iTunes Movies Hit Japan Alongside Apple TV

iTunes users in Japan now have more ways to drain their credit cards, as Apple announces movie purchase and rentals have finally arrived there. It's a relatively small selection initially – "over 1,000" split between rentals or purchases – with a mixture of standard- and high-definition; iTunes HD movie purchases start at ¥2,000 for catalog titles and recent releases and ¥2,500 for new releases.

Meanwhile SD versions are priced at ¥1,000 for catalog titles, ¥1,500 for recent releases and ¥2,000 for new releases. iTunes HD Movie Rentals start at ¥300 for library title rentals and ¥500 for new releases, and SD versions start at ¥200 for library title rentals and ¥400 for new releases.

As for studio support, there's the expected international partnerships – 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures and Universal Pictures – along with a selection of Japanese studios including Asmik Ace Entertainment Inc., Fuji TV, Kadakowa Pictures, Nikkatsu, Shochiku Company Limited and Toei Company Limited. The launch coincides with the Apple TV going on sale in Japan this week, priced at ¥8,800.

Press Release:

Apple Premieres Movies on the iTunes Store in Japan

TOKYO—November 11, 2010—Apple® today announced that movies are now available on the iTunes Store® in Japan giving customers an incredible way to enjoy movies on their iPhone®, iPad™, iPod touch®, Mac® or PC, or with the new Apple TV® on their HD TV. Starting today, there are over 1,000 movies to rent or buy in high definition and standard definition from major international film studios including 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures, Universal Pictures and top Japanese studios including Asmik Ace Entertainment Inc., Fuji TV, Kadakowa Pictures, Nikkatsu, Shochiku Company Limited and Toei Company Limited.

With iTunes' legendary ease of use, discovering and watching movies is as simple and easy as buying music on iTunes® has always been. Movie fans can choose from many top-rated movies in Japan, including Hollywood blockbusters such as "Toy Story 3" and "Sex and the City 2," as well as Japanese favorites including "Ototo," "Gekijôban Kamen Raidâ Dikeido: Ôru Raidâ tai Daishokkâ" and "Odoru Daisousasen THE MOVIE 2."

With iTunes Movie Rentals, once a movie is rented, it starts downloading from the iTunes Store directly to iTunes or Apple TV, and users with a fast Internet connection can start viewing the movie in seconds. Customers have up to 30 days to start watching their movie, and once a movie has been started customers have 48 hours to finish it—or watch it multiple times. In addition to renting movies on the iTunes Store, many movies are available to purchase in HD and SD.

The new Apple TV started shipping in Japan this week and offers the simplest way to watch HD movies on an HD TV and users can also enjoy millions of YouTube videos, more than 200,000 podcasts, 4,000 Internet radio stations and personal photos from MobileMe℠ and Flickr, while music, videos and photos can be streamed from Macs and PCs. Users can control Apple TV with their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch using the Remote app, available now as a free download on the App Store℠, or with the upcoming availability of AirPlay® users will be able to stream music, photos and video from their iPhone, iPad and iPod touch directly to Apple TV.

Pricing & Availability

iTunes 10 for Mac and Windows includes the iTunes Store and is available as a free download from www.apple.com/jp/itunes. iTunes movie purchases and rentals require a valid credit card with a billing address in Japan. iTunes HD movie purchases in Japan start at ¥2,000 for catalog titles and recent releases and ¥2,500 for new releases, and SD versions are priced at ¥1,000 for catalog titles, ¥1,500 for recent releases and ¥2,000 for new releases. iTunes HD Movie Rentals start at ¥300 for library title rentals and ¥500 for new releases, and SD versions start at ¥200 for library title rentals and ¥400 for new releases. Apple TV, which comes standard with an aluminum Apple Remote, is available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of ¥8,800. Apple TV requires an 802.11b/g/n wireless network or Ethernet network, a broadband Internet connection and a high definition TV capable of 720p.