As a movie fan, you love nothing more than getting comfy with a nice bowl of popcorn, a tasty beverage and watching a great film — or two or three. As you probably know quite well, it can be a bit challenging to indulge in your favorite pastime when you are traveling. There is a bit of irony to this issue — while watching movies is a great way to pass the time when you are sitting in a chair 35,000 feet above the Earth, a lack of an internet connection can make this challenging.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways that movie buffs like yourself can enjoy watching your favorite movies on the go, even when you are far from home. Check out the following ideas:
Switch Your Cellular Service
If your current cellphone service doesn’t offer movie-friendly perks and features, it may be time to switch carriers. For example, T-Mobile’s network is ideal for movie fans; in addition to offering unlimited streaming that will let you stream your fave videos whenever you want, for as long as you want, T-Mobile also offers free in-flight data services on Gogo enabled flights. You can also get unlimited data across North America, so if your travels take you to Canada or Mexico you can still use your unlimited data there to stream anything you want to watch.
Download Ahead of Time
Solid internet connections are not available everywhere you go, so if you find yourself out in the wilderness camping with no cell tower nearby, you need a good plan to watch your fave stars while under the stars. Fortunately, a number of download services will allow you to take your films with you. One example is Amazon Prime and its accompanying Amazon Video app that will let you download videos onto your iPhone, iPad or Android device so you can watch them offline later one. Prior to leaving home, spend some time on Amazon looking for the movies that you plan on watching while you are away. Once you find what you are looking for, tap the Download button and these videos will then appear in the Downloads section of the app.
Invest in a Laptop with a DVD Drive
With so many movie buffs focusing on streaming and downloading films onto their mobile devices, we have kind of forgotten about the previous gold standard for watching movies on the go: DVDs. Benefits of this method include the fact that DVDs are compact and easy to pack and you are probably already bringing along a laptop computer anyway. Cons are that laptop batteries can conk out during a movie, so it’s best to pack a backup power source or two. You can check out these reviews of four great laptops that are still available and that include a DVD drive. As long as you have a backup power source, your laptop will allow you to relax with your favorite movie, even in a remote country or in an airplane with no Wi-Fi connection.
YouTube Red
YouTube offers a feature called YouTube Red that allows you to download videos to watch offline later on. You do have to pay for this service, but they usually offer great deals to entice you to give it a try; for example, right now you can get a trial offer for 3 months for $9.99 a month. To download a video, open up your YouTube app and tap the menu button next to the movie you want to watch later on; tap “save offline” and you can then choose what resolution you want the movie to be downloaded in.
