Google steps up competition with iTunes, adds Disney movies to YouTube
Stepping up its competition against Apple's iTunes, Google on Wednesday added hundreds of movies from Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks to rent on YouTube, including the Cars and Pirates of the Caribbean franchises.
Disney's streaming films are now available to rent at youtube.com/movies, where thousands of titles are already available from other studios. Some of those movies are available to watch for free, like Step Brothers, and others are as little as 99 cents, such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Some 2011 releases like Bad Teacher and Attack the Block can be watched for $3.99.
Once a customer pays to rent an HD film, YouTube grants them 30 days to begin watching the movie. When the movie has been started, users have either 24 or 48 hours of viewing time.
The deal struck by Google makes it more competitive with Apple's iTunes, a service that already offers Disney movies for purchase or rent. A YouTube rental of Cars 2 is $3.99 for a 48-hour pass, while iTunes users can rent the standard-definition version for $3.99 ($14.99 to buy), or high-definition for $4.99 ($19.99 purchase).
YouTube has promised that more "Disney classics and new releases" will appear on the site in the future. Films will also feature YouTube Movie Extras, with behind-the-scenes clips, interviews and more.
The YouTube movie rental service was launched in May with blockbuster titles such as Inception and The King's Speech. But the addition of Disney, a longtime Apple partner and a company of which Steve Jobs was the single largest shareholder, is a major coup for the fledgling service.
The deal is a change from Apple, when Disney, along with Fox and Paramount, passed on a deal with Google over concerns that the search giant had "not taken adequate steps to stop supporting piracy sites."
iTunes movie rentals have been available from Apple since 2008. In 2010, the company held 64.5 percent of the Video on Demand market, according to research group IHS.
Disney's streaming films are now available to rent at youtube.com/movies, where thousands of titles are already available from other studios. Some of those movies are available to watch for free, like Step Brothers, and others are as little as 99 cents, such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Some 2011 releases like Bad Teacher and Attack the Block can be watched for $3.99.
Once a customer pays to rent an HD film, YouTube grants them 30 days to begin watching the movie. When the movie has been started, users have either 24 or 48 hours of viewing time.
The deal struck by Google makes it more competitive with Apple's iTunes, a service that already offers Disney movies for purchase or rent. A YouTube rental of Cars 2 is $3.99 for a 48-hour pass, while iTunes users can rent the standard-definition version for $3.99 ($14.99 to buy), or high-definition for $4.99 ($19.99 purchase).
YouTube has promised that more "Disney classics and new releases" will appear on the site in the future. Films will also feature YouTube Movie Extras, with behind-the-scenes clips, interviews and more.
The YouTube movie rental service was launched in May with blockbuster titles such as Inception and The King's Speech. But the addition of Disney, a longtime Apple partner and a company of which Steve Jobs was the single largest shareholder, is a major coup for the fledgling service.
The deal is a change from Apple, when Disney, along with Fox and Paramount, passed on a deal with Google over concerns that the search giant had "not taken adequate steps to stop supporting piracy sites."
iTunes movie rentals have been available from Apple since 2008. In 2010, the company held 64.5 percent of the Video on Demand market, according to research group IHS.
Comments
YouTube rental? What is that, in Flash?
I think so. It sounds like it is more competition for Netflix, rather than iTunes. You can buy movies via iTunes, but not Netflix or YouTube.
I think so. It sounds like it is more competition for Netflix, rather than iTunes. You can buy movies via iTunes, but not Netflix or YouTube.
It doesn't sound like any competition for Netflix either, because Netflix is subscription. You can't rent individual movies on Netflix.
Having said that, I don't exactly see myself renting any movies on Youtube anytime soon.
Stepping up its competition against Apple's iTunes, Google on Wednesday added hundreds of movies from Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks to rent on YouTube, including the Cars and Pirates of the Caribbean franchises.
it didn't take Disney very long after Steve died, eh? All they care about is money.
it didn't take Disney very long after Steve died, eh? All they care about is money.
You mean? Walt?
You mean? Walt?
No he meant Steve. Not sure if you know this but Steve Jobs was the highest individual stock holder for Disney and a member of the Board. Which likely didn't hurt when it came to getting Disney and Pixar on iTunes.
That said, I don't see this deal being really all that much better on the consumer front. The prices are basically the same, the rental periods the same and it has the downside that you have to be online and right now it only works on computer. How many folks really need 24 hours to watch a movie, much less more. Probably not that many in the long run.
The only folks this benefits are the studios who fear that someone could figure out how to hack the DRM on a downloaded file and turn off the timers. Then again, they can do the same with a stream. Or just capture it. So that notion is actually moot
Somehow, though, I can't really associate YouTube with a real money-making business.
it didn't take Disney very long after Steve died, eh? All they care about is money.
Not sure if serious...
It will be another half-hearted messup.
Does that mean Disney is added to the "Companies we have to hate" list?
No. (Well, apart from Pixar, I don't like Disney much anyway.)
But obviously for Disney, selling into the Google market is a possible profit; and then, if they refused, there'd be an antitrust case. Oh, and Apple doesn't own any of Disney. Jobs did. Wonder what will happen to his shares?
Does that mean Disney is added to the "Companies we have to hate" list?
Funny!
Does that mean Disney is added to the "Companies we have to hate" list?
I bought a Disney game a couple of days ago for the iPad. I haven't really gotten to play it much, but it seems alright so far.
The YouTube movie rental service was launched in May with blockbuster titles such as Inception and The King's Speech. But the addition of Disney, a longtime Apple partner and a company of which Steve Jobs was the single largest shareholder, is a major coup for the fledgling service.
This raises Google Movies' profile. I think the interface is very nice (you just mouse over to see a quick summary). I am a big Apple fan, but I would certainly use this.
The real problem for everyone seems to be the stone age business models of the studios and distributors. If Apple wants to get around lack of newest content, stupid viewing constraints, overpricing, and DRM, they should just buy a few movie studios and independent production companies. This is how they addressed the problem of ensuring a supply of high quality software content on Macs: they made their own. Movies are the new software, and Apple has $85 billion in the bank.
The iTunes 24 hour window is too short for families with a busy life -- difficult for those who return mid-movie to watch the rest of it inside the rental cycle. That fact alone has cut into the number of rentals we do from iTunes. That's too bad, because otherwise I really like the iTunes selection.
Off to Netflix I go for another almost new...
No. (Well, apart from Pixar, I don't like Disney much anyway.)
But obviously for Disney, selling into the Google market is a possible profit; and then, if they refused, there'd be an antitrust case. Oh, and Apple doesn't own any of Disney. Jobs did. Wonder what will happen to his shares?
His shares will go to his family of course. Where did you think they would go??
Stepping up its competition against Apple's iTunes, Google on Wednesday added hundreds of movies from Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks to rent on YouTube, including the Cars and Pirates of the Caribbean franchises.
"In the mean time, Google hopes to make an actual deal with these studios, which will allow them to legally supply these products to Google customers."