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4.99$ + fees for busting my ISP's bandwidth cap no thanks.

Geez...I don't know....I know it's not Apple's fault, but those prices are pretty steep...only thing decently competitive are the new release rentals, compared to the Video-on-demand prices here...but the prices to buy just don't make sense compared to buying DVDs...Again: lower picture quality than DVD, bandwidth used in renting/buying (Canadian ISPs measure our bandwidth), hard drive space usage, lack of special features, lack of physical property which can be lent out/resold. All those factors should make these movies cheaper than DVD's (not even counting the studios' savings on media delivery). I'll stick with my DVD's for now...

Ottawa Mark,

The HD titles available for Apple TV offer higher picture quality than your crappy DVDs.

And convenience is worth more.

Hey, Mark.

Who is your ISP? I have unlimited bandwidth in the remote wilds of Bruce County, Ontario

I have to say that I can beat the price easily at our local rental shop where I can get 1 new release and 1 older title together for a week for $5.

Jun 04, 08 - 09:28 am Comment from: HotinPlaya

Hopefully , the States will soon get 48 our rental window,

Married with kids, we stopped renting, as we were loosing to many rentals when we couldn't get them watched in one sitting.

We buy music, rent movies, and if we really want to buy a movie, prefer the DVD.

The rental program is sweet, easy to use, and good quality

Hey DustyMac,

I have a cottage on the peninsula. Who can I get high-speed internet from?

Jun 04, 08 - 09:35 am Comment from: Mr. Peabody

Hey no fair! Canada gets 48 hours and us yanks only get 24 hours! Foul! Foul! - Blah blah blah.

Great news! No more waiting for bit torrents to download.

Price is good for me. Way to go Apple.

Rent physical DVD and rip.

Watch at leisure.

Delete if crappy. Save for second or third watching if good.

Delete if unwatched in a year and hard drive is full.

That's fair use in my books.

Convenience.
No driving to store.
Arrive home late from work, have supper, watch movie.
I think the iTunes store movie rentals is seriously GREAT!

Special features - yawn. Whats special about them? Its an ego trip for the director etc.
Physical property - if you buy it you can burn it - no? If you want a dvd to burn when you rent, go to the video store.
Quality - its the same as TV. Or you a movie buff with special hi-fi hearing and hi-fi eyes?
Bandwidth - if you have a problem with bandwidth, you need to get out more.
Anyway, ISP's will change their policies to cover this - just like the iPhone is forcing cell providers to drop charges/extend bandwidth.

Its also environmentally good - no manufacturing dvd, no car trip, and no annoying teenagers at the video store. Very cool.

well, it's about time we get movies on the ITS in Canada

Jun 04, 08 - 09:56 am Comment from: CandTsmac

Out here in BC. I have unlimited as well, but it's getting harder to find in Canada. We are sooooooo behind in internet/cell usage and billing.

nice 1st step though.

Jun 04, 08 - 10:09 am Comment from: HolyMackerel

A comparison of prices in $US between the same categories of entertainment from the US, Canada and the UK. Yet the cost of service delivery is almost identical between each country.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but Canada and the UK are getting ripped off in price and selection.

Catalog/Library title purchases
US: US$9.99
UK: US$13.72
Can: US$9.87

Recent releases
US: US$12.99
UK: NA
Can: US$14.81

New releases
US: US$12.99 same as recent release
UK: US$21.57
Can: US$19.75

Library title rentals
US: US$2.99
UK: US$4.89
Can: US$3.94

New releases rentals
US: US$3.99
UK: US$6.85
Can: US$4.93

HD rentals
US: US$3.99 (library)/US$4.99 (new release)
UK: US$8.81
Can: US$5.92

Jun 04, 08 - 10:13 am Comment from: HolyMackerel

Plus MDN there are only two 'e's in Premiers, not three…

Thanks Apple (Canada). However, why the 25 to 35% price premium for rentals? Did you forget that the Canadian dollar is at or over US par? Or is it just the Canadian thing to do. (e.g. ripoff).

Terry
P.S. The 48 hour limit is a non-issue.

@HolyMackerel - MDN is correct. Look up premiere in the dictionary.

I am pretty sure that Apple gets the same margin on all there iTunes Movie rent \ purchase the discrepancy would be in what the studios \ distributors are getting.

This news will make my Apple TV very Happy.

One option I think the Studio's and Apple should considder is Rent to own, let me rent the video and after I watch it, or if I try to watch it after the 48 Hours, ask I I want to purchase it and charge me the difference, that way I can see if the content and quality are worth paying for.

Dustymac:

Who's your provider in Bruce County??

After waiting for years for this I am seriously under-whelmed. Most titles in iTunes so far are 5 buck rentals, I couldn't even find any for sale for a while, then when I did, they were the 20 dollar ones.

The point is, you have to buy a multi-hundred dollar Apple TV for starters, then the movies on top of that. These movies are maybe two or three dollars (at most) cheaper than their physical DVD counterparts and they are DRM infested and lower quality.

I understand why they want to try to keep the price of new releases close to the DVD because the media companies are used to getting that amount of money for stuff, but that doesn't make it right.

the older releases are even worse. Why would I pay five dollars to *rent* an older (three to five year old), movie when they are available as DVD's in every pawn shop and second hand store for a hundred miles for the same price? You get a better quality product, an archive copy, and all the extras for the same price as an iTunes rental.

Jun 04, 08 - 11:12 am Comment from: papasmack

They need to start giving away Apple Tv and make their money on rental.

I agree, Jeff. You should also be able to re-rent it for a discounted price after the time expires. Like a buck maybe.

Hey! Where's the french content for French-Canadian users?

@Producer

While the HD movies from iTunes may be better quality than DVD you should be comparing then to Blu-Ray (which is higher quality than iTunes HD)...plus they cost an extra $1...prices are simply TOO HIGH...The studios are crooks, they save a bundle on digital distribution, dumping the costs to Apple and the consumer, and they don't give us a price break? Fsck them...

<-- Cheap iTunes rentals in Canada -->

when you or someone you know visits south of the border, get an iTunes gift certificate and rent away from the US store, I have, I mean I have "heard" of this being done.

Pricing is ok with me. Specially if I avoid going and returning to the store (with gas prices these days and it wont get any lower).

I wonder if you get english and french audio when renting (my wife doesnt speak english) :-(

I would love it if they made an Apple TV with a BlueRay drive(for some DVD I'd like to buy and keep on a disk).

Jun 04, 08 - 02:53 pm Comment from: Brau

Sooo, I can watch these movies on an AppleTV, iPod, or iPhone, but not on my own Mac? Geez, that makes renting movies pretty expensive when I am required to shell out a minimum $249 just to have the privilege. Guess I'll stop by BlockBuster again and watch my movie on my Mac, or my friend's PC or wherever the hell I want.

Yikes, what a bunch of whinners!!!!!!. A few months ago all we heard was all the sad stories in forums like this and the media that Canada is always left behind and then we get movies and soon iPhone and it's still not good enough.

Look if you don't have an AppleTV get one. It is just an amazing device; you will love it I guarantee it. All my kids movies are on it and they don't have to fumble around and scratch DVD's and try to figure out how to play it. They go right to Apple TV and away they go. It has also resurrected my stereo as a music device. I haven't bought a CD in years. Now I can stream directly from my computer to my stereo through Apple TV. And as for photos - who needs a photo album, whether with family or friends we flip through our photos on the TV through Apple TV and people are just amazed. In fact, everyone I show my Apple TV to are amazed. If Apple actually marketed the device they would fly of store shelves. As for movie price - the price of movie rentals in my town is $5 so I get to stay home pay the same price and save on gas.

I just can't believe they did it. I thought it would take years to get movies on itunes Canada. Excellent Apple!!!!!!