• by Wayne Friedman , November 27, 2011

With all the talk about Netflix being a cable killer, some have forgotten about what is still the biggest digital video platform: YouTube.

In a somewhat quiet move, Walt Disney joins other studios in announcing that hundreds of its movies will soon be available in the YouTube Movies digital area. Disney brings a total of four major studios -- Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. -- and one minor studio, Lionsgate -- which have made deals where consumers can rent their movies.

For YouTube, this brings its major studio a total of 3,000 big movies available for rent, costing viewers between $1 and $4 with a general time frame of those movies that have to be watched within 24 or 48 hours.

The Disney and Pixar deal will include "Cars 2" and "Alice in Wonderland," among others. Just like other deals, the most recent movies that have been theatrically released will go for a higher price tag. For example, customers would be charged from $3.99 for newer releases, such as "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides."

Recently, YouTube announced plans for original video content from a number of partners, including performers/producers Jay-Z and Ashton Kutcher.

This news comes after Netflix lost access to more than 1,000 Disney titles after failing to renew a deal with distributor Starz. There was a recent deal between Netflix and Disney for Disney-ABC TV shows.

It was also reported that YouTube's owner Google and Disney made a deal to spend about $15 million making short exclusive videos for YouTube.