All iPads Playing movies directly from Dropbox with VLC

[mikebatho]

My girl just got an iPad air for Christmas. I had her set up dropbox, so I can throw stuff in there.

If I put movies in there, can she play them directly from the dropbox folder using VLC, or will she need to download them to the device? They'd be every kind of video format...

Thanks.

 

[Apple_Robert]

If you can, make sure the movies are in mp4 format. That way, she shouldn't need to use VLC. Otherwise, VLC should work. I haven't tested it on my new Air yet. But, I have on other Apple devices and it worked.

 

[mikebatho]

That's just it - they'll be in all different kinds of formats.

I was hoping in VLC when she goes to OPEN FILE she'll be able to select her drop box folder as a location...

 

[maflynn]

will she need to download them to the device? They'd be every kind of video format...

They will be downloaded to her device, dropbox is not a streaming technology but rather a file synchronization service

 

[mikebatho]

But a couple of months ago I popped an episode of a TV series in a shared drop box folder for a friend to check out, and he watched it direct from the folder on his smart TV...

:-/

 

[Night Spring]

But a couple of months ago I popped an episode of a TV series in a shared drop box folder for a friend to check out, and he watched it direct from the folder on his smart TV...

What is this SmartTV?

Anyway, Dropbox itself isn't a streaming service, but some apps and devices can stream from Dropbox, if that makes sense?

In case of an iPad, Dropbox app on the iPad does stream mp4 format videos. Videos in other formats, there might be apps that can stream them from Dropbox, but you'll have to find an app that does.

 

[maflynn]

But a couple of months ago I popped an episode of a TV series in a shared drop box folder for a friend to check out, and he watched it direct from the folder on his smart TV...

:-/

That's his TV, the iPad doesn't work that way. There are solutions to stream TV shows to your iPad, dropbox is not one of them. You may get it to work, but only by downloading the video to your iPad.

 

[Night Spring]

That's his TV, the iPad doesn't work that way. There are solutions to stream TV shows to your iPad, dropbox is not one of them. You may get it to work, but only by downloading the video to your iPad.

Actually, as I said above, Dropbox does stream videos if they are in mp4 format. The problem is that OP wants to stream videos in other formats.