Apple unveiled Tuesday a new movie rental service through its popular iTunes online music and movie store, a move that the company hopes will boost sales of its digital gadgets.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs made the announcement during a keynote speech at the annual Macworld trade conference in San Francisco. He said that customers can rent new release movies through the online service, and watch them over computers, iPods or iPhones for 3.99 dollars for a month.
While out-of-date titles will rent for 2.99 dollars for the same time period.
Jobs said that new digital video-on-demand service has the support of all major Hollywood studios including Disney, Warner Bros., Paramount, Universal, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, MGM, Lionsgate and New Line.
Movie studios are often reluctant to make their newest releases available for streaming and downloading because of fears that such a service would hurt box office and DVD sales.
Apple hopes the new service could boost sales of its Apple TV set-top box, a device designed to serve as a bridge between the computer and the living room TV.
The Silicon Valley company, which dropped the word "computer" from its official name one year ago, has completed its makeover from a struggling niche computer maker to a consumer electronics giant and entertainment service provider, largely thanks to its phenomenal iPod and iPhone products. - Source: Xinhua
Thursday, January 17, 2008
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