How Does Google Play Movies and TV Work?

**music_man185** · 07-08-2012, 11:09 AM

for example, if you rent a movie on google play, does it stream to your device when you want to watch? or do you download it? my main concern is being able to view tv and movies while offline if i'm not around a wifi connection.

**crwallace2** · 07-08-2012, 12:46 PM

It is set to stream by default, however you have the ability to "pin" it to our device which will download it for offline viewing. (while pinned it cannot be viewed on other devices however)

**music_man185** · 07-08-2012, 01:42 PM

ok, so you have the option to download onto your device or stream? could it be streamed to a tv through an hdmi cable or media dock when i'm ready to watch?

**sledge007** · 09-18-2012, 08:43 PM

I was just wondering the same thing today. I haven't ever ordered movies through Google Play, so I don't know much about it. I do know I can stream local video, music, pictures from my SGS3 to my PS3, so I was wondering about this content, through DLNA WiFi. Or alternatively, is it possible to hook up a mini USB to HDMI cord and watch them that way? It looks like movies through Google Play are a buck cheaper than Shaw VOD. Feel free to post a link to additional info if you already know of one, thanks.

**mandopicker101** · 09-19-2012, 02:04 PM

You can indeed stream to your device and watch on a TV. Works pretty well. For best effect, download to your device then play. I've done this a few times using my tablet.

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**sledge007** · 09-20-2012, 06:22 AM

So when you "rent" a movie, it will let you download to the device, and then wipe itself....is that how that works? I have Shaw Broadband 50Mbps by the way, that wouldn't be fast enough?

**mandopicker101** · 09-24-2012, 02:35 AM

Hi

Once you start watching, you get 48 hours to finish your film. Then it's disabled as an option. A 50mbps connection should definitely be fine...depends on wifi signal where you want to watch it I guess. Also depends on your device too. For optimal movie pleasure I usually only have the video app running.

For example, our router is on its way out and we have 17-20Mbps. Generally it works fine streamed, but I usually download to avoid hassle with contention at peak times (we're still on ADSL).

So, just to be explicit, yes you can download to your device. Its an option in Google Play Movies. Doing so means you can only watch on that device ( i.e. no streaming to, say, a desktop PC if it's on your tablet) but you can 'undo' this option and go back to streaming.

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**kach474** · 09-24-2012, 04:43 PM

Side question. I have a bionic rooted with ICS leak. I can rent and purchase movies fine on this device. My question is when I download a movie I have purchased I am able to find it with a root explorer but if I copy the file and put it on my SD card and change the file ext it will play but only the first 10 seconds or so then stops.

I understand not wanted people stealing rented movies but if I purchased the movie I would like to put it on my PC. Anyone know a way around this?

Thanks.

Sent from my HTC_Flyer_P512_NA using Android Central Forums

**amadeus303** · 01-28-2013, 05:03 PM

Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead... but I have a slightly different question and am hoping someone knows the answer. Most of the people attempting to move purchased movies to their SD card are trying to change file extensions, etc., presumably with the desire to play movies on *any* device. I just want to play it on one of my other phones or tablets where I have the Play movies app installed and signed into my account... the same account that I used to purchase my content. I swap phones from time to time (sim card and sd card) depending on where I'm traveling, and I don't want to have to "unpin" on my Note 2, and then "re-pin/download" on my Bionic. It takes a good amount of time to DL a movie even with a good wifi connection. Anyone figured something out?

If I purchased a movie from Google Play, is there any way to download it to the SD car

Originally Posted by kach474

Side question. I have a bionic rooted with ICS leak. I can rent and purchase movies fine on this device. My question is when I download a movie I have purchased I am able to find it with a root explorer but if I copy the file and put it on my SD card and change the file ext it will play but only the first 10 seconds or so then stops.

I understand not wanted people stealing rented movies but if I purchased the movie I would like to put it on my PC. Anyone know a way around this?

Thanks.

Sent from my HTC_Flyer_P512_NA using Android Central Forums

**still1** · 01-28-2013, 06:22 PM

Originally Posted by sledge007

So when you "rent" a movie, it will let you download to the device, and then wipe itself....is that how that works? I have Shaw Broadband 50Mbps by the way, that wouldn't be fast enough?

yes!!!

Originally Posted by mandopicker101

Once you start watching, you get 48 hours to finish your film.

I think you get 24 hours not 48 hrs

**dakunclear** · 05-03-2013, 04:38 AM

I'm going to make this clear the rental period is good for 48 hours as said on Google play store website and you can download the movie you bought on up to 5 devices at a time that's also on the Google play store conditions but here is the exact copied from the store itself.

Google Play Help
Download purchased videos on multiple devices
When you purchase a movie or TV show, you have the option to stream the video or download it for offline viewing without an Internet connection.

Each purchased video can be downloaded on five different devices at a time. If you want to download one of your videos to a sixth device, you'll first need to remove the download from one of the original five devices. If you no longer have access to one of the original five devices (e.g. you lost it), please contact us.

**jeff jarvis** · 11-10-2013, 04:39 PM

I used to be able to stream videos from my Android phone to my TV. For some reason I can no longer do so. When I connect my Razor MAX HD Phone to my TV I can view my mirrored screen on my television. However when I start to play a movie that I downloaded from Goggle Play the screen goes fuzzy on both my phone and TV, but I still have sound. Is there something that I have possibly changed on my phone or has goggle changed the ability to do this in an update?

**Katrina Santistevan** · 03-18-2014, 12:11 PM

ok I'm a fan of keeping things simple if you can. So here's my question I have a Samsung Galaxy note 3 with android version 3.4. I bought a movie (not rented) and downloaded to my device. I'm not interested in changing format or even moving it to another device. I'm only interested in not clogging all my internal storage with movies so I bought an sd card. It is mounted and formatted and I've already moved my pics so I know it works fine. Is there a way to move the video to the sd card as well?

**SdTraveler** · 06-02-2014, 11:17 PM

Hi. I have the exact same question. I downloaded two movies from google play believing I could transfer them to my sd card. Instead, they are using up about a gb of internal memory, and I can't figure out how to transfer them. If I can't transfer them, then what's the point of downloading them at all? Aren't I better off just playing them on google play and not downloading them? Have you been able to figure out these answers? Thanks.

**B. Diddy** · 06-02-2014, 11:24 PM

Welcome to Android Central! The reason to download a movie to your device (i.e. "Keep on Device") is to allow you to watch the movie at a later time if you don't have a good internet connection. If you could transfer the movie to an SD card, then it would only be a few easy steps to start distributing the movie illegally, which Google obviously would like to prevent.