Microsoft vs Google: The Battle Over YouTube App Continues

Even if it’s just about something on the internet, war is never a good thing and it seems that Microsoft and Google simply can not play nice and instead choose to bicker like kids in a sandbox.

In the latest of what seems to be a trend of of back and forth, it involves Google blocking a Microsoft-developed YouTube app for Windows Phone, despite a promise to collaborate between the two companies. In the past, Microsoft has launched public campaigns directly against Google as there are many anti-Google based ads via Gmail man, newspaper ads, Scroogled and in addition to that even a Anti-Google aps campaign the so-called “Googlighting Campaign” so it seems these folks want to literally go head-to-head in battle.

Google is in on this as well, but a bit more subdued than Microsoft in their attack mode, choosing to use subtlety as a tool, but with curiously timed product changes, methods intended to block Windows Phone users, and the occasional sniping comment from Larry Page or Eric Schmidt the game is on. The funny thing though is that behind the closed doors of corporation, these folks are forced to work together for the benefit of their customer base. The thing is what is really going on over there and how will it effect us as the end user. Tom Warren of “The Verge” went inside the fray to find out just why this battle is ensuing and why Google does not want a Smartphone with a YouTube app on it, could anyone say “Ouch?”

Like most fights, this one started off small and has grown, but it seems as if Microsoft may have landed the first blow. Two years ago when Microsoft alleged that Google was preventing it from “offering consumers a fully featured YouTube app for the Windows Phone.” At the time, Microsoft shipped a YouTube app for Windows Phone that simply redirected users to the mobile version of the service, but Microsoft wanted more and was not satisfied in any way. It seems that in May Microsoft decided to do something about it, releasing a full YouTube app for Windows Phone with functionality that rivaled the official apps on Android and iOS. There was a slight problem, though: Microsoft had reverse-engineered Google’s YouTube APIs and created an app that lacked ads and allowed users to download videos for offline viewing.

Google to say the least was not pleased by this action, as this release as it basically disabled all the things that make Google money as well as allowing restricted videos and other things not normally allowed by Google on their YouTube branded channels. With that they asked Microsoft to remove the application from circulation until they could come to terms and common ground. Then in fashion the Micro-Boys responded having this to say: “More than happy to include advertising,” but that it needed access to the necessary APIs in order to do so. Instead of pulling the application like Google requested, Microsoft pushed out an update on the very day Google demanded it be removed, nixing the download option but not addressing the lack of ads. By doing this everyone could see that Microsoft was really trying to push the buttons of Google and therefore inciting turbulence between the two rival media giants.

This was followed a few days later with a joint statement form both companies that a new app would be released that would work within the confines of YouTube’s API terms Of Service, complete with ads and all the rest of the standard things associated with using YouTube. On the outside and to the world it looked like the two companies were working in harmony and mutual cooperation, but that was a fallacy as inside things were heating up to a new level. In the past few months there is a new battle brewing between Google and Microsoft and this is the element of HTML5 that sources at the Verge claim Google is forcing Microsoft to build its YouTube Windows Phone app in HTML5, despite its own Android and iOS versions using superior native code. Although Microsoft has offered to build ad support along with making other tweaks as Google has requested, a full HTML5 app isn’t currently possible on the platform.  It seems that the Microsoft Windows phone has some browser control limitations that apparently will be addressed in a future version of the Windows phone.

“There is also an inherent behavior of Windows Phone where playback of an HTML5 video through a web page opens the built-in media player to host the video,” says Michael Choeung, a developer of third-party YouTube app MetroTube. The restrictions make it difficult for Microsoft, and others, to control video playback and overlay controls on YouTube videos. Microsoft calls Google’s request for an HTML5 app “odd” but the reasoning is unclear, as Google has declined to comment. In a statement, the company says: “We value our broad developer community and therefore ask everyone to adhere to the same guidelines.” These guidelines are designed to promote the public HTML5 APIs that Google provides, but if the APIs are sufficient then why aren’t more developers using them widely on iOS? “I use an undocumented API as the HTML5 API is having some drawbacks,” explains Muhammad Bassio, the developer of third-party YouTube iOS app Tuber. Bassio claims YouTube’s HTML5 API isn’t popular with other third-party iOS developers. “The ones I know don’t seem to use the HTML5 API, as they play the videos natively in a custom player,” says Bassio, citing Jasmine, McTube, ProTuber, TubePlayer, and YouVids as all using workarounds.

So it seems we have two companies that both want to rule the HTML5 world and that just seems like the latest in series of battle between the two rivals. It seems Google could really give a damn about losing whatever market share they both might have in common in effort to stick to their guns so to speak and trey and make Microsoft bend their knee to the wishes of Google. I think that both companies should really focus on what is best for all users, regardless of what brand of phone they use or its IOS and set their goals on achieving that end goal. Fighting continuously though seems to be the “Status Quo” between these companies. Microsoft picked a fight with an opponent that will not back down and while they have been poking Google publicly for quite some time, behind closed doors Google is making big demands before it relinquishes any type of fighting stance and before they save the day publicly. This is all just a bunch of caterwauling by companies that should set a better precedent and image than one of bickering kids in a sandbox as the only one who really get screwed are you and me “Joe Public”.  Thanks for reading Tech Of Tomorrow and Tom Warren for the original article content.  So what do you folks think of all this in fighting between Google and Microsoft? Is it impairing your YouTube experience? Or do you think its just two companies being childish publicly? Your opinions count, and we want to hear them.

Source: The Verge