UPDATE 2-Blinkx H1 loss widens; to raise 5 mln stg via placing

* H1 revenue $13.1 mln vs $6.4 mln in the year-ago period

* Plans to place 27.9 mln shares at 18 pence apiece

* Price represents 7.7 pct discount to Monday close

* Shares fall 5 pct (Adds details; CEO comment, updates share movement)

By Purwa Naveen Raman

BANGALORE, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Online video search engine Blinkx Plc (BLNX.L: Quote, Profile, Research) posted a wider first-half loss on increased expenses even as its revenue doubled, and said it would raise about 5 million pounds ($8.20 million) through a share placing.

The San Francisco and London based firm said it planned to place about 27.9 million shares at 18 pence apiece.

This represents a discount of 7.7 percent to the stock's Monday closing of 19.50 pence.

"What the placing lets us do is get very aggressive about the upturn," founder and Chief Executive Suranga Chandratillake said by phone.