How do I watch downloaded movies on my MacBook? (see details)
I used Demonoid to find a torrent, then downloaded the movie using uTorrent. When I had a PC I would open the downloaded movie in the Downloads folder then drag it to iTunes and watch it there. I tried doing the same thing with my MacBook Air but the file wouldn’t drag into iTunes. I also don’t have an application that I can use to watch this movie. Would VLC work? Is there any way I can get this file into my iTunes? (that is how I prefer to watch the movie)
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
11 Answers
I have no idea *I know nothing about Mac books other than to say how much it must suck to have downloaded movies to a device you can’t watch them on… Frustration central… I feel you!
Maybe this will help you? It’s all I could find.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=472647
What format is it is in anyways? WMV? AVI? MP4?
That makes a big difference.
As for VLC, I have rarely ever got it to launch, let alone work. That has been a constant across multiple PCs running three different Operating Systems, so I have my doubts about the Mac version too.
You need a good file format for macs, the ebst would be to convert the files to .mov then they will work with itunes easily. You might have them in wmv ormat, it which case they wont work, or some other special format. I know MKV wont work either.
@XOIIO How do you convert files to .mov?
@johnpowell I went to the VLC for Mac page and tried to install the first link on the page, it didn’t work.
Perian for QuickTime will allow it to play most file formats. (Except WMV. You’ll have to use Flip4Mac or VLC for that.)
@desiree333 :: How did it not work? It downloads vlc-1.1.11.dmg and then you go to where it downloads files and open the dmg. Then you drag the cone icon to your applications folder. That copies it over to your applications.
@johnpowell That it’s one of many reasons I personally loathe VLC, but YMMV.
@desiree333 Handbrake is a decent video converter, and simpler than what I use so it shouldn’t overwhelm you like the more industrial, less user-friendly tools I favor.
@johnpowell At first when the file was verifying so it could install it said something like “couldn’t be verified” or something like that. Then I tried something else and it worked.
@jerv I have tried Handbrake before and I couldn’t get the files to convert. Finally it worked but the movie was blocky (like when you watch satellite TV during a storm). Maybe I will try it again.
@desiree333 What resolution was the original in? Garbage in, garbage out.
What resolution did you tell it to make the output file? Setting that wrong will also lead to the same results, but making the output resolution higher than the original’s resolution will not restore the quality or put the lost pixels back; trying to make a 320×240 WMV into an 1080p video will result in a large video that looks blocky.
Handbrake is most often used to take a desktop-quality video and put it on an iPod/iPhone, and it’s default settings may be at a low resolution as a result.
@jerv I don’t know, this was a good year ago so I can’t remember the specifics.
Answer this question 
This question is in the General Section. Responses must be helpful and on-topic.
Composing members:
0
