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Load an app, watch a movie: Hollywood’s new path

Molly Wood Feb 18, 2011
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Load an app, watch a movie: Hollywood’s new path

Molly Wood Feb 18, 2011
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Inception” and “The Dark Knight” can now be seen through downloadable apps on Apple devices. The apps are free and feature music from the films, photos, and the first few minutes of action. Just enough to whet your appetite and get you to pay around $10 for the full version. With that, you have the choice of downloading the movie on to your device or stream it from Warner Bros’ servers any time you like.

When you factor in all the little extras you get, it’s kind of like a DVD-style array of features but in the format of a download. We talk to Christina Warren from Mashable.com about how exactly the apps work. She says they’re also loaded with social media capabilities and multiple languages.

Philip Meza is author of the book, “Coming Attractions: Hollywood, High Tech and the Future of Entertainment.” He tells us that Hollywood is still trying to figure out the leap to the digital space but now they’re betting that the app model could create interest in movies AND create revenue. So we can expect to see this system to stick around.

We also talk to Thomas Gewecke, president of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. He says one of the best parts of an app is the opportunity to update it over time. That’s a path he can see taking for movie apps.

Also in this program: Now that Watson the supercomputer has conquered “Jeopardy!”, what next? Our Twitter Team has some ideas.

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