Movie rentals were the big new announcement for iTunes, which is also showing healthy growth, with 20 million songs sold on Christmas Day. Touchstone, MGM, Miramax, Lionsgate, Newline, FOX, WB, Disney, Paramount, Universal and Sony have all joined the party now for movie rentals; a goodly collection by anyone's reckoning.
Although iTunes Movie Rental is US first, we will be seeing this in the UK at some point. The rentals will last for 30 days until you start watching, thereafter lasting for 24 hours, with US prices set at $2.99 for library titles and $3.99 for new releases, which will be available 30 days after the DVD release.
And so to Apple TV, which even Steve now admits was not quite what the consumer was after.
Apple TV version 2 means direct film rentals, in HD and Dolby 5.1 channel sound if you want to shell out $4.99. Photos from Flickr and .Mac and YouTube videos are also available (although there was an embarrassing glitch in the former during El Jobso's demo), plus you can stream from your machine, although none is needed to access the other features. Previewing movies is easy with a revamped interface, as is seeing what others have rented. You can, as Steve demonstrated at the keynote, even watch HD podcasts. Is no blemish sacred?
The new version is actually an upgrade to the existing Apple TV - and it's completely free if you have that. If not, the price is $229, a significant reduction from the original product, or from £199 in the UK.
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