Its been several months since Google launched movie rentals on YouTube and Android. The service hasn't gained much attention compared to rivals Netflix and Amazon. But, with the new Android Market prominently featuring "Movies" I decided to try out the service by renting Limitless. Here is a rundown:
Price:
Prices for movies start at $1.99, while most recent releases are $3.99. The rental period is 30 days. Once you hit play you have a 24 hour pass to the movie. The movie can be played on multiple devices during that 24 hour period. It's important to note that playback isn't supported on Android devices running versions prior than 2.2 or rooted devices.
Selection:
The selection is limited. Google has partnerships with NBC Universal,Sony Pictures,Warner Bros,Lionsgate,Starz,Relativity Media,The Weinstein Company, and Magnolia Pictures. Even with those partnerships the service seems limited. There isn't an official number on the library of titles.
Quality:
YouTube says the quality is "480 (DVD Equivalent)". I assume the quality is 480p, as I was very impressed when viewing on my ASUS Transformer tablet. Audio is stereo which is perfectly acceptable for mobile viewing. However, it would be nice for a surround sound option for viewing through YouTube, as Netflix and Amazon both offer 5.1 surround.
Ease of Use:
This is where Google delivers. Movie rentals are only a tap away. There is nothing to sign up for and no recurring payments. The service uses your credit card that you already have linked to your Google Checkout account. From initial discovery to the start of playing your movie can be less than 30 seconds. Android users have the mobile apps for phone and tablet to make viewing easy (Tablet users use the "Videos" app).
Final Thoughts:
You can't judge a service after using it only once. However, these are my initial impressions. The service is priced high and has a limited selection of titles. However, the video quality is great and the service is very simple to use. I plan on using the service again so I can do more in depth testing and try features such as offline viewing. Have you tried Android Market/YouTube Movie Rentals? Do the Pros outweigh the Cons for you?
Android Market
YouTube
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