14 DAY TRIAL // It looks as though iTunes Store movie rental rumors are getting a second wind. After reports of movie rental strings being discovered in the iTunes feedback interface at the beginning of the week, several sources are now reporting that Apple is indeed working on bringing the service to customer's TV sets.
According to CNNMoney and Financial Times reports, Apple's plans for the end of the year include a movie rental service and the company is in talks with the movie studios to make it a reality. It would seem that Apple is aiming for a 30-day rental period and a cost of $2.99. Customers would be able to enjoy the movie on any iTunes supported device, which would include iPhones, iPods and last but not least, the Apple TV. Although the content would be usable on a wide range of devices, Digital Right Management would ensure the prevention of unauthorized copies being made. While Apple currently lets users purchase movies from the iTunes Store, the selection is limited and many users are not willing to buy movies that they only intend to watch a few times. Unlike music, when it comes to movie, the users themselves have been asking for a rental service. Such a venture would also be preferable to the movie studios as a rental service is much less likely to affect the sales of DVDs, of which the movie studios are being quite protective.
Interestingly enough, MacWorld mentions rumors of an impending update to the Apple TV which would let the device access the iTunes Store directly, making content acquisition possible without the need for a computer. While the details are unclear, a strong possibility is that the Apple TV will access the same iTunes WiFi Store that has recently become available to both iPods and iPhones.