Microsoft has now released the public beta of its video upload service called Soapbox which is seen as a rival to Google’s YouTube service Last year , the beta version of the product was introduced to the customers thorugh the invitation-only basis but now it is open to all.

Soapbox is a part of Windows Live service and allows its users to upload , share, discover there personal music videos with the other members of the soapbox community . The advantages of using the service are that it provides the user with single step uploading, background video processing , acceptance of all major video formats , RSS feed and you can also rate , comment on other videos if you are a member . It also allows a user to simaltaneously browse for videos while watching one in the same screen .

Personally i dont see it as a major rival to you-tube but with Microsoft offering a variety of diffrent services through windows live , who knows what might happen one day .