new online video destination that offers a comprehensive and faster video experience. Bing Videos simplifies finding and watching the widest selection of premium and general video from around the Web. You can browse through a rich selection of videos that are chosen editorially and algorithmically throughout the site. When searching for video, features like smart-motion thumbnails make it simple to find the exact video you're looking for."

Microsoft has also added a "dim the lights" mode (pictured below) to the Bing Video player. The feature simply darkens the page around the video to ensure the focus is on the video. Bing Video is part of a number of changes for MSN and Bing to refresh the look of the search and content sites. Last week company officials unveiled a new-look MSN.com home page.

(5 replies) #1 Yert on 11 Nov 2009 - 07:35

This video uses Flash, not Silverlight.

#1.1 Digix on 11 Nov 2009 - 08:12

Yert said,

Yeah doesn't make much stand out use this over that factor.

#1.2 GP007 on 11 Nov 2009 - 08:47

That's probably because the content it's pulling from other sources uses flash and not silverlight as well? Just a thought.

Besides silverlight is more than just a way to show videos.

#1.3 brent3000 on 11 Nov 2009 - 11:45

If you actually go to Bing Video and watch a video from there you will notice Bing vids play in silverlight...

#1.4 Jebadiah on 11 Nov 2009 - 13:29

This looks pretty good to me. You move your mouse over the video results and it plays a preview clip!

There's a Music link in the above screen shot, but it's not on the Bing website.

Edit: Ah! The music refers to music videos!?!

#1.5 LyKwId on 11 Nov 2009 - 21:43

not 100% sure about this (as i've only tested it briefly) but I think that if you have silverlight installed it will play it using SL... if not it defaults to Flash...

#2 kevcampbell on 11 Nov 2009 - 07:52

i would love if the video player bar and mouse would auto hide when you go to full screen mode

#3 Jugalator on 11 Nov 2009 - 08:55

They obviously didn't make a deal with Hulu etc to provide international TV clip support though. Basically, nothing but trailers works. It's so sad that the media companies do like this, and a misuse of Internet.

#4 M_Lyons10 on 11 Nov 2009 - 10:01

It looks decent. I'm going to play around with it some.

(1 reply) #5 tonyunreal on 11 Nov 2009 - 10:23

Looks like the mobile site of MSN Video isn't affected.

Is that Felicia Day in the screenshot?

#5.1 +Kirkburn on 11 Nov 2009 - 18:58

tonyunreal said,

It's an episode of The Guild.

#6 Shaper on 11 Nov 2009 - 10:43

Yup, it's Felicia Day. Now off to try it

#7 majg on 11 Nov 2009 - 17:29

Being able to view and preview videos from all these services like Hulu is very Win.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Hulu+T...mp;FORM=R5FD19#

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