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Where to get TV and Movies (other than iTunes)

austink

Newbie
Nov 6, 2009
21
0
Is there any site where you can BUY and download TV shows or movies and load them on your android device? I am not talking about pirated video.

I know we can download from iTunes and then run it through a conversion process, but is there another way to do it without using Apple? Is there a way to get videos from Amazon on? Where do people get video for non-iPod devices?

I would love to buy some TV shows and load them, but it is a pain to go through the conversion process. Any thoughts?
 
I am sure there are a lot of ways to get bootlegged stuff, but I still think it is easier to follow the straight path and purchase something. Rather than hunting for something, it would be awesome to be able to browse a selection like you can in iTunes and download video that can just be loaded onto the Droid. There are enough non-iPhones out there, that I still can't understand how no company has introduced a competing service.

I guess until then, the only option is to download on iTunes and run through a conversion process.
 
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Do you have a PVR? I'm using a pc based pvr built on SageTV. I have tuners and bits for over the air HD, cable tv, component capture, internet content, DVD, and others. I can save any shows from the tuners, sat dish, online content, etc. There is a builtin conversion system to create copies suitable for other devices. I haven't played with it much on my Android, the first one I tried worked but was too large to play smoothly so I need to adjust things down to size.

If you're already paying for content then don't buy it again. And there is lots of free content.
 
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iTunes has videos in their proprietary format (mp4 I believe). I would go with Amazon Video service. TV shows are two bucks normally. I was watching season 1 of "24" a few weeks ago, and I wanted to get a couple episodes to watch until the DVDs came in the mail. I bought one off of iTunes and one off of Amazon just to see if there was much difference. The iTunes version had muddy and washed-out colors and was a little more grainy compared to the Amazon version; plus, it wasn't widescreen like Amazon's. The biggest plus though was that Amazon's videos came in WMV format which I could play with almost any video player. iTunes movies on the other hand can ONLY be watched in iTunes, and it actually has to be the same copy that it was purchased in (or another copy authorized to access your iTunes account). Of course, you can't convert it because of DRM restrictions.

http://www.amazon.com/Video-On-Demand/b?ie=UTF8&node=16261631
 
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I would go with Amazon Video service. TV shows are two bucks normally.....The biggest plus though was that Amazon's videos came in WMV format which I could play with almost any video player.
http://www.amazon.com/Video-On-Demand/b?ie=UTF8&node=16261631
Looks promising. But since you cannot transfer from a Mac to a portable device can you download directly to the Droid?

I appreciate the tip, and am going to look into this option very seriously. If I find the answer/procedure, I'll post it....
 
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But since you cannot transfer from a Mac to a portable device can you download directly to the Droid?
You can't? I don't own or use a Mac regularly, but I'm pretty sure you can mount a removable storage device with no problems. Droid in USB transfer mode is just a flash drive, so you should be able to transfer videos just fine.

As for conversions and file formats, I will try to transfer and watch some Amazon-purchased TV show episodes on my Droid later today and let you know how that works.
 
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I use AnyDVD to convert dvd's in my possession to whichever mobile format I want at the moment. Pricey, but it's updated frequently, and prmptly(!), to keep up with the varying shades of DRM as they appear. Been using it for a year or two, and it has yet to choke on any movie/tv show I toss at it. Very easy to use as well. Note: I've never been charged for an upgrade, but I'm told they've since changed that policy for newer buyers. So, be sure to read carefully before purchasing to prevent nasty surprises.

I rush to add: there are freebies which handle the de-DRM chore. But they drove me nuts (short drive, admittedly). I decided I'd rather pay up front to avoid aggravation every time I wanted to do a conversion.

No affiliation with the company. Just a super happy customer.
SlySoft AnyDVD | any dvd, region free, dvd copy, copy dvd movies, dvd decoder, dvd ripper, macrovision, dvd copying software
 
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Looks promising. But since you cannot transfer from a Mac to a portable device can you download directly to the Droid?

.

You can't? I don't own or use a Mac regularly, but I'm pretty sure you can mount a removable storage device with no problems. Droid in USB transfer mode is just a flash drive, .

Sorry, you are correct. I am able to use the droid as I would any mounted disc. I meant to discuss iTunes itself, where accessing the store/downloading is easy, but you can't watch it anywhere but your computer/iphone/itouch....
 
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You can't? I don't own or use a Mac regularly, but I'm pretty sure you can mount a removable storage device with no problems. Droid in USB transfer mode is just a flash drive, so you should be able to transfer videos just fine.

As for conversions and file formats, I will try to transfer and watch some Amazon-purchased TV show episodes on my Droid later today and let you know how that works.
Any luck with this?

I am trying to download tv shows/movies directly from a provider(Paid) without using a pc and cable
 
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Time to revive a VERY old thread. I too am looking for an answer to the question posed in the OP.

I'm looking for a LEGAL place to BUY individual TV shows (NOT just movies!) that I can DOWNLOAD (NOT stream!) to my device WITHOUT going through a DRM stripping and conversion process.

Thanks and Likes to any helpful responses!

I think this was added to the play store. I haven't tried yet as I am waiting for my nexus 7 and the $25 play store credit
 
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