Stephen Withers
Thursday, 05 June 2008 04:01
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 3
Prices are $C9.99/£6.99 for back catalogue titles, $C14.99 for recent releases, and $C19.99/£10.99 for new releases. (The recent release category does not appear to apply in the UK.)
Rentals cost $C3.99/£2.49 for library titles and $C4.99/£3.49 for new releases. High-definition versions cost an extra $C1/£1. Rentals last for 48 hours once playback has started, but can be watched as many times as desired within that period. If you don't start watching within 30 days of the transaction, you've done your dough.
How do these prices compare with those charged by Apple in the US?
The US and Canadian currencies are close to parity at present, which explains why the purchase prices are numerically the same for catalogue titles at $C9.99/$US9.99. But why are Canadians being charged $C19.99 for new releases when they only cost $US14.99 in the US? Something odd is happening here, though it might not be down to Apple as its suppliers may be charging different wholesale prices in different countries.
Even allowing for the effects of VAT, it looks like UK residents are getting slugged as well. Compared with US prices, they're paying - by my calculations - about a pound extra for catalogue purchases, £2 on new releases, and between 70p and £1 on standard definition rentals. You can add another 40p or so for high-def rentals, as the surcharge is £1 compared with 99 cents.
Which studios are participating in the Canadian and UK iTunes Stores?
