Buy or Rent a Video

To buy or rent movies and television shows, go to the iTunes Store in iTunes on your computer or tap the iTunes app on your iPad. Searching for and purchasing videos is similar to buying other things from the iTunes storefronts, but with a few annoying restrictions.

• The iPad can play HD movies, but some titles can only be purchased in SD (standard definition), some can be rented or purchased in SD, and some can be rented in HD only on the iPad. This crazy and confusing distinction is the result of the movies’ rights holders (Hollywood studios) trying to wring profit, establish some measure of misguided control, or...well, to be honest I don’t know. What’s worse is that the availability of these options changes over time; some movies previously available for rent can only be purchased, or no longer appear in the iTunes Store. What this means for you and me is that we need to make sure we examine what we’re about to purchase or rent.