Big Screen Little Screen

Another potentially big-time shift in film distribution as we know it:  Paid Content (by way of Engadget) passes on a report that Twentieth Century Fox has just inked a deal with Apple to allow rentals of their films though iTunes, possibly for as low as $2.99 a pop and for as long as 30 days, as was speculated back in June. It’s assumed that rentals could be transferred to at least one iPod or iPhone type device during the rental period, and that this would likely include an upgrade for Apple TV use. Currently, movies are only available for download-to-purchase: new releases at $14.99, and back catalog titles go for $9.99. At the moment, Disney is the only major studio that pushes new releases (like the Pirates franchise) directly to iTunes and is the only one to have their full catalog featured there.

Also of interest to the Fox deal, and what may be included in future studio agreements to come, is that Apple’s FairPlay DRM will be utilized in upcoming DVD releases to stores, allowing buyers to transfer video to a PC or iPod without the usual worries of legal infringement or use of third-party ripping software.

Sony, Paramount and Warner Brothers are also reportedly in talks with Apple for similar distribution deals, and we could see an announcement, possibly even a partial launch of iTunes movie rentals as soon as January 15th, when Steve Jobs is scheduled to deliver the opening keynote speech at Macworld in San Francisco.

Tags: apple, itunes movie rentals, steve jobs, fox, sony, disney, paramount, warner bros