Animoto for iPhone gets offline viewing

Animoto, the DIY-music-video-meets-slideshow tool, has released a new version of its iPhone app that brings it a little closer to its desktop counterpart.

Users of its paid premium service can now create and watch full-length videos right on their phone. Previously, users (both free and paid) were limited to 30-second clips consisting of just 16 shots. The new version allows you to create versions of as many as you want--or at least whatever photos can fit inside the length of the song you've chosen.

Anything you create on the iPhone can now be shared through Animoto.com and vice versa. So, if you've created something neat on your computer that you want to share while out and about, you now can. The app denotes videos made on the site with little A's that get stuck in front of the filename. And back on Animoto's site, there's now a special section in your videos list that separates the videos you've made on your phone into their own section.

The app also lets you download any videos you've created directly to your phone for offline viewing, which means you can play them back even if you're in the depths of a concrete bunker. This is by far the most important feature in an app like this, and something that should have been included in the very first version.

Future versions of the app may allow non-pro-users of Animoto to create one-off, full-length slideshows on their phones with in-app micropayments--something that's arrived with iPhone OS 3.0. However, that could take an additional paid version, since apps that started out as free cannot include Apple's in-app payment system. In the meantime, this version makes Animoto's $30 annual paid premium service a little more enticing for users who already have an iPhone.

Paying pro users can now create full-length videos, while everyone can download their creations for viewing offline.

(Credit: Animoto / CNET)