First full-length film debuts at DVD price without any DVD features

Apple has started selling the first full-length movie through its iTunes media store. The Disney television movie High School Musical is offered at $9.99, after being briefly available for $1.99.

The movie was a hit when first broadcast on the Disney Channel, attracting an audience of 7.7 million viewers. But iTunes users have complained about the movie's relatively high price and limited resolution.

While the download costs as much as a regular DVD, it offers only a limited resolution of 320 x 240 pixels and none of the bonus features typically found on a DVD.

The resolution is sufficient for watching the movie on a video iPod, but a regular television offers a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels and most computer monitors run at 1024 x 768.

"Talk about a rip-off," a user by the name of 'Eel' ranted in the review section for the download. "I'm sorry, but $1.99 is perfect for an iPod format. When you get to $10, you're basically paying for a DVD without getting the DVD extras or quality."

Another user, 'Sparrow15', added in reference to the lack of bonus features: "Love the movie, but the price should be lowered if this is all I'm getting."

A DVD of the movie is scheduled for release later this year.

High School Musical can be found on the iTunes website (link requires iTunes software).