YouTube ADDS MOVIES FOR RENTAL

YouTube is adding more than 3,000 mainstream movies for users to rent , along with the millions of free user-created videos the popular website is best known for. Google Inc-owned YouTube is offering a mix of recent Hollywood blockbusters, independent and foreign movies for USD 0,99 up to USD 3.99 each. These include last year's Oscar winners "The King's Speech" and "Inception" alongside classics including "Scarface" and "Taxi Driver." Most of the movies on the site are priced around USD 2.99. In addition, hundreds of movies, including some offered before the latest launch, are available for free viewing as with other clips. YouTube signed deals with major studios including Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros, Sony Corp'sJ Sony Pictures, Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures and Lions Gate Entertainment. Once users have upgraded their YouTube accounts they can pay to watch a movie, which they have 30 days to begin viewing. Once users begin watching the movie, they typically have 24 hours to finish. Many of the movies, which will be streamed, will be available at the same time as DVD releases. YouTube will allow users of movie rentals to share the movies on Facebook and Twitter but if the recipient clicks on the link they will see a trailer unless they have also rented the movie. The new service is available only in the United States.