Download movies to tablet to watch without internet?

[Resolve]

I'm going to be headed to Mexico in January for some sun and warmth. MrR and I are not really into the cheesy entertainment offered in the resorts at night so we opt to schedule our days so we rise early to walk the beach, spend the day outdoors and then are back in the room fairly soon after having a later dinner in the evening.

That's when I miss the option of settling down with a movie.

I have a Surface tablet and would like to download some movies onto it (has no disk drive but does have USB) so we'd have some to watch. We won't have internet connection of any sort in our room.

Is that possible? If so, can you walk me through how to do it?

Much appreciated!

[Rob Hanesworth]

Cyndy, I Googled "movies on Surface" and got a lot. One was this one:

Movies-Surface

[Resolve]

Thanks Rob. I see there IS an option to download that allows the movie to be watched later. I'm not looking for anything "pirated"/free....I just want to be able to get the movies onto my tablet to watch without the need for internet connection.

Just read another article that indicates that only one movie will "fit" at a time on the Surface. The recommendation was to use a microSD card. Good Lord. Guess I'm about to learn a thing or three....

[Rob Hanesworth]

I don't have a Surface myself so I don't know if it will take a microSD. I have an Android KitKat tablet. My tablet has a slot for a microSD and can use up a 32 GB card, which is a lot of expansion. If you can use a card, buy a Class 10 card for better speed (vs. Class 4). A Class 10 32 GB card is about $17 on Amazon.

[Dub]

I think Amazon has an option that lets you save movies for watching later. So does Apple. You can buy movies and TV shows, store them, and watch later.

[Chesapeake]

If you have a laptop with a decent size screen (I know, how 20th-century), you might consider taking it along with a pair of external speakers, and a selection of movies you'd like to watch. Depending on how long you plan to be gone, you could pick up a Netflix subscription and order the max disks allowed at one time - I believe it's three - then cancel after you get back. You could look over what's available at discount places like Walmart or the supermarket, and most public libraries allow you to check out several movies at a time. Put out a call to friends to see if they have any of interest you could borrow. Also, go onto YouTube and search the term "full movies" for a pretty big selection of movies you could put onto your hard drive or an external drive before you go. My wife and I used to watch movies on laptops evenings when we went on cruises on our sailboat.

[Resolve]

Nov 24, 2014 18:04:15 GMT -5 Chesapeake said:

If you have a laptop with a decent size screen (I know, how 20th-century), you might consider taking it along with a pair of external speakers, and a selection of movies you'd like to watch. Depending on how long you plan to be gone, you could pick up a Netflix subscription and order the max disks allowed at one time - I believe it's three - then cancel after you get back. You could look over what's available at discount places like Walmart or the supermarket, and most public libraries allow you to check out several movies at a time. Put out a call to friends to see if they have any of interest you could borrow. Also, go onto YouTube and search the term "full movies" for a pretty big selection of movies you could put onto your hard drive or an external drive before you go. My wife and I used to watch movies on laptops evenings when we went on cruises on our sailboat.

I was hoping to get by with the lightweight Surface as the take along device but by the time I read about all it would take to try to get the Surface to cooperate with a SD card I decided I'll take the laptop. I've not seen Downton Abbey and had purchased the first 3 seasons in a boxed set. Season 4 is available now too for purchase so perhaps I'll just get that and take those along. My girlfriend has a lot of DVDs...not sure why she purchases them but she would be a source as well.

Kind of frustrating though that there is this technology and it's still so complicated to make it work if one is not a "techie" person.

[Rob Hanesworth]

My Dell laptop (2013 model) has an HDMI port, so if I was in your circumstance I would pack it and an HDMI cable and hope to output it to the resort's TV.

[Chesapeake]

I would definitely spring for external speakers. More to lug around, but you'll be glad you did. You can pick up a reasonably decent set for around $50.

[Chesapeake]

Of course if you can hook it up with the resort TV you wouldn't need to worry about speakers, but I'd take a set along for insurance in case you can't.

[Resolve]

Nov 24, 2014 19:33:34 GMT -5 Rob Hanesworth said:

My Dell laptop (2013 model) has an HDMI port, so if I was in your circumstance I would pack it and an HDMI cable and hope to output it to the resort's TV.

Fully willing to admit my ignorance here in hopes of gettin' smarter...what would that do?

Hmmmm just realized the resort may have DVD players with their TVs. Gotta check that out.

[Deleted]

I have a Surface 2. I have found ways to watch almost any movie online with my decent Wi-Fi ('Free movies box' and 'Hollywood HD are good free apps), doing so offline seems to be do-able,if you download the right movie player from the store, but quite complicated. I'd probably avoid the confusion and use my laptop and an HDMI cable where possible. Those are affordable.

[patrick]

I just got back from a trip and I was able to watch movies on my iPad on the plane, or in my room without wifi.

I have a Netflix subscription, so I get disks, rip them to an mp4 using free software, then load the mp4s onto a microSD. Getting them onto the iPad is considerably more convoluted than what you have to do because the iPad DOESN'T have a USB port or card slot, but that step is easy for you.

If only one person at a time will watch, just take good headphones or ear buds. I use Bose noise cancelling headphones on airplanes, they are a godsend.

[Rob Hanesworth]

Nov 24, 2014 22:46:11 GMT -5 Resolve said:

Nov 24, 2014 19:33:34 GMT -5 Rob Hanesworth said:

My Dell laptop (2013 model) has an HDMI port, so if I was in your circumstance I would pack it and an HDMI cable and hope to output it to the resort's TV.

Fully willing to admit my ignorance here in hopes of gettin' smarter...what would that do?

Hmmmm just realized the resort may have DVD players with their TVs. Gotta check that out.

I could play a DVD on the laptop and use the HDMI cable to send the output to the TV by plugging one end of the cable to the computer and the other to the TV.

You could also pack a small, cheap ($30) DVD player and cables a some DVDs borrowed from friends.

[Resolve]

Nov 25, 2014 22:53:27 GMT -5 Rob Hanesworth said:

Nov 24, 2014 22:46:11 GMT -5 Resolve said:

Fully willing to admit my ignorance here in hopes of gettin' smarter...what would that do?

Hmmmm just realized the resort may have DVD players with their TVs. Gotta check that out.

I could play a DVD on the laptop and use the HDMI cable to send the output to the TV by plugging one end of the cable to the computer and the other to the TV.

You could also pack a small, cheap ($30) DVD player and cables a some DVDs borrowed from friends.

Good advice, Rob. Checked with the travel agent...no DVD player in the room. Maybe a cheap DVD player WOULD be a better route to go than bringing the laptop. Great idea! Thanks! What do I need to connect the DVD player to the TV?

[Doug]

I'd stick with the lap top because you don't know what type of connections the TV will have.

[Rob Hanesworth]

Doug is right that you cannot know what connectors the TV has. I would guess that a DVD player that outputs to A/V cables (red, white, yellow) is most likely to work. HDMI is newer. Most flat screens accept both. Take a cheap DVD player with A/V output and you should be ok. Here's one at Wal-Mart that includes the cables:



Craig DVD Player

[Resolve]

Thanks again, guys. I guess I didn't realize how cheap some of those DVD players are! That'll work for me!

I'd rather not take the laptop if all I am looking for is a way to play some DVDs. We won't have internet service in the room so I'll take my tablet to access the 15 min. we can use in the lobby. I get gmail on my kindle via satellite...cool...pain to thumb type but it suffices.

What is a HDMI? Would it be likely I'd run into a TV that only accepts that?

EDIT: In the "who knew?" department I just discovered there is such a thing as a portable DVD player! This one can also hook up to a larger display (TV) but it would be something we could use on the plane as well. Sold! www.amazon.com/Sylvania-SDVD9000B2-9-Inch-Portable-Player/dp/B004QGXWSQ/ref=pd_cp_e_1

[Deleted]

The cable that connects your video, DVD and whatnot to the TV used to be a VGA cable. Nowadays, typically there is a HDMI cable that does the same for many devices. The Surface tablet has a 'mini-HDMI' socket that you can use to connect it to most TVs made in the last few years. The TV becomes your tablet/laptop/portable DVD screen. TVs in Cancun hotels might have sockets for HDMI cables. TVs in Chiapas or Oaxaca, less likely. The people in the TV/computer shop will probably know what might help you cable-wise.

[Resolve]

Thanks, James.

I think I'm going to get that portable DVD player. I see the one I am looking at will accept SD cards so I could potentially put movies onto a card and play it on the player or just be lazy and take a bunch of DVDs.

We're not traveling til after the holidays and the kids never know what to buy us for a gift so this is going on the Christmas list.