Android Market Gets Books, Movies--But Still Isn't ITunes (VIDEO)

Netflix price hike got you down? Well, perhaps this will cheer you up: movies and books are available on Android phones starting now, Google has announced.

Pricing for the movie rentals starts at $1.99, and it appears that new releases like "Sucker Punch" and "You Got Served: Beat the World" run slightly more at $3.99. The movies are connected to your Google account so that they can be watched from any device with Internet access, or they can be downloaded to the specific device that runs the Android OS. It's the same syncing story for books, as book purchases can be transferred to any phone, laptop, or tablet--perhaps to the new Google eBooks reader from Sony, which debuts July 17.

As of now, the movies section only features rentals, and not purchases like in the Apple iTunes store. When you rent most movies on Android, you'll have a 30 day "Grant Period" to start watching, and then a 24 hour "Active Period" to finish the film. Google certainly has some work to do if it wants to catch iTunes, which has had movies available for rent since 2008 and for sale since 2006, and which also features the TV episode rentals that Android still lacks as well.

The addition of movies and books to the Android Market comes paired with an update to the Market itself. Here's Google's explanation of the improvements:

We've created more space to feature some of the most interesting content of the week on the home page. We've added more top charts, with newer, more relevant items, and we've made it easy to swipe through these charts as you browse the store. We've also introduced new collections of great content, like staff picks and Editors' Choice apps.

And here's an official Google video outlining the updates and new additions to the Market:

Books and movies are available on Android 2.2 and higher immediately if you're looking to catch up on any culturally-significant reading or movie-watching (we hear there's some wizard movie coming out this weekend?). But seriously, if you're watching "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1" on your Droid, don't let David Lynch catch you. He has some rather strong feelings on the subject:

Comments

[MalteseTiger]

01:19 PM on 07/14/2011

"It's not itunes"
Greater words were never spoken.. I will never buy a crapple product...

[lvdragonlady]

12:34 AM on 07/14/2011

Google needs to do their own thing and stop trying to keep up with Apple and they would have more loyal customers.

[new secularist]

07:47 PM on 07/13/2011

Here we go again.. The Android vs IOS wars. Please people live and let live. Do you really have to prove that you own the "superior" device. I have used the IPhone, it is beautiful and functional and requires no Tech ability. I have also used several phones that operate with Android OS. I am the type of user who likes to "get under the hood" of all my devices, so I prefer the openness of Android. To each, his or her own. As to this debate about Itunes, I just download music from various sites, plug in my USB to the PC and copy the music to my music folder. It takes minutes, costs nothing and then I can use the player that I like. That doesn't mean that Android is better, it is just a preference. I certainly wouldn't turn down a free Iphone. Steve Jobs has created a great company and continues to make great products. As to a comment here that Android devices look and feel cheap, I would disagree. I own an HTC dual core phone and it is crafted from a single piece of Aluminum, very solid. In fact that is why I chose it over the Samsung , even though the Samsung has a more beautiful display.

[Nutritarian]

04:49 PM on 07/13/2011

HuffPo should just redesign the entire website in a giant black TURTLENECK SWEATER!

[NHBill]

05:08 PM on 07/13/2011

Whatever you do don't read this:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2011-07-13-apple-sales-share-grows_n.htm

[mashud]

04:06 PM on 07/13/2011

i bought a Android phone a few weeks back and it was not easy to use. In the past i have used the iphone, and that was easy to use. android looks and feels cheap and nasty. i will stick to my blackberry

[apartoflife]

07:36 PM on 07/13/2011

Wow, pretty sad if you think android is hard to use.

[Carlariz]

08:22 PM on 07/13/2011

exactly...

[Onutz]

04:25 PM on 07/14/2011

((Wow, pretty sad if you think android is hard to use))

I just witnessed two friends desperately trying to configure a droid phone, and indeed it was sad to watch....

[GeorgieMark]

03:29 PM on 07/13/2011

Itunes is the worst possible music management programme available. Gone are the days when it was simple and intuitive. My other big gripe with itunes is its inability to stream your library content over Wifi even when it comes to unprotected media.

Sure you are tied to it if you want to sync apps/music/videos/backup to an idevice but I sincerely hope that by rolling out the new Mobile Me services Apple will forever sever the links between i-whatever and itunes.

[NHBill]

05:09 PM on 07/13/2011

"My other big gripe with itunes is its inability to stream your library content over Wifi even when it comes to unprotecte­d media. "

HUH?

I do it ALL the time.

[Pectin]

10:32 AM on 07/14/2011

A poor workman blames his tools.

[GeorgieMark]

02:56 PM on 07/15/2011

Of course you do, assuming you have an i-device hooked up to your tv set, or third party software that does the streaming for you.

[blackreign]

02:45 PM on 07/13/2011

Wow! What an ignorant title/premise! It's clear that Apple users need single, universal applications to enjoy music, books and movices. Android users require flexibility and choice in their applications.

The closed, controlling model of ITunes is not appropriate for Android and hopefully, will never be.

[425]

03:33 PM on 07/13/2011

And you can enjoy having 1/3 of the content 6 months later than us. There's a reason the iPod is a near MP3 monopoly and it's not "marketing"

[Cdangers]

04:11 PM on 07/13/2011

Ridiculous statement. Google has just started providing this service. If you want to talk about apps then yes apple has a higher number of apps...for now. That of course does not equate to quality nor does it include apps that are OS specific or the many apps that are just duplicates. This point is moot anyway considering that by August of this year there will the same amount of apps in each store and Android will go on to over take Apple. http://eda360insider.wordpress.com/2011/06/16/how-many-apps-is-enough-using-android-in-broader-embedded-markets-beyond-smartphones-tablets-and-set-top-boxes/

[blackreign]

09:40 PM on 07/18/2011

Stop reading the Apple propaganda. Anything on Apple (unless made only for apple) can easily be obtained on the internet via multiple sources. It's obvious that you are solely dependent on itunes for your content, and that is quite sad.

[Brian Hudson]

02:30 PM on 07/13/2011

Wow, books and movies? Geez, can't Android do anything original? :p

[blackreign]

02:41 PM on 07/13/2011

Books and movies have been viewable on Androids for years. No news here. The android platform is not dependent on an ITunes software appliance, because Android users like the flexibility of actually choosing their apps to manage their media.

THere is no choice with ITunes except for to buy or not.

[Brian Hudson]

02:44 PM on 07/13/2011

You're wrong there. I buy music on Amazon.com all the time and listen to it through iTunes. And my eBooks app of choice is Kindle. All on my iPod and iPad. This idea that "it's iTunes or nothing" really only extends to movie purchases, and that's assuming you don't have a third party player app (I do).

[PhillyKing]

02:49 PM on 07/13/2011

i'm sorry, but who exactly was the first with books and movies that they're copying from???

[imonlyhereforthelaughs]

02:22 PM on 07/13/2011

It isn't iTunes..which means it doesn't disable my account every time I try to simply update my apps. Well, ok...to be fair, Apple has apparently recently fixed whatever was causing that little problem, now I only have to enter my password 3 times. I have an iPod Touch 64gb

I also have a Droid 2...it automatically updates the apps on my phone without me having to press, press enter password, press, enter password, press, press, enter password, press, press press every single time.

[FredDerf]

01:19 PM on 07/13/2011

Excuse me, but why do you think iTunes is so great? It has to be the most unintuitive controlling program around.

[MaxPowerXP]

01:17 PM on 07/13/2011

"It's not iTunes"? Based on that phrase alone, I'll take ten of whatever it is.

[sk8queen]

01:06 PM on 07/13/2011

Not iTunes? I don't care. I will never buy an iAnything...#100%Androiduser

[Onutz]

07:00 PM on 07/14/2011

((Not iTunes? I don't care. I will never buy an iAnything. ..#100%And roiduser))

And I will never buy Pumpkin Pie. Therefore single-handedly ruining the Pumpkin Pie industry.
You're welcome!

[themoosespeaks]

12:56 PM on 07/13/2011

There's nothing like objective journalism, and that's exactly what this is: nothing like objective journalism.

[FredDerf]

01:22 PM on 07/13/2011

Fanned!

[ewj1]

02:37 PM on 07/13/2011

It is not meant to be objective: Huffpo tech section is a advertisement for Apple.

[425]

03:31 PM on 07/13/2011

And the comments to the HuffPost Tech section is like a room of the most uneducated Fandroids/People whining about things that are made in China in all the world.

[Onutz]

04:29 PM on 07/14/2011

((It is not meant to be objective: Huffpo tech section is a advertisem ent for Apple.))

And they advertise for Apple by posting a clip of David Lynch dissing Apple. I see. Interesting thought process you got going on there.

[LightShadow62]

12:52 PM on 07/13/2011

Android Market won't match iTunes is sales because of the open nature of the Android platform. You can purchase Android content from multiple sources where the only source for iOS content is through iTunes, unless you jailbreak the device of course.

[theveggiedude]

04:16 PM on 07/13/2011

And that's why I prefer the Apple model - I don't want to run around endlessly looking in different places for stuff - I might as well do that in iTunes and as convoluted as it might be sometimes to find things, it beats the alternative any day.

[LightShadow62]

06:06 PM on 07/13/2011

Going to the different outlets for Android apps is like the difference between going to Home Depot as apposed to Lowe's. For the most part they have exactly the same things.

For the most part I just use Android Market but I have done standard web searches for apps which have led me to other sites. It was no more of an effort than any other search, including those inside of iTunes.

[SoloDolo]

12:51 PM on 07/13/2011

Hey look! One more "News" story that sounds like an apple add on HuffPo. Its getting old.

[NHBill]

01:51 PM on 07/13/2011

it's all about pageviews.
If you hate apple stories then whatever you do don't click on them.
when you view the page to rant against apple it encourages HP to run More apple stories not less.