Google To Branch Into TV With New Search Feature
Google Inc. is using its popular Internet search technology to find information and images broadcast on television, continuing a recent effort to extend its reach beyond the Web.
The Mountain View-based company planned to introduce the new video service Tuesday; it will be operated separately from the search engine offered on Google's home page. The feature pinpoints content previously aired on a variety of television networks by scanning through the closed caption text that many programmers offer.
Google's service, which began storing information last month, includes programming from ABC, PBS, Fox News and C-SPAN.
"We think TV is a big part of people's lives," said Jonathan Rosenberg , Google's vice president of product management. "Ultimately, we would like to have all TV programming indexed."
Search engine analyst Charlene Li of Forrester Research said Google's latest innovation is likely to disappoint many people because it doesn't provide a direct link to watch the previously broadcast programming.
Google instead is displaying up to five still video images from the indexed television programs, as well as snippets from the show's narrative. The search results also will provide a breakdown on when the program aired and when an episode is scheduled to be repeated. Local programming information will be available for those who provide a ZIP code.
Rival search engine Yahoo Inc. also has been tinkering with a product that finds video available for Webcasts. Hoping to counter Google's initiative, Yahoo planned to step up the promotion of its video search tools Tuesday.
If the Google and Yahoo services attract a following, more television programmers may be compelled to provide better online access to their content, Li said. "Video search is going to be a very long-term play."
The TV product represents Google's latest attempt to get a better handle on the reams of information that isn't stored on Web pages. The company recently set out to scan millions of books from several major libraries into its search engine and is offering a program that finds material stored on computer hard drives.
Google将推出电视节目搜索服务
Google Inc.正在将其备受欢迎的互联网搜索技术应用于寻找在电视节目中播放的信息及图像，这也是该公司为将搜索业务拓展至互联网之外领域所作努力的延续。
这家总部设在芒廷维尤的公司周二表示，计划推出新的视频搜索服务。此项服务将独立于Google主页上所提供的搜索引擎服务。该服务将通过扫描许多节目制作方都会提供的现成的字幕文本来搜索各家电视网络早先播出过的节目内容。
Google此项服务的搜索覆盖面包括美国广播公司(ABC)、PBS、Fox News及C-SPAN的节目。该公司已于上个月启动了相关的信息存储工作。
Google负责产品管理的副总裁Jonathan Rosenberg表示，他认为电视占据了人们生活的大部分内容，公司的最终目标是使所有电视节目都能够被搜索到。
