With first offerings to include films like Wallace and Gromit and music videos from Dr. Dre and Pink Floyd, British company ROK Player is introducing digital video chips that plug into new-generation cell phones, turning them into what the company called “back-pocket DVD players.”
"Until now, mobile technology hasn’t been able to support long-playing video," said ROK Player marketing director Bruce Renny, announcing the launch. "The launch of ROK Player, with its full-screen playback of films, television shows, and music videos, means that the mobile handset is now like a DVD in your pocket."
"We don't expect people to watch a feature film in one sitting, but they might watch half an hour on the bus in the morning then another 20 minutes at lunchtime," chief executive Jonathan Kendrick said at the launch. "The screens are also getting bigger and better quality."
The movies won't be transmittable over cell phone frequencies but will be stored on the chips, though customers can download ringers and games and buy merchandise by way of their cell phones that are tied to the movie or video they're watching, the company said.
ROK Player parent ROK Entertainment also said they have a licensing deal with Sony/BMG Music and is negotiating with film studios and television producers to land more content for ROK Player.
How much a ROK Player costs will likely depend on the content, with a single half-hour comedy show likely to be far less expensive than a feature film.
