Stop asking reasonable questions. There's nothing reasonable about getting movies this way!

Its been said before, but: low quality, DRM, no special features... why would anyone want to pay money for this?

We're not going to beat Bluray this way...

@Jonathan

HD space saving, Do you own a theater? They got to start somewhere...i did:)

your missing the point, this bypasses the need for a dvd

no, you're missing the point. really, you and the studios really are missing the point. If I can't back it up to DVD, then no go.

No one said you couldn't back it up to a DVD, you just can't play it on a DVD player.

You know what that would require? Transcoding, which is a poor solution to this problem.

Go buy a DVD with the digital copy on it if these things are important to you, sooner or later DVD players aren't going to be relevant anymore, and for some people they already aren't. There are a number of significant things you can't do with a DVD, like transfer it to a portable device without transcoding and breaking CSS.

"There are a number of significant things you can't do with a DVD, like transfer it to a portable device without transcoding and breaking CSS."

There are a number of things you can't do with a car, such as driving it without getting in and starting it up.

What's your point? I'll say it again, when iTunes treats movies the way it does music, then we'll talk. Can I be any clearer than that? All you people buying into this DRM crap are scaring me. DVDs will not become irrelevant just because you say so. They're still the only universal format. Once codecs and DRMs are out of the way, then they'll be irrelevant.

robo: There's a significant difference between the two standard, "universal" mediums for music and movies. Most music is not copy-protected on the physical disc, whereas most DVDs are. The movie industry would never have allowed DVDs to exist had it not been for the CSS encryption that is on them. It is their decision to not allow the burning of purchased videos to disc and not Apple's, and it's not going to change anytime soon. They simply do not want people producing their own home-grown DVDs, which is where most pirating actually occurs (through your friendly local bootleg vendors).
If you're so hateful of codecs and DRM, then I suppose that you have never purchased a DVD, either. You need to purchase and install a codec to play them in Windows Media Player, and you would need to crack and remove the encryption using software should you decide that you wanted to burn a copy for your friend down the street.
And, please, try and separate the two things that you are discussing in regards to making a backup. If by making a "backup" you mean transcoding the video to MPEG-2 and then burning it to a blank DVD for backup, I mean, playback in a DVD player, then please say so. If you meant making a backup for the purpose of safeguarding your data, then that's something you can already do, since iTunes allows you to backup you purchased videos to disc.

I love you people who live in a world where you pretend something doesn't exist because someone calls it "Illegal" or "unethical", even when final judgement on those issues in still (and always will be) pending. I come from the (totally legit) side of "if I buy something, I own it and shouldn't be restricted as to where/when I watch it".

Bloobie, your if a=b then b=z logic that gets you to my never having bought a DVD is cute. But my collection of 200 DVDs and their ripped counterparts (even MtR says I can rip what I own) proves otherwise. I have never pirated any of them, but I treat the DVD as a master. If watch them on my tv, my friends' tv, my ipod, or anywhere I'm not charging admission, then you and Apple and Big Bob's Movie Studio can stick it. Shit, how many times do you guys need to hear this line: "Owning and using technology that can otherwise be used illegally for legal purposes is not illegal".

AND, naturally as a downloaded film is a file, I know I can back up the data. SO, naturally I'm not asking for that ability. Just go back to my opening argument. Why would I want to dl a movie and its stupid restrictions when I can buy a universal (*my dvd player plays PAL ad NTSC and whatever else you throw at it) portable disc that I don't have to humbly beg for permission to transfer from one machine to another for the same price?

Luddites, good little citizenbots, please save your myopic judgement for the Sunday confessional. All your "he has a gun so he must be a criminal" bs is quite cloudy and boring.

I for one am backlashing. Insignificantly, no doubt, considering the general puritanical showing on this thread.

"You have been able to purchase movies directly to the Apple TV since 2.0 came out."

Actually no... The Take 2 release only let you purchase Music or TV Shows.

I agree; I'm sure this functionality was available on the software before today, since I've seen it and I haven't been home to use my Apple TV yet today.

here here.

Sigh. When are people going to learn that it's not Apple who is insisting on DRM? It's the MOVIE STUDIOS. The MOVIE STUDIOS are the ones who won't let you make a backup copy. Boycotting Apple will do NOTHING, since Apple is not the one who made the decision to put DRM on the content.