More and more people are cutting the cord these days and relying solely on internet streaming for their entertainment. However, this poses a challenge when you want to watch your favorite shows offline, especially on a smart TV.
Amazon Prime Video offers users the ability to download titles for offline viewing, which can then be streamed even without an internet connection. This opens up options for watching shows while traveling, in areas with poor connectivity, or to avoid excessive data usage caps.
In this comprehensive guide, we provide step-by-step instructions for Prime members on how to download and watch Amazon Prime videos offline on smart TVs.
Enjoy Your Favorite Shows Uninterrupted
Amazon Prime makes it easy to prepare your smart TV for offline viewing before you lose Wi-Fi access. Though the process differs across television models and brands, it fundamentally works the same to access and play downloaded videos without an internet connection.
Here’s what you need to know:
Prepare Your Smart TV
The first step is ensuring your smart TV model supports the Amazon Prime Video app and offline playback capability:
- Verify app availability in your TV’s app store or menu
- Check specifications to confirm offline viewing is enabled
- Update TV software if available updates exist
- Install most current Prime Video app version
With supported models, you can then configure settings for offline functionality:
- Enable Wi-Fi and mobile data toggles for uninterrupted switching
- Allow background app activity permissions
- Clear old app cache/data to refresh accessible memory
Download Movies & Shows on Phone
Now here comes the part, can you download Amazon Prime movies and shows for offline playback? The answer can be Yes and can be No, depending on whether Prime Video owns the licensing right to a specific title.
To those qualified for offline downloed, you’ll need to use your smartphone to select and download video content while still connected to the internet:
- Open Prime Video app and find title you want to download
- Check the title supports offline downloading
- Tap the download icon next to the title
- Select video quality based on storage space
- Manage downloads from “My Stuff” section
The Prime Video app lets you download up to 25 titles across 2 mobile devices. Downloads expire after 48 hours once playback starts.
Connect Devices to Transfer Downloads
To move downloaded videos from phone to TV for offline viewing:
- Verify Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled on both devices
- Enable screen mirroring/casting on the TV
- Connect phone to same Wi-Fi network as TV
- Open Prime Video app and tap cast icon
- Select Smart TV to begin screen mirroring
What If the Titles Are Not Downloadable?
Yes, your concern is right, not all titles on the Prime Video are allowed to be downloaded using the Prime Video app on your mobile device, so how to solve this problem if the movie or TV show you want to watch offline on your smart TV is not downloadable?
There is more than one solution to this. You can either use a 3rd-party Amazon Prime video downloader, or a screen recorder software to download or record that certain title and then transfer the downloaded or recorded file to your smart TV via a USB stick.
Troubleshooting Issues
If you have trouble getting offline videos to play directly on your smart TV, try the following fixes:
- Reboot both TV and phone
- Reinstall Prime Video app entirely
- Double check DRM and HDCP copy protection settings
- Enable unknown sources in TV app permissions
- Clear Prime Video cache/data before retrying
Frequently Asked Questions
What smart TVs allow offline viewing?
Most mid to high-end Smart TVs released after 2018 support downloading Prime Video content for offline playback. This includes models with Fire TV, Android TV, WebOS, Tizen & other smart platforms.
How many titles can I download for offline viewing?
Prime Video lets you store up to 25 downloaded movie and show titles simultaneously across 2 mobile devices. Playback must be started within 48 hours before the downloads expire.
Can I watch HD titles offline on my smart TV?
Yes, you can download titles on your phone in either SD, HD, or HDR quality up to 1080p resolution for offline viewing. Image quality depends on your TV display specs.
Do all Prime Video titles support offline downloads?
While most titles allow offline downloads, some restrict this capability due to licensing terms. There will be a download icon visible validating which titles are downloadable.
What devices support Prime Video offline playback?
In addition to phones and smart TVs, you can download Prime Video content for offline playback on Fire, Android & iOS tablets. Offline playback works cross-device after you transfer downloads.
Conclusion
And that’s all there is to it! By properly preparing your smart TV, downloading titles on your phone, transferring them for big-screen casting, and ultimately taking your television offline – you can enjoy your favorite movies, shows, and series on Amazon Prime Video anytime and anywhere. Just follow the simple steps outlined above.
