Skip to main content

Apple halts 99-cent TV rentals on iTunes

appletv_highres_original
Image used with permission by copyright holder

On Friday, Apple removed the option to rent episodes of television shows from iTunes. Previously, rentals had cost iTunes members 99 cents an episode, but an episode could be purchased for $1.99 for standard definition or $2.99 for high definition. The purchase options remain in the store as of Friday. Rentals were first offered to iTunes members when the Apple TV made its first public appearance in September of last year. When an iTunes member made a rental purchase, they had the option of downloading and saving the episode for up to 30 days, but had to finish the episode within 48 hours of starting the program. This was double the amount of time allowed to watch movie rentals which currently stands at 24 hours from starting the film.

apple-tvAccording to an official statement from Apple, consumers weren’t purchasing rentals as much as ownership rights for specific episodes. Due to the general lack of interest, studios such as Fox weren’t interested in continuing to offer rentals when ad-supported models such as Hulu exist. Fox recently moved to an eight-day window for recently aired shows on free services like Hulu, but offers ad-supported episodes on Hulu Plus 24 hours after the television program airs. With the monthly cost of Hulu Plus at $7.99, heavy television watchers are likely more interested in that model with unlimited viewings over spending a dollar per episode with a 48 hour window of replaying the show.

Recommended Videos

Apple has wiped all mention of the previous rental model as a promotional tool to market the Apple TV. Rumors are also churning about a possible 2012 release of an Apple-branded television with a built-in iOS interface. According to industry analysts, the rapid drop of LCD prices and the lower price of producing touchscreens could spawn touchscreen-enabled televisions up to 19 inches in size within the next 24 months.

Mike Flacy
By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…
Best Walmart TV deals: 58-inch 4K TV for $238 and more
lg 55 inch oled 4k tvs deal walmart class b8 tv

Best Buy TV deals and Amazon TV deals can be a great way to land a discount on a new TV, but Walmart is in play as well. The retail giant is home to quite a few of today’s best TV deals and they include 65-inch TV deals, 70-inch TV deals, 75-inch TV deals, 85-inch TV deals, and more. With so many TV deals going on at Walmart we thought we’d round up today’s best Walmart TV deals all in one place. You can find them all below, and if you’d prefer to shop for a specific brand be sure to check out today’s Samsung TV deals, Sony TV deals, LG TV deals, Vizio TV deals, and TCL TV deals as well.
Hisense 58-inch R6 4K Roku TV -- $238 $298 20% off

One of the best TV brands for value, Hisense is worth checking out, particularly with its Hisense 43-inch Roku 4K TV. A great size for the price, you get all the benefits of a 4K resolution along with HDR and Motion Rate support. The latter means you won't have to worry about motion blur while you play a game or watch fast-moving action or sports. Plus, get access to the best of Roku, including the free Roku channel while using this TV. Also, the TV works with Google Assistant and Alexa so it's easy to use and control your TV and other smart home devices.

Read more
Best headphone deals: AirPods, Sony, Sennheiser and more
Beats Studio Pro sitting on travel case.

There are a lot of headphone deals available today, and among them are some impressive Beats headphone deals, AirPods deals, Bose headphone deals, Sony headphone deals, and more. This is great news if you’d like some audio privacy throughout the day or if you’d like to experience your home theater in a more immersive way. With so many headphone deals to choose from we thought we’d round up all of the best headphone deals for your shopping convenience. Reading onward you’ll find some serious discounts on popular headphone models, and if you’re looking for some cool devices to pair them with you can also shop TV deals, gaming console deals, phone deals, and tablet deals.
Sony WH-CH720N -- $98 $150 35% off

The Sony CH720NB are good-quality headphones for a relatively budget price, with the audio being dependable but nothing exciting or comparable to the higher-end Sony XM4s, for example. That's ok since they aren't meant to compete at that level, and given the price you're paying, they're relatively comfortable to wear, have good audio, and you can get about 35 hours of total use per charge with ANC switched on.

Read more
This 70-inch 4K TV is only $400 at Amazon today
The Insignia F50 Series QLED 4K TV with the Amazon Fire TV interface on the screen.

You shouldn’t have to spend a ton of money to own a great TV. We’re being realistic about this, too, because what we’re not saying is premium and flagship TVs should be less expensive. TV prices have actually come down quite a bit over the last few years, but some of the largest-sized sets can still be pretty expensive. Fortunately, companies like Insignia have got you covered. We came across the following offer while looking through Amazon deals:

Right now, when you order the Insignia 70-inch F50 Series through Amazon or Best Buy, you’ll only end up spending $400 plus tax! Maybe this is finally the time to start thinking about soundbar deals, too?

Read more