YouTube adding 3,000 more titles to online video rental store to become more competitive with Apple and Amazon, marking latest effort to be an outlet for more traditional fare from TV, movie and music producers

Andrew Rogers

SAN FRANCISCO , May 10, 2011 (Associated Press) – YouTube is adding about 3,000 more films to its online video rental store to become more competitive with similar services from Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc.

The expansion is the latest step in YouTube's evolution from a website for quirky homemade videos to an outlet for more traditional fare from television, movie and music producers.

YouTube's video rental service primarily offered independent movies when it opened nearly 16 months ago. But the site, owned by Google Inc., has been adding more compelling content as movie studios have become more comfortable with the idea of using the Internet to stream video rentals close to the same time they are released on DVDs.

Most YouTube rentals cost $2 to $4 per film. That's in the same range as competing pay-per-view services.

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