Hack iTunes to remove the movie-rental time limit
(Credit:
Apple)
Update: It appears this may not work after all. And here I thought those Giz guys were crackerjacker hackers.
Renting movies from iTunes? Love it. Having to finish watching a movie within 24 hours of starting it? Not so much with the love. Fortunately, those crafty fellows over at Gizmodo figured out an easy way to turn the clock back, so to speak, thus extending your watchability window.
Basically, if you set your computer's clock ahead a few days (or weeks, or months) before starting the movie, then set it back to normal again, you'll have virtually unlimited time in which to finish watching. Already started the flick? Set the computer clock back a few days until you're able to reach the closing credits.
Apple will no doubt patch iTunes to prevent this little trick from working forever. But until then, at least you have a little more control over your rentals.
Rick Broida, a technology writer for nearly 20 years, is the author of more than a dozen books. In addition to writing CNET's The Cheapskate blog, he oversees BNET's Business Hacks. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers. Follow Rick on Twitter at cheapskateblog. 
- by lolwhat February 1, 2008 6:16 AM PST
- Well, was browsing through my iPod today, and found some hidden files...
- Like this Reply to this comment
-
(3 Comments)One of which was titled "Rentals", a QuickTime Prefrences file. When I opened with with notepad, i got the following:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>Rentals</key>
<array>
</array>
</dict>
</plist>
If you go to the link in the code, it brings you to an apple site, that says...
<!ENTITY % plistObject "(array | data | date | dict | real | integer | string | true | false )" >
<!ELEMENT plist %plistObject;>
<!ATTLIST plist version CDATA "1.0" >
<!-- Collections -->
<!ELEMENT array (%plistObject;)*>
<!ELEMENT dict (key, %plistObject;)*>
<!ELEMENT key (#PCDATA)>
<!--- Primitive types -->
<!ELEMENT string (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT data (#PCDATA)> <!-- Contents interpreted as Base-64 encoded -->
<!ELEMENT date (#PCDATA)> <!-- Contents should conform to a subset of ISO 8601 (in particular, YYYY '-' MM '-' DD 'T' HH ':' MM ':' SS 'Z'. Smaller units may be omitted with a loss of precision) -->
<!-- Numerical primitives -->
<!ELEMENT true EMPTY> <!-- Boolean constant true -->
<!ELEMENT false EMPTY> <!-- Boolean constant false -->
<!ELEMENT real (#PCDATA)> <!-- Contents should represent a floating point number matching ("+" | "-")? d+ ("."d*)? ("E" ("+" | "-") d+)? where d is a digit 0-9. -->
<!ELEMENT integer (#PCDATA)> <!-- Contents should represent a (possibly signed) integer number in base 10 -->
Now, if i knew the language, i'd gladly come up with something that didnt have a time restriction on it, since im sure this is the file you need to edit, to get rid of the rental limit. Im thinking, the way to do this would be write your own site, with the modified code, and then edit the "Quick Time Pref" file, to link to your website, instead of apples.
E-Mail me at "gorelash@hotmail.com" if anyone comes up with something?