We love YouTube, that much has been established. Despite its popularity, however, the company loses loads of cash. How much is up for interpretation.

In an AP report, San Francisco consultants RampRate Inc. projected operating losses of $174.2 million this year. Sound bad? In April, Credit Suisse analysts pegged the number at $470.6 million.

For those looking for clarity from the San Bruno-based company itself, parent company Google isn't talking. It purchased YouTube in 2006 for $1.76 billion, and has the cash to keep it afloat indefinitely.

Revenue and video acquisition numbers are fairly well accepted; where ideas differ is in the company's cost to host YouTube's video -- with 20 hours uploaded every minute. Cost estimates range from less than $100 million to nearly $400 million.

RampRate says that the perception of large losses actually help Google negotiate better deals with various studios who use the site, as well as reducing incentive for copyright-based lawsuits.

Google's response: because it shares its revenue it has little incentive to inflate perceived losses.