How to Buy Movies on YouTube Now That You Can Use Google TV
Google has now removed the ability to buy or rent movies and TV shows through the Google TV interface. Luckily, everything you’ve previously purchased will remain available on Google TV and YouTube through your Google account, but in the future you’ll have to make all purchases and rentals through YouTube.
If you’ve never purchased anything through YouTube and are wondering how it works, the steps below will walk you through the process. It’s not difficult, and since YouTube is available almost everywhere, there are plenty of devices you can use to view the media you’ve collected.
All of this comes with one big caveat that I think is always worth mentioning: you don’t actually own anything you buy as digital media, because the company providing or hosting that content can remove it at any time. License agreements are constantly changing and apply to both purchased video and streaming video. There’s always a chance that your digital library could disappear, so many still prefer physical media (and digital backups) , but if you’re going digital, Google and Apple are likely to be your safest options in terms of securing films. and TV shows will be around as long as you are.
How to rent or buy movies and TV shows on YouTube
If you’re using YouTube on the web , you should see a navigation bar in the bottom left (click on the three horizontal lines in the top left corner of your browser window if it’s not visible). From this sidebar, you can select Movies & TV Shows to view the content that YouTube is currently promoting. This selection usually includes the latest movies and shows, although you can also find classics.
If you know exactly what you’re looking for, you can also use the YouTube search box at the top of the screen as usual. You may have to look through the outtakes, bloopers, critiques, and remixes that YouTube also has, but official content should appear fairly prominently, and in some cases in its own panel on the right.
If you find something that interests you, click to see more details and descriptions. For some films, you’ll see an option to rent or buy (as will a trailer, usually); for TV series, the only option is a permanent purchase. Once you rent a movie on YouTube, you have 30 days to start watching it, and once you hit play, you have 48 hours to finish watching it.
All you then have to do is click Buy or Rent , select your format (some films come in both SD and HD at different prices) and complete your order (in the unlikely event that you haven’t already payment method specified). with your Google account, you will be prompted to set it up). The video will be immediately available on all devices on which you are signed in to YouTube.
The process is similar on YouTube and other platforms, although some menus and layouts may vary slightly. For example, if you’re using the YouTube Android app , you’ll need to tap the compass symbol in the top left corner of the Home tab to find the Movies & TV link and start watching.
How to Find Your Movies and TV Shows on YouTube
On many devices, finding what you paid for through YouTube is as easy as downloading the YouTube website in your browser or the YouTube app for your device. Few apps beat YouTube in the number of platforms they appear on, and they’re available for free everywhere from Apple TV 4K set-top boxes to Roku streaming devices .
If you’re on the main YouTube site on a desktop or laptop, click “Your Movies & TV Shows” in the navigation menu on the left (if you don’t see a menu, click the three lines in the top right corner). Your purchases and movie rentals are displayed first, with everything else listed below; there’s also a useful Continue Watching section at the top where you can resume watching something you’ve recently been watching (YouTube is usually good at remembering where you left off).
When you watch something you’ve rented or purchased, you’ll see the same interface as when you watch any other video on YouTube. You can like the video, add comments, save it to a playlist, or share it with other people (though they’ll have to pay if they actually want to watch what you share). Using the icons on the video overlay, you can change the playback speed, enable subtitles, send the video to a Chromecast or Google TV streaming device , and more, just like with standard YouTube videos.
If you’re using a mobile or streaming device, the YouTube app will take you directly to the movies and TVs you’ve purchased or rented (for rental movies, you can start on one device and then switch to another). Another option is to cast content from your phone or tablet to the big screen if Chromecast is supported.
If your TV has Google TV (or a Google TV-enabled device connected to it), you can also find your digital library without going into the YouTube app: scroll to the Library section (using the headings at the top of the screen) to find list your movies and TV shows. Your watchlist is also on the same screen, showing the titles you’ve saved from various Google places (including Google search).