Apple has expanded support for its iTunes in the Cloud service to include movies for users in the UK, which means British users now have the ability to stream movies purchased on iTunes any time from any devices. Previously only available to users in the USA, Apple last week added support for those in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
According to the Guardian, Apple has said it has secured deals for content with major studios, including Warner Bros., and Universal, which will mean films like Bridesmaids and Sherlock Holmes will be available to the UK and Ireland. Now that iTunes users that buy movies will be able to stream them on an Apple device without downloading, Apple is competing with companies offering similar services in the UK, such as Amazon's LoveFilm, Netflix, 4oD, and Sky.
Apple launched iTunes in the Cloud alongside iCloud last summer. The service allows you to wirelessly synchronize iTunes Store purchases across multiple devices. This latest update means that users in the UK now have access to music, music videos, movies, TV shows, apps, and books via iTunes in the Cloud. Irish users do not yet have access to TV shows but have access to everything else. Canadian and Australian users also have access to everything, while New Zealand users do not have access to TV shows. In total, 155 countries have access to varying levels of iTunes in the Cloud. Only a handful of countries have support for all available services (music, music videos, movies, TV shows, apps, and books).