YouTube movies and shows are part of YouTube's enormous streaming network. It's much similar to Vudu in operation, in that you can either rent or buy a movie or particular episode of a TV Show. Unlike YouTube TV, YouTube movies and shows offer the freedom to buy or rent the content that you like instead of subscribing to its services.

I have purchased over a dozen movies on YouTube, including titles such as "Avengers: Endgame?", "Pete's Dragon?", "Goosebumps?", "The Big Sick?", "Anabelle Creation?", "Rampage?" and a Bollywood classic "Rockstar?".

If you have read my Vudu review, you would already know that I am a big fan of the video-on-demand model. These mediums aren?t cord-cutting alternatives, but they do make interesting content available which can be rented or bought without any commitment. I am quite neutral about YouTube?s movies and shows because there is nothing overly positive or negative to share with you.

YouTube is a separate channel with nearly 97.2 million subscribers that streams movies from around the world in different languages.

YouTube Movie Rental Service is different from YouTubeTV or YouTube Premium. They have different models - the former being a VOD service with no monthly or yearly fee and no contract, while the latter is a paid subscription streaming service. There is no difference in terms of content - both services offer movies and TV shows from various creators.

Did you know that YouTube was founded by three PayPal employees, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim? They were the brains behind YouTube and established a partnership with NBC before Google acquired it. Crazy right? Within a year of its launch, YouTube was one of the world's fastest-growing sites, hosting more than 65,000 new videos. The site averaged 20 million visitors per month and raked around 100 million video views per video in July 2006 which made it world's fifth-most popular website.

Just one and a half years after its launch, YouTube was acquired by Google for $1.65 billion in October 2006. At that time, YouTube became Google’s second-largest acquisition. The acquisition, however, was not without some challenges as YouTube operated independently with its co-founders working with 68 Google Employees.

Since its inception, YouTube has broken all streaming records and played a vital role in defining the social media sphere generally referred to as the Big Six. In particular, YouTube became the face of the video-streaming industry, launching dozens of initiatives including its movie rentals business alongside ventures such as “Premium Service?”, “Originals?”, and “YouTubeTV?”.

If you are familiar with YouTube, you are already familiar with its rental service. The moment you click on Movies and Shows, you land on a page with a reel icon supported by text "Movies and Shows?" and a byline "Watch the latest and greatest hits?". Its grey and black color scheme is something we are quite used to and thus there is neither an oomph factor nor any kind of dissatisfaction towards it.

When you click on any specific title, the YouTube Video window opens up and starts playing the corresponding video. The Title, Provider, Rating, Release Date, Running Time, Language, Actors, Director, Producer and Genres are all captured in the Description field of each video.

The comment section is usually empty, but you can comment on the movie and interact with the viewers. The right-hand side of the page has a Rent or Buy Button. When you click on it, you will get the option to Buy or Rent the movie in SD or HD quality.

The YouTube Rental Service's interface is good-looking and straightforward on mobile devices and computers. YouTube's excellent machine learning ensures that you get tailor-made content. So, while there are a lot of recommended movies and shows, it does know what you might like or dislike based upon your viewing preference. For instance, I happen to be a big fan of Kumail Nanjiani and I often watch his videos, thus Big Sick is the first option I saw. This observation is personal though; I'm not claiming that it's been proven.

Here comes the meaty part. YouTube?s paid movie-rental service has all the latest movies that you need, such as Avengers Infinity War, A Star is Born, Bohemian Rhapsody, Black Panther, Dunkirk, Despicable Me 3, It, Hunter Killer and Logan. These movies are available in either SD or HD quality and can be watched with an internet speed of at least 15mbps.

When you visit the YouTube movies and shows page, it provides well-curated playlists such as its own recommendation, New Releases, Top-Sellers and various genres featuring Drama, Comedy, Documentaries, Thriller, Family, Music, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Suspense, Crime, World Cinemas and more.

If you have not yet signed up for YouTube, it will ask you to do so. Having a Google account is a prerequisite for buying or renting a movie. If you have your Gmail account, it will automatically help you proceed with the payment procedure. Overall, watching a rental movie on YouTube is similar to your usual video watching experience. There is nothing extravagant or different from the original viewing experience.

Cast your movies onto your Smart TV via Chromecast. But that?s not all there are many advantages of watching movies or shows via YouTube paid or rental service: - It supports most PC web browsers - You can watch movies on your Android or iOS phone using the YouTube app - Use smart TVs which help you cast content onto your TV - Works with gaming consoles such as PS3, PS4, Xbox and Xbox One - It also supports Apple TV and Roku TV

Based on personal experience, YouTube generally nails down the video quality based on internet connectivity. When you click on the Buy or Rent option, you will only be able to purchase content at two available resolutions: SD (480p) or HD (720p). Most of our viewing experience takes place at 720p.

After my initial rental experience with streaming services, I found that Google's own service was disappointing. My very first rental experience, which happened on the first day of the month, stopped after only 30 minutes. When I contacted Google, they fixed the bug but it didn't make my experience any better. My second rental experience only lasted for 10 minutes before I requested a refund. The refund process was incredibly easy and seamless.

- Fill out the form - Click on Submit If you have had any trouble streaming recently, please follow these steps to get a refund: Go to the Account Tab and click on Purchases. Click on the Report a Problem link. Fill out the form and click on Submit.

I am having difficulties refunding an order I placed on YouTube. The process has taken longer than I would have liked and YouTube has been requested to cross-check the order before authorizing the refund. I understand why they need to do this, but it still takes quite a bit of time.

The YouTube movie rental and purchase options vary between $2.99 and $19.99. Some movies and shows might cost less whereas others can cost more. The rental option allows for a period of up to 24-48 hours playback time, but once you hit play the clock starts ticking. The purchase option allows for a 30-day window in which the user can watch the movie, after which it becomes available for other users to rent or purchase.

My suggestions to YouTube for its paid/rental service would be similar to Amazon Prime Video. Get an independent platform where you can run this as your subsidiary product and rebrand it a little. Though the channel has nearly 100 million subscribers, literally no one seems interested in buying or renting movies. And that's because of the lack of proper promotion and advertising.

I suggested at the start that there is not much negative or positive to talk about this service. It is there but it is not making any noise or creating a substantial difference. It is similar to Vudu in its operation except for YouTube if it wants can really make it stand out. I understand that YouTube?s primary focus is on YouTubeTV and YouTube Originals, but VOD should not be undermined especially for demographics who watch movies occasionally.