Watching movies on an iPad2.

[5teve]

Hi Guys and Guyesses.
It seems to me that Apple have done their darnedest to make it difficult to watch movies on an iPad2.
They tell us how brilliant the screen is but then, if we want to see anything other than a photo or a short video clip from a camcorder, we end up spending loads of cash to buy this or that App that may or may not work with the file format that your full length films are in.
I won't go as far as to say what I would like to say but if a firm says something along the lines of, "Buy this product from us and view pictures and Videos using an SD card". Then, after you buy it and get it home, you find that "Videos" means short clips taken on a camera and NOT videos as in films/movies that you have paid to download to your computer.
But I'm not angry at being semi-deceived like that. Not a bit.
Anyway, why I'm here is to ask for help.
Let's just imagine that I have several full length movies on my Mac Mini PC. There are all kinds of formats including .mov, .avi and .mpeg but I can change the format to any type if required. So, while we are in the land of Make Believe, we can also accept that I can follow instructions, could some kind soul walk me through the steps that I need to follow to be able to fire up the iPad2 and watch a film?
Many thanks for any help,
Steve

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[ipadder474]

You need the free program Micro Video Converter. It will make all your HD videos run on the iPad.
You convert on your computer and use iTunes to Sync. The videos to your iPad.
while working with videos in iTunes you Sync. Them, then plug your iPad into computer and they are Sync. To iPad.
Hope you are using a Mac computer, it's important.

[rah]

Use Handbrake to convert your movie to .m4v on your Mac Mini so you can add it to iTunes (and then to you iPad once you sync)...

1. Download Handbrake (HandBrake)
2. Copy the contents of the DMG file to your Applications folder and run Handbrake
3. Click the Source button on the toolbar to select the video file that you want to convert
3. Click the Toggle Presets button on the toolbar if the presets sidebar is not shown
4. Under the presets sidebar, select iPad
5. On the toolbar, click the Start button

Conversion time may vary.

Once conversion is finished, add the .m4v file to iTunes and then perform a sync to get it to your iPad. It should show up when you select Videos, under Movies.

I hope that helps.

[dMog]

I have read handbrake does not play well with windows platforms.... i would think that most people that own a ipad or ipod for that matter have windows based computers.... are there options for those consumers

[Temp31]

You can also just use Netflix and/or Hulu.

[HKWrite12]

Air video makes it even simpler. You can live convert movies over Wifi or convert them and store to iPad. Via the app on iPad just click add to queue. Best 2.99 you'll spend on movies.

[chevyguy]

Get AVPlayerHD load your movies files to the app using iTunes and then go watch your movies and be happy, no conversion needed, as it supports a wide variety of files. Search it in the app store and read up on it, if you like what you read, get it.

Sent from my iPad using iPF

[5teve]

Hi again.
No offence to the other guys that replied but the reply from RAH looks like being the simplest to follow so I'll go with that for now.

Thanks all.
Steve

ps.... for ipadder474....... Yes, I do use a Mac computer. A Mac Mini to be exact.

[Lancelee80]

I have read handbrake does not play well with windows platforms.... i would think that most people that own a ipad or ipod for that matter have windows based computers.... are there options for those consumers

I have used handbrake for tv shows and it worked fine for me. And, it's a free download.

[Vertigo1]

I have read handbrake does not play well with windows platforms.... i would think that most people that own a ipad or ipod for that matter have windows based computers.... are there options for those consumers

Handbrake works perfectly for me on Win7 x64. Have used it to convert all manner of formats and it'll even rip directly from DVD or Bluray and convert to an iPad format on the fly, providing you use something like AnyDVD to strip the DVD/BD protection. Excellent product.