RIM’s Playbook Video Store Makes Its Way Back Home to Canada

By: Kuljit Grewal  |   July 25th, 2012   |   Business, Mobile Apps, News, O Canada, Tablets

RIM’s Playbook Video Store is now available in the company’s home country. Having been only available for U.S. PlayBook owners, RIM announced the Canadian version of the application today. Available for download in the BlackBerry App World, the Store offers a catalog of movies and TV shows numbering in the thousands with new releases available for rent or download (purchase).

 

The app features a couple of valuable and user friendly items such as the ability to view a full length trailer prior to purchasing or renting a file. The app also allows users to begin watching the file as soon as they begin the downloading process, saving them the anticipation that comes with waiting for the download to complete before being able to enjoy a movie or show. The PlayBook’s HDMI output also makes watching the files on a large HDTV completely possible, a major draw for movie fans. HDMI outputs are something that Google’s Nexus 7 as well as the iPad currently lack, making it a competitive advantage.

 

RIM’s Canada announcement could indicate the upcoming launch of the next generation PlayBook, which will operate on faster 4G networks that are offered by Canadian operators. The delay in releasing the app at home was due in large part to digital rights and content policies related to the movies and TV shows available.

 

Pricing is similar to competing products such as Apple TV, and more closely Google Play. A newly released movie can be rented for $5 and purchased for $20, the same price points that made video rental companies like Blockbuster close their retail locations.

 

Considering that 19% of Canadian tablets are PlayBooks, we are hopeful that this new and potentially popular app along with affordable pricing will bring more clients for RIM in a time when they could use a bit of good news. For a look at the PlayBook Video Store, check out the video below.