Review: ITunes Movies

Apple has launched yet another wing to the iTunes store, offering up movies to rent or buy, in either standard or high definition formats. According to Apple, over 700 movies are available to peruse at launch time, with more to be added regularly.

Pros: Like buying music or TV shows, convenience is key here; it’s easy to browse the store from a computer or Apple’s Apple TV set top box. Rentals expire 24 hours after you first start watching them, but you’ve got 30 days after first download to begin. The range isn’t massive, but it does cover most genres nicely.

Cons: Only Apple TV owners can access the HD movies, which cost a dollar more. The big trap here is that you’ll also have to have enough data (typically around 1GB per movie) on your broadband plan to cover the download of the film. You’ll also have to wait for at least part of the movie to download, which is undeniably slower than hitting the local video store. Not everything is available to rent, and some buying fees are the same as the equivalent DVD -- but with no extras.

Verdict: A great delivery platform, but be careful not to get stung by excess delivery fees.