iCloud movie streaming coming soon?
Apple is in talks with movie studios to bring movies to iCloud, ready to stream straight to your iOS device or computer.
iCloud is here, but we could already be about to see some improvements incoming. And the first one? Movies. Popcorn at the ready.
Apple has been in talks with major movie studios about offering movie streaming from the cloud, and, according to the Los Angeles Times, it's ready to sign the deals. So if you've been cursing your iOS5 update woes last night and this morning, this should come as welcome news.
Putting movies in the cloud would mean you'd be able to buy them wherever you are, and watch them on any computer or iOS device without needing to download the file like iTunes currently makes you do. So you'd save valuable hard drive space. Basically, it'd be like Spotify for films.
The newspaper credits "knowledgeable people who requested anonymity because the discussions are private." The service could launch as early as the end of this year, or early 2012.
But iTunes isn't alone. A multi-studio venture known as Ultraviolet launches this week: buy the DVD or Blu-ray of Horrible Bosses or Green Lantern (the first two available), and you'll be able to stream a copy from the cloud on your internet-enabled TV, phone, laptop or tablet. From next year you'll be able to stream without buying the hard copy.
Apple has nothing to do with Ultraviolet, but as one analyst notes, iTunes accounts for 66% of movie sales and rentals, so the program might struggle without Cupertino on board.
In other movie news, Apple has released an iTunes Movie Trailers app for iPhone, which gives you trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes features. It's available now, for free from iTunes.
Are you looking forward to streaming movies to your iDevice? And what would be first on your wish list? Let us know on our Facebook page.