Apple wants to sell 4K movies for $20, but the movie studios think that's too cheap (AAPL)

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Apple is talking to movie studios about offering high-definition 4K movies through iTunes, but there's one sticking point: price.

Apple wants to sell 4K movies for $19.99, but "several" movie studios want the price range to be $25 to $30, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

The ability to watch video in 4K, which is a higher-definition format than the current standard, is expected to be one of the major features underpinning an update to the Apple TV reported to come out this fall. One report suggested Apple could launch the new Apple TV as soon as September.

Viewers who buy Apple's new set-top box will need 4K content to watch on it, and that's where the movie studios come in. But judging from the report, the studios are pushing back on Apple's proposed price, which is under the current prices for 4K movies on services that support it, like Vudu. “I wouldn’t tell Apple how to price their iPads,” one unnamed executive told the Journal.

The report even suggests that negotiations are ongoing, with both sides hoping to strike a deal before September 12, which is reportedly the day Apple plans to launch new iPhones alongside the new Apple TV.

If Apple doesn't strike these deals, that means it launches an Apple TV with a major content hole, so it remains to be seen if it blinks during these negotiations and settles on the higher prices that the studios want.

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