itunes rentals posts

Apple fans across the pond have long complained about their inability to purchase or rent movies from within iTunes. Those users now have reason to celebrate (and maybe give that Apple TV some use), as movies are now available in the UK iTunes Store!

According to the press release, 700 titles are available to purchase or rent, with over 100 titles available in high-definition. Some films will be available to purchase the same day as the DVD release.

When it comes to rentals, the policy seems to be pretty much the same as the US store, with one notable exception: the rental period is 48 hours. That should make LOTS of UK users happy.

Pricing is as follows:

• £6.99 for library titles
• £10.99 for new releases
• £2.49 for library rentals
• £3.49 for new release rentals
• High definition rentals will be £1 more

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Now that iTunes rentals have launched, it has become kind of tricky deciphering what movies are available to rent, what movies are available to purchase, and what movies are available and what movies can be rented or purchased.

While Apple promises that more than 1000 movies will be available to rent by the end of February (including over 100 in HD with Dolby 5.1 sound), the current rental total (as of today) is about 375. And although Apple doesn't have a clear "rental" section at this point in time, finding out what films are available to rent is pretty easy. Just do a blank power search for movies and check the box that says, "Search movies that are available for rental." That will then give you a list of 150 titles at a time of all the films available to rent. Click, more results to get the next page of results.

The Apple TV has hardly been the most successful Apple product. In fact, you could say it has been kind of a flop. Even Steve Jobs admitted in his keynote address that the Apple TV has failed to meet expectations and truly link online content with the television. So what is Apple's plan to try to change that? Welcome to Apple TV Redux!

While the Apple TV's form factor remains the same, the software interface has changed significantly. The most notable feature is the ability to buy music, movies and iTunes rentals directly from the device, no computer required. Frankly, this is something I think should have been included from the very beginning. The Apple TV will be able to playback HD and standard definition movies and support Dolby Digital 5.1 sound.

Additionally, Apple TV will now support interactive slideshows via Flickr and .Mac accounts.

There's one more change - one I also think is a big improvement to the overall product - the price has dropped. The 40 GB entry model is now just $229 USD (down from $299) and the 160 GB model is $329. Now that users actually have the ability to buy content directly from the device, and that HD content will be readily available, it has suddenly become much more attractive.

Current Apple TV owners can get the additional benefits via a software update now in the two weeks (when the new units ship).