iPhone Life magazine

Cinema for iPad — free streaming movies

Jim Karpen 5.7.10

I haven't yet tried this new app, but it sounds like an interesting idea — sort of like subscribing to a movie channel via your cable service, or going to a movie at a cinema. That's because instead of being the usual Internet model of movies on demand, Cinema for iPad has a schedule and streams movies at particular times. You pay $2.99 for the app, but the movies are free. The schedule changes frequently. You tune in when there's a movie playing that you'd like to see, whether a matinee or late-night show.

Update on 10/15/10 -- I can't recommend this app. They've had the same 12 movies since the app was first released. Not really worth the money.

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Jim Karpen
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Jim Karpen holds a Ph.D. in literature and writing, and has a love of gizmos. His doctoral dissertation focused on the revolutionary consequences of digital technologies and anticipated some of the developments taking place in the industry today. Jim has been writing about the Internet and technology since 1994 and has been using Apple's visionary products for decades.

Old Comments

Cinema

Submitted by Cindy Downes on 5/7/10 1:02pm

I tried it this today. It's a pretty neat idea. They have taken YouTube videos of old movies, put them on a "Cinema" theater look screen, and let you watch them - without ads!

They schedule the movies at certain times of the day, so you have to watch when the movie is playing. Currently, I'm watching a movie of the Grand Canyon. At 4pm, I'm planning to watch "Hangmen" - one of Sandra Bullock's first films. I looked this one up on YouTube and sure enough, you can watch it there. But it sure is more fun watching it on my iPad with the theater backdrop instead of the YouTube background and ads!

Thanks for the additional

Submitted by Jim Karpen on 5/7/10 2:10pm

Thanks for the additional info, Cindy. Glad to know that you like the app.

Jim

Hoping for more horror

Submitted by Jack K. on 5/7/10 7:28pm

Hoping for more horror movies, but so far I'm happy. Just watched Hangmen on it. Awesome!

Hoping for more horror

Submitted by Jack K. on 5/7/10 7:28pm

Hoping for more horror movies, but so far I'm happy. Just watched Hangmen on it. Awesome!

just use http://iphonevids.tv

Submitted by 123421 on 9/30/10 4:12pm

just use http://iphonevids.tv for watching movies and tv shows. Its much better

Thanks for the tip. I can't

Submitted by Jim Karpen on 10/1/10 10:49am

Thanks for the tip. I can't recommend the Cinema for iPad app because they only have the same 12 movies that they had when the app was released in April. They're the same movies that you can watch for free on YouTube.

Sorry....but if the movies

Submitted by Dan on 10/14/10 10:54pm

Sorry....but if the movies aren't streamed on demand there is no need to watch them on the app....after all I can always just go watch hbo...let alone netflix red box or any place where the movies I wanna see are shown WHEN I wanna see them....nice try though.