Apparently Apple has removed the ability to rent TV shows from both iTunes and its Apple TV, "taking away what was just last year one of the major advertised selling points of the $99 set-top box," notes "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com).

The option to rent episodes of TV shows is no longer available on either the Apple TV, or when browsing content via Apple's iTunes application. Previously, participating networks offered users the ability to rent a TV episode for US$0.99 cents, with 30 days to begin watching and 48 hours to complete it.

Apple launched $0.99 TV show rentals alongside the new version of the Apple TV that rolled out last September, but there wasn't a great deal of enthusiasm from networks who apparently felt the price was too low. ABC and Fox were on board, but Warner Brothers, NBC, Viacom, and other opted out and "it appears that Apple has finally decided to cancel the program as it has been unable to bring a critical mass of studios on board," says "MacRumors" (http://www.macrumors.com).

Or the removal may be related to the rumor which appeared earlier today "which suggested that the company was considering a subscription on-demand model for streaming video," says "AppleBitch" (http://www.applebitch.com). Additionally, the imminent launch of iCloud may have some impact upon this as it has been rumored that the new service will allow online storage and streaming of purchased video, the article adds.