Unless you've used the eTrizzle service on the web before, the name won't give you any indication of what this app actually does. Confusing branding aside, the app provides a very useful service. In an age where people are looking to "cut the cord" and have multiple sources of content, it can be either confusing or time consuming to try and find where movies are available.
eTrizzle hopes to solve this problem by aggregating several different sources of digital (and physical) movie content and making it searchable right from an app.
The eTrizzle interface isn't going to win any design awards, but to its credit it does follow a very similar design to its website. You get a simple listing of new movies on the first panel, with subsequent tabs offering popular listings, service listings and a more detailed browsing interface. Each listing shows the title, rating, a user rating and start listing the cast. You can scroll through the lists -- more will load as you reach the "bottom" -- until you find a move you want to see. If you'd prefer to search by a specific source, you can do that from the "Services" tab.
Once you find a movie you're interested in, tapping its listing takes you to a details page where you can see the full description, synopsis, critics consensus and a way to view the trailer (which kicks you over to Flixter to watch, weirdly). Prominently in the middle of the screen are the viewing options where you can find the movie, with information on the pricing and whether or not it is a rental or purchase. For sources, eTrizzle aggregates iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Redbox (and Instant), Netflix, Amazon Prime, Crackle, HBO Go, Comcast Streampix, Hulu and Google Play. Although the website has also started listing TV shows as a "beta" feature, that hasn't made it into the app.
Tapping on the source you'd like to rent or purchase the movie from simply takes you to the app's integrated browser with the service's mobile website loaded. This works pretty well for sources like Amazon and Redbox, which have more than usable mobile interfaces, but Google Play for example doesn't have a good mobile page. We'd like to see eTrizzle tie into the Google Play app -- as well as others -- to cut down on some of the friction of renting.
It's hard to fault eTrizzle for issues with the third party service's websites, but it certainly does detract from the overall cleanliness of the process. The most most useful part of eTrizzle isn't the ability to buy or rent through the app, though. Most users will likely just use it to search for content, then load it independently on the viewing device of choice in their home theater system.
When it comes to this usage, eTrizzle provides a great service that can make things much easier on someone that just wants to find out where the movies are and how to get them the cheapest. Best of all the app is free, so there really is no downside to giving it a try. If you're attempting to cut the cord and find it frustrating to search multiple places for content, give eTrizzle a look at the Play Store link above.
