iPad App Must-Haves For The Movie Lover
As of January, I had zero interest in purchasing an iPad. As an avid Apple customer, I already owned an iPhone and felt no need to purchase a gigantic version of a product already in my possession. That all changed as we approached April 3rd, and rave reviews flooded the Internet. Sure enough, the day came and a 32GB iPad was mine. I’ve had the device for a little over a week now and am proud to report that it’s fantastic. Yes, it looks like a massive iPhone, but it’s capable of so much more and has the power to change mobile media forever.
Whether this brief assessment compels you to pick one up, you’re an Apple addict and have had one since midnight on April 3rd or you’re opting to view from afar for the time being, it’s important to know that the iPad has the power to be a movie lover’s best friend. Check out the best of the best in terms of apps, settings and more that are sure to get any film fanatic hooked.
Applications
IMDb: The ultimate resource for anything and everything movies. The interface is beautifully designed, keeping things simple and providing easy access to information, including showtimes, the STARmeter, TV schedules and more. Upon selecting a specific film, the poster and images of the cast are brightly displayed with further details neatly printed in text below. All basic information can be viewed at a glance, with additional information just a tap away.
Netflix: Not only can you edit your queue on the fly (WiFi accessibility provided, of course), the Netflix app also offers instant streaming. Yes, you can select a movie from the Watch Instantly section and have it play in full 9.7-inch glory immediately. With a decent Internet connection, the quality of the film is pristine.
iBooks: With book-to-film adaptations being all the rage in Hollywood, you’ll need to have reading material at your fingertips. The books vary in price, but most new releases cost $12.99. Why toss your paperback for a digital version? The iBooks app provides a search function allowing you to scan the entire book for a specific word or phrase. On top of that, the font can be made bigger or smaller and you can place a bookmark anywhere you’d like by simply tapping and holding a word. The one drawback to iBooks is that the selection is limited, but that’s where Kindle comes in. Yes, there’s a Kindle app for the iPad and, like iBooks, the app itself is free. Simply download both for a wider collection.
Wallpaper
As a movie lover, you’ll need an image from your favorite film in the background. Computer desktop wallpaper makes for excellent iPad decoration. Simply find wallpaper from your favorite film floating around the web, save it to your computer, sync it to your iPad and set it as your lock screen, home screen or both. “WALL-E” currently resides on my device and he looks pretty damn good.
iTunes
The ability to purchase feature length films on iTunes has been around for quite awhile, but being able to watch one of the films on a 9.7-inch screen as opposed to the iPod Touch’s 3.5-inch display is a game changer. Now the question is, to buy or to rent? Of course renting is the more appealing option considering renting a movie like “District 9” costs just $3.99 while buying it would run you $14.99, but that rental comes with an expiration date. You’re only given 24 hours to finish your film and unless you’ve allocated enough time to finish in that minimal window, it’s not worth it. Drop the big bucks now to avoid running up a larger tab re-renting later.
Did you get an iPad? What tips do you have for movie lovers who own the device?
From moviesblog.mtv.com on April 12, 2010
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