Apple iTunes Movie Store Downloads Now Official in France & Ireland, Other Markets Still Waiting

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The iPad’s European launch is getting closer and closer and Apple is surely preparing for it. How do I know that? Well Cupertino officially announced today that both France and Ireland are finally granted access to Apple’s iTunes Movie Store downloads.

That’s right, French and Irish readers, you won’t have to find a friend in the USA or UK to help you with iTunes downloads when it comes to some of your favorite movies since Apple will now gladly offer you this major iTunes feature.

According to the press release Apple will offer you access to movies from major film studios including 20th Century Fox, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros. Entertainment, E1 Entertainment, Lionsgate UK and Optimum Releasing. Top movies like “Avatar”, “Up”, “The Hangover”, “Iron Man” and “Harry Brown” will be available, among others, to rent or purchase.

Naturally you must be curious about pricing details so here’s the full pricing scheme Apple is going to use for its France and Ireland iTunes Movie Stores:

• €2.99 – Movie Rentals – library titles
• €3.99 – Movie Rentals – new releases
• €4.99 – Movie Rentals – HD versions
• €7.99 – Movie Purchase – catalog purchase
• €9.99 – Movie Purchase – recent releases
• €13.99 – Movie Purchase – recent releases

In order to be able to order your favorite titles you will need a credit card with a billing address in Ireland or France. In case you decide to rent movies rather than to buy them you’ll have up to 30 days to start watching them and once you do you’ll have up 48 hours to finish them. Pretty easy to remember, right?

In order to play the movies, once rented or purchased, you will be able to use your iPhone, an iPod with video, your Mac or PC or your widescreen TV with Apple TV. It’s weird how Apple forgets to mention anything about the iPad which is going to be available in various European markets at some point by the end of May. And which is definitely going to play these movies too.

So, what do you say, Apple, are any other countries going to be granted access to your iTunes Movie Store soon?