Apple's iTunes has been the favorite choice for many when buying, renting, or viewing movies. Browse over 65,000 movies and TV shows from the latest blockbusters to classics to indie; iTunes has one of the best film selections from major studios and networks.
Of all video providers, iTunes has the best bitrate quality in up to 1080 HD and even Dolby Atmos support. It also upgrades most movies from HD to 4K when available. However, iTunes only works on Apple devices or computers with iTunes due to Apple's Fairplay DRM policy.
What is this DRM? Can you remove DRM from iTunes movies to play them on your Samsung TV or Android devices? When DRM is removed, can you play the iTunes movie straight away?
Read along to find out the answers and solutions from this article.
Contents Guide Part 1. An Introduction to iTunes Movies and DRMPart 2. How to Remove DRM from iTunes Movies Free? Part 3. The Best Way to Remove DRM from iTunes MoviesPart 4. Summary
iTunes movies bought or rented from the iTunes Store are typically streamed and downloaded on iTunes or Apple TV. If you inspect the downloaded file, you will find the iTunes video file with a .m4v extension.
Developed by Apple, M4V files are based on the MPEG-4 Video container format and much similar to the more popular MP4 format. MP4 allows the combination of audio, video, subtitles, and images to be held in a single file.
Apple created the M4V format to include their propriety Fairplay DRM (Digital Rights Management) protection on any content you purchase from the iTunes Store. DRM is any technology that restricts the use of copyrighted digital data, like iTunes movies. So, Apple's Fairplay DRM prevents you from viewing or copying the purchased media on non-Apple devices or outside the iTunes software.
If you like to watch iTunes movies on your computer, you need authorization from iTunes with the account used to purchase the digital film. This purchased content can be synced with up to 10 Apple devices like iPhones, and iPods, including five computers. Apple imposes other restrictions like a time limit for movie rentals.
For instance, the user can watch a rented movie within one month. If you start playing the movie, be sure to finish it within 24 hours. After the period expires, the movie will cease to exist in your iTunes library. Also, the rented M4V files can only be viewed on one Apple device at a time, in addition to the time limit. If for some circumstance, you can't comply with these restrictions, you need to remove DRM from iTunes movies.
There is an Apple Fairplay DRM decryption software that is free and publicly available named Requiem. Requiem allows you to decrypt audio and video data, and remove DRM from iTunes movies so that you can play them on non-apple devices.
This software was created for studying the Fairplay protocol and the encryption used in its DRM system, allowing you to check for interoperability with alternative media players. There's a catch, though; Requiem only works with iTunes 10.7 version. The latest iTunes version is 12.8.
In this tutorial, you will set up iTunes 10.7 on a computer or virtual machine without iTunes installed. This method would be less complicated compared to downgrading a later iTunes version.
Step 1: Install iTunes 10.7
Find the iTunes 10.7 download page to download and run the installer. Disable automatic updates.
Step 2. Download and authorize video playback
After installation is completed, go to the store and download your rented or purchased videos. After download completion, confirm that the videos play in the installed iTunes. You might need to authorize your computer. While you downloading, you can proceed to the next step.
Step 3: Install the Java Runtime Environment
Requiem software needs the Java Runtime Environment to execute successfully. If Java is not yet installed on your computer or virtual machine, go to its download page, download the JRE installer, and run the installer. After a successful installation, proceed to the next step.
Step 4: Extract Subtitles and metadata from your videos (Optional)
When all your video downloads have been completed in iTunes, close the software.
Requiem will remove DRM from iTunes movies, but it doesn't keep subtitles and other metadata with the video. There are free, open-source tools you can use to make up for this limitation. CCExtractor and MKVToolnix can analyze and extract information from your downloaded videos. Run these tools before launching Requiem.
Step 5. Download Requiem
Download Requiem. You will get the program in a portable zip file. Extract the executable file to any location and run the installation.
Step 6. Run the Requiem program
Requiem will scan your iTunes directory, find DRM-protected files, remove the protection, and replace the downloaded videos with the unprotected versions. It will list the files in its interface and show "working" under the 'State' column. When done, the "Successfully Removed DRM" message appears.
After Requiem is done, check that the videos can be played using video players other than iTunes.
Free Apple DRM removal software tools are hard to come by. Requiem is a real treasure, but it might not be the ideal solution you are looking for. The prerequisites are particular, and the setup is quite complicated. To give you a better, if not the best, solution, try DumpMedia Apple Music Converter.
DumpMedia Apple Music Converter is one of the top Apple DRM removal tools currently on the market. A reliable companion to your iTunes or Apple media, this software can easily remove DRM from iTunes movies, music videos, and TV shows in M4V files, whether purchased or rented. It also supports unprotected M4V, MP4, and MOV including Podcast, iTunes U, etc. The supported output formats are MP3, AC3, M4A, and other audio formats.
The software's interface is not far from iTunes, so it's easy to navigate and use. It only takes a few clicks to remove the Fairplay DRM. Follow these steps.
Step 1. Download the DumpMedia Apple Music Converter's installer at no cost and execute the installation.
Step 2. Launch the converter. DumpMedia will also launch iTunes if not yet running. Make sure that you have downloaded the iTunes movie and it is available on your iTunes Library.
Step 3. Choose the movie for DRM removal by ticking its checkbox.
Step 4. Set up the output settings, including your desired format, file name, and output folder destination. Click on the "Convert" button to start the DRM removal operation.
Step 5. Wait a few minutes for the conversion to complete. DumpMedia Apple Music Converter will prompt when the operation completes. Or find your converted file under the 'Finished' tab.
Your iTunes movie is now DRM-free, ready to play on any or many devices at a time. Ready your popcorn and enjoy it for your personal use!
Bonus Tips: If you want to convert your M4V files to MP4, you can use DumpMedia Video Converter.
A pioneer online digital media store, iTunes has been around for a while now and was known to be the world's most popular online music, TV, and movie store. There are several competitors now that other tech giants have joined the market, but Apple's content and quality are at par or can even surpass its contenders. If you're a digital movie buff, you might have a few or several purchases from iTunes.
However, with Apple's Fairplay DRM, enjoying your favorite iTunes movies will be limited to Apple devices and iTunes. Aside from Apple, many devices offer more for your personal movie experience.
To appreciate this, you have to remove DRM from iTunes movies. You can accomplish it with a free but complex setup with the Requiem program. Or, you could relax to a DRM-free iTunes movie with DumpMedia Apple Music Converter.
