How can I buy or rent "Ratatouille" to watch on an Android device?
December 13, 2012 12:39 PM Subscribe
I have an Android tablet, and live in the UK. Is there a legal way to download Ratatouille -- or virtually any other Pixar film -- onto it?
This Sunday, I want to watch Ratatouille, or a similarly fun, uplifting animated kids' film, on my Android tablet. We won't have internet access while we're watching, so it has to be a download, not a stream.
I have access to the google Play store, but the film selection is very sparse and surprisingly awkward to browse. As such, no Pixar films seem to be in there and I can't find any similar films that appeal.
I haven't checked iTunes, but I assume that any videos from iTunes would have Apple DRM and therefore useless on Android.
I don't have a Netflix account, and so can't search their database. I'd be open to getting Netflix if someone can (a) tell me that they have Pixar films on the British version (or can suggest a really good substitute) and (b) allow downloading those films to Android tablets for watching offline.
Any other suggestions? My plan B is to just buy the DVD and rip it, which probably isn't legal but at least feels pretty moral.
Yes, I'm aware that bittorrent exists. I'd like to pay Pixar for letting me enjoy their awesome stuff.
This Sunday, I want to watch Ratatouille, or a similarly fun, uplifting animated kids' film, on my Android tablet. We won't have internet access while we're watching, so it has to be a download, not a stream.
I have access to the google Play store, but the film selection is very sparse and surprisingly awkward to browse. As such, no Pixar films seem to be in there and I can't find any similar films that appeal.
I haven't checked iTunes, but I assume that any videos from iTunes would have Apple DRM and therefore useless on Android.
I don't have a Netflix account, and so can't search their database. I'd be open to getting Netflix if someone can (a) tell me that they have Pixar films on the British version (or can suggest a really good substitute) and (b) allow downloading those films to Android tablets for watching offline.
Any other suggestions? My plan B is to just buy the DVD and rip it, which probably isn't legal but at least feels pretty moral.
Yes, I'm aware that bittorrent exists. I'd like to pay Pixar for letting me enjoy their awesome stuff.
Best answer: I think the Amazon Instant Video is only available on Kindle-branded tablets and iOS (and other, non-tablet devices). Netflix is streaming-only, so far as I know, and anyway Ratatouille isn't available on the US version, which in my (admittedly limited) experience usually has more than the UK version.
Sorry, not helpful, except in eliminating false leads!
posted by mskyle at 1:06 PM on December 13, 2012
Sorry, not helpful, except in eliminating false leads!
posted by mskyle at 1:06 PM on December 13, 2012
Youtube is offering me a US$1.99 pay-per-view option here and then you could try using one of the various techniques that saves a Youtube stream to disk, like VLC Media Player's Media → Convert/Save → Network option. (Though I don't know if there's more sophisticated DRM on purchased content like that, which I've never bought myself; in that case, saving it might not work or might be more complicated than usual.)
(Also, after having paid Pixar via the above Youtube link, if saving that stream doesn't work perhaps you would feel better about getting a copy via BitTorrent.)
My Netflix account shows that it's only available as a DVD, not as a stream.
(Another thought that occurs to me... is this the sort of thing that a library might have on DVD in the UK? A US library might have it.)
posted by XMLicious at 1:08 PM on December 13, 2012
(Also, after having paid Pixar via the above Youtube link, if saving that stream doesn't work perhaps you would feel better about getting a copy via BitTorrent.)
My Netflix account shows that it's only available as a DVD, not as a stream.
(Another thought that occurs to me... is this the sort of thing that a library might have on DVD in the UK? A US library might have it.)
posted by XMLicious at 1:08 PM on December 13, 2012
Pixar DVDs have annoying content protection on them that makes them something of a pain to rip by the way. 100s of titles, of which only one has the movie in the right order, that kind of thing.
posted by pharm at 1:16 PM on December 13, 2012
posted by pharm at 1:16 PM on December 13, 2012
Sideways answer: Rent the DVD, then torrent a copy, copy the download to your Android, watch it then delete the rip when the rental period's up.
posted by Doofus Magoo at 1:22 PM on December 13, 2012
posted by Doofus Magoo at 1:22 PM on December 13, 2012
Best answer: Can you get video unlimited on your tablet? It came installed on my Sony Ericsson phone, so I don't know if it works on all makes or not. It gets bad reviews in Google Play, but it works fine for me. People just don't want it on their phones, I think.
Anyway, it has Ratatouille for £11.99, to own. They don't seem to have a 'rent' option for it.
posted by ComfySofa at 1:44 PM on December 13, 2012
Anyway, it has Ratatouille for £11.99, to own. They don't seem to have a 'rent' option for it.
posted by ComfySofa at 1:44 PM on December 13, 2012
I don't have an Amazon UK acoount but I know here in the US that if you buy a movie from Amazon you can download it using their desktop content app and transfer it to your tablet. Or at least you could when I bought my Xoom. Amazon has their own appstore available directly from them but your tablet has to be unlocked to use it. Does LoveFilm have an Android app? Is there a UK version of Flixster?
posted by fiercekitten at 3:13 PM on December 13, 2012
posted by fiercekitten at 3:13 PM on December 13, 2012
A quick look on Google tells me you can buy the DVD for £7-10. The sad truth is that it's probably cheaper and more flexible to buy the DVD and rip it yourself than download some DRM encrusted file.
The other way would be to rent the film from Blockbuster, rip it, watch it and then delete the file when you return the DVD.
posted by mr_silver at 9:57 AM on December 14, 2012
The other way would be to rent the film from Blockbuster, rip it, watch it and then delete the file when you return the DVD.
posted by mr_silver at 9:57 AM on December 14, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks folks. As far as I can tell, "video unlimited" is only available on Sony devices (at any rate, I didn't have any luck with it). I went with buy -> rip, in the end.
posted by metaBugs at 4:24 AM on January 14, 2013
posted by metaBugs at 4:24 AM on January 14, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
Or I could be totally wrong wrong wrong.
posted by KokuRyu at 12:49 PM on December 13, 2012