How to rent a movie on the BlackBerry PlayBook
With the availability of movie rentals on both the Android and iOS platform, PlayBook users may be feeling a little left out. Never fear; we have a solution for the movie-rental-less PlayBook users: YouTube Movies. This simple guide will show you how to rent a movie from YouTube using the PlayBook's browser.
RIM has been pushing hard to make sure consumers know that the BlackBerry PlayBook browser has Flash built in, a capability Apple's iPad is lacking. With the capability of Flash in the PlayBook's browser, the door is opened to playing video content that is designed for Flash capable devices. Enter YouTube Movies. This simple guide will show you how you can rent movies from YouTube and watch them on your PlayBook.
The first thing you'll need to do is open the Browser on the PlayBook and navigate to youtube.com/movies.
Once the page loads you will see advertisements for various movies offered on the site; In all, there are more than 3,000 offerings. Some of the movies are free, while others will range from $1.99-$3.99.
In the top right-hand corner is a Sign In link; tap on it.
Log in with your Google account credentials; you may be prompted to link your Google account to a YouTube account. As long as you follow the instructions, the process goes quick.
Once you are logged in you should be redirected back to the main page. Scroll through and find a movie you want to rent, and tap on it.
The next page will give you all of the details about the movie: price, length, reviews, and even a short preview. All paid movies are limited to a 24-hour viewing period. What that means is that once you start the movie, your rental period is started. You then have 24 hours to watch the movie as many times as you like. You have 30 days from the time of payment to start the rental. Tap on the 24 hr Pass - $2.99 button when you have picked a flick.
If you have previously added payment information to your Google account, you will be shown a pop-up like the one above. On the left you can see the name of the movie, as well as the payment source. On the right is the price and a Complete Your Purchase button.
If you haven't added payment information to your Google account, follow the steps to add a credit card.
Once you are happy with the payment source, tap on the Complete Your Purchase button.
When the payment has cleared, you will be shown a pop-up to confirm a successful payment. You can either tap on "Watch Now" or get back to browsing the movies.
If you elected not to watch the movie right away, when you return to the YouTube Movies main page, you will be reminded of the movies you have waiting for you.
Depending on your Internet speed, the quality of the video may vary. YouTube doesn't allow you to download the movie to your PlayBook, it can only be streamed from the site, thus the importance of a strong connection. This solution is good for a lazy day around the house, in an office or coffee shop, and not for a long Wi-Fi-less flight.