Blockbuster Bows iPhone App

17 Dec, 2009 By: Erik Gruenwedel

As expected, Blockbuster Inc. Dec. 17 launched a free app that allows customers owning an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch the ability to browse the Dallas-based No. 1 DVD rental service’s catalog of movies and television shows in real-time.

Other features for the app, which is available at the App Store (), include up-to-the-minute inventory data to see if a movie rental is currently in-stock at a local Blockbuster; create or manage an online queue of movies to rent, including adding, deleting or reordering titles directly from their mobile phone; and finding the nearest Blockbuster store based on a customer's current location or from another provided address.

Blockbuster is expected to announce next month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas other app functions, including search and inventory check for games, in-store movie reservations, movie downloads and other customer-requested and convenience-based features.

The company, in addition to announcing new CE partners, will also showcase its unique multiplatform rental channel that seamlessly incorporates Blockbuster in-store, by-mail, digital and kiosk options.

“Downloading this app is like putting Blockbuster in your pocket,” said Kevin Lewis, SVP of digital entertainment at Blockbuster. “We spent a lot of time listening to the kind of features our customers wanted in an app, and we’re excited by the functionality in this first release.”