iTunes 8.1.1 adds support for renting HD movies on computers

Apple on Monday afternoon released a small update to iTunes that enables HD movie rentals on a Mac or PC while also delivering improvements for syncing media to its multi-touch devices.

Prior to the iTunes 8.1.1 (66MB download), HD movie rentals were only accessible to owners of the company's Apple TV wireless set-top-box.

The new update also "provides a number of bug fixes, including addressing issues with VoiceOver and syncing with iPhone or iPod touch," according to a brief set of release notes.

A similar release is available for 32-bit versions of Windows XP and Vista (70.86MB) in addition to a distribution for the 64-bit version of Windows Vista (71.35MB).

Meanwhile, ArsTechnica reports on Apple's ongoing expansion of its standard definition movie catalog. According to the tech site, almost 300 titles have been added to the iTunes store for rent over the last week, with more than half of those added this weekend alone.

The majority of the new additions are said to be "library" titles, which fetch$2.99 per rental.