San Francisco ? Seeking to further push digital media into homes, Apple Computer launched its long-awaited online movie service Tuesday and showed off a device that will make it easier for consumers to watch the videos on television.

The iTunes Music Store, however, will initially carry movies only from the studios of The Walt Disney Co., where Apple CEO Steve Jobs is a board member. By contrast, Amazon.com Inc.’s movie service launched last week has distribution deals with seven studios – but not Disney.

Jobs said more than 75 films will be available on iTunes from Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar, Touchstone Pictures and Miramax. New releases will be priced at $12.99, when preordered and during the first week of sale, or $14.99 afterward. Library titles will be sold for $9.99 each.

Other online movie services already exist but haven’t attracted many customers. Apple, however, is already being cast as a leading competitor with its entry.

Several sources at Hollywood studios said disagreements about pricing and other issues remain unresolved, but some analysts expect it’ll only be a matter of time before more distribution deals are inked.

Part of the reason is the credibility that Apple has gained already with its online music and TV show offerings: more than 45 million TV programs have been downloaded since they first became available on iTunes less than a year ago, and more than 1.5 billion songs have been purchased from the online store.

The movie Pirates

Another reason is Apple’s strategy of bringing digital content stored on a computer and playing it back on a television – a challenge that has so far dogged online video providers and other companies looking to expand digital multimedia into the mainstream market.

As many expected, Apple is tackling that problem.

At a media event Tuesday, Jobs also showed off a slim, compact set-top box, dubbed iTV, that will allow consumers to wirelessly send movies purchased online – as well as other digital content stored on a computer – to a television set.

It will sell for $299 and be available early next year.