Where Can I Find Free and Legal Downloadable Videos for Android?
November 19, 2012 12:58 PM Subscribe
Mrs. COD gifted me yesterday with a shiny new Nexus 7 for my birthday. Where can I find free or cheap video programming to entertain myself on 1 my one hour each way daily commute?
Obviously, I'm not driving! I don't have wifi available on the commute. I know Google Play videos can be saved locally, but that would get expensive quickly. I am familiar with Pirate Bay but would prefer to use up my free/cheap and legitimate entertainment options first.
Obviously, I'm not driving! I don't have wifi available on the commute. I know Google Play videos can be saved locally, but that would get expensive quickly. I am familiar with Pirate Bay but would prefer to use up my free/cheap and legitimate entertainment options first.
I have a 10" Transformer and download TV shows all the time.
I don't see any difference between recording shows via a DVR or a TV card on a laptop and just downloading them via eztv.it. Android has more than a few bitorrent apps and I use the free Adownloader. There are all sorts of lawsuits for movies and music, but I don't think anyone is enforcing over the air TV shows.
If you don't want me to record your TV shows then don't broadcast them over public owned waves unencrypted.
posted by damn dirty ape at 1:21 PM on November 19, 2012
I don't see any difference between recording shows via a DVR or a TV card on a laptop and just downloading them via eztv.it. Android has more than a few bitorrent apps and I use the free Adownloader. There are all sorts of lawsuits for movies and music, but I don't think anyone is enforcing over the air TV shows.
If you don't want me to record your TV shows then don't broadcast them over public owned waves unencrypted.
posted by damn dirty ape at 1:21 PM on November 19, 2012
Not that I would EVER do this myself, but Youtube, Handbrake, and your desktop/laptop are your friends as always. I think the Nexus 7 has a USB port. Android will play just about any format you throw at it.
posted by Currer Belfry at 1:23 PM on November 19, 2012
posted by Currer Belfry at 1:23 PM on November 19, 2012
There are all sorts of lawsuits for movies and music, but I don't think anyone is enforcing over the air TV shows.
I used to think exactly this way, including "What's the difference between this and DVR?," until we got a "Knock this shit off or we will take legal action" notice from Verizon on behalf of the copyright holder for torrenting the first season of Grimm to watch.
So, be judicious in torrenting television from major networks, I guess?
posted by InsanePenguin at 1:30 PM on November 19, 2012 [1 favorite]
I used to think exactly this way, including "What's the difference between this and DVR?," until we got a "Knock this shit off or we will take legal action" notice from Verizon on behalf of the copyright holder for torrenting the first season of Grimm to watch.
So, be judicious in torrenting television from major networks, I guess?
posted by InsanePenguin at 1:30 PM on November 19, 2012 [1 favorite]
Tons of media is available through Miro for free. I haven't used it in a while, but the latest version allegedly syncs to Android devices.
posted by Brian Puccio at 1:46 PM on November 19, 2012
posted by Brian Puccio at 1:46 PM on November 19, 2012
If you have a TiVo, you can grab the video off of it with kmttg and watch TV on your Nexus 7 that way. MX Player handles MPEG-2/AC3 in 720p and 1080i just fine.
Depending on your phone/wireless carrier combination, you may be able to tether the tablet to your phone (I prefer bluetooth because it's less juice-hungry than wifi, but it is also slower) and read MeFi or whatever else you like. It works fine on the T-Mobile prepaid deal I'm on now and with any of the unlocked phones I've used on at&t. Very handy when the power goes out.
posted by wierdo at 2:38 PM on November 19, 2012
Depending on your phone/wireless carrier combination, you may be able to tether the tablet to your phone (I prefer bluetooth because it's less juice-hungry than wifi, but it is also slower) and read MeFi or whatever else you like. It works fine on the T-Mobile prepaid deal I'm on now and with any of the unlocked phones I've used on at&t. Very handy when the power goes out.
posted by wierdo at 2:38 PM on November 19, 2012
Enforcement re: TV shows is primarily being done by the subscription cable networks, HBO, Showtime, etc.
It also goes for season-packs and DVD/BluRay Rips, which is hitting them in the wallet, while downloading last night's episode of Robot Chicken won't rustle any feathers. (Ahem.)
In general, the ephemeral nightly TV hasn't gotten anyone except the distributors (torrent-channel operators, etc.) in trouble, even though the ads are chopped out and all localization value lost (since, e.g. US shows are captured on the East Coast exclusively because that's the first run). The piracy argument against the higher-quality DVD- and Blu- rips is a bit more logical when they've packaged those episodes for cash money, and you're not paying. Stick with regular TV.
on preview: TiVo is a great option. But like any DVR, the TV doesn't watch itself-- be careful not to take on too many shows, and also be careful of the "we'll watch this show together" rule with Mrs. COD.
posted by Sunburnt at 2:43 PM on November 19, 2012
It also goes for season-packs and DVD/BluRay Rips, which is hitting them in the wallet, while downloading last night's episode of Robot Chicken won't rustle any feathers. (Ahem.)
In general, the ephemeral nightly TV hasn't gotten anyone except the distributors (torrent-channel operators, etc.) in trouble, even though the ads are chopped out and all localization value lost (since, e.g. US shows are captured on the East Coast exclusively because that's the first run). The piracy argument against the higher-quality DVD- and Blu- rips is a bit more logical when they've packaged those episodes for cash money, and you're not paying. Stick with regular TV.
on preview: TiVo is a great option. But like any DVR, the TV doesn't watch itself-- be careful not to take on too many shows, and also be careful of the "we'll watch this show together" rule with Mrs. COD.
posted by Sunburnt at 2:43 PM on November 19, 2012
Best answer: Download tubex from http://www.tubex.me/
This allows you to simply download any clip from youtube and save it as a video on your device including any hd options that may exist.
Very very good, watch the videos through the standard video player rather than through the tubegod app itself to avoid adverts.
posted by razzman at 3:44 PM on November 19, 2012 [1 favorite]
This allows you to simply download any clip from youtube and save it as a video on your device including any hd options that may exist.
Very very good, watch the videos through the standard video player rather than through the tubegod app itself to avoid adverts.
posted by razzman at 3:44 PM on November 19, 2012 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Elsewhere I have found many video podcasts that I've enjoyed (plus the obvious audio only podcasts)
posted by bottlebrushtree at 1:00 PM on November 19, 2012