The popcorn keeps expanding at the Popcornflix movie streaming service, as Unicorn Media, a leading Internet video solutions provider, announced partnerships with Cypress and Screen Media Ventures, LLC for expanding the free Popcornflix app on Xbox LIVE (gold subscribers). Popcornflix also owns and distributes its own content via iOS and Android apps, Roku, connected TVs and online for free.
Screen Media Ventures, LLC developed and owns Popcornflix. Cypress, in conjunction with Screen Media Ventures, developed the Popcornflix Xbox LIVE app using CypressX, Cypress is a digital agency that creates apps that provide interactive experiences across mobile platforms and gaming consoles.
Unicorn Media enables Screen Media to ingest one video file, one time and deliver that content to the Xbox 360 via a single URL- with no SDK or plug-in required via its patented Unicorn Once™ technology. Unicorn Once™ optimizes a single mezzanine file, detects network conditions and re-packages the file on-the-fly to deliver the most efficient format for delivery to Xbox360.
Users can use the Popcornflix app to view and pick new arrivals, the most popular selection or browse all movies. Users can also use the app to search movies by genre, title, actor or director.
Xbox 360 users can navigate and interact in the Popcornflix app using their voice or a hand wave using the unique, hands-free Kinect controller.
Popcornflix, a free ad-supported free Movie App, is the only independent film distributor with long-form feature-length videos. I recently interviewed Gary Delfiner, President, Screen Media Digital and creator of Popcornflix, who said he relates to my personal Gear Diary mantra of ‘complex items in simple terms’. “We provide a simple streaming video solution,” says Gary.
Popcornflix offers several eclectic movies from a wide range of genres that include action/thriller, “Bollywood”, comedy, documentary/short, drama, family/kids, horror, romance and urban. All these genres include unique choices to discover plus web and film school originals. These original movies offer a unique perspective on the process of filmmaking for viewers to enjoy and even learn from before they become the future filmmakers of tomorrow. Users can enjoy big-time directors forging their way into an established career and Hollywood’s biggest stars performing in their earlier films. Movies in Spanish are also available.
When asked how he keeps up with how film distribution systems work, Gary credits his smart, aggressive staff. “We really focus on building the best apps we can with the easiest interfaces where it’s easy and fluid for viewers to watch a movie. Every app is two clicks away from watching a film.”
Future plans include a second digital movie streaming service (with Popcornflix as the “parent” service) relating to their horror label, Screen Media Darkside, tentatively called Frightpix. “Horror is always a universal,” says Gard. “We’re also working on building Popcornflix Español and, as always, expanding our services and their availability. There is pragmatically no way that one platform can have all choices, so we have to keep up and explore avenues to make the best deliver to our users.”
You can stay updated with Popcornflix through Facebook, Twitter and their blog.
