CNN.com Live Video latest

As many readers will now know, CNN Pipeline has already ended. The new CNN.com, with new free live video streams, is due to launch on 2 July 2007. Many questions are being asked regarding exactly what will be offered as CNN.com Live Video. Will Pipeline programming still exist? Will CNN International still be carried?

Well, you may be able to see this for yourself now.

I've just fired up the CNN Pipeline application. When loaded, Pipe 1 is loaded to the main screen as is usual. In this main screen is a message that CNN Pipeline has ended, and new CNN.com live video launches on 2 July. The preview windows for Pipes 2, 3 and 4 show the "Stay Tuned" message. Now, click one of these other pipes. Now you'll see live video on Pipe 1's preview screen (bottom left).

At the moment (0820 gmt) I'm seeing CNN International's World News, with Adrian Finighan in London. There are some changes. The CNN logo in the bottom right is now red. (Before it was blue, and in brackets, like the Pipeline logo). During the CNN/I breaks, there is still the text news/sport/weather filler. However now the moving graphics background is also red, as opposed to the previous blue.

This suggests to me the live video is now a running trial until the full launch on Monday, and this is the only way we can see it. Try it - it should work. It'll be interesting to see what happens at 1200 gmt when previous the CNN Pipeline programming began.

UPDATE (1700 gmt): A couple of hours ago, the preview window on Pipe 1 was blank with just the CNN logo. But now, I see one of the Pipeline presenters at the desk, not doing very much while the camera is lined up, zooming in and out. The presenter has just walked off the set. The set is similar to the old Pipeline set, although the background has changed (it looks like a blurred view of the CNN.com newsroom). So my guess is the new CNN.com Live Video will retain both CNN/I relays and CNN Pipeline-style programming. You heard it here first!