I Phone ?-movies.....

[sudsy9977]

hey so what's the deal with movie renting on an iphone.....i am going on vacation and a friend asked....can he rent a movie say in the airport and will it be there when he turns it back on in the plane?....or do u have to have like a signal with a tower or something to watch it.....the only reason i ask is i thought it was different than downloading on directly to the phone.....any answers out there ?......ryan

 

[so_sleepy]

You can rent a movie for the iPhone/iPad using Itunes, but you need access to a WiFi network because the file you download will be larger than 10MB and they won't allow that on a 3G network.
Basic steps:
1. launch the Itunes app on the iPhone
2. Select "Videos" from the toolbar at the bottom
3. Pick a movie and select "Rent"

You can also transfer movies from your PC to the iPhone using iTunes. If you have a Netflix account, it allows you to stream movies over WiFi, but no download for offline viewing.

 

[sudsy9977]

so does that mean u can't watch it on a plane?.....or can u get access to a wifi network in the air?.....ryan

 

[so_sleepy]

when you rent, you will be able to watch it on the plane, but the file will take a while to download. It is hard to say how long, because it depends on how good your wireless connection is. It could be 10 minutes or a couple of hours, so rent as far in advance as possible.

I should say that renting on Itunes is not a great deal. Most rentals cost 4-5 dollars. When you rent the movie, two timers start running. First, you have 30 days to watch the movie, if you don't watch it, you lose the fee. Once you start watching the movie, you get 24 hours to finish it. You can watch as many times as you want in that 24 hours, but then you are done.

 

[sudsy9977]

so lemme get this straight....i am better off renting it a week before i leave say?......or will it still depend on how good the wireless connection is on the plane?.....sorry i am a computer idiot!....ryan

 

[so_sleepy]

Yes, rent the movie a couple of days before your trip so you can make sure the movie is downloaded to the phone.

There are basically two types of wireless networks:
1. The cell phone network. It goes by a lot of names depending on your carrier (3G, 4G, HSPDA... it doesn't matter). This is what the "data plan" for your iPhone pays for. It is slow and you can use it almost anywhere except when you are on a plane. When you pull out your phone on a plane, the stewardess may ask if your phone is in "airplane mode." If you open up the "settings" icon on the iphone the top control is for "airplane mode" to disable the cell-phone part of your iPhone.
2. The other kind of wireless is usually called WiFi. If you have a wireless router at home, this is what you are using. When you go into a coffee shop and you see a sign that says "free wireless" or "free WiFi" it is the same thing. Most airports have a WiFi network, some airports are free and others charge money to use it. Most people think of laptops using this WiFi but the iphone can use it too. It is faster than the cell phone network and you aren't using up your data plan. A few airlines have WiFi access on their planes, but they charge 5-15 dollars to use it. I don't know if they will let you use your phone to access it on the plane.

 

[sudsy9977]

sleepy thanks for the explanations.....so there is a cance that the movie won't play on the plane still?.....if the wireless signal isn't good enough?.....or if u rent it a few days before you'll be good to go?.....sorry but i am still missing that part somehow......ryan

 

[so_sleepy]

after you go through the "rent" thing the movie will be saved to your phone. You can check it by opening up the iPod controls. The movie will appear under the videos section. That is when you know you are good to go. You have 30 days to watch it. Once you start the movie, you have 24 hours to finish it.

 

[so_sleepy]

I found a tutorial that will walk you through it
http://artoftheiphone.com/2009/02/17/how-to-rent-movies-from-itunes-and-watch-them-on-the-iphone/

 

[sudsy9977]

thanks alot boss......i appreciate it.....ryan

 

[Dave Martell]

i am a computer idiot!....ryan

+1 :razz: