YouTube users can pick their poison with ads

On Monday, YouTube said users can choose whether to watch an advertisement at the beginning of a video or to watch a few ads as their video plays.

The web's largest video site will give users a chance to choose when to watch their ads as part of a test. Those who choose to watch an ad at the outset, what YouTube calls the "promoted video", will get to choose between ads.

Hand it to Google, the company continues to try to find the kind of web video ads that please advertisers but don't alienate viewers. It's tricky. The process can sometimes be painful for both company and users. For instance, some of the ads that have appeared lately at the bottom of YouTube videos obscure much of the lower half of the frame.

What's the use of clicking on the video if you can't see it? YouTube's got to pay the bills somehow, but we're glad they're looking for less annoying ways to advertise to viewers.

"We are constantly testing a wide range of options to find the right advertising format for the right content on YouTube," the company said on its blog. "We think giving users a say in the process helps our efforts."

(Credit: YouTube)

What option would you choose? If we've got to have ads, which way is less annoying? Tell us what you think below.