Warner Bros. vs. Apple TV

Don’t expect to see “The Big Bang Theory,” "The Mentalist" or “Smallville” among Apple TV’s rentals anytime soon.  

Warner Bros., the studio behind those and several other hit shows, is among one of the highest profile holdouts for the service – and recent comments by CEO Barry Meyer would seem to indicate the company has no plans to change its mind soon.

Meyer last week told attendees of a Merrill Lynch investment conference that Apple’s plan to charge 99 cents to rent episodes was too low – and would hurt sales of full seasons, according to AP. Instead, the company prefers the $2.99 price for permanent downloads on iTunes.

It’s part of the continuing battle between Apple and the networks as streaming programming becomes more and more mainstream. Seeing the power position Apple has assumed in the music industry, networks are carefully guarding their territory in negotiations with the Cupertino-based company.

Fox and Disney, of course, seem to have been won over. Both studios, along with the BBC, will participate in the Apple TV rental program when it launches at the end of the month.