Search engine Google launched a video search facility this week that enables users to find online footage of recent TV shows.

Google Video is running as a beta, or trial, version and trawls through a selection of shows that Google began indexing in December 2004. Current sources include broadcasters Fox News, the NBA, PBS and C-SPAN.

Users search by keyword and the engine returns up to five video stills and relevant text sections in a preview page.

"What Google did for the web, Google Video aims to do for television," said Google co-founder Larry Page.

"Users can search the content of TV programs for anything, see relevant thumbnails, and discover where and when to watch matching television programmes."

More news from dotJournalism:
Online publishers rail against Google
New products from Google
Hacks slate Google news

Free daily newsletter

If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).