• by kyle , Daisy Whitney , May 1, 2009

DVD screeners are so last year. This year Emmy voters will be able to watch at least one network's contenders in a new way - on the ever-popular iPhone. Showtime is launching an iPhone application in April for voting members of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences to check out eligible shows like Weeds, Dexter and United States of Tara (which has a considerably smaller chance of taking home any gold statuettes than the former two, but it's on the app nonetheless) on their iPhone or iPod Touch.

The effort builds on Showtime's landmark campaign last year when it loaded up its shows online for voter consideration, making landfills around the world a bit smaller. The network has saved tens of thousands of dollars by ditching DVD screeners, though Showtime still supplies actual DVDs if voters request them. Mobile expert Jon Vlassopulos gives the Showtime initiative a thumbs up. "For anyone who hasn't experienced video on the iPhone before, it's pretty impressive," said Jon Vlassopulos, the CEO of mobile and digital entertainment company Moderati. Maybe next year Showtime can offer itself up a green Emmy.