Beta Watch: Fancast, WeGame, and AOL Finance

A look at Comcast's entertainment portal, a video site for game fans, and AOL's new investment information center.

Edward N. Albro, PC World

Fancast: Funky Video Stew

Comcast's new Fancast site streams full episodes of dozens of new and old TV series, including the original Star Trek.Comcast's free Fancast site is a strange but rewarding melange of all things video. It has streams of full episodes of current and old television shows from Bravo, CBS, Fox, NBC, and other networks. It has personalized TV listings based on your location and interests. It has blogs about TV, movies, and celebrities. And it has marketing for first-run movies, DVDs, and downloads. The stew is a bit confusing, but how can I complain about a site that streams Arrested Development and The Bob Newhart Show?

WeGame: YouTube for Gamers

"I ain't sayin' she a gold farmer, but she ain't passin' on no blue armor," raps someone who's clearly not Kanye West in a witty mashup video produced in the World of Warcraft environment. That's probably the best thing so far in WeGame, which gives gamers the tools to create in-game videos and post them to the site for all to see. The early results are pretty uneven--lots of inside jokes funny only to veterans of those specific games. But, hey, the hit-and-miss nature of YouTube content hasn't exactly held that site back, and it's been around for three years.

AOL Finance: In-Depth Company Intelligence

If you really want to dig into the finances and prospects of a company you're considering investing in (or applying for a job at), AOL's beta refresh of its finance site is a good place to start. AOL provides charts galore that allow you to look at different time frames and compare a firm with its rivals. The site also features news about the company you're researching from an impressive array of sources. And if you want advice from your peers, you can hit the site's message boards.