You’ve heard about YouTube offering full-length library titles for free on their site but now, in the interest of actually turning a profit, they’re in negotiations with a number of movie studios to offer new release DVD rentals. YouTube (and its parent corporation Google) are in talks with Warner Bros., Sony Pictures and Lionsgate to offer new movies online, some as early as the release date of the DVD. Pricing would be similar to what iTunes or Amazon charges (about $3.99/movie) but pricing and timing are details of the negotiations that have yet to be worked out.
Like Amazon, YouTube movies wouldn’t be transferable to an iPod or iPhone. So do you find yourself plunking down $4 to watch CRANK 2 on YouTube? Netflix, Xbox 360 and iTunes seem to cover all the bases I’m looking for when I want to watch a movie so I’m not sure I’d want or need yet another service. The service will reportedly be undergoing internal testing at Google in the coming months and it’s unclear when it would roll out to the public.
The big question is whether you’d be interested in paying for movies on YouTube or if you’re content just watching guys getting hit in the nuts with a football.
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