• Los Angeles Times, Tuesday, November 16, 2010 12:14 AM

Walt Disney Co. has begun rolling out its plan to spur digital movie purchases by removing the technological obstacles that thus far have stymied growth. The studio has quietly launched Disney Movies Online, which lets consumers buy or rent digital versions of Disney and Pixar films and watch them on the Internet.

The site was conceived as a bridge to gently transition the family entertainment company's mainstream consumers from the physical to the digital world. It debuted in May without fanfare. Spurring digital sales is crucial to film studios, as traditional DVD sales decline and consumers gravitate to rentals from Netflix and Redbox. In a more public milestone, Disney partnered with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. this month to offer a free "digital copy" of the movie "Toy Story 3" with the purchase of the movie on disc.

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