Apple tv / itunes has crippled tv rentals

[tmofee]

I just noticed this the other night, but for some reason apple have decided to limit television rentals to itunes and ios 4.1 products. What does this mean? Well, even though the transfer movie rentals work fine and dandy on the older apple tvs, you aren't allowed to transfer tv shows onto the old models!

Not only that, you won't be able to transfer tv rentals to your iPad until November.

Why would they do something stupid like this? I can understand there might be technical limitations to the netfllix streaming or something newer down the track, but rentals is a proven tech that already works on older apple tvs. I just don't get it.

 

[brentsg]

My wife was going to start renting some TV shows on our older AppleTV this weekend but couldn't figure it out.

I saw that it was available in iTunes. Is it simply not possible to view these rented shows on the new AppleTV? Or is it a matter of doing something manually that should be simple?

 

[tmofee]

My wife was going to start renting some TV shows on our older AppleTV this weekend but couldn't figure it out.

I saw that it was available in iTunes. Is it simply not possible to view these rented shows on the new AppleTV? Or is it a matter of doing something manually that should be simple?

The new apple tv when it comes out will be running on ios4.1 . So they'll be able to watch rented tv. From what I know, the older models have completely different software.

So at the moment it's not a big thing with the whole handful of tv shows available, but it just seems silly to me, maybe its a tv studio request or something

 

[tmofee]

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4300

Here's the support article that states it

 

[TheBritishBloke]

I think it's just the fact that Apple can't be bothered to update the software for your devices, they've given you free updates for many years, they want you to upgrade.

 

[Shoesy]

Seems silly to me as apple must surely make a bit of money out of the rentals. I know there arn't a huge amount of appletv's about but those of us using the originals are surely the hardcore! We would love this service.

 

[dmm219]

it is very doubtful you will ever see tv rentals on the old ATV...Apple needs there to be SOME reason for you to upgrade to an inferior machine...

i'll stick with purchases on my old ATV thank you...

 

[waw74]

The new apple tv when it comes out will be running on ios4.1.

no, the apple tv is running it's own OS.

to watch from your iOS device (iphone, ipod touch) you must be running 4.1

apple's KB on this (link) doesn't seem to mention the appletv at all,

 

[rworne]

I think it's just the fact that Apple can't be bothered to update the software for your devices, they've given you free updates for many years, they want you to upgrade.

These same devices they were selling up until last week?

 

[Phantom Gremlin]

30 Hz capability needed

I don't think the "crippling" is anything sinister. It's because sitcoms etc are shot on video, so they need 30 Hz playback. The old Apple TV will only do 720p at 24 Hz.

 

[rorschach]

I don't think that asking for Apple to release a MINOR update that enables viewing of TV shows we paid for on 1st gen Apple TVs is too much. It's not even that big of a deal to me, tbh, but it would be nice.

 

[tmofee]

I don't think the "crippling" is anything sinister. It's because sitcoms etc are shot on video, so they need 30 Hz playback. The old Apple TV will only do 720p at 24 Hz.

Normal tv shows that you buy are playable on the old apple tv now. That's how i have been watching true blood at the moment

 

[tmofee]

no, the apple tv is running it's own OS.

to watch from your iOS device (iphone, ipod touch) you must be running 4.1

apple's KB on this (link) doesn't seem to mention the appletv at all,

Are yu sure abiut that? Im sure I read somewhere that the newer apple tvs will be running ios. Make sense.