Add a Movie to Your iPad

An iPad's big, bright screen makes it perfect for personal movie watching. Luckily, there are a few different ways to add movies to your iPad. Read the steps below to learn how.

Steps

Convert From a DVD

  1. Convert the DVD. Since you can't insert a DVD into your iPad, you'll need to convert the movie on the disc into a computer file. To do this, you'll need some software; fortunately, it's easy to find free programs that will serve your needs.
    • Get your program. A good program to use is HandBrake, which can be downloaded here. HandBrake is an open-source program, which means that its code is publicly available and can be modified or improved upon by other programmers. This also means it is safe and free of spyware and viruses. HandBrake is available for most operating systems.
    • Load the DVD. After installing the program, insert the DVD you want to copy into your computer's DVD player, then open your conversion program and point it to the DVD.
      • DVDs are divided into various parts, which most converters (including HandBrake) will display. Don't bother copying the menus and previews; only select the movie itself.
    • Convert the movie to a video file. Choose from the options available and, when you're satisfied, click the appropriate button to start the process.
      • The iPad can play H.264, MPEG-4, and M-JPEG video files. Choose one of these formats for your conversion to be sure the finished file will play on your iPad.
      • Be sure to save the file to a place you will be able to easily find it.
  2. Transfer the video file using iTunes. iTunes will “grab” the video file you made and transfer a copy of it onto your iPad.
    • Plug your iPad into your computer, and open iTunes.
    • Drag the movie file onto the upper left part of the iTunes window, where it says “”LIBRARY.” The movie will copy to the Movies area of iTunes.
      • If you haven't added any movies before, the Movies area will now appear in the list, near Music.
    • Select your iPad from the sidebar menu. You will now see an options screen for your iPad.
    • Click the “Movies” tab near the top of the screen, and check the box next to “Sync movies.”
    • Click “Sync” on the main screen to sync your iPad. The movie you dragged into iTunes will now sync to the iPad.

Google Drive

  1. If you download the app google drive and the app Onboard player on to your iPad, you can go on to your computer, upload the movie file, and then download it in drive app and hit open in Onboard Player.

Purchase From the Apple Store

  1. Get the video you want. You can choose to rent or purchase from the Apple Store library, which is fairly extensive.
    • Log into the iTunes Store by clicking the link in the sidebar.
      • If you don't have an account, you will be prompted to create one. This is free and doesn't take very long.
    • Click the Movies button at the very top of the window, in the black bar. A list of options will come up. Choose the category you want.
    • Search with the search bar, or browse, until you find a movie to rent or purchase.
    • Click the appropriate button and follow the steps to complete your purchase. The video will download to your computer. You can watch it in iTunes by clicking the Movies option in the sidebar.
  2. Transfer the video to your iPad. This is similar to the process described above.
    • Plug your iPad into your computer.
    • In iTunes, choose the Movies (or Videos) option to view your movies.
    • Click the movie you wish to add to your iPad and select “move,” then “apply” to confirm the action. The video file should transfer to your iPad.

Stream Directly

  1. Choose a service. Some video sites, like YouTube and Hulu Basic, are free to use, while others, like Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, charge fees.
    • Paid services generally offer a much better selection of quality content than free services.
  2. Download iPad software for the service. Most paid services will require an app to run properly; fortunately, these apps are free to download.
    • Get the Amazon Instant Video app here.
    • Get the Netflix app here.
    • Get the Hulu Plus app here.
    • YouTube, Vimeo, and other browser video services don't require an app.
  3. Watch your movie. Open the app and log in to your video account, or open a browser and navigate to your free video site of choice. The video you choose will stream onto your device.
    • The video only appears on your iPad temporarily, and has to be streamed again if you want to watch it again.
    • Stay within wireless range. If you go out of range, your movie will stop.
    • Streaming requires much less space than storing movies on your iPad.

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Sources and Citations

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