Windows 8.1 wasn’t just a reimagining of what an operating system could be. It also included loads of apps that made daily work much easier. One such task is to rent videos, and it’s integrated into Windows via the new Xbox Video app.
Here’s how to rent movies in Windows 8.1.
To be clear, Windows 8.1 doesn’t actually do any of the work. Instead, it’s the Xbox Video service that Microsoft also makes available on Windows Phone, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Renting movies this way saves you the need to download different apps to perform the same task. Also, if you’ve already provided your Windows device with a Microsoft Account and a credit card, you don’t need to re-enter these payment information.
Lets start.
First, you’ll need a device running Windows 8.1. Don’t worry; All Windows 8 tablets, laptops and 2-in-1s can be upgraded to Windows 8.1 absolutely free. Go to the Start Screen by pressing the Windows button on your tablet or 2-in-1 or by pressing the Windows key on your device’s keyboard. Search for the Store Live Tile. It looks like a shopping bag with the Windows logo on it. Look for the title that says update to get the free Windows 8.1 update. It will be purple and on the right. If you don’t see this banner, you’re already up to date.
Go to Windows by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard or the Windows button next to your touch device screen.
Look for the red Live tile.
If you don’t see it on your device, that’s fine. Touch users should place their fingers anywhere and slowly swipe up to reveal the list of installed apps. Mouse and keyboard users should right-click anywhere on the Start Screen to see the same list of installed apps.
Find it in the list of installed apps. On both the Start Screen and in this list, Xbox Video will be referred to as Video only. Tap or click on it.
By default, the Xbox Video app takes you to the TV Store. Click or tap on the right side of your screen to browse for a movie you want to rent. If you already know which movie you want to rent, type its title in the search box on the left side of your screen. We rent for the purpose of this show Batman: Return of the Dark Knight Part 1.
If a movie is available for rent, you’ll see a rent button with a price on it. In most cases, movies that can be purchased may not necessarily be rented and vice versa. Batman: Return of the Dark Knight Part 1 it can be rented and bought, so it shows both options.
Before you hit the rental button, decide whether you prefer to watch in standard definition or high definition. In most cases the standard definition will suffice. Standard definition rental saves space if you decide to download the movie for offline viewing. It also saves you some money. Typically, there is a difference of up to a dollar in pricing for high definition video and standard definition video. then tap or click on it to rent the movie you want.
You will now be asked whether you want to watch the movie or download it to your device. Be careful to choose what works best for your situation because it cannot be undone. Tap or click .
You will now be prompted to enter the password of the Microsoft Account you are using on your device or enter your Microsoft Account username and password.
Now choose the method you want to pay for it and confirm. By default, this will be the card associated with your Xbox One, Windows Phone, or Windows device. Tap or click .
Fortunately, if you decide you want to watch your rented movie later on a different device, you can. This is because Xbox Video syncs different types of content between different devices. So you can rent a movie on your tablet and then decide you want to finish it on your Xbox One. This is totally doable.
You can start watching movies you rent from the Xbox Video Store for 14 days. When you hit the play button on a movie, your official rental period begins and you only have 48 hours to finish the movie completely before the movie becomes unusable.
Currently, there are some issues with getting rid of old movies that have expired in the Windows Xbox Video app. If this happens to you, right-click or tap-and-hold the movie in Collection view to make sure it’s not being stored on your device and taking up space. I should also mention that users can start and stop movies via their web browsers at this address. Xbox’s websiteIt also makes Xbox Video available on Mac PCs.
Enjoy watching.
