Apple premiers movies on iTunes Stores in Canada, UK
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Jun 4, 2008 at 9:53am
Apple has announced that movies from major film studios such as 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), Sony Pictures Television International, Lionsgate and Maple Pictures are now available on the iTunes Store in Canada and the iTunes Store in the UK.
The iTunes Store in Canada features over 1,200 films available for rent or purchase, while the UK store boasts over 700 titles. Titles available for purchase on the same day as their DVD release, including recent blockbusters such as Juno, I Am Legend, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets, The Bourne Ultimatum and Cloverfield. iTunes Movie Rentals also features over 200 titles available in high definition for viewing on a widescreen TV with Apple TV.
With iTunes Movie Rentals, once a movie is rented, it starts downloading from the iTunes Store directly to iTunes or Apple TV, and users with a fast Internet connection can start viewing the movie in seconds. Customers have up to 30 days to start watching it, and once a movie has been started customers have 48 hours to finish it—or watch it multiple times.
Movie purchases and rentals from the iTunes Store for Mac or Windows require iTunes 7.6.2, available as a free download. Movie rentals can be previewed, purchased and watched on iPod classic, iPod nano with video, iPod touch and on a widescreen TV with Apple TV.
iTunes movie purchases and rentals require a valid credit card with a billing address in the country of purchase. In Canada, iTunes movies are available at CAN$9.99 for catalog title purchases, CAN$14.99 for recent releases and CAN$19.99 for new releases. iTunes Movie Rentals are CAN$3.99 for library titles and CAN$4.99 for new releases, with high definition rental versions priced just one dollar more.
In the UK, iTunes movies are available at £6.99 for library title purchases and £10.99 for new releases. iTunes Movie Rentals are £2.49 for library title rentals and £3.49 for new releases, and high definition versions are priced at just one pound more.
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Gerry Curry Says:
I wouldn’t be so quick to blame Apple Canada on this one, just as I wouldn’t blame Apple Canada if Rogers tries to screw us when the iPhone plans come out. The price increase is probably just a reflection of the best deal Apple could squeeze out of greedy Canadian distributors.
Posted on June 05, 2008
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Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
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terry garbutt Says:
Thanks Apple (Canada)! However, why the 25 to 35% price premium for rentals? Did you forget that the Canadian dollar is at or over US par? Or is it just the usual Canadian thing (e.g. ripoff)?
Terry
P.S. The 48 hour once started is a non-issue.
Posted on June 05, 2008