Can you watch a rented movie without internet connection?

WDHDlive wrote:
Been there done that - I have contacted iTunes about this, and am told NO - one must have the internet connection

I have had difficulties watching rented movies while traveling. In each case, I was taking connecting flights. Had downloaded two movies, started watching the first one on the first segment. On the second leg tried to resume the movie, got the message "cannot open." Then tried the second movie, which I had not yet started. Same "cannot open" message.

Returned home, internet connection on, returned to the fist movie and it was as if starting from the beginning, with the "you will have 24 hours to watch" message, as though I had never started.

Frustrating, in-flight is the time I am most likely to rent movies on my ipad.

Movies rented on the iPad DO require an Internet connection the first time you play them, though only for a short time. Authentication for the 24 hour time-limit is done through Apple's servers. I just tried putting my iPad 2 on airplane mode and both of my rented movies displayed "expired." They were rented today. As soon as I turned airplane mode back off, they worked again and showed the appropriate number of days left to view.

Apple states this (though it could be more clear):

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4095

You'll have to click on the triangle next to "Movie rentals in iPad."

I know this is an old thread, but it's still a common issue. The statement by Apple (on http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4095) that "An Internet connection to the iTunes Store is required to authorize playback of movie rentals" is what really tells us that you need the internet connection to at least BEGIN the playback, which of course is not the most convenient thing - especially when travelling. 😟

What if you start the rental while still at an airport via a wi-fi connection, pause just after the iTunes authentication completes, and shut your laptop. Will the movie continue to play once you are in the air and the wi-fi connection is broken?

sastanford wrote:

What if you start the rental while still at an airport via a wi-fi connection, pause just after the iTunes authentication completes, and shut your laptop. Will the movie continue to play once you are in the air and the wi-fi connection is broken?

I have been told that that will work but I never tried it myself. You could do an experiment at home. Rent a movie and do what you described. Then, break the WiFi connection by invoking "airplane mode."

I tried and this happened.

Did you let the movie fully download to your iDevice?