Disney movies pop up in 4K HDR in iTunes

Disney is one of the last production companies to enable 4K HDR content for iTunes purchases, and the move upgrades any existing HD purchase to 4K for free.

In 2017, Apple revealed the Apple TV 4K with the ability to purchase and stream 4K HDR content. In an unprecedented move, the company said any movie upgraded to 4K in iTunes would automatically update in users' purchased libraries too, except for Disney content.

Disney withheld their 4K content from iTunes in order to bolster the upcoming Disney+ streaming service. Now nearly a year into the service, it seems Disney no longer needs that exclusivity to hold up the service.

Disney owns many major studios which means a large portion of your library will be updated to 4K HDR for free. The entire "Star Wars" saga, many Pixar films like "Toy Story" and "Cars," and most of the Marvel catalog have already been updated to 4K HDR. Classics are also being updated like "Hocus Pocus" and "Nightmare Before Christmas."

To purchase 4K content on iTunes navigate to a movie and verify it is 4K HDR within the title card. View what content is available in 4K in your library by opening the Apple TV app and navigating to your library, then select the 4K section.

This move comes as Apple continues to push its Apple TV platform with Apple TV+. Apple is expected to release a new "Apple TV 6" at any time with better support for modern formats and better processors for gaming.

7 Comments

22july2013 3725 comments · 11 Years

About 4 years ago

What has t4Ken so long?

dbvapor 33 comments · 12 Years

The entire "Star Wars" saga, many Pixar films like "Toy Story" and "Cars," and most of the Marvel catalog have already been updated to 4K HDR.
Um.. no they’re not. Not on mine.

linkman 1040 comments · 11 Years

dbvapor said:

The entire "Star Wars" saga, many Pixar films like "Toy Story" and "Cars," and most of the Marvel catalog have already been updated to 4K HDR.
Um.. no they’re not. Not on mine.

Me neither. I think some of us will have to be patient. Things like this usually have to roll out over the course of hours/days.

Mike Wuerthele 6901 comments · 8 Years

dbvapor said:

The entire "Star Wars" saga, many Pixar films like "Toy Story" and "Cars," and most of the Marvel catalog have already been updated to 4K HDR.
Um.. no they’re not. Not on mine.

CDNs can take some time to roll out. Most of the AI staffers see them in 4K HDR, and two do not.

Beats 3073 comments · 4 Years

Finally! This was a real di*k move to us customers. iKnockoff morons call Apple "anti-consumer" but dismiss scumbag moves like Disney withholding our PURCHASES from being 4K.

I remember I bought my family a 4K TV along with the Apple TV 4K and the first movies my nieces wanted to watch were Nightmare Before Christmas and The Incredibles. Nightmare Before Christmas looked good but I felt bad seeing my littlest niece watching a crappy transfer of The Incredibles on the new TV. Luckily she was only like 5 and didn't know the technicalities. I felt bad. Time to revisit these.