Mobile Phone Movies: From the Big Screen to the Smallest One

The summer flick “Transformers 2,” most agreed, was terrible. So naturally, one wonders: how much better would the movie be playing on the 2.6-inch screen of a mobile phone?

On Tuesday, mSpot, a five-year-old mobile entertainment company based in Palo Alto, Calif., will resolve that pressing question with a new service making full-length feature movies available on demand to 40 million cellphone subscribers. Owners of 30 different high-end phones, including the iPhone, Palm Pre, BlackBerry Tour and Storm, on all four wireless carriers, will now be able to enter m.mSpot.com into their phone browser for the pleasure of streaming what the company promises will be an expanding roster of films.

The company says it has signed deals with Paramount Studios, Universal Pictures and the Weinstein Company. It also says it is in talks with the other major studios. Movies will be available a few weeks after they become available on DVD, just as the pay-per-view movies are.

“With so many people watching TV episodes and movies on their iPhones, mobile phones are now viewed as an entertainment device,” said Daren Tsui, mSpot’s chief executive, who agreed that the prospect of watching films on a phone seemed unlikely (and perhaps absurd) even three years ago. Movies on the service will cost $4.99 a title, and can be watched from 24 hours to 5 days after they’re rented.

Mr. Tsui said that the tiny phone screen won’t replace the TV or the laptop. But families, in particular, could embrace the service: “With two kids, its often difficult for me to finish a meal,” he said. “I don’t know how many times, and I’m not proud to say this, I’ve pulled out a phone and given it to the kids and said, ‘Watch this cartoon.’ It keeps them busy for another 15 minutes, long enough to finish the meal.”

“I really do believe that the day is coming when this will be one of primary ways people enjoy entertainment,” he said.

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In this rock-bottom economy, I’m glad that some people have the disposable income for $5 cell-phone movies. Give it to the kids to keep them busy for 15 minutes? I guess portable gaming devices don’t achieve that anymore. And of course we wouldn’t want to taint their minds with books or educational magazines like we used to.

while i don’t buy or rent features or TV shows to watch on my iDevices–i use an iMac connected to my larger home theatre set-up, i do have some shorts i bought from the iTunes Store & some features that i’ve ripped from DVD & even some content that i’ve recorded & converted for playback. i like having something to watch during lunch, when on a break or waiting @ the Doctor’s office.

5 bucks to keep my kid quiet? A dirty look and an empty threat are free.

Watching full length movies on a tiny screen? Sounds nuts. Probably as absurd as people paying $2+ to have a 30 sec clip of a song play when someone calls their phone.