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Apple Targeting $0.99 TV Show Rentals As It Moves iTunes to the Cloud

Friday July 9, 2010 2:57 am PDT by Arnold Kim

Newteevee provides some details into Apple's plans to revamp their Apple TV product as they transition from selling downloads to offering streaming online content. According to the report, Apple is about to get more serious about the Apple TV and is pushing to offer $0.99 rentals for TV shows rather than the current $1.99/$2.99 (HD) downloadable purchases.

The TV rental program would work in much the same way that movie rentals now work through iTunes; once an episode is purchased, the consumer will have 30 days to start watching the video. And once started, the TV rental will be available for 24 hours before it expires.

With the new system, Apple would stream the rentals to customers much like Netflix and Hulu. This rumor is just one in a series in which Apple is actively negotiating with content providers to provide more attractive content for customers. Previous negotiations had Apple trying to lower the purchase price of TV episodes down to $1, though it seems that plan never materialized.

Any sort of streaming service might be interesting for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch owners who might also be able to benefit from the service. Rather than syncing an entire show with your computer, customers could simply stream the video directly from iTunes. In fact, some recent rumors even describe the next Apple TV as just another iOS device.

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