I know at some point we were discussing the difficulty of placing ads on YouTube to cover the cost of legitimate networks and labels uploading shows and music.  I just came across an example of that, and they seem to have solved the problem pretty well.  There’s still the usual stationary ad that we’re all used to seeing (and ignoring), but rather than making users sit through 30-second clips before starting the video, there’s a banner ad at the bottom of the screen that can easily be exited.  After that, the only obstruction to the video itself is a small “Ad” button that, if clicked, brings the banner back.  I don’t know how satisfactory this will be to advertisers in the long run, because most people will probably just exit the ad within a second of its popping up without even taking notice of what’s being advertised (this is the same problem posed by stationary ads, which people usually just read around) but from a viewer’s perspective it’s a great solution.