how to download a movie for the plane

So, maybe the equipment you're flying on doesn't have AVOD, but won't it at least have the old-fashioned movie screen on the bulkhead and/or several common monitors on the ceiling for playing movies everyone must watch? It's hard to believe, but United's 747's are still this way in economy. They're supposed to be getting an upgrade, because that's totally unacceptable compared to their other aircraft and what the competition is doing. BTW, be careful about downloading movies...make sure you're legal...look at crackle.com.

There is a difference between downloading and streaming. When you are watching Netflix or Hulu or something similar, you are streaming over the inteernet and need WiFi. You can also download a movie, through ITunes, or a similar app, and the movie is actually stored on you device. You don't need WiFi to watch a downloaded movie. You just need to dowload it to your device ahead of time, while you do have WiFi. Edit: Streaming is often free or low cost. Dowloading is more expensive as it requires purchase (in order to make it a legal download).

my android tablet does not support iPhones but I did another Google search and apparently with the last two weeks google has come out with the way to download movies(I have the Google nexus tablet). we'll try it on the train this afternoon. Thanks for your suggestions.

This response is not so much for SuzieeQQ, but for the webmaster who made several other responses, including mine, disappear; Yes, it is both illegal and unseemly to collect DVD's from Netflix or any other "rental" source and ripping them into private digital copies using Handbrake or any other software, for your own personal, permanent use. However, my response was limited to DVD's we already own and have purchased ourselves - of which we have more than 300. Rather than count on the whims of available media on flights, buses or trains, I prefer to have a healthy supply of movies that I already know and like to help pass the dead times. This is an entirely different situation. Yes, I wouldn't be surprised, given how uptight movie studios might be regarding copyright, to learn that even making digital transfer of a movie you already own is technically illegal. However, if this is so, then so is making a photocopy of a page from a guidebook you already own. Same thing - just making a duplicate in a different format. Any fussbudgets out there want to claim THAT'S a delete-your-post-worthy offense? As it happens, I know that some studios now release their DVD's with an already embedded digital copy already formatted for iPods and iPads, as a way of making their product more appealing and sell better. So they understand the need as well.

The "ripping" of personal DVD/BluRays is not a violation of any copyright law. U.S. law specifically allows owners of digital media to make backup copies of discs for personal use. Copying Redbox/Netflix discs would be a violation. Copying discs wholly owned is kosher.

I've found that movies take up a lot of room on tablet's memory space, so downloading more than one often is not worth it as it takes up too much room. Do you enjoy books on "tape". I found that is a good way to spend time on a plane (can close eyes, no glare from screen messing up eyes, can be in any position, etc.). Try and spend some of that time sleeping too (you will need it). In all the flights I have been on, the movies and tv shows are enough entertaining to keep me going for a few hours.
On a separate note, found out that you cannot stream on Netflix in Italy. My grand plan of watching movies while there over the Wifi was grounded. So, you may not even be able to watch with Netflix or Google Play due to some international law.

Another native to streaming or to jamming up your tablet with a bunch of movies is to upload your movies, etc., to a cloud service such as Box.Com which offers up to 50GB of free storage. You can then download as you go, and delete from your device when you're done. Your movies will remain in the cloud and your tablet/pad will be blissfully free.