Apple now lets you rent movies from iTunes for 48 hours in the US

Apple has -- at long last -- given the US what people in other parts of the world have enjoyed for a while: the ability to rent movies for 48 hours.

Previously, renters in the US had a mere 24 hours to work their way through a movie after starting it, but Apple has now doubled this timeframe. It means that interruptions are now far less likely to mean that you need to re-rent a movie.

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While this is not a major change, it's one that will be welcomed by people in the US who have been frustrated by the limitation that was previously in place. The parity with other countries will also please those keen for things to be the same from one country to another.

Over on the iTunes support pages, Apple explains about the rental period:

You have 30 days to start watching a movie after you rent it. After you start watching the movie, you have 48 hours to finish it. You can watch the movie as often as you like until it expires.

If you don't start watching a movie within 30 days, you must rent it again.

Movies you rent disappear from your library when the rental period ends.

The company points out that "the 48-hour timer starts even if you're offline."