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The play-anything-you-throw-at-it iPad movie app CineXPlayer has just been updated to version 2.5. But don't let the incremental version number fool you: my favorite movie-playing app just got enough new features to make it my only movie-playing app.
CineXPlayer was one of the first decent iPad apps to play AVI movies files. The iPad's native Videos app doesn't like them, so you usually have to convert movies to MPEG format once you have downloaded them via BitTorrent. CineXPlayer lets you skip that step.
AC3 Dolby Digital
V2.5 brings one really big update: support for AC3 audio, including Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 and 7.1. This is great news not just for home theater nerds but also for anyone watching downloaded movies with AC3 audio. I had given up on watching the Sopranos on my iPad thanks to AC3. All the apps I tried struggled or played back without sound. CineXPlayer handles it perfectly, and it sounds great (and loud) when beamed to my JamBox.
[Update: Dolby just got in touch to say that it is in partnership with NXP Software, the people behind CineXPlayer, and that this is Dolby's first foray into the iOS App Store.]
Subtitles
Next up is improved subtitle support. Not only can you now display dual subtitles from two different languages simultaneously, you can also adjust the subtitle offset (timing). Double tap the subtitle on-screen and you can fine-tune with plus and minus buttons. Very handy indeed. You can also drag subtitles to move them around the screen, and pinch them to resize.
AirPlay (to an Apple TV) is also now supported. Audio-only AirPlay has been in the app for some time.
Import
New import options have been added. Along with iTunes file sharing, you can now import movies from DropBox and from the iPad's own camera roll. Nice if you want to watch movies you shot yourself -- even nicer if you want to watch movies you imported from an SD card via the camera connection kit.
The DropBox integration deserves a note. To link CineXPlayer to your DropBox account, you don't need to add your username or password. You just tap "Link" and you're spirited away to the DropBox app (if you have it installed). You're asked to allow CineXPlayer to add it's own folder and you're done. This must be a new (and very welcome) DropBox feature.
Catalog
Long-tap on a movie thumbnail and you get an edit sheet. You can move to folders, rename the movie and assign subtitle files, as well as choosing a picture from your photo library to use as movie artwork.
The Rest
There's more, including iCloud backup blocking and FaceBook/Twitter (using iOS 5's Twitter support) integration, and a redesigned interface. This comes in addition to the already-included 720p playback and 3-D support.
Sure, there may be iPad movie apps out there with more features, but CineXPlayer just works. And with this update, it looks pretty essential for any serious movie buff. Especially as it only costs $3.
CineXPlayer product page [iTunes]
