• by January 25, 2005

Google's latest? It seems the high-flying search giant wants to dabble in TV.

Google is introducing a new video search service today that will enable people to find information and video broadcast on TV. The video search service will be offered in an index capable of tracking content that previously aired on TV networks by scanning closed caption text. The Google video index includes programming from ABC, PBS, Fox News, and C-SPAN.

And that's just the beginning. It looks like Google wants to index all TV programming. The video search service is the latest in a series of moves that shows Google's ambitions go beyond the Web. Late last year, the company announced a plan to index and digitize holdings in major university libraries. It's also introduced a desktop PC search tool, encroaching on Microsoft's sacred territory.

As for Google's video search service, there's at least one thing it can't do; there is no direct link to enable consumers to watch the previously broadcast shows. Google merely offers a few still images from the indexed TV programs and clips from the show's narrative. Search results offer data on when the show aired and when an episode will be repeated. Entering a ZIP code delivers local programming information.

It's unclear what kind of revenue Google can get from the video search service since the company doesn't plan to carry sponsored search results with it, not yet, at least.