20th Century Fox brings Blu-ray films to Android

Film company 20th Century Fox has announced that it will allow Android smartphone and tablet owners to download films to their devices.

Customers that buy the high-definition Blu-ray version of 20th Century Fox titles will be able to download an Android-compatible copy of the film for mobile or tablet playback, according to a report by the Financial Times on Wednesday. The first film to be released under the deal will be X-Men: First Class, in October.

In order to get the films onto a mobile device, it must first be downloaded to a computer and then transferred across when the device is connected.

Unlike the official film and book rental service added to the Android Market earlier in July, Fox's service will be available to users in the UK, France and Germany as well as the US.

"Given its strong growth as a mobile operating system, the support for Android is an important move for us because it further enhances Blu-ray discs as the best way to get your movies to all your screens," Vincent Marcais, senior vice-president for marketing at 20th Century Fox International Home Entertainment, told the paper.

The company is also developing apps for Android and Apple devices to be used when watching a film, for example, providing quizzes or other interactive features on a second screen.