14 DAY TRIAL // The MPAA has launched a new site that seeks to put you on the right path when it comes to watching movies online. Instead of letting you wander off into the troubled waters of online piracy, the movie industry representing body wants to steer you in the right direction.
While it’s not exactly something that you’d expect to hear about the Motion Picture Association of America doing, especially since most of its lobbying and lawyer money has been directed against pirates around the world, it does make sense.
In fact, this is the kind of thing that people have been asking for a long time now – the MPAA and the RIAA taking some steps towards embracing the Internet rather than throw rotten tomatoes towards it.
The new site is called WhereToWatch and lets you search for a certain TV show or movie and find a location where you can legally stream it, rent it, or buy it. You’ll also get some information about getting it on DVD or Blu-Ray, as well as information about whether the movie is still playing in theaters, even providing nearby showtimes.
For instance, you can view “Divergent” via Xbox video, ticket, Amazon Instant Video, iTunes, VuDu and Flixter. The DVDs and Blu-Rays are available via Netflix or Amazon. The site even tells you how much it’s going to cost to see the film.
Check before you buy
If you’re not sure you want to pay money for the film, you can check out a trailer as well by simply pushing the “play” button on the poster.
For other movies, the list will include the likes of Netflix, or Hulu, too, although this obviously depends on the offering these services have.
The list of films and TV shows seems to be pretty extensive and it doesn’t include only titles in English. It doesn’t mean, however, that you’ll be able to see them all, since they’re not all available for purchase or streaming, especially when it comes to older flicks.
This is an easy way to find information about the content you’re interested in and checking out what movies you might be able to stream legally. However, what the larger population was asking for wasn’t a search engine for movies and TV shows, but rather a way for them to be available cheaper, and delivery in foreign markets to not take forever, for geographic-based delays to disappear.
Of course, this is an important step, albeit a small one, in the right direction.
