Movie @ Rs 30: New offering from RCOM-BigFlix for Reliance 3G subscribers

Reliance Communications (RCOM) has partnered with BigFlix, the digital media arm of the Reliance Group, to offer movies to all Reliance 3G subscribers. And the cost is just Rs 30 per movie. The company claims to be the first Telco to offer full-length movie streaming service in the country and further mentions that there will be no data charges or hidden costs.

For using this service, Reliance subscribers have to log on to http://vod.rcom.co.in, using their mobile phones or Tablets. Once there, you can access the movie catalogue (powered by BigFlix) and choose the movie you want to watch. The company claims that the user is paying only for the content and not for the data (which means the streaming will be free of cost).

Kunal Ramtekke, senior VP and head of VAS at RCOM, said, "The service is powered by BigFlix and requires an exceptional 3G quality of service (QOS) for supporting an uninterrupted movie experience."

The last we checked, six movies were available in the comedy genre, two in drama, three in romantic, five in thriller and six in the action category, taking the total to 22 movies. Eighteen video songs were also available, as well as a number of trailers and short clips – all of them free of cost. Some of the movies which are currently available include Dabbang, Bodyguard, Jab We Met, Force, Hate Story, Aarakshan, Bumboo and Race, among others.

This is an interesting service from Reliance and there could be many takers at this price (after all, it's the same price for which you get those poor quality pirated CDs/DVDs). Also, there will be no additional data charges for the streaming; so subscribers need not worry about inflated 3G bills (the service is not very affordable, as of now).

But whether people will be interested in watching full-length movies on their smartphones is another story. Of course, smartphones with large screens (like Samsung Galaxy Note, SIII and HTC One X) will ensure good quality viewing, but what about the less-than-four-inch displays? We personally feel that to make the most of this service, large-screen Tablets will be the best bet. Moreover, RCOM will have to scale up the catalogue as well (which should not be difficult because of BigFlix) to woo repeat customers.

Other key players in this space include ZengaTV, DigiVive's Live TV app NexGTv, Geodesic's live Internet television service Mundu TV and Vuclip's Starlight Cinema.