Apple has announced that it has begun offering iTunes Store movie downloads in France and Ireland. Movies from Hollywood studios, as well as offerings from European studios, will be available for rent and for sale.
Films from major studios including Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Walt Disney, Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), Universal Studios, and 20th Century Fox are now available, as well as titles from European studios such as Pathe, SND and StudioCanal in France and E1 Entertainment, Lionsgate UK and Optimum Releasing in Ireland.
iTunes movies start at €7.99 for catalogue title purchases, €9.99 for recent releases and €13.99 for new releases. iTunes Movie Rentals are €2.99 for library title rentals and €3.99 for new releases, and HD versions are priced at €1 more. Available titles include blockbuster Avatar, Up, and The Twilight Saga: New Moon. New titles will become available at the same time as their DVD release.
The movie rental program allows users 30 days from the time of payment in which to watch content, although once a movie has been started, customers have 48 hours to complete their viewing. The movies can be viewed on iPhones, iPods, iPads, on computers and on the regular TV set using connected TV devices such as Apple TV.
