Apple launches movies on iTunes in Ireland

30 Apr 2010

Movies from major film studios like 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Walt Disney, Warner and Universal are finally available to Irish iTunes users to download.

After negotiating the myriad of rights issues that need to be resolved to launch movies in Europe, Apple’s iTunes movie content is finally available and movies like Avatar, Twilight and Iron Man are available to download.

Movies are available for purchase on iTunes the same day as their DVD release, and can be viewed on an iPhone, iPod with video, Mac or PC, or on a widescreen TV with Apple TV.

With iTunes Movie Rentals, once a movie is rented, it starts downloading from the iTunes Store directly to iTunes or Apple TV, and users with a fast internet connection can start viewing the movie in seconds.

Customers have up to 30 days to start watching it, and once a movie has been started customers have 48 hours to finish it — or watch it multiple times.

The company said that iTunes 9.1 for Mac and Windows includes the iTunes Store and is available as a free download online. iTunes movie purchases and rentals require a valid credit card with a billing address in Ireland.

iTunes movies start at €7.99 for catalog 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 high-definition versions are priced at just €1 more.

By John Kennedy

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com