How Can I Play Movies on an iPod Video?

by Jen Anderson
Watch movies anywhere with your iPod.

Watch movies anywhere with your iPod.

musique image by Christophe Schmid from Fotolia.com

Apple's iPod portable media player lets you listen to music and watch movies while on the go. You can rent or purchase movies from the iTunes store, or import movie files into iTunes. Use iTunes and a USB or FireWire cable to transfer movies to your iPod for playback. Remember that most versions of the iPod lack speakers. You may need to use headphones or ear buds to listen to movies on your iPod.

Step 1

Plug a USB or FireWire cable into your iPod. Plug the other end into your computer. If your iPod is set to auto sync, iTunes will automatically copy the movies to your iPod when you connect it to your computer. Otherwise, open iTunes and click the iPod icon in the "Sources" list.

Step 2

Click the "Movies" tab and then the "Sync Movies" button. Then select either "Unwatched Movies" or "Selected Movies." If you choose "Selected movies," you must then select the movies you want copied to your iPod. Click "Apply." ITunes will copy the movies to the iPod.

Step 3

Click the "Eject" button next to your iPod in the "Sources" list. Wait until the icon disappears from the iTunes window. Unplug the iPod from the computer.

Step 4

Turn on the iPod and select "Videos" from the main menu. Browse the list of videos to find the movie you want to watch. Click the name of the movie and it will start playing.

Tip

  • Do not eject the iPod when iTunes displays a "Do Not Disconnect" status message in the top of the iTunes window, or your movies may not be copied over correctly.

About the Author

Jen Anderson has been writing professionally since 2008. Her work has appeared in the "New York Times," "Time Out Chicago" and "The Villager." She has a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Brooklyn College.

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