According to numerous iMore readers, Universal Studies movies are now showing as available to re-download via iTunes Movies in the Cloud. Part of Apple’s iCloud offering, apps, iBooks, and music were available at launch, with TV Shows following soon thereafter.Movies in the Cloud were added shortly after the new iPad but only in the US and only from a few studies. This may have been due to the so-called “HBO windowâ€, when cable operators like HBO have exclusive license to certain movie for a certain period.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported, however, that HBO was open to negotiations.
HBO isn’t planning to give up its exclusive windows, for which it pays hundreds of millions of dollars a year, and which allow it to beam movies to its online service HBO Go as well as to its traditional TV channels. But HBO is relaxing terms to let users of iCloud and other services send movies they already own to other devices during those windows, an HBO spokesman said.
HBO agreed to loosen its arrangement with Warner Bros., which is working with iCloud, and also is in talks with Universal and Fox to do the same, the spokesman added.
Hopefully this is what’s happened with Universal, and hopefully it will happen with the other remaining Movies in the Cloud hold-outs.
And hopefully we’ll get it outside the US soon as well!
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