When the first Star Wars movie was released in 1977 (Episode IV: A New Hope), we did not have CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray or streaming video. The first consumer Blu-ray players shipped five years ago in the summer of 2006. And, while much of the world has shifted from watching video from discs to streaming video, there is, most likely, still a large number of people waiting for the six Star Wars movies to appear on Blu-ray discs. That day, September 16, is not far away. And, Twentieth Century Fox is priming the pump by releasing a free iPad app with
Star Wars Blu-ray: Early Access
The app provides interviews and commentary (videos), a 3D models and one concept drawings. The Community section lets you connect with other Star Wars fans via Starwars.com, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube (the Starwars Channel). The last two components tell you where you can buy the Blu-ray discs on September 16 (this is a sales tool, after all) as well as manage the app’s storage use. Video, drawaings and 3D models are all downloaded to local storage after the first viewing. This can take up considerable space if you view everything. It does mean, however, that you can view downloaded items when off of the network and playback downloaded items faster for subsequent viewings.
