Apple’s bid to become a big player in the video market took a major step forward today with the company’s announcement that it will be able to deliver new movies to consumers on the day of their DVD release, through the iTunes Store. New releases will be priced at $14.99 with most catalog titles costing $9.99.

The offering is being backed by most of the major studios including 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros, and Sony Pictures Entertainment. It also represents a significant vote of confidence by Hollywood, which has long been hesitant about doing anything that might cannibalize DVD revenue. The move is certainly a step in the right direction. One has to wonder, though, how successful it will be – bearing in mind that the value of owning a physical DVD is still considered high by many which will rather spend those $14.99 on a physical copy of the movie.