In other words, Hollywood studios’ condition that iTunes be re-engineered to manage their wares as rentals - downloads can be kept for 30 days but expire a day after viewing - opens the door for the BBC to seek modifications that make good on its Terms Of Trade agreement with UK TV producers’ body Pact. Those producers’ shows can be made available on-demand within a week of transmission and must expire within 30 days to give ample commercial exploitation opportunity to original owners, but the addition of a rental infrastructure to iTunes would seem to accommodate other rights windows.

Embracing these platforms would give the BBC the opportunity to finally put paid to those lingering accusations of Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) favouritism and offer a true Mac version of iPlayer. The catch-up player is already scheduled to appear on Virgin Media (NSDQ: VMED) in the next couple of months, and don’t bet against more platforms like Xbox Live or BT (NYSE: BT) Vision. The Apple TV update is available now; outside of the US, movie rentals arrive “later this year”.

See our detailed Macworld coverage from last night…

(Photo: Niall Kennedy, some rights reserved)