The news comes as the company announced that it had signed a deal with major and independent movie studios to sell films on the same day as the DVD release via the iTunes store, including several HD titles.

Although currently only available in the US, users will now be able to buy & rent movies without having to turn their computer on, as the company moves to compete with Microsoft & its Video Marketplace on the Xbox 360.

Movies purchased from iTunes can be viewed on a Mac or PCan, an iPod with video, iPhone, or on TV with the Apple TV, with new releases priced at $14.99 & most catalogue titles at $9.99. The online feature doesn't require users to update their Apple TV system.