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Luckily, you can use third-party software and a few tricks to download streaming video from Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix. Now you can watch your entertainment on your terms, even in places where your.

How to watch your favorite shows on the go without an internet connection

The holiday travel season is prime time for offline video viewing. And if you're among the millions of Americans who'll take that long-planned trip to grandma's this year, you might want to download movies, TV shows, and other content to entertain yourself along the way.

Whether it's binge-watching Netflix’s 'Stranger Things' (image above) or a nonstop loop of Pixar favorites, the last thing you want to think about is the airplane's weak WiFi or the data overage fees associated with the kids streaming video in the backseat of your SUV.

Here’s a rundown of the streaming services that offer offline viewing.

Amazon Prime Video: This service, included with a Prime subscription, offers many downloadable titles, including feature films like 'You Were Never Really Here' and the original series 'Jack Ryan.' And with the Prime Video app available in the Google Play store, it's easy to access that content on Android devices. Apple fans can find the iOS version in the company's App Store, and the Prime Video app comes installed in Amazon's Fire devices.

Go to Consumer Reports' 2018 Holiday Central for updates on deals, expert product reviews, insider tips on shopping, and much more.

Netflix: The king of streaming services allows users to download some movies and series to mobile devices through its Netflix app. These titles include original series such as 'Ozark,' 'Queer Eye,' and 'The Great British Baking Show.' Netflix updates its list of downloadable content every month. You'll see a download button on the details page if a particular show can be downloaded. Users will need to have the latest version of the app.

YouTube Red: Google's monthly subscription service allows you to watch videos without ads and gives you access to exclusive content, such as 'Cobra Kai' and 'Step Up: High Water,' not to mention songs on Google's Play Music. And yes, subscribers have the option to download videos to view offline. Users in India and a host of other countries receive the service free, but U.S. consumers have to dole out $10 per month ($15 for the family plan).

When it comes to downloading video for offline viewing, though, not all of the streaming services have options to offer.

The throngs of 'Game of Thrones' viewers are still out of luck because HBO Now requires an internet connection. The same goes for Crackle from Sony Pictures Entertainment, home to feature films and original shows such as 'StartUp' and 'Snatch.'

Hulu said earlier this year that it will soon allow users to download content for offline viewing. To date, though, it has offered no details on exactly when that will happen and which shows will be available.

Other Options

iTunes, Google Play, VUDU, FandangoNOW, and Amazon Prime Video store: These non-subscription services offer a large selection of downloadable videos, including rentals, some free content, and videos you've purchased in the past. And once you're finished watching the content, it's automatically deleted. That allows you to load up on movies or TV shows for the outbound journey, then easily add all new content for the way home.

Showtime, Starz, and Epix: These premium channels allow subscribers to download videos from their libraries onto mobile devices via their corresponding apps. That means popular titles on Showtime ('Homeland' and 'Billions') and Starz ('Outlander' and 'Ash vs. Evil Dead') and movies from Epix's collection can fill time during your trip without burning through your data plan. The stand-alone subscription services from Showtime and Starz offer the same benefits for $11 and $9 per month, respectively.

Vimeo: Most of this content, including TED Talks and indie films, can be downloaded onto a smartphone or tablet. But content from the platform's TV partnerships with Lionsgate and Starz isn't available for offline viewing on the Vimeo app. So sorry, no watching 'Mad Men' or 'Weeds' without the Starz app.

Before you hit the road, remember to:

• Check the storage space on your device. Your media file won't download if there's not enough room—simple as that. So take a little time to get rid of the stuff you no longer need.

• Download the movies and shows while you're at home instead of relying on your cellular data service. On my high-speed WiFi connection, for example, it took about 7 minutes to download 'Up in the Air' from Amazon Prime Video.

• Consider opting for standard-definition downloads. It takes up less than half a GB of data for a 2-hour movie. If you're viewing on a smartphone, the quality drop isn't too noticeable.

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to include information on current offerings.

Recently Tested

Solid Internet connections aren’t available everywhere. If you want to watch streaming movies and TV shows on an airplane, on the subway, or somewhere out in the wilderness away from cellular towers, you can download them ahead of time.

Not every service offers a download feature, but quite a few services allow you to download videos ahead of time so you can take them with you. This could save lots of valuable cellular data, too, especially if you’re roaming internationally. Let’s take a look at some of your options.

Amazon Prime

The Amazon Video app available for iPhones and iPads, Android devices, and Amazon’s own Kindle Fires allows you to download videos to your device so you can watch them offline.

Just download the app and sign in with your Amazon account. Find the movie or TV show you want to watch and tap the “Download” button to the right of it. Downloaded videos will appear in the “Downloads” section of the app later, so you can open the app and watch them–even without an Internet connection.

This feature is only available in the Amazon Video apps for iOS, Android, and Amazon’s Fire OS. You can’t do this from the website, so you can’t do it on a laptop. You need a smartphone or a tablet–and not a Windows tablet.

YouTube Red

YouTube offers this feature, but only if you pay for YouTube Red (which actually isn’t a bad deal if you use Google Play Music, which is included–you get both Google Play Music’s music library as well as YouTube Red for the same price you’d pay for Spotify or Apple Music.)

To download a video, open the YouTube app on an iPhone, iPad, or Android device and tap the menu button next to a video. Tap “Save Offline” and you’ll be prompted to choose which resolution you want to download the video in. Higher resolutions offer a better quality video, but take more space on your device.

You’ll find the videos you saved for offline use under the profile tab. Tap “Offline Videos” and you’ll see a list of videos you can watch offline.

This feature is only available in the YouTube app for iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. You can’t do this from the YouTube website, so you can’t do it on a laptop.

Video Rentals and Purchases

Amazon and YouTube both offer this feature as part of their streaming plans, which is convenient. However, you can gain access to a much wider selection of videos if you’re willing to pay per video–either as a temporary rental or as a purchase you can watch as much as you want.

This is also convenient because some of these services allow you to download videos to a Windows PC, Mac, or Chromebook. You can save videos and watch them on a laptop or a Windows tablet, while Amazon and YouTube only offer this feature in their mobile apps.

You have quite a few options here, including:

• iTunes (Windows, Mac, iOS): Apple’s iTunes is available for Windows and included on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. It allows you to rent movies, purchase individual episodes or entire seasons of TV shows, or purchase movies. If you choose to rent a movie, you’ll have thirty days to start watching it. After you start watching it, you’ll have 24 hours to finish. if you plan on going for a trip, you can rent several movies from iTunes, download them to your Windows PC, Mac, iPhone, or iPad and get around to watching them any time within 30 days without an Internet connection. If you purchase an episode of a TV show or entire movie, you can download it and watch it whenever you want with no expiration.

• Amazon Video (iOS, Android, Kindle Fire): In addition to the library of free videos available with Amazon Prime, Amazon allows you to rent and purchase individual movies and TV show episodes. However, you can’t download purchased videos to your computer for offline watching–you can only download them to the Amazon Video app on iOS, Android, or Kindle Fire.
• VUDU (iOS, Android): Walmart’s VUDU also allows you to rent and purchase movies and TV shows as well, but videos can only be downloaded to iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. Laptop users are out of luck.
• Microsoft Windows Store (Windows 10): Windows 10 includes the Windows Store, and the Windows Store includes an entire “Movies & TV” section offering video rentals and purchases. Videos you pay for can then be watched in the Movies & TV app included with Windows 10. This is the main alternative to iTunes for purchasing and watching videos offline on a Windows PC.

• Google Play Movies & TV (Android, iOS, Chrome OS): On Android devices, the Google Play Movies & TV app provides rentals of movie and TV shows. The Google Play Movies & TV app is also available on iPhone and iPad, and both platforms allow you to download videos offline and watch them in the app. Google offers a Google Play Movies & TV Chrome app that allows you to download and watch videos offline, but this feature only works on Chromebooks. It’s the only option for Chrome OS devices.

Rip Your Own DVDs or Blu-rays

Can You Download Hulu Movies To Watch Offline Free

RELATED:Convert DVD to MP4 / H.264 with HD Decrypter and Handbrake

Lastly, if you have movies or TV shows on physical DVD or Blu-ray discs, you can “rip” them to digital video files you can more easily take with you. Store these files on a laptop, smartphone, or tablet and you can watch them without taking the disc with you.

Can I Download Hulu Movies To Watch Offline

You can rip DVDs and Blu-rays with a variety of programs, but we particularly like Handbrake–it’s free, and contains presets for ripping files compatible with iPhone, iPad, Android, and more.

Can You Download Hulu Movies

Netflix doesn’t yet offer this feature, but rumors suggest Netflix is working on it. If and when Netflix does offer this feature, it will likely work in a similar way to the Amazon Video and YouTube apps.

How To Download Hulu Movies To Watch Offline

Image Credit: Ulrika