Inside LOVEFiLM

We’re thrilled to have launched the LOVEFiLM Player on the iPad, which means you can now watch films instantly on it. And yes, all at no extra cost and as part of your LOVEFiLM subscription.

It’s been a bit of time coming (I’ve been on this project myself since last November!), and we designed it from the ground-up for iPad. So a whole lot of love has been poured into it (as well as some blood, not a little sweat, and a few tears too), and we hope you like it as much as we do.

Nothing is downloaded – like the rest of our instant service, the films stream at the touch of a button, they don’t take up any space, and you don’t have to wait for the whole movie to arrive. And it’s worth reiterating that our (strongly) recommended internet connection speed of 2Mbps will give you the best possible viewing experience, and that films can only be viewed over a WiFi connection.

Oh, and the app requires at least iOS 4.3 to stream films. This is really important. And, happily, also really easy to update if you need to: just connect your iPad to your Mac or PC and follow the onscreen instructions in iTunes. If you’re not sure on your iOS version, go to ‘Settings > General > About’ and check your ‘Version’ number.

There’s a demo to watch, a bit more info, and some FAQs here…

You can browse for films in lots of different ways: by genres, by collections, and by using our unique Pick of the Week, Most Popular and Highest Rated lists. You can also watch trailers, rate movies and read reviews. And you can add a DVD or Blu-ray disc to your rental list, and search our complete catalogue by title or actor/director.

So it’s packed with features, as you can see, but like all the best apps, the LOVEFiLM Player on the iPad is – simply – really easy to use and really cool. Enjoy it!

Ben Lavender, Digital Product Director

Feels like you can’t move this year without seeing a generous helping of superhero spandex, bulging biceps and general invincibility. And I’m particularly looking forward to catching up with Thor, X-Men and Captain America (and not just because of the hot bods, promise!)

So with all this comic-book action going on, we wondered what the Ultimate Superhero would look like. And decided to find out. We sorted out some categories – the best headgear, outfit, power, etc – and asked our members for their favourites.

Thousands of votes flooded in, and the result is the ultimate crime-fighting hero pictured here – complete with Rorschach’s (Watchmen) mask, Professor X’s telepathy powers, Wolverine’s claws, Batman’s utility belt and a nifty pair of wheels (the Batmobile).

The Dark Knight’s suit beat Iron Man’s mechanical armour by a fraction in the wardrobe department, so we decided to create double the impact and blend both suits together.

Our masked avenger’s other powers include Superman’s ability to fly, The Hulk’s super strength, and invisibility a la Sue Storm of Fantastic Four (an invisible hero might have made our artist’s job easier, but not so much on the impact front!)

Let me know what you think about Amalgamation Man (not his official name) – we might well pitch to Marvel or DC and see if we can get a movie made. Though his first deadly enemy would probably be the Copyright Infringement Goblin…

Astrid Beretta, UK Brand Manager