The iTunes store has begun selling HD movies for the first time, Apple said Thursday.

Titles available immediately include the hugely successful Twilight and Quantum of Solace as well as Transporter 3 and Punisher: War Zone, which can all be pre-ordered on the site.

Apple had already been renting movies in HD, but Thursday marked the first day consumers could buy them, for $19.99 per download. Standard-definition titles are sold at prices ranging from $9.99-$14.99.

Television content in HD was made available five months ago for $1.99 apiece $2.99 for HD. Apple Vice President for Internet services Eddy Cue said that when TV shows are available in both standard-definition and HD, more than half choose the HD version.

Apple said Thursday that it has sold more than 250 million TV episodes through iTunes, and 33 million movie titles have been rented or purchased.

Of 5,000 movie titles, more than 1,200 are available for rent in HD. ITunes rents movies for $2.99 for library titles and $3.99 for new releases and an extra dollar for HD versions.

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