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Tesco adds free online movies to DVDs bought in store

Tesco is giving you a free digital copy of any movie you drop in your real-life trolley.

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Expertise Films, TV, Movies, Television, Technology
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Richard Trenholm
2 min read

Tesco is giving you a free digital copy of any movie you drop in your real-life trolley. Buy a DVD or Blu-ray in a Tesco store, and a digital copy automatically appears in your online Clubcard account.

Starting with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, your movie blockbusters can now reside in your online locker as well as on your shelf. We think it's a great idea: when you buy a film, you're buying the film, not the box. You should be able to watch that film wherever you want, on whatever screen you want.

To get your own movie storage locker in the cloud, you need a Tesco Clubcard loyalty card. Link your Clubcard with a Blinkbox account and when you pick up a DVD or Blu-ray in a store the till tells your Clubcard account you've bought the film. Then, as Harry Potter would no doubt say, movieosa appearus: a digital version of the movie appears in your Blinkbox video library.

After Harry Potter's final wizarding outing, other films include The Hangover Part 2, The Lion King, The Smurfs, Final Destination 5, Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon and Conan the Barbarian. Classics every one.

Some non-movie DVDs are also included in the service, such as Martin Scorcese's Beatlementary George Harrison: Living in the Material World, and stand-up with the likes of cheeky scouser John Bishop.

The service also works the other way round: rent or buy a film or TV show from Blinkbox and you'll earn Clubcard points. Sadly, one pound spent equals one Clubcard point, which has roughly the same monetary value as a toenail clipping.

Blinkbox can be watched on your PC or Mac computer or laptop, your PlayStation 3 games console, and through your LG or Samsung smart TV. Apps are also coming soon for the Xbox 360 and iPad.

Things are getting interesting in the world of online movies. Blinkbox competitor SeeSaw was recently forced to close its doors, while the imminent arrival of US movie-streaming service Netflix on these shores has homegrown film service LoveFilm securing new deals with film studios.

Is the online locker a good idea? Will you use the Tesco virtual trolley? Leave an unexpected item in the comments or in the bagging area that is our Facebook page.