YouTube Doing Some Ghostbusting This Week

Did you know that it's the 25th anniversary of that timeless comedy, "Ghostbusters?" Well it is, and to make sure that everyone knows it, YouTube and Sony are giving unprecedented access to the film. Well, if you don't already own it. And you want to watch it on your computer. And you like ads interrupting your movies. But hey, if you're one of those people, it's time to be excited.

There's something kind of interesting about it, though. While many people consider YouTube to be synonymous with online videos, it seems that Sony has its own video player, called Crackle. When you hit up Ghostbusters some time during the week, you're going to be ported to Sony's player, even though you'll still be on YouTube's website. Sure, it's not groundbreaking, but it's still a little unorthodox. But, perhaps this is a glimpse into what's to come. Perhaps YouTube is trying to shed the skin of an online video player gone awry, filled with pointless videos about cats in bags, or unauthorized movie clips. This is just one occassion, but even the smallest of things can lead to the biggest of changes.

What may be the worst part though, is that the entire movie will be played by ads that will interrupt your viewing. There's about 8 ads in total, and the revenue is going to be split between YouTube and Sony, with the studio taking the lion's share of the profits. On a positive note, the video will be displayed by a 16:9 ratio in a "high quality" resolution. So, are you in the market for a little ad-friendly Ghostbuster love? You know where to go.

[via LA Times]