Apple prepping movie cloud service

Apple Inc. is preparing to put movies in the cloud, entering a market in which it may be both competitor and ally to a similar offering backed by most Hollywood studios. The Los Angeles Times reports.

Representatives of the iPhone and iPad maker have been meeting with studios to finalize deals that would allow consumers to buy movies through iTunes and access them on any Apple device, according to knowledgeable people who requested anonymity because the discussions are private. The service is expected to launch in late 2011 or early 2012.

Read more.

20th Century Fox to offer digital downloads for Android devices

According to the Financial Times, 20th Century Fox is releasing movies on Android.

Buyers of Fox’s high-definition Blu-ray discs from October, starting with X-Men: First Class, will be able to download an Android-compatible digital copy of the movie from its website using their computer. This can then be “side loaded” onto an Android phone.

[via engadget]

Android Market Update Brings Video Rentals To Mobile Devices

Video rentals on Android phones is something that’s been in the works for a while, but now it’s finally been released, reports ReelSeo.

In addition to renting movies, you can also buy books straight from the Android Market. As with the video rentals, this feature is currently only available to U.S. residents. This will be rolling out to other countries soon, though.

There are “thousands” of movies to choose from in the rentals section, covering all the usual genres from horror to documentary.

Rentals start at $1.99.

Here’s a huge one: Rented videos can be made available offline at the push of a button, and you can watch them “even when you don’t have a data connection.“

Read more.

Unlocked Android Phones Barred from Google Movie Downloads

According to an article in Android Central, the new Google service that enabled movie rentals through Android smartphones is being blocked to users of handsets that have been "rooted", or had the OS altered from the default mode supplied by the handset vendor.

[via Cellular-News]

Google bringing movie rentals to portable devices

Google announced Tuesday that it will begin renting thousands of movies, including "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" and the animated hit "Despicable Me" through the Android Marketplace (which is Google's version of the Apple iTunes store). Movies can be rented on home computers, then made available to watch on a tablet computers or mobile phones.

Full article in The Los Angeles Times.

A new 'indie' genre: iPhone 4 filmmaking - and it's not porn

CNN reports on artists and bloggers making movies with the iPhone 4.

Some artists are optimistic about the iPhone 4's potential as a mobile video-editing tool.

Users say iMovie app has potential to open doors for those with great ideas but no money.

Read full article. Image above, Michael Koerbel and Anna Elizabeth James collaborating on one of the first short films shot and edited entirely on the iPhone 4.

BitBop is like mobile Hulu you pay for

Hulu, the popular Web site for streaming TV shows with limited commercials, has famously blocked mobile phones from accessing its free content. Now BitBop is the latest mobile app taking a stab at filling Hulu's void - and like Hulu, it's only available to US viewers. CNet Download Blog reports.

In BitBop, you'll choose from the content you can search or browse--mostly TV shows at this point--and add it to your queue, Netflix-style. There they'll sit until you're ready to either stream or download them. You can do both over either Wi-Fi or 3G data speeds.

TV shows downloaded quickly and take up about 50MB per 30 minute episode.

V shows come to BitBop's catalog from over 30 broadcast partners and include shows like "American Dad," "Glee," "CSI," "30 Rock," and "Chopped." A $9.99 monthly subscription gets you unlimited video streams and downloads, and in addition the shows play back to you commercial-free. Movies are planned for down the line.

Read more.

Will The iPhone 4 Change Filmmaking?

The new iPhone 4 provides users with the opportunity to create an entire film on a mobile phone. Will this change the way films are made or simply enhance the way we watch them? ScreenRant reports.

The new iPhone offers thousands of dollars worth of equipment in a handheld device, all for the $199 or $299 price tag of the phone, with only and additional $4.99 for the iMovie application. At 720p and 30fps, the camera provides superior quality to any of its predecessors. 10 hours of battery life during video use proves you can last longer with the iPhone than a thousand dollar camera.

Read on.

Audiences, and Hollywood, Flock to Smartphones

It might be hard to imagine watching “The Office” on a screen no bigger than a business card. But tens of thousands of people — by the most conservative estimate — are already doing just that. The New York Times reports.

... Owners of iPhones and other smartphones are actually watching long episodes and sometimes complete films, so a growing number of media companies are vying for people’s mobile attention spans.

Read full article.

iTunes adds movie rentals to France, Ireland

Big news for Europe via MacWorld.

Apple announced on Friday that both France and Ireland would be receiving the ability to rent and buy movies from major US and European film studios,

... There have been a number of issues for Apple in the past when trying to secure international licensing rights—but with France and Ireland becoming the seventh and eighth countries respectively to gain this feature, there’s hope that Apple is finally starting to pick up steam on its 2008 promise to bring digital movies to an international audience.

Blockbuster offers movies on your cell phone

On Wednesday, Blockbuster released an application that allows users to watch movies on a mobile phone. [via Bits]

The application will make the Blockbuster’s digital catalog of roughly 10,000 film titles available for rent or purchase on the move. Rental prices start at $1.99, with newer releases like “The Hurt Locker” typically costing $3.99 to watch over a 24-hour period. Purchase prices will be comparable to prices in stores, the company said.

Read full article.

Mobile Ad Lets Consumers 'Inglourious Basterds'

Universal Studios Home Entertainment on Thursday will launch a mobile campaign that lets people purchase a movie directly from an ad. Mediapost reports.

The ads will allow consumers to start pre-ordering the movie 'Inglourious Basterds' today on Blu-ray and DVD, or purchase the movie on Dec. 15. The transactions are done through the "secure" rich media ad-unit via mobile phones.

Rage becomes first 'mobile phone' movie

The first major film to be distributed for free exclusively through a mobile phone has been released to the public, reports TechRadar.

Downloadable in seven parts, Rage has a star-studded cast – featuring the likes of Jude Law, Steve Buscemi and Eddie Izzard – and has been directed by Sally Potter.

Although the movie has been available in bite-sized DLC for the last week for iPhone users, it is now having its full-length mobile phone premiere, courtesy of interactive IPTV platform Babelgum.

Home Movie Depot Offers ‘Reel of the Week’

Home Movie Depot today announced the official launch of its Reel of the Week program. This gives Facebook fans of the company the opportunity to receive a video of interest from the company every week, which can be enjoyed via their computer, cell phone or PDA.

Press release.

Film to premiere via mobile phone

Sally Potter's new film "Rage" will premiere on mobile phones when Babelgum offers one episode from the film per day for seven days via its free mobile application for iPhone and iPod devices, beginning on Sept. 21.

The episodic mobile release will be available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany and Spain.

[via The Hollywood Reporter]

iPhone to get direct TV and movie downloads?

Apple will begin to allow downloads of movies and TV shows through the iPhone, according to the hottest rumor --complete with supposed screenshots.

[iPhoneBuzz]

Babelgum bids to break into US mobile video market

Italian Internet company Babelgum launched Friday a new video-to-mobile service in the United States, its bid to break into the world's most developed smart phone market and spread beyond its current Web-based model. The IHT reports.

Babelgum offers bite-size videos, usually around three minutes long, viewed on smart phones — generally defined as mobiles that combine traditional telephony with Internet capabilities.

The business model seeks to make money through advertising, keeping the video free to viewers.

The U.S. service launched with five channels dedicated to music, comedy, film, nature and the environment and urban culture and trends.

Read full article.

Movies on a Samsung mobile

Korea's Samsung Electronics has launched a service allowing its customers to buy or rent movies and TV series to download to their mobile phones. stuff reports.

The breadth of Samsung's offering, which includes over 500 blockbusters from top studios Warner Bros, Paramount and Universal, makes it competitive with other mobile media offerings from Apple and Nokia.

Samsung Movies, a dedicated virtual store for Samsung customers, launches initially in Britain and Germany and will extend to other key European markets later in the year, Samsung said in a statement.

Spiderman guides Sony Ericsson into South Korean market

Sony Ericsson is calling on a superhero to help it enter the tough South Korean market. On Tuesday the company launched its brand with a version of the Xperia X1 cell phone that comes with the full Spiderman 3 movie loaded onto every handset.

[via The Industry Standard]

Blockbuster To Offer Content On More Devices

Blockbuster has partnered with Sonic Solutions to offer Video on Demand on a wide variety of consumer electronic devices in an effort to stay competitive with Netflix. WebPro News reports.

The devices will include PCs, portable media players, Blu-ray Disc players, set-top boxes, mobile phones and Internet -connected television sets.

The two companies will make their digital libraries of content available under the Blockbuster brand offering 10,000 premium films and 40,000 digital titles.

CES: 100 HD movies on a stamp-sized chip?

Imagine storing 100 movies in glorious high-definition on a card the size of a postage stamp, then calling them up instantaneously for viewing on your cell phone whenever and wherever you like. That could happen within five years, according to the SD Association.Reuters reports.

Consumers will be able to store as many as 100 high-definition movies on a stamp-sized memory card and retrieve them with devices such as mobile phones and digital cameras, according to the promoters of the next-generation SD card technology.

Read full article

Sprint Nextel Sponsors a Four-Episode Heroes Microseries

Sprint Nextel is sponsoring a four-episode microseries that spans three different platforms--online, TV and mobile--that debuts tonight, called Heroes: Destiny, a spin-off of the NBC prime time hit, Heroes. Each of the five to seven minute episodes will debut Monday nights during November.

[via Media Week]

Nokia and Spike Lee make a 'people film'

Nokia has premiered its first user generated Nokia Productions film in league with director Spike Lee. Mobile Entertainment reports.

"The film was made by ‘everyday’people, using Nokia devices to generate and submit original content, which was then edited by Lee. Nokia and T-Mobile debuted the end result at a live event in LA.

Lee invited the public to submit original text, music, video or images around themes of birth, life and death to www.nokiaproductions.com. Over 4,000 pieces of original content were uploaded and over 350,000 visitors accessed the site."

Previously: -
Nokia and Spike Lee team up with Nokia on short film

All the Warner Bros movies on your phone

A partnership between Warner Bros and DivX means you'll be able to watch all the current and back catalogue Warner Bros titles on hundreds of devices.

DivX-certified devices have multiplied in the last few months, likely in anticipation of such a deal, so you'll be able to buy movies digitally and watch them on LG and Samsung phones, iRiver PMPs, PlayStation 3s and many Blu-ray and DVD players.

[via TechRadar]

Mobile phones to take on Taleban propaganda in Afghanistan

A plan to use mobile phones to combat Taleban propaganda in Afghanistan is being considered by the UK Government, reports the Times Online.

"Mobile phones would be distributed by non-governmental organisations to Afghans so that they could make and share their own videos to contradict the prevailing Taleban message, according to a BBC report.

Anti-Western films already circulate on Afghanistan's estimated six million mobiles and are spread among the country's half a million internet users.

The new media plan, said to be devised by an outside consultant to the Foreign Office, envisages having up to 100 short films made by Afghans ready in time for a film festival next summer according to the BBC.

Whitehall officials say the aim is to deprive the Taleban of its virtual monopoly on propaganda using new media, the BBC says.

The coalition's reputation has been damaged by the spread of mobile footage such as the film distributed after a US-led raid in August that showed rows of bodies of children and babies in a makeshift morgue."

Cinemizer video glasses offer quality portable viewing for Nokia N96

Carl Zeiss' Cinemizer video glasses simulate a one-meter wide movie screen at two meters distance and when connected to the new Nokia N9 mobile phone there's an added bonus - the TV signal from the integrated DVB-H receiver is displayed on the video eyewear without loss of quality.

[via Giizmag]

Stephen King's "N." An original video series

Beginning Monday, July 28, mobile phone users and web surfers can enjoy Stephen King's latest work in a groundbreaking series of 25 original video episodes.

Starting today, viewers can go to NisHere.com or Simonsays.com to see a preview of the episodes, which will also be unveiled at Comic-Con International in San Diego today at a panel event featuring the creators of this pioneering venture.

The series will also be available for purchase at major online digital content retailers.

[Press release via mocoNews.net]

Motorola signs Paramount Pictures deal for mobile movies

Motorola has announced a deal with Paramount Pictures to make a stack of movies available for download to its handsets in the UK, with Germany, Italy, Spain and France due to follow soon. You’ll actually browse and buy the films on Motorola’s UK website, before downloading them to your PC and sideloading them onto your phone.

[via Pocket Picks]

Movies come to UK iTunes

British iTunes users will be able to download hit movies for rent or purchase for the first time, Apple has announced.

More than 700 films will be available to British users with more than 100 available in high-definition.

The movies can be watched on iPods, iPhones and Apple TVs, as well as laptops and computers.

[via Metro]

Indie Films, Coming to a Small Screen Near You

A shift in the way people consume media is forcing Hollywood to evolve. As more people have high-speed Internet access, and as technology companies like Apple work to make it easier to watch video on phones, and as cable giants like Comcast roll out elaborate on-demand services, movie theaters and DVDs are increasingly looking like just two of the many niches.

[via The New York Times]

Mobile phones emerging as new video distrib channel

With the advent of new technology - greatly thanks to the iPhone - and larger phone screens, distributing entertainment content via mobile phones is now on its way to becoming an important new business for Hollywood, writes The Hollywood Reporter.

According to Mark C. Miller, CEO of FFMI and President of Famous Frames, Inc, "the iPhone totally changed our industry because now we can deliver our content and you see it in DVD quality. It has become an accepted form of entertainment where you can watch anything you want any time anywhere.

... I think the time has come for mobile entertainment. I believe it's actually going to be preferred (to have content always available) as opposed to being anchored at a certain time or place with a certain program which you have not chosen. It gives people a lot of freedom and I think that's what it's all about now."

CinemaNow to offer movie orders via cell phone

Privately held digital entertainment provider CinemaNow said on Tuesday that U.S. consumers would be able to use their cell phones to view movie trailers and order full-length movies to watch on their home television or computer through its mobile website.

The service, offered on Web-capable phones at href="http://uvumobile.mobi/cn">http://uvumobile.mobi/cn, would let U.S. consumers immediately buy or rent a movie when they hear about a new offering while they are out with friends.

[via Reuters]

Video sorting service launched on Sony Ericsson phones

Sony Ericsson has signed up to a mobile video search service that launched at the beginning of this month. Pocket-Lint reports.

"Via vtap, Sony Ericsson customers will now be able to access more than 150 million web videos on their phones.

The free service, which will be accessible though Sony Ericsson’s Fun & Downloads web portal, allows users to personalise the videos they see.

It trawls the web to find videos that match users' interests from the like of YouTube, DailyMotion, and MySpace

Videos are grouped together in the vtap browser into folders but users can also collect, organise and share videos, while vtap saves favourites.

The service is available immediately for Sony Ericsson Java Platform 8 (JP8) enabled handsets models: Z770i, K850i, W910i, K660i, W890i."

Motorola developing mobile movie service

Motorola is developing a movie store for its phones, claims UK trade magazine New Media Age via electronista.

"An alleged source at partner studio Paramount says that Motorola is in the "late stages" of offering a service that would offer full-length movies pre-formatted for Motorola's more media-friendly devices.

Paramount is currently the only studio known to be involved, though others are allegedly in talks to add their own catalogs.

The service is labeled as a "breakthrough," but would offer virtually the same means of loading media as for the iPhone; rather than download videos directly to the phone, users first download videos through the computer and sideload (transfer) the content to the phone through sync software.

The report doesn't indicate whether Motorola will offer movies for rent or purchase and mentions no pricing. However, a launch is due as soon as late May."

[via FierceMobileContent]

Nokia and Spike Lee team up with Nokia on short film

Nokia and Spike Lee are teaming up to direct a short film comprising YouTube-style videos created by teenagers and adults using their mobile phones, reports The New York Times.

"By hiring Mr. Lee for the project, Nokia is seeking to combine the populist appeal of user-generated content with the power of a famous director’s pedigree. The film will have three acts, each three to five minutes long, with the theme loosely based on the concept of humanity.

The project is an experiment for Mr. Lee, but it is also a way for Nokia to promote its wares. Cellphone companies are all trying to position their products not just as devices for talking, but as multimedia devices that can play music, search the Web and capture video."

Blu-ray movies to play nicely with iPhone

NetBlender, a company that specialises in network-connected convergent media, will announce a new technology this week that allows Blu-ray content to run seamlessly on Apple handhelds.

Dubbed the BD Touch, the company's solution uses Blu-ray's networking capabilities to allow users to interact with movies by using their iPhone and iPod Touch as remote controls.

[via Tech.co.uk]

France Telecom signs movie deals

France Telecom has signed contracts with a number of film companies, including HBO, Warner and Gaumont, as it seeks to become a major player in the movie distribution market, France Telecom's CEO said in an interview published in Les Echos newspaper.

France Telecom's Didier Lombard told Les Echos the company wants to offer more than 1 000 movies per year to viewers via cable television, Internet and mobile phone.

The films will be offered via six channels, and the client will build its own package of channels and pay a monthly subscription, Lombard told Les Echos.

France Telecom's offering will be a direct competitor to Vivendi's Canal Plus.

[via ITWeb]

Hands on with the BBC iPlayer - on the iPhone

The BBCiPlayer is now available as a beta for the iPhone and iPod touch. Streaming only, reports Tech.co.uk.

"We're not using the new Apple SDK, nor are we using the much-rumoured Flash for iPhone (no - we haven't seen it, either). Instead, we're creating 516Kbps streams (400Kbps H.264 video, 116Kbps AAC audio) that show off BBC programmes brilliantly on an iPhone," says Anthony Rose, head of Digital Media Technologies at the BBC in a blog post about the launch."

LG Phones to Appear in Hollywood Blockbuster

The The Korea Times reports that SK Telecom said it is bringing more than 200 Hollywood blockbusters, such as "Spiderman 3'' and "The DaVinci Code,'' to its mobile phones under a contract with Sony Pictures Entertainment.

"The largest mobile service company, with some 22 million subscribers, said Monday that it inked a four-year deal with Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) to provide between 50 and 60 old and new movie titles every year for mobile phones.

... "We have already been offering several Korean movies on mobile phones, but this contract is different because of the brand value of Hollywood films,'' he said. He added that it is a comprehensive contract and SK Telecom will not pay additional commission to Sony Pictures."

Hollywood studios in video talks with Apple

Apple is in advanced talks with Hollywood’s largest movie studios about launching an online film rental service to challenge cable and satellite TV operators, reports the FT.

"... Apple already sells films that can be downloaded and owned, and has distribution deals with Walt Disney and Paramount.

... A film would cost $2.99 for a 30-day rental. Its digital rights-management software would allow films to be moved from a computer to at least one other device such as the video iPod or iPhone. The software would prevent movies being copied.

Apple, which declined to comment, is believed to be aiming for an autumn release. "

[via NewsBlog]

ZML offers the latest Hollywood movies for your phone - illegally?

Until now, you’ve only been able to download movies to your computer from file sharing sites and then jump through technical hoops to reformat them to work on your portable device. Well it was only a matter of time before someone offered downloads straight to your handset and that someone is ZML. Pocket Picks reports.

As well as downloads to PCs, ZML offers downloads to iPods and PDAs in a variety of formats playable on mobile devices. The downloads cost $1.99 each and you get a choice of over 1,500 movies both brand new and old classics.

There’s nothing mentioning the legality (or not!) of the site but we have to assume that Hollywood doesn’t see any of the money you pay and that ZML is going to be closed down as soon as Hollywood’s armies of laywers find out about it. writes Pocket Picks.

Made-for-mobile movie Trailer

Mobile agency, Candyspace, has created what it claims isthe first mobile-only version of a theatrical trailer for the release of the movie, ‘The Nines’ which debuts in UK cinemas today.

Candyspace has created a version of the trailer running in UK cinemas, specifically cut to provide optimum viewing on mobile handsets.

The trailer can be accessed on The Nines mobile portal where there are also competitions and exclusive content based on the film.

[via Mobile Magazine]

Blockbuster to offer movie rentals on cellphones

Blockbusteris currently in talks with “virtually all of the major manufacturers” in an effort to allow customers to watch movies on their mobile phones.

... Blockbuster is currently looking in to making the process easier and more convenient for the consumer. With Blockbuster taking a back seat to online services like Netflix, this may help get them back on track.

An availability date for the service has not been announced, but with mobile phone displays getting nicer and large storage cards being readily available a service like this could actually work nice.

[via gadgetell]

Hollywood on a Shoestring

Monday 8th October will see the launch of the UK’s first commercial digital feature-length film production company in London, Devolution Digital.

"Devolution Digital has been set up with the intention of fulfilling the potential of mobile broadcast technology and the internet for digital movie-making and distribution, delivering movie shorts and feature-length films to the consumer, via mobile phones and other hand-held devices, at a fraction of the ‘Hollywood’ cost. "

[via Clickpress]

Studios Cracking Down on Mobile Video Pirates

The motion picture industry is using high-tech night vision devices in order to monitor movie audiences. [via ABC Local]

"Officials say that in many cases criminals can turn a film around in less than 24 hours. With the latest advances in cell phones, it is becoming harder to catch those illegally recording first run movies.

That is where night vision devices are key. Theatres across the country are now using them.

The movie industry loses about $7 billion annually to piracy. "And as you know this industry here in Hollywood is $600 billion industry, but we lose jobs," says Rep. Diane Watson (D-CA).

Experts say that the night vision devices are having an impact. Some theatres are beginning to ban cell phones in an attempt to cut down on the illegal recording of films inside movies theatres."

Just last week: - a href="http://www.textually.org/picturephoning/archives/2007/08/016958.htm">Pirated Simpsons video filmed on mobile".

Image from Gizmodo