newteevee.com — Google will shut down its paid rentals and download service five days from now. Not only will videos no longer be available for rental or download, but previously purchased videos will no longer be playable. By way of apology, Google is offering $2 coupons for Google Checkout.
Aug 11, 2007 View in Crawl 4
charbaxAug 11, 2007
Google pays me $50 as Google Checkout bonus to use within the next 2 months. Cause I have bought and rented quite a bunch of DRMed Google Videos. Basically I'm sure if anyone has spent $500 buying Google Videos, then that's probably the amount that Google is compensating with.What I really hope, is that all the effort that independant content partners of Google have put into digiziting and uploading the videos, that Google does have a plan for a much more successfull business model that doesn't involve DRM to show those videos on the Internet and to make some revenue for the independant video journalists, artists and producers.
kavokAug 11, 2007
They are giving same-value Google Checkout coupons, theoretically you could just buy the content with the coupons from some DVD site. Although I doubt everything is available in DVD form.
kavokAug 11, 2007
From other replies it seems that they are matching your total spent in coupons.
slightedwitAug 11, 2007
It still does nothing to defend their 'do no evil' mantra. Has me wondering if I should back up my gmail account from time to time in case they decide it's time to end that service as well.
hsokineesAug 12, 2007
never even knew about such a service :O
lightspeed2Aug 12, 2007
wow ever heard of google video? remember, the whole reason why they bought youtube, their competition? f**king idiot
slightedwitAug 14, 2007
A little update, Google is allowing me to get a complete refund through their service rather than just a credit with Google Checkout. Although I would prefer to watch the videos again, I am satisfied. I am also still a supporter of DRM. Let the negative diggs begin!