Apple Upgrading iTunes Disney Movie Purchases to 4K HDR

Apple today began sending out emails to iTunes and Apple TV customers who have purchased a Disney movie in the past, letting them know that their titles have been upgraded to 4K HDR at no cost.

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Several MacRumors readers have received the emails, which come a week after Disney titles in the iTunes Store began showing up as 4K in the United States and Canada.

Many Disney titles are now showing up in the iTunes Store as 4K HDR, including Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars movies. 4K support for Disney movies has been a long awaited feature and it has been notably absent for years following the debut of 4K iTunes content in 2017.

Until recently, Disney movies purchased from the iTunes Store were only available in HD.

Tags: 4K, Disney, iTunes
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Top Rated Comments

21CenturyDigitalBoy Avatar
70 months ago
Nice gesture. Anybody wish they would apply your rental fee to the subsequent purchase if you should choose to purchase after renting??
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
70 months ago
Seems to only apply to movies originally purchased in HD. SD copies have been upgraded to HD, but not 4K HDR. Hardly a complaint, though. 1080p looks better than the 480p versions I originally had.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
70 months ago
Hoping the same thing happens with the Lord of the Rings 4K remaster.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ryanmcv Avatar
70 months ago

Wait, what? Normally the strategy has been to sell you a DVD, then a Blu-ray, then a 4K version, and on and on. Now they are giving away free upgrades? I wonder if Vudu, Amazon, Google Play, etc. will offer a similar deal for Disney movies? And what about other studios?
If you purchase a movie in HD at iTunes, and the studio later upgrades that movie to 4K on iTunes, you are automatically given the upgraded 4K version for free -- regardless of studio. The only outlier up until now was Disney. Vudu and Google Play have done some free 4K upgrades, but not nearly as comprehensive as iTunes.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmChimera Avatar
70 months ago
Sucks that some of my marvel movies came from Disney instead of iTunes. They’re not upgraded.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
70 months ago
Normally the strategy has been to sell you a DVD, then a Blu-ray, then a 4K version, and on and on. If they are giving away free upgrades, I wonder if Vudu, Amazon, Google Play, etc. will offer a similar deal for Disney movies.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)