When you purchase a movie or TV show from the Apple iTunes store you can transfer it from your computer to a mobile Apple device. But up until recently the rules for iTunes rentals were a bit more complicated. The terms stated that you couldn’t transfer movies or TV shows rented using an iPhone 4, iPod touch, or Apple TV… but only stated you couldn’t transfer movies rented on an iPad.
The new version of the rule doesn’t make any distinction, and states that any content rented on any device is only viewable on one device at a time. You can transfer rentals from a computer to a mobile device, but that’s it. If you rent a video on your iPad and want to watch it on your Apple TV before it expires, you’re out of luck.
via SlashGear and paidContent
I can’t understand Apple’s motivation here. Starting a movie, or even a one-hour TV program on my iPhone while I ride the train in the morning was already an investment. With a 35-minute commute, I usually don’t have time to finish watching it on the train, so I either have to spend part of my evening huddled over my phone, or transfer it to my computer to finish.
A 3.5″ screen is acceptable when I don’t have any other options (i.e. on a train), but it would be frustrating to have no other choice. I had been actively considering an Apple TV for this very reason, but this pretty much seals the deal against the purchase!
With these new restrictions, renting any media is almost a non-possibility. If rentals had a more relaxed 72-hour window, that would remove much of my objection. If I could spread viewing over two or three morning and evening commutes, I’d be likely to rent far more media. But unless I can freely transfer rentals, buying an Apple TV is still out.
What if you rent it on your laptop, then transfer to a mobile device. Can you transfer back?
Yes.
No you cant transfer it back!! i cant believe this! im not going to watch all those rented movies on my iphone!
Exactly, there isnt a way to transfer it back. Thanks for the warning iTunes.
not true. see above.
not true. if the movie hasn’t expired you can transfer it back using the same GUI you used to transfer it to the device.
No, you’re NOT out of luck. You’re missing the point of the new technology, here – Apple’s new streaming, arriving on ios 4.2, allows the instant streaming of something rented on your iPad to your Apple TV. No transferring needed. Ditto with your iPhone or ipod touch.
Apple is close to dead to me as there is no solutions offered by APTV tech support in getting my purchases from APTV back to my main library on my PC, I am so sick of Apples strangle hold on their content. All of these vendor seems to think the whole world has fast DSL which I don’t for those still on dial-up in the country are plain out of luck, Why does it take so many hours to get a device to work properly , having it for over 3 years, with frequent wrestling matches over the glitches I have experienced over the time, Yes I have a really bad attitude with Apple as an owner of APTV 2 Itouches , Nanos, there will not be another purchase to Itunes though I still have 18 dollars of credit
one of the reasons why apple has less piracy