Last week, Apple was reported to be in talks with major movie studios to bring first run cinema releases to iTunes, to be rented and watched in the home and on its mobile devices.
Bloomberg claimed that 21st Century Fox, Warner Bros and Universal Pictures were all looking to offer "high-priced" rentals of new movies soon after their theatrical release dates, something that was previously prohibited to preserve box office take.
Apple's iTunes service was one service said to be under consideration.
This is not a new idea, however. Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs touted the idea six years ago. He talked about the possibility of watching a first-run movie during a discussion at the D8 conference in 2010.
"[I] think that there’s going to be a way to watch a first-run movie at home before it comes out on DVD if you’re willing to spend a bunch of money," he told Walt Mossberg in an on-stage interview.
Apple isn't the only company looking to offer movies for streaming prior to their DVD and Blu-ray release. Ex-Facebook and Napster director Sean Parker has been working on his The Screening Room project for the best part of 2016. That would provide a dedicated, encrypted media streaming box for around $150 (£120) and first-run movies for around $50 a rental.
It has industry backing, it is said, and is planned to launch in 2017.