Download videos using iTunes

Apple’s iTunes Store doesn’t only sell digital music. Now you can even download videos (including TV shows and music clips) to watch on your PC or iPod.

In the US, a small selection of full-length movies are available to download, but the UK doesn’t offer these yet. Instead, you can choose from a wide selection of TV series including including Gossip Girl, Derren Brown’s Trick or Treat, The Mighty Boosh, Skins, Faking It, Heroes, Bob the Builder, Desperate Housewives and dozens more. You’ll also find shorts from Pixar studios and hundreds of music videos from past and present (including Michael Jackson’s iconic Thriller).

Occasionally videos are even free, such as promotional trailers; but typically you’ll be paying £1.89 per music clip or single TV episode.

We’ve assumed you already have downloaded and installed a copy of iTunes that has its default, factory settings on. You can find the free setup file (57MB) on the Apple website. [downloaditunes.tiff] The instructions here apply to both Windows PCs and Macs.

1Visit the iTunes store

Open iTunes. 

If the iTunes store isn’t already displayed, click the ‘iTunes Store’ link on the left, under ‘Store’.

Here, you will be able to browse and buy music albums, TV shows, music videos, audio books, podcasts (radio or video shows you subscribe to and download) and more.

2Log in to iTunes store

If you have an iTunes account you may already be logged in to the store – if so, your email address should show up just below the ‘Search iTunes box’. 

Otherwise, the Sign In button will be displayed here, so click this. 

If you have an Apple user ID (your email address) and password, enter this here. If you don’t, click Create New Account and follow the steps involved in setting up an iTunes account. This includes reading the licence agreement and entering your payment details (you won’t be charged until you actually make a purchase).

3Find a video

The UK iTunes store lists popular videos available for download and you can click straight through to ones you find interesting. 

Another easy way to browse for videos is by clicking Browse, located under Quick Links in the iTunes store. Then, you can select a relevant category and sub-category such as TV programmes > Comedy > Desperate Housewives or Music Videos > Pop > Michael Jackson. You will then see a list of search results underneath.

Whenever you see a small icon of a movie screen, this indicates that the item is a video (as opposed to audio) clip.

4Preview a video

Before purchasing a video, it’s worth previewing a short clip of it first just to make sure it’s exactly what you are after – so don’t click on ‘Buy Episode’ or ‘Buy Video’ just yet. 

Double-clicking a title will launch a short preview or trailer. Alternatively, double-clicking the small arrow next to the search listing will take it to its iTunes store page.

Apart from a link to preview the video you can also read other people’s reviews and a short description on this page.

5Purchase and download

Zoom in on the downloads section of the sidebar. If you are happy, click the ‘Buy’ button. You’ll be asked to re-enter your password (unless it’s already saved to iTunes) and make sure that you want to download and purchase the clip. 

The time taken to download the video will vary depending on its length, time of day and the speed of your internet connection, but you can carry on doing other things including browsing the store while it downloads in the background. 

To monitor how your downloads are going click Downloads, located under the ‘Store’ section. Don’t worry if your internet connection becomes interrupted as you it will resume downloading until the process is finished.

6Play video

Click ‘Purchased’ or ‘Recently Added’ from within iTunes to view the listing for the video you’ve just purchased. (It also automatically files itself under the appropriate category in your iTunes library.) 

To watch the clip on your PC, double-click the listing. 

You may need to authorise your computer to play the purchased clip by re-entering your password and clicking ‘Authorize’ – each iTunes account can be associated with five different computers.

7Synch up your iPod

You can synch the video up to your iPod if it is one of the later models that supports video playback. Plug the iPod into its dock and update your iPod as usual. You can access its settings by selecting your iPod under ‘Devices’. Here, you’ll see different tabs that represent music, photos, podcasts, TV shows and so on –the relevant synch settings are found under each tab.