Movie Gallery unveils free iPhone application

DIGITAL: "Didja C?" has release alerts, information on 35,000 titles, company says

By Danny King -- Video Business, 10/19/2009

OCT. 19 | DIGITAL: Movie Gallery unveiled an application Apple iPhone owners can use to find the nearest Movie Gallery or Hollywood Video outlet, run searches on titles or actors and play previews on their mobile devices, marking the No. 2 U.S. movie-rental chain’s efforts to boost sales from a growing base of mobile-phone users.

The application, called “Didja C?,” lets users get information on as many as 35,000 titles and play back high-resolution trailers from an inventory of about 10,000 movies, Movie Gallery said on its Web site. The free application also provides instant movie recommendations, as well as alerts users when new titles are available.

Movie Gallery is looking to capitalize on the popularity of so-called “smart phones” such as the iPhone by customizing applications for their growing user base. IPhone sales during the third quarter surged 38% from a year earlier to 7.4 million units, Apple said earlier today.

Movie Gallery, which emerged from bankruptcy in May 2008, hopes to boost sales at its movie rental stores as it plans to shutter about 200 Game Crazy videogame outlets this month. The company might be preparing to shut more stores after recently setting up a real estate hotline for its landlords.