Apps Playing iPad purchased movies via HDMI?!

[mac98aop]

hi everyone

I downloaded several purchased movies to watch in our vacation apartment using my iPad mini 6 and HDMI cable.

When I plugged in to the TV it said the download wasn’t suitable for playing via that cable connection and offered to either stream or download the appropriate version. I have no data/WiFi to do so.

I can find some local WiFi but not with the iPad and TV plugged in to recreate the ‘error message.’

I hoped it would be possible to re-download the movies in the appropriate setting / format but am unable to find that setting?



Any tips please?



Thanks everyone



Adam

London, UK (via Bordeaux!)

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Will the movies play on your iPad Mini screen (so you for sure have them downloaded to the Mini)? If so, I've done this many times (but not across country borders). Try a different HDMI cable?

I generally "rip my own" movies vs. "lifetime leasing" access from streaming services. So this might be a situation where the iPad needs to "check in" with Apple servers to get some kind of authentication to play the movie. If so, you'll need a way to connect to wifi momentarily, so that Apple can know that it is you on your own equipment trying to play a movie vs.- say- someone who has a copy of a movie you've downloaded trying to play it. Thus, it needs to perhaps only briefly connect with Apple to grant you the right to play the movie(s).

There are small mobile devices to create your own wifi using cellular data. Device links to local cell signal and then acts like a router for your iPad Mini. One of those might do the trick for not much money. Here's a pic of one of seemingly MANY such devices...

 

[mac98aop]

Thanks!

Yes the movies play on the iPad mini and I doubt it’s the cable as Netflix plays direct to the TV, just fine.

It’s cheap but well reviewed and tested: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Discount-C...eb-859c-4dc3c7bc45a0&pd_rd_i=B07CL2RHX5&psc=1

I could hotspot from my iPhone to at least see if Apple wants to certify the cable but the error message speaks of the wrong format and offers to download in correct format (but I’ve no WiFi) which implies there’s format options?!

I wonder if they were downloaded in SD but the cable and TV combo wants HD?

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

You can open the AppleTV app, click on the movie so that it shows a description and it will show you the format. I believe that is the format downloaded to the iPad but not as sure about that. It may show the max playable format regardless of which version you've downloaded to your iPad. I would guess it's the ACTUAL, not the max available option.

Yes, I suggest a very short-term hotspot link with the phone to see if you need a bit of authentication with Apple. If the movie doesn't start pretty quickly after that, you might want to cut off the (presumable) download so it doesn't eat up a bunch of your data.

 

[mac98aop]

You can open the AppleTV app, click on the movie so that it shows a description and it will show you the format. I believe that is the format downloaded to the iPad but not as sure about that. It may show the max playable format regardless of which version you've downloaded to your iPad. I would guess it's the ACTUAL, not the max available option.

Yes, I suggest a very short-term hotspot link with the phone to see if you need a bit of authentication with Apple. If the movie doesn't start pretty quickly after that, you might want to cut off the (presumable) download so it doesn't eat up a bunch of your data.

The hotspot didn’t resolve anything but triggered the re-downloading of the movie in a format so I paused due to lack of data roaming and then promptly removed the original download so I now can’t even watch it on the iPad.

Irritatingly, I can’t make the app generate the error message /option (attached) without being plugged in to the TV, so I can’t find some public WiFi and download, which begs the question of what format it chooses that it doesn’t do when the cable isn’t connected?!

Grrr, it’s very un-Apple, no? And strangely some of the movies do play as they’ve somehow magically chosen to download in the cable friendly format.

What on earth is going on!?

 

[mac98aop]

Now home and tried troubleshooting.

Turns out that if you're plugged in to your TV and download, iPad opts for a format that can mirror. If you're not, it doesn't give you the option and presumes you'll only want to watch on device.

Seems a bit of a daft oversight to me. And hardly practicable. Ah well... it no longer simply "just works"!

 

[Salt City Ute]

That’s odd. I use to do this all the time.

 

[curnalpanic]

Probably some HDCP restriction.