17. Watching TV Shows, Movies, and Other Videos
In this chapter, you learn how to use your iPad to watch movies, TV shows, and other videos.
Your iPad is a great device for watching your favorite movies, TV shows, and other videos wherever you happen to be. Whether you’re relaxing on your couch, sitting in a coffeehouse, or traveling cross country, just pull out your iPad and dial up what you want to watch—on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and other video services.
(If you want to learn more about movies and TV shows available on your iPad and elsewhere online, check out Que’s companion book, My Digital Entertainment for Seniors, available wherever books are sold. There’s a lot more to watch online if you know where to find it!)
Watching Netflix
Most of the video you watch on your iPad is streaming video. This is video that streams in real time, over the Internet, from a streaming video service. Of course, you can also purchase and download movies and TV shows to your iPad for future viewing (which is covered later in this chapter). But most people these days watch their video entertainment via streaming video. There’s nothing to download; just press “play” and you’re ready to watch.
One of the most popular streaming video services today is Netflix. (You’ve probably heard of it.) Netflix offers a variety of movies, past and current TV shows, and original programming.
Netflix offers three subscription plans: Basic ($7.99/month), which doesn’t offer high definition (HD) viewing; Standard ($10.99/month), which does offer HD, plus the ability to view on two different devices at the same time; and Premium ($13.99/month), which lets you watch on four different screens simultaneously. For most users, the Standard plan is the one to get.
Use the Netflix App
You watch Netflix programming via the Netflix app, which you can download for free from Apple’s App Store. The first time you launch the app you’re prompted to either sign into an existing account, if you have one, or sign up for a new account. Do so.
From the iPad’s Home screen, tap the Netflix icon to launch the Netflix app.
Netflix lets you create multiple viewer profiles. If you’ve created more than one profile, they’re displayed on the Who’s Watching? screen. Tap the profile you want to use.
On the Netflix home screen, scroll down to see various sections: Popular on Netflix, Trending Now, New Releases, and so forth.
Tap the Menu icon to view programming by category: TV Shows, Action & Adventure, Comedies, Dramas, and so forth.
Tap to select a category to view programming in that category.
Tap the Search (magnifying glass) icon to display the Search page and search for specific programming.
Tap the program or movie you want to watch.
If you selected a television show, you see a detail panel for that show. Tap the Seasons down arrow to display all episodes from a given season.
Tap a thumbnail to start watching that episode.
If you selected a movie, you see the detail panel with information about that movie. Tap the Play icon to begin watching.
Tap the screen to display the controls at the bottom of the screen. Tap the Pause button to pause playback; the button changes to a Play button. Tap Play to resume playback.
Drag the slider (sometimes called a “scrubber”) to move to another point in the program.
Tap the Back (10) icon to skip back 10 seconds.
Watching Hulu
Hulu is a streaming video service known for offering recent episodes of network and cable programming. You can watch just about any TV program within a few days of its original airing. (Hulu also offers a selection of movies and original programming.) You pay $7.99/month to subscribe to Hulu’s basic plan (with limited commercials) or $11.99/month for the No Commercials plan.
Hulu also offers a more robust solution for cable cord cutters. The Hulu with Live TV Plan (starting at $39.99/month) lets you watch live TV from more than 50 local and cable channels, in addition to the normal on-demand streaming of movies and TV shows. You even get the option to record your favorite shows via Hulu’s cloud-based DVR service.
You can sign up for any of these plans from Hulu’s website (www.hulu.com) or from the Hulu app.
Use the Hulu App
You watch Hulu from the Hulu app, which you can download for free from Apple’s App Store. The first time you launch the Hulu app you’re prompted to either sign into an existing account, if you have one, or create a new account. Do whichever you need to do.
From the iPad’s Home screen, tap the Hulu icon to launch the Hulu app.
Tap the Home icon to view Hulu’s Home screen.
Scroll from right to left (or tap the categories at the top of the screen) to view selections from Hulu’s Lineup; Keep Watching shows you’ve previously watched; view available TV programs; view available Movies; and discover other recommended programming.
Tap the My Stuff icon to view items you’ve tagged for Hulu to keep track of.
Scroll from right to left to view selections by category (TV Shows, Movies, Expiring, or Networks).
Tap the Browse button to browse programming by category.
Tap a category to view programming within that category.
Tap the Search button to search for specific programming.
Enter your query in to the Search box at the top of the page.
Tap a thumbnail to watch that particular program or movie.
If you selected a TV program, tap Episodes and then tap the down arrow next to Seasons to select a specific season. You can then view episodes within that season.
Tap to watch a given episode.
If you selected a movie, tap Watch Movie to begin watching.
Tap the screen to display the playback controls. Tap the Pause button to pause playback; tap Play to resume playback.
Drag the slider/scrubber to move to a different point in the program.
Tap the Back (10) icon to skip back 10 seconds, or the Forward (10) icon to skip forward 10 seconds.
Widescreen Video
Because movies and TV shows are shot wider than they are tall (especially with true widescreen programming), the best way to watch movies on your iPad is to hold your device horizontally, in landscape mode.
Watching Amazon Video
You may know Amazon as a popular online retailer. But Amazon is also in the streaming video business, with its Amazon Video service. Like Netflix and Hulu, Amazon Video offers a variety of movies, TV programs, and original programming.
You watch Amazon Video from the Amazon Video app, which you can download for free from Apple’s App Store. You can purchase or rent individual programs, episodes, and movies, or subscribe to Prime Video ($8.99/month, or free if you have an Amazon Prime membership) and get many—but not all—programs for free. (Not all shows and movies are available for free with Prime; you still have to purchase some of them separately.)
Amazon Prime Video is both separate from and a part of Amazon Prime, the service that gives you free shipping on most Amazon orders. It’s separate in that you can subscribe separately; there’s an $8.99/month Prime Video subscription that covers only video streaming, not physical shipping. However, if you go with a full Amazon Prime subscription ($10.99/month or $99.99/year), you not only get free shipping on your Amazon purchases, you also get a full Prime Video membership. Depending on how much shopping you do at Amazon, that might be the best deal.
Use the Amazon Video App
The first time you launch the Amazon Video app you’re prompted to sign in with your Amazon account. Do so if you have one; if you don’t yet have an Amazon account, you need to go to Amazon’s website and create one.
From the iPad’s Home screen, tap the Amazon Prime icon to launch the Amazon Prime app.
Tap the Home tab to view Amazon Video’s Home screen.
Tap the Originals tab to show only original Amazon programming.
Tap the TV tab to view only TV shows.
Tap the Movies tab to view only movies.
Tap the Kids tab to view children’s programming.
Tap the Search box to search for specific shows or movies.
Scroll down the page to view suggestions by type.
Tap to select the item you want to watch.
If you selected a TV show, tap to select a season.
Tap the Play icon for the episode you want to watch.
If you selected a movie, tap Watch Now to watch now.
Tap to display the playback controls. Tap Pause to pause playback; tap Play to resume playback.
Tap the Back icon to skip back 10 seconds.
Tap the Forward icon to skip forward 10 seconds.
Drag the slider/scrubber to move to another point in the program.
Watching YouTube
Online video isn’t all movies and TV shows. YouTube is a video sharing community where regular people, like you and me, can upload and share their home movies and other videos. There’s also a lot of more professional content on YouTube, including lots of music videos and educational videos.
Unlike Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Video, YouTube is completely free. You do get subjected to a fair number of commercials, however, so be prepared for that.
If you want to take advantage of all of YouTube’s features, including your own personal playlists and favorites, you need to sign in with your personal account—either a YouTube-specific account or a Google account, both free.
Use the YouTube App
You can watch YouTube from within the Safari web browser or, even better, from the YouTube app. You can download the app, for free, from Apple’s App Store. The first time you launch the app you’re prompted to sign in to your account or continue as a guest. Make your choice to continue.
From the iPad’s Home screen, tap the YouTube icon to launch the YouTube app.
Tap the Home tab to view YouTube’s Home screen.
Tap the Trending tab to view trending (popular) videos.
Tap the Subscriptions tab to view videos from channels you’ve subscribed to.
Tap the Search (magnifying glass) icon to search for specific videos.
Tap a thumbnail or title to view that video.
The video starts playing automatically. Tap the screen to display the playback controls and then tap Pause to pause playback. Tap Play to resume playback.
YouTube Ads
Some YouTube videos roll an advertisement before the video itself. In some instances, you can tap Skip Ad to skip the ad after the first few seconds. In other instances, you have to watch the entire ad before the video begins.
Tap the Next icon to advance to the next recommended video.
Drag the slider/scrubber to move to a different point in the video.
Tap the Fullscreen icon to display the video full screen, and then turn your iPad so that it’s horizontal. (Tap the icon again to return to the normal YouTube page.)
Buying and Renting Videos in the iTunes Store
You can also buy and rent movies and TV shows from Apple’s iTunes Store. These items are stored in your iCloud account, so you can buy a movie on one Apple device (like your iPad) and watch it on another (like your iPhone). You can even opt to download the items you purchase to your iPad, so you can watch when you don’t have an Internet connection.
Items you purchase from the iTunes Store are yours to watch however many times you want. Items you rent (which costs less, naturally) are available to watch for 30 days after purchase. Once you start watching, you have 24 hours to finish.
Rent or Purchase a Video
You can purchase and rent videos directly from the iTunes Store app or from your iPad’s TV app. This example uses the TV app.
From the iPad’s Home screen, tap the TV icon to launch the TV app.
Tap Store to open the iTunes Store.
Tap a network or channel icon to view programming from that network.
To shop for movies, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and tap Movies.
Tap the movie you want to watch.
Tap the Buy button to purchase the movie.
Tap the Rent button to rent the movie for a 30-day period.
Back on the main Store page, tap TV Shows to shop for television programs.
Tap the program you want to watch.
Tap the top price button to purchase all the episodes in the selected season.
Tap an individual price button to purchase the selected episode.
Season Pass
For some current television programs, you can purchase a season pass that enables you to watch each new episode as it’s available. For more information, look for the Season Pass section in the program’s description.
From the iPad’s Home screen, tap the TV icon to launch the TV app.
Tap Library (at the bottom of the screen) to view all items you’ve purchased or rented.
Tap Library (at the top of the screen) to display Recently Added, TV Shows, Movies, or Downloaded items.
Tap the show or movie you want to watch.
If you selected a movie, tap the Play button to begin playback.
If you selected a television show, available episodes are displayed. Tap the episode you want to watch.
The selection begins to play. Tap the screen to display the playback controls and then tap Pause to pause playback. Tap Play to resume playback.
Press and hold the Fast Forward button to fast-forward.
Press and hold the Fast Backward button to go backward.
Use the slider/scrubber at the top of the screen to move to a different point in the video.
Tap Done when you’re done watching.
