How to watch movies on iPad: selecting an application, setting, procedure

• November 1, 2018
• Instructions
• Ekaterina Landar

With the advancement of technology, instead of visiting cinemas or sitting in front of the TV, people are more likely to watch movies on various gadgets. The entertainment market has changed a lot over the past few years. With just one application you can access modern films of absolutely any genre. Also, such programs allow you to play videos while traveling or before going to bed while lying in bed. In addition, depending on the functions of the application, it can be used in both online and offline modes. In this article you can learn how to watch movies on iPad, as well as how to select the required application and configure it?

Application selection

We all love watching movies. Is there even one person who doesn't do this? In recent times, modern ways of watching films have allowed the film industry to become more accessible. Now, in order to watch any new product, you don’t need to go to the cinema or wait for the show to start on central television. Now all you have to do is open the search page in your browser, write the name of the picture and start enjoying watching it. These changes are caused by constantly changing and rapidly developing technologies. Since 2007, when Apple introduced the first smartphone, the function of watching videos has become available on mobile phones. Be it Android or iOS platforms, many applications have been developed with which you can watch various movies on your mobile device.

How to watch movies on iPad? To do this, there are thousands of free and paid applications in the App Store. But with so many programs out there, it's hard to find the best, especially if you're a beginner. Below in the article is a list of the most popular applications for watching movies on iPad.

Method 3. Third-party applications and online movies

iPad - watching movies

Today, online cinemas are becoming increasingly popular. Their advantage is obvious - a lot of different content, as well as various new products. The disadvantage is a constant connection to the Internet and a paid subscription. But it's much better than going to the cinema. When you subscribe, for example, for one month, you can view several new products. But in a cinema you will only have to pay that amount for one film.

The main thing to remember is that any program for working with online cinemas is free. Payment is made only for a subscription that allows you to watch films. Of all the available programs, it is worth mentioning the most popular: IVI.ru, Megogo and TV Zavr. All the others are not so interesting.

YouTube

Before you start searching and getting acquainted with various programs, you should pay attention to the application released by Google - YouTube. Many films, as well as other videos, have already been uploaded to the channel and are officially available for viewing.

How to watch movies on iPad online? YouTube is definitely one of the easiest and most convenient ways. The application supports streaming high quality HD videos even with poor quality and slow Internet connection speed. To watch a movie, you first need to enter the title in the search bar. Next, you need to select the required file from the list.

ITunes

One of the standard applications developed by Apple is iTunes. It provides a wide range of video content in the form of rental and purchase of films. There are several ways to perform viewing. You can download the movie from the iTunes Store on your computer or iPad. And then watch either on your tablet, or, if you have an Apple TV, stream the video to your TV.

How to watch movies on iPad? Before downloading a file from the iTunes Store, you must purchase or rent the video. There is some time limitation for rentals. Typically, you have 30 days to watch a rented film. The video will be available on all devices with the same Apple ID account. Therefore, in this case, you will be able to watch movies on both iPhone and iPad.

nPlayer

Developer/Publisher : Newin Version : 2.6.5

nPlayer also falls into the category of universal solutions. A variety of supported video formats and protocols for streaming, flexible subtitle settings and gesture support are the main characteristics of nPlayer. The player handles not only video, but also music and images. You can also play content from your iTunes library. Individual file folders can be password protected, keeping the content from prying eyes. If a Swiss army knife analogy is appropriate, that would be an accurate description of nPlayer. In addition, the application is universal and is available for both iPhone and iPad.

iPhone + iPad : 279 rub. []

Ivi

This is perhaps the most popular online cinema. In the application you can watch any films of different genres, series, TV shows. The ivi video library is a constantly growing collection on the RuNet, which includes more than 60 thousand domestic and foreign content available for viewing online. The downside of the cinema is the need to watch commercials. But you can disable them by purchasing a paid subscription.

Netflix

Another app for streaming videos is Netflix. Here you can stream movies and TV series without ads. You can download files directly to your device. And then view it offline, without the Internet. Procedure:

1. Open the Netflix app on iPad.
2. Find the movie you want.
3. Click on the title.
4. On the next screen, click the "Download" button.
5. Wait for the movie to load.

If you want to watch a TV show, you can download the necessary episodes separately.

Unfortunately, the application is not free. After downloading the program, a trial period is available. After 30 days, you must decide whether you want to subscribe. After payment you have access to a huge library of video files. Also another disadvantage is the lack of Russian language. The application interface is completely in English.

Google Play Movies

How to watch movies on iPad 2? Google Play Movies? This is an application designed for purchasing and renting movies and TV shows. But in addition to paid content, Google offers free rental of some movies or TV shows. To purchase a movie, you must be logged into your Google Play store account. The application also supports offline viewing.

Part 2: Frequently Asked Questions about iPad Video Player

Why won't my iPad play videos after updating?

First, you need to check if your software has been updated. If not, do it again. Secondly, reinstall the media player or try another application. Sometimes an outdated video player can cause problems. You should also try a different video file. Chances are your videos aren't working.

How to watch WMV videos on iPad?

iPad does not natively support WMV playback. You can convert WMV to MOV or download WMV player on your iPad.

Why won't MP4 play on iPad?

MP4 is a video format, but a video file can be encoded with a variety of codecs. If it contains incompatible codecs, it will not play on iPad.

Snagfilms

SnagFilms is a completely legal way to watch movies and TV shows on your iOS device. The application offers more than 5,000 films, documentaries and TV shows. It also has sorting by genre: adventure, comedy and more. The application is updated every month, new items are constantly added. The absolute advantage of SnagFilm is that it is completely free.

Small tips

Programs for watching movies from iPad

• To watch movies comfortably, use Wi-fi
• If you currently do not have the opportunity to connect to it, then 4G is perfect for these purposes. 3G is also good, but then you have to watch the new product in poor quality
• Buy an unlimited plan in advance to avoid huge bills every month
• Battery drains quickly while watching movies
• To purchase a subscription, you must have enough money on your Apple ID or linked credit card

Popcorn Time

The program is also officially available for download on the App Store. In the Popcorn Time app you can view full-length films for free, without a subscription. After launch, you will have access to more than 700 films starring world famous actors. For example, such as Brad Pitt, Kristen Stewart and many others.

The application is updated every day, new items are often added. Movies are available in many genres. There are no restrictions on the amount of material viewed. The only downside to the app is the need to watch ads.

AVPlayer

One of the best apps for watching movies on iPad is AVPlayer. It is a video player that supports many file formats such as MKV, AVI, MP4, MOV and more. The application has various features such as:

• rewind the movie with gestures;
• switching audio tracks;
• subtitle support;
• changing image parameters;
• Wi-Fi Transfer support;
• changing playback speed;
• screen rotation lock.

How to watch movies on iPad without the Internet? To do this you need to do the following:

• download the application;
• connect the tablet to the computer;
• download the required video via iTunes.

After this, the downloaded file will be displayed in the AVPlayer application. You can also add a movie not only when connected to a computer, but also download it from cloud storage. At the moment, the application has become paid and costs 229 rubles in the App Store.

Bonus: the best apps for watching downloaded movies

We talked about how to download movies to iPad in today's article. But at the same time, the question of how to watch a downloaded movie remains relevant.

To do this you need to use a special media player. There are a huge number of similar programs in the App Store. We've collected the best apps to help you make the right choice.

4.5/5 — (19 votes)

HDPlayer

This is another video player for watching downloaded movies on iPad. Unlike AVPlayer, it is available for free download. Some of the features of the application include the following:

• wide range of supported audio and video formats;
• 10-band equalizer;
• gesture navigation;
• working with archives.

A small disadvantage of HDPlayer is annoying advertising. How to watch movies on iPad? Integrate the required videos or audio files through iTunes and launch them in the application.

VLC

Another popular and free application for watching movies is VLC. The video player is familiar to many from the desktop version of the same name. The application recognizes many formats, for example: AVI, DIVX, MKV, WMV, VOB, 3GP, AC3 and others. Like the players described above, VLC supports downloading from cloud storage such as Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud or Yandex.Disk. Playback directly via a link from web services is also available. VLC is a completely free and open source program.

Movie Player

A popular video player with which you can watch your favorite movies on both iPhone and iPad. The application recognizes and plays all known video file formats. The movie can be downloaded via iTunes, cloud storage, via a link from the Internet, or transmitted via Wi-Fi. In addition, Movie Player can play video files from other applications, such as email.

GoodPlayer

Developer/Publisher : Hustmobile Version : 9.7

GoodPlayer is a great example of tirelessly working to develop an application. The player has already reached version 9.7 and now boasts support for 64-bit chips. In terms of its capabilities, the application does not lag behind the two players mentioned above: many formats, flexible settings, video streaming, AirPlay support. Similar to AVPlayer, there are gestures. The main drawback of the application is the archaic interface, which looks ridiculous, but the application is universal, and for 169 rubles you will get a version for both iPhone and iPad.

iPhone + iPad : 169 rub. []

Cloud storage

The easiest way to download movies to your iPad without using iTunes is using Dropbox, Google Drive, or another cloud storage service. This method takes the most time. Also, the downloaded file must be in a format recognized by the tablet.

How to watch movies on iPad using the app? First, you need to download and install Dropbox or another cloud storage program. Alternatively, you can download and install it on your computer. Otherwise you will have to use the website. To use cloud storage to transfer a movie to your iPad, simply copy and paste the file into the Dropbox folder on your computer. Depending on the size of the video and the speed of your Internet connection, synchronization may take from several minutes to several hours. After integrating the video, you can view the film in any of the applications that support downloading files from cloud storage.

How to download movies to iPad

Anyone, even an experienced user, is faced with the problem of how to download a video to their iPad, since there is no universal way to do this.

All existing methods can be divided into two large categories:

• requiring an online connection;
• methods that do not use the Internet.

Of course, if you purchased the movie legally from the Apple store or bought it from an online movie theater, they themselves will provide you with a means of delivering the content to your mobile device. In all other cases, you need to download movies to the iPad yourself, and here you shouldn’t rely on any one method. And there are many of them.

Via iTunes

Because Apple puts security first,

iOS is the most closed operating system of all existing ones. As a result, transferring files via USB connection is prohibited on smartphones and tablets with the Apple logo. This is how developers are trying to protect the iPhone and iPad from the penetration of malicious software when connecting the device to a computer via cable.

But since such a connection is necessary, owners of gadgets are offered the iTunes application, which connects mobile gadgets with a desktop PC. In addition, tablets and smartphones can be controlled using this software. But the problem is that the program’s interface turned out to be too complicated for the average user, so iTunes is not particularly popular. But if you need to transfer a movie from a computer to an iPad in a digestible MPEG4 format (having the .mp4, .mov extension), then it is better not to neglect this method. It is advisable to convert video files of other formats on a computer - the hardware there is better, and the procedure will take much less time.

The transfer procedure is as follows:

• launch iTunes (if the application is not on the tablet, download it from the Apple website);
• Click on the “File” tab, select the “Add file to library” menu item;
• connect the tablet and PC with a USB cable;
• click on the tablet icon (after successful connection, it will appear in the upper corner of the application on the left side);

• in the left menu (the “Settings” block), click on the “Movies” tab;
• opposite the inscription “Synchronize movies”, put a tick;

• confirm the operation by clicking on the “Apply” button,
• In the lower left corner of the application, click on the “Synchronize” tab;
• Once the process is complete, the film will be transferred to the tablet’s internal memory.

ATTENTION. This method refers to those that do not require an Internet connection.

Using cloud storage

If the method of downloading movies to your iPad from a computer is unacceptable (for example, if you don’t have a USB cable or if you don’t want to deal with the complex interface of the iTunes application), then using cloud storage may be a good alternative option.

Such Internet services today appear like mushrooms after rain. However, they existed before in the form of file hosting services, but their storage format was somewhat different. Most of these services are free, some of them have a powerful infrastructure and a corresponding high level of service. Among them, we highlight Yandex.Disk, Google Drive, DropBox, Mail.ru Cloud Storage.

The step-by-step procedure for transferring movies to the gadget looks like this:

• register on a website that provides access to the cloud;

• create a directory for storing films;

• upload a movie/series there;
• log into your account via iPad;
• go to the folder with the video;

• watch a movie streaming directly from the cloud or download it to a portable device.

Here you cannot do without access to the Internet.

IMPORTANT. Please pay attention to the video format. If it is not supported by the player, the film will need to be re-encoded, and this is much more difficult to do on a tablet.

As for the choice of cloud storage, there will not be any special differences, despite some features. Note that a paid account provides much more space for files, but if you are used to deleting movies from the cloud after watching, then there will be no special problems with this.

Through file hosting services

We have already mentioned this type of site and we can state that transferring a video to an iPad from a file hosting service is a procedure largely similar to the previous one.

But if these services provide disk space, it is only for storing individual files, and for a limited time.

The most famous services are Letitbit, Turbobit, Deposit files.

The algorithm for downloading movies to a tablet is almost the same:

• register in a file hosting service;
• upload the video of interest to it;
• the service will provide a special download link that others can use;

• enter this link in the tablet browser;
• We wait for the file transfer to finish.

Using this method is not the best option, since such sites are replete with intrusive advertising, plus for owners of free accounts, the download speed will be limited - in some cases, it will take about a day to download a large file. The limited amount of allocated space cannot be called a big drawback, as is the specific storage time of the film. But the advantages are the same as those of cloud storage:

• the ability to transfer large files;
• saving space on the tablet;
• To download, just the provided link is enough;
• you can share it with other users.

Using torrents

Torrent trackers are a very popular way to download files in a Windows environment, since they allow downloading at the maximum speeds offered by the provider, and do not depend on the speed of the server side. Torrent clients are also available for Apple mobile devices, and the method of using them is the same as on a PC, through special link files.

True, there is no client application in the official store; to install it on the tablet you will have to hack it, which not all device owners will agree to. But if you decide to take this step, then you will probably like this method. True, you need to look for torrent links on special sites, but they are also available in abundance, and there will be no problems with this.

Using third party applications

You can also transfer video from your computer to your iPad using applications from third-party developers. Although this is also affected by Apple’s closed policy, which has affected many areas. In any case, it is not easy to find applications in the official market that can quickly download huge gigabyte files to the iPad. However, resourceful users have learned to solve the problem by using the Jailbreak service as an alternative to the AppStore, and such applications can be found there.

Via Apple Connection Kit

Flash media is a very popular way to transfer movies from a computer to other devices (set-top boxes, players, receivers), but Apple made sure that branded mobile devices cannot work with removable devices, even memory cards. Even for communication with a computer, a special cable is used here. For a long time, one could not even think about using a flash drive to copy videos from a computer to an iPad, until a special port replicator appeared on the market, allowing the tablet to see most types of removable media. So the Apple Connection Kit is a great way to share files. The only thing that may confuse the average user is the cost of such a device, in the range of 3000-6000 rubles.

How to download videos to your tablet from YouTube

The video server is extremely popular, and it is by no means just a platform for storing amateur videos. It is quite possible to find films here, especially old ones, which are not subject to copyright (or are not tracked). Of course, it is quite possible to watch them directly through the service, but if there is a need to download, then there is such an option. True, most common methods work exclusively on a PC. Perhaps the most famous is the method of adding two letters ss to the link address before the youtube domain, then you just need to load this new link in the browser. When using this method, you can even select the quality of the video file and its format. You can try to look for a similar service for the iPad - the chances will definitely not be zero, given the dynamics of the emergence of new applications for the Apple platform.