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After updating Apple TV to iOS 5.1, the option to purchase movies disappeared

Since september, 24, hours after I updated to iOS 5.1, the option to purchase movies disappeared from the system. It happened to all the countries in south america as far as I have tried changing stores within my Apple TV. The issue was recurrent with the late iOS as well, but changing the store to the United States and changing it back to Brazil seemed to solve the problem, and the option to buy movies would simply reappear. But now this solution isn't working anymore. When I change stores to the United States the option to purchase movies is there. When I change it back to Brazil, though, it disappears again. Anyone having the same problem?

Apple TV (3rd generation), iOS 5.1.1

Posted on Sep 26, 2012 10:23 AM

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12 replies

Sep 26, 2012 11:26 AM in response to Rudegar

Yes, I am logged in. You can actually see the problem is true if you just change stores using your Apple TV. Just a retification, you don't actually need to be signed in to see the options buy or rent. For instance, if I change the store in my Apple Tv to the United States, I can see the options buy or rent, even though I am not signed in with any account.

Oct 11, 2012 7:37 PM in response to Jgabriel_2011

Well, I have been waiting just to see if the option to purchase movies would simply come back, but so far nothing. It is a shame, since it seems nobody at apple cares. I have contacted iTunes support, and they say it has got to be a hardware problem and that I should take it to repair. They are just ignoring information contained in may email stating that the same problem is affecting every user outside the few countries where this issue hasn't manifested. All they gotta do is change the store in their Apple TV's to see it. But they just won't...

Oct 12, 2012 4:42 AM in response to Jgabriel_2011

Same here in France. This is an Apple TV software update problem.


On my iPad 3, I can purchase or rent the movie. Signed in with the same ID on my appleTV, I only have the option to rent the same movie title. Both devices in French and both signed in with the same iTunes ID.


I've checked that on both the iPad and appleTV;


Region format is the same. France

Language is the same. French

Credit card is issued from a bank in France

Both signed into the same iTunes account.

Software is up to date on both devices


I've signed out, signed back in, rebooted and searched the forums.



Now I'm calling Apple...

Oct 13, 2012 2:02 AM in response to Jgabriel_2011

After calling, Apple said; Outside the USA, depending on the which country you are in, you may not have the Purchase option for films on your Apple TV (Rental option only). You may purchase movies on your computer or iPad 2/3 and then stream the movie to your Apple TV. So, Brazil, Germany, France, Estonia, etc. Do Not Have the Purchase option for films on their Apple TV


Reason: relating to movie studio licensing in countries outside the USA.


Gripe: I bought the Apple Tv where I live, in France, and given the impression i could purchase movies and never lose them, never worry about storage, it's stored in the cloud and streamed on demand - Buy from any device watch on any device. The workaround of purchasing on my iPad doesn't work. My 64G iPad doesn't have enough memory for my appetite for movies. I have 4 movies on my ipad and estimate I can have a maximum around 12 if I don't put any more photos on my iPad.


Renting movies doesn't interest me much. I like movies and watch them multiple times.


However, I think I could delete the films on my iPad and purchase new ones. Then re-download the films from the cloud again later when I wanted to view the film again. Could I do this after 1 year? 5? I don't know.

Oct 20, 2012 4:46 PM in response to Jgabriel_2011

Same problem in Ireland. This website says it should be possible to purchase movies in Ireland.


http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3069


It's very annoying as movies only available to purchase show up in the listing. Then when you select them you can only preview them,. No option to rent or buy. It's like teasing you ! Here is a movie but you can't watch it!

Oct 31, 2012 8:51 PM in response to Jgabriel_2011

After more than a month, the issue persists. I sent an email to Tim Cook reporting this. The day after I sent it, some one contacted me from Apple and said Apple's engineers would take a look at it. The person informed she would call back with more information about the problem. She called back the subsequently 3 weeks. Every time to inform that they were still looking into it. At one time, she said they could not reproduce the issue, and actually mentioned they could see the purchase option, which I know isn't possible, considering they did pay attention to the context of this particualr issue. The last time this person called, I just didn't want to deal with it anymore, it was the third week in a row the person was calling to say the same thing. I'm really fed up with it. I even bothered to make a movie reproducing the problem and uploaded it to YouTube, than sent the link to the person, so she could show it to whomever is responsible for fixing this. I thought it would solve the problem, since the person informed they couldn't see it. It has been more than one week since I sent it, and the person called again to inform they received the email with the link to the video. But I really don't think anyone watched it. I kept the video off the searchabel option on YouTube, so it can only be watched by people who receive the link to it. And the number of times it has been watched is very small, approximately the number of times I visited it. I am under the impression this isn't a defect at all. I have reasons to believe this might be deliberately happening. USA, UK and Australia still have the options to buy movies on the Apple TV's iOS. There is no problem at all with our Apple TV's or their servers. They just locked us out. It is just a shame, because now I am sure they are aware of te problem and just don't really wanna do something about it. I mean, how hard can it be for Apple to fix such a strange and suspiciously selective problem?! It is also a shame the fact that they make us waste so much time! Really disappointing. Don't even bother trying to contact iTunes Support, they tried to convince me it is a problem with the harware. And as you might have read two posts above, they tried to convince geoffreyy it has something to do with licensing agreements limitations to some countries, which is not true. You can still purchase the same movies using the iTunes Store on a Mac, iPhone or iPad. It just disappeared from the Apple TV. If you buy a movie using, let's say, your iPad, it will be availabel to watch on the Apple TV through iTunes in the cloud, under the purcahsed section of the movies section on your Apple TV. This and other things that Apple has been doing lately to secondary markets all around the world is what makes me feel really ****** about Apple. They just don't care...

Jan 14, 2013 10:56 AM in response to Jgabriel_2011

Guys, surprise and frustration,

my main account is in Germany, where no buying option is available,

but since I live and work in Russia, I have signed up for a Russian one, just for the kids to see some movies in Russian language.

And here we have rent and buy.

On the other side, where are just about 40-50 movies in the store at all, but anyhow.


In general the frustration is about the fact, that all already in the past purchased movies on iTunes

I anyhow would expect being available to stream via Apple TV as well, that would be a through cloude service.


lets see...

After updating Apple TV to iOS 5.1, the option to purchase movies disappeared

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