Five years ago, my wife and I often rented movies. "I think I'll get a movie on the way home from work," I'd think. It was spontaneous and simple. Then it happened.We had children.
To say that parenthood is life-changing is like saying the sun is hot. While we were busily trying to keep a brand new human being alive (incidentally, there's no manual -- not even a supplement from Pogue -- the UI stinks and unexpected core dumps are frequent), anything as trivial as bringing home a copy of Dumb & Dumber fell off the radar completely.
I miss the simplicity of watching a movie minutes after realizing I'd like to, and being rid of it when I'm through. Since we abandoned the brick-and-mortar video store, that scenario has eluded us.
So, we bought TiVos and discovered that time-shifted TV is a gift from The Greater Powers Of The Universe themselves (obviously, they're also too busy to watch TV). Now we can spend 30 scream-free minutes a day watching Super Nanny and feel better about our own performance as parents.
Then Amazon introduced Unboxed, which lets you select a move from Amazon's website and 15 minutes later it's sent to your TiVo. You've got it for 30 days or 24 hours after you initially click "Play."

Unboxed requires a broadband connection and a Series 2 or Series 3 TiVo. Rented movies cannot be transfered to a portable device or a Mac, which is fine, because we aren't going to huddle around the iPhone for a viewing of The Sixth Sense. While Unboxed is convenient and inexpensive (most rentals are around $3US), it requires careful planning.
Series 3 TiVo boxes support Progressive Download, which means you can begin to watch a movie 10 minutes into the upload. We've got Series 2 boxes, so we must wait until the download is complete ... which typically takes an hour. We've got to ensure the movie is ready when we are (you parents know how well "toddlers" and "planning" co-exist).

We tried Netflix but that didn't work out either. I felt we were throwing money away when we'd go a month or two without renting anything. There was also lots of management involved. I downloaded Netflix Freak and spent much time re-arranging my queue. I had a stack of CDs and envelopes; some of which had to go to the post office (a 25 minute drive for me), some of which had already been viewed.
Plus, if I think, "I'd like to see [Movie X] right now," I've got to add it to my queue and wait a couple of days. The digital equivalent of a spur-of-the-moment run to Hollywood Video is gone. Can't anyone make this work for me?
Apple might have the answer. Renting a movie from iTunes is simple; just click the "Rent Movie" button and your download begins. iTunes adds a "Rented Movie" item to the source list in iTunes and that's where your movie lives.

You can start playing it just a few minutes after the download has begun (which generally takes less than an hour); once you start, a dialog box pops up warning you that your 24 hour countdown is about to begin.
Moving a movie to a portable device is easy. With your iPod (or iPhone) connected, click the Movies tab and you'll find two columns. The left column lists your rented movies and a clicking a Move button transfers your movie to your iPod.
What's interesting is that it doesn't copy the movie, but transfers it. When the synchronization is complete, you'll notice that it has disappeared from iTunes. So, you can't have a copy on your iPod and a copy on your Mac at the same time. Finally, you need to have an active internet connection to make the transfer.
I wanted to see if I could move a movie from one Mac authorized to use my iTunes account to another. I dragged it into my iPod in disk mode then uploaded it to my iMac's iTunes library, which created the Rented Movies icon in the source list right away.
However, it would not play. Even the Quick Look preview was a grey square. It looks like movies rented from iTunes are married to the specific machine used to download them.
The transfer from Mac to iPod (and iPhone) was super simple. Each device picks up where the other left off, and skipping from chapter to chapter is great.
Apple has the convenience bit down. I can begin watching a movie in less time that it would take me to travel to and from the video store. No more hour-long waits with the TiVo. When I'm done, there's no return trip and no envelope to take to the post office. It just disappears.
There's less planning, too. Sure, I've started the countdown once I hit the play button, but I've got 30 days to find 90 consecutive minutes to watch my movie (give or take).
The only drawback then, for me, is the act of watching. We don't have an Apple TV, and sitting in front of the MacBook Pro or the iMac doesn't have the same "restful-evening-away-from-the-kids" effect as the combination of TV, couch, and a pile of junk food. That's what I'm after. All of this iPod and iPhone transfer is just a bonus.
I think Apple has finally found the right formula here. Using the Apple TV to quickly rent a movie, present it to me on the TV in my living room, and then essentially return it for me is exactly what I want. I was shocked to hear Steve essentially admit failure during this week's keynote regarding Apple TV 1.0. I'm certain time will demonstrate that Apple has now got it right.













Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
1-16-2008 @ 8:07PM
Amit said...
I just saw the Steve Jobs keynote...renting movies in iTunes is a real good idea. Considering that apple is launching Apple TV Take 2 and its super cool interface....I this this type of rental is ready to take the world!!!
bookmarked @ http://livbit.com
Reply
1-16-2008 @ 8:20PM
rob said...
can you transfer a rented movie to an ipod, if youve already started watching it on your mac?
Reply
1-16-2008 @ 9:35PM
John said...
Yes
1-16-2008 @ 8:35PM
Chris L W said...
Yes, you can. Steve said so in the presentation.
1-16-2008 @ 10:59PM
Jeff Garbers said...
Just not to your pre-Classic iPod... apparently 5th gen iPods don't support rented movies. No word yet on whether there'll be a firmware upgrade to allow it.
1-16-2008 @ 8:38PM
Edward said...
Has anyone seen the HD movies in the iTunes store? I haven't found them.
Reply
1-16-2008 @ 8:45PM
Adam said...
From what I understand, HD rentals are through Apple TV only.
1-16-2008 @ 9:06PM
punkassjim said...
HD movies cannot be transferred to your Mac or iPod/iPhone, it says so right in the iTunes terms of service. So, if you want to watch HD content from the iTunes Rental service, you absolutely must have an AppleTV or you're stuck with SD content.
1-16-2008 @ 9:06PM
punkassjim said...
HD movies cannot be transferred to your Mac or iPod/iPhone, it says so right in the iTunes terms of service. So, if you want to watch HD content from the iTunes Rental service, you absolutely must have an AppleTV or you're stuck with SD content.
1-16-2008 @ 8:42PM
ty said...
Why isn't there a section in the iTunes store for "Movies available for rent" ?? or am i not seeing it.. someone help me out
Reply
1-16-2008 @ 8:43PM
Jason Dunham said...
I might have found a way around the 24 hour time limit that iTunes sets for you to watch a movie rental. If you change your clock on your computer back in time the amount of time until the movie expires increases. If you set the clock in the future before you rent a movie and then change it back to the correct time this may also work.
Reply
1-16-2008 @ 8:49PM
quandmeme said...
I agree that TV + couch is a cut above laptop+ couch--movies pass a social experience (come sit with me while I blog, pffft). That said the beauty of Apple's model vs. set top VOD is the hardware is not going anywhere. Series 2, series 3, whatever, as long as you're on Windows or OSX you can pay for rentals. By using existing hardware everyone is a potential user. Haven't signed up yet, but I have a feeling that Netflix's months are numbered.
Reply
1-16-2008 @ 8:57PM
dugnsand said...
Can someone tell me if I rent a movie and download it to my computer will my Apple TV find it now? In other words, will I have to wait (2 weeks) for the software update for my Apple TV to watch a rented movie or will my current set up find the rental?
Reply
1-19-2008 @ 5:40PM
Shawn said...
I just tried this, and it appears to me that you'll need to wait for the Apple TV update. I downloaded a rented movie to iTunes, but there doesn't seem to be any way to sync it to Apple TV.
1-16-2008 @ 9:19PM
Ben the Dog said...
*dreams of the day TiVo and ITunes rentals arrive in his country*
Reply
1-16-2008 @ 9:27PM
Russell said...
I don't get it, so it beats Amazon because you can put it on an iPod? To me it beats Amazon either way, because I have a Mac, and no tivo or the like, but if I had Windows I just don't see how being able to put a movie on my ipod would possibly be enough to justify the price difference. And since I have no iTV I can't even rent an HD movie? What is the point of only giving computer users access to movies formatted for ancient TVs?
And I'm still confused about why I should chose it over a simple torrent. I get can get better quality without any restrictions (about where, how or when I may watch it) for... 0% of the price? Let me think back to my economics class...
Reply
1-16-2008 @ 9:55PM
Loki said...
Well if your not a theif...
1-16-2008 @ 9:47PM
Andrew said...
Because this is legal. And torrents are not legal. The reason you can only download HD on the Apple TV is because it can support HD. I have a Core Duo MacBook with 2 GB of RAM that choked when I attempted to watch a rip of an HD-DVD on my notebook in VLC. The video skipped all the time and if it wasn't skipping, the sound was 2-3 seconds behind. Imagine if someone with a G4 Mac Mini decided to download an HD movie and tried to watch it. Apple did it to ensure a consistent customer experience.
1-16-2008 @ 9:32PM
taupecat said...
"Sure, I've started the countdown once I hit the play button, but I've got 30 days to find 90 consecutive minutes to watch my movie (give or take)."
Well, that's nice and all, but when you're toddler goes to bed at 8:30 and you go to bed around 10ish (yes, we're pathetically domestic), it may not be so easy to watch an entire movie in one night. After all, while some movies may be 90 minutes, others are 120 or even 180 minutes. Do the math; not enough hours in the evening for that.
Apple *needs* to increase the 24-hour clock to 72 hours minimum; a week would be better; heck the whole 30 days would be best. Until then, I'll continue to throw money away to Netflix because at least I no that no one there is tracking how long it takes me to watch Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (which, for the record, took me 3 nights to watch in its 168 minute entirety).
Reply
1-16-2008 @ 10:30PM
Sam said...
Agreed! The whole scenario of a parent watching a movie generally involves lots of 30 to 45 minute segments until you're too exhausted to stay up anymore, or a common sense realization for a need to sleep overrides your desire to have a few minutes to yourself. 24 hours doesn't cut it.
The scenario that will probably get me to rent is the business trip. I already have the video-out cables for my iPod Touch to hook it up to the hotel room television. Carrying with me all the episodes, movies, and such I want to watch is like having a pocket-sized TiVo.