How to Remove DRM from Protected iTunes Movies

Part 1. Does iTunes Movies Have DRM?

Yes, iTunes movies do have DRM, referring to Apple's FairPlay DRM. If you're wondering whether the movies and TV shows you buy or rent from iTunes come with restrictions, the answer is yes, and these restrictions are because of DRM protection.

When you buy or rent a movie from iTunes, you unlock the option to download it. You can save the movie offline on your device, such as a computer, smartphone, or tablet, as long as it runs a compatible operating system. These downloaded files are in the M4V format. They can be synced across compatible devices for offline viewing, but this doesn't mean you have unlimited access forever. For instance, an iTunes rental has a 30-day validity period, and once you start watching it, you have 48 hours to finish it before it expires. Even if you've downloaded the movie, it will become inaccessible after this period. This limitation is due to the DRM protection embedded in the M4V format.

M4V, also known as "Protected MPEG-4," is a video container format developed by Apple to encrypt movies, TV shows, and music videos sold from the iTunes Store. Because of this DRM protection, all iTunes movies, whether purchased or rented, are locked and restricted to be played only on iTunes-compatible devices. This means you can't freely transfer these files to non-Apple devices or play them with non-iTunes media players.

But what if you want to remove these restrictions? Luckily, there are tools available to help you achieve this like ViWizard iTunes M4V Converter and StreamFab's DVDFab DRM Removal. If you're looking for an alternative approach with a video recording feature, turn to Tuneskit's Video Converter. They all provide effective ways to bypass DRM protection.

Part 2. How to Remove DRM from iTunes Movies & TV Shows

Removing DRM from iTunes movies and TV shows might sound complicated, but with the right tools, it can be quite simple. Let's start exploring.

ViWizard M4V Converter is an easy-to-use and professional DRM removal software for iTunes, which is able to download and convert iTunes movie purchases and rentals from the special M4V format to MP4, MOV, or other common formats without quality loss. It supports various output portable devices, so users can transfer converted iTunes movies to any device as they wish.

Key Features of ViWizard M4V Converter

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• Convert iTunes movie rentals and purchases to common videos
• Handle the conversion of iTunes M4V videos at 30× faster speed
• Preserve multilingual subtitles, closed captions, chapters, and more
• Support playing iTunes M4V videos anywhere and anytime

Guess what: the entire iTunes DRM removal process takes only a few clicks with ViWizard iTunes M4V Converter. This powerful tool can convert your M4V files to MP4 or MOV formats, making them DRM-free and playable on any device. ViWizard works on both Windows and Mac systems, but there are a few things to keep in mind:

• ViWizard is fully compatible with iTunes on Windows.
• While it supports MacOS from 10.8 to 10.12, it does not support newer versions like macOS 14 Sonoma. Therefore, Mac users with newer operating systems might need to look for alternative solutions.
• For an optimal experience, choose the Windows version of ViWizard iTunes M4V Converter for the conversion process if you own a PC.
• You need the iTunes app installed on your system for ViWizard to function properly, and it doesn't work with the new Apple TV app.

Step 1Open ViWizard DRM M4V Converter

Once you have the preparation done, you will start to remove DRM from iTunes by opening ViWizard. Press 'Library' button in order to get started and then wait until the application scans your iTunes library. This is why you need to authorize the videos on iTunes in advance.

Step 2Select the desired iTunes M4V videos

Pick the iTunes movies (or TV shows, or music videos) that you want to remove the FairPlay DRM for. Then click 'OK' button to load the files into ViWizard. Of course, you can also drag the media files to the ViWizard conversion window straightforward if they are authorized and can play well in iTunes.

Step 3Customize output settings

When the files are added successfully to the converter, you should find the 'Format' option at the bottom left of the conversion window, where you can choose the output format for the iTunes movies. Currently it supports Lossless MP4, Lossless M4V, HD MP4, MOV, AVI, FLV, etc. Just pick up the one according to your own needs and move forward.

Step 4Start the DRM removal and conversion process

Now simply press the 'Convert' button in ViWizard. Remember that this process can be a little bit time-consuming, mainly depends on the amount of iTunes movies you are converting, so you can leave the app open while it does the iTunes DRM removal. Make sure that you process all the desired files, so triple check your iTunes DRM removal list before you start the process.

Step 5Start watching your DRM-free iTunes movies anywhere

You will have to wait until the process is completed. Then check the 'Converted' tab to find the converted films. To make sure the DRM was completely removed, you are highly suggested to play the converted file in another video player aside from iTunes to check whether it could play without problem.