Apple adds HD video purchases to the iTunes Store

by Nilay Patel posted Mar 19th 2009 at 5:12PM

Apple's flood of announcements this month continues apace today with the addition of high-def movie purchases to the iTunes Store. Although HD TV shows were previously available to buy, HD movies were rental-only until now. HD flicks will cost you $19.99, and we're guessing they're the same H.264 compressed 720p quality as usual, so videophiles will probably want to stick to Blu-ray. Purchases will come with both an HD file and an iPod / iPhone-ready SD file, which is a nice touch, and Apple's also promising that HD rentals will now be on the store within 30 days of retail release -- better, but not perfect. It's all going live today with exclusive pre-orders of Quantum of Solace and Twilight, but honestly, we're still wondering when Apple will implement subscription video and really take it to Netflix.

Filed under: Media streamers, Internet, Apple

Tags: apple, apple tv, AppleTv, hd, hd movies, hd video, HdMovies, HdVideo, itunes, itunes store, ItunesStore

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

S4Rs @ Mar 19th 2009 5:26PM

One very small step for the Engadget HD Man, One Giant Leap for Fatcat Hollywood kind.

Whats the Audio quality?

Neutral

WiFiSpy @ Mar 19th 2009 5:42PM

Hello Vudu? Where are my big studio HDX movies I can buy?

Neutral

Chris @ Mar 19th 2009 5:49PM

Hmm.. most likely L4.1 with awful compression artifacts and AAC audio... PASS!

I'll take my expertly encoded x264 BD rips with 7 channel FLAC audio TYVM.

Neutral

Gus @ Mar 19th 2009 7:58PM

Blu rays potential market is shrinking everyday.

Neutral

Myself @ Mar 19th 2009 8:05PM

Are these going to have DRM protection? Can they be played on a xbox 360 via flash drive?

Neutral

John @ Mar 19th 2009 10:48PM

It's Apple, do you really have to ask about DRM? They'd DRM your grandma's cook book if they sold that.

Neutral

Galley @ Mar 20th 2009 9:35AM

@John: It's the studios that insist on DRM, not Apple.

Neutral

Ben @ Mar 19th 2009 9:44PM

Isn't it bigger news that HD movies on iTunes aren't exclusive to the Apple TV. Sure buying them is cool, but being locked out because you don't' have an Apple TV is really bad.

Neutral

Philip S @ Mar 19th 2009 10:47PM

So when are they going to get Dolby Digital 5.1 to work using iTunes on a PC? Has never worked for the HD TV shows.

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siva @ Mar 19th 2009 10:51PM

They don't work for PC or Mac. Only AppleTV. I submitted a bug report several months ago, and still no response from Apple!!

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G.W.Miller @ Mar 19th 2009 11:16PM

Currently it's only Lionsgate films (excluding preorders). Hopefully all studios will participate, but the price needs to come down. For $19.99 I'll take the Bluray anyday.

Neutral

minimalist @ Mar 19th 2009 11:50PM

Less than 20 dollars? If the studios keep insisting on $15 for new release "near DVD quality" SD digital downloads then its just not going to happen. I'm actually surprised its 20 bucks and not 22 or 24 for the HD versions given the greed these studios have shown thusfar.

Add in the sub-par audio and overly compressed video and that annoying DRM straightjacket and buying movies from iTunes, Amazon, Microsoft or Vudu is just not worth it. Oh and the fact that they are locked to the eco-system of a single company. Said company goes under or just decides to exit the video business and poof all your "purchases" are gone.

The DRM on Blu-rays isn't great but at least my movies don't vanish because a company goes out of business or simply changes its mind about its business plans. This is why digital downloads need a real "format" to win. These balkanized walled gardens are just disasters waiting to happen.

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