Whether you love classics such as It’s A Wonderful Life, or Christmas comedies like Elf, you can use your smartphone to enjoy loads of yuletide flicks. Here’s how.
Christmas is a time for snuggling up on the sofa in front of the fire, and settling down with the family to watch some festive films.
But if you have an iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S III or a Nokia Lumia or any another smartphone, you can access movies on the go using your mobile.
Netflix
Netflix allows subscribers to stream unlimited films and TV shows to a range of devices including smartphones.
Users pay a fee to sign up to Netflix, download their app (available for iOS/Android) and are then able to watch movies directly on their handset.
There are thousands of films and TV shows to choose from, and you can even start watching on one device when you’re out, and resume watching on another when you get home.
Project films using the Samsung Galaxy Beam
If you’ve been thinking about getting a new handset recently, or are looking to purchase a mobile as a Christmas gift and you want something a bit unique, then check out the Samsung Galaxy Beam.
This nifty Android handset has a built-in projector that can be used to project movies onto walls, ceilings, or just about anywhere else you fancy, within a range of 2 metres.
Watch film trailers on your mobile
LOVEFiLM is a subscription service that lets users rent DVDs via post to enjoy at their leisure, without the worry of getting them back to the rental store the next day.
Once you’re done with a film you simply pop it in the post and send it back in order to receive the next movie on your wanted list.
Best of all, the LOVEFiLM app (available for iOS/Android) allows users to watch trailers for upcoming films on their mobile, and view, add, remove and re-prioritise titles in their rental list whilst on the move.
Get help choosing movies with Flixster
If you struggle when it comes to selecting films to watch, the Flixster movie app (available for iOS/Android/BlackBerry/and mobile web-enabled phones) is on hand to offer ratings and trailers, retrieve listings for cinemas near you.
The app also lets you check recommendations from friends, and also manage your Netflix queue of films.
So if your Nan insists on watching the Queen’s speech on Christmas day, simply grab your smartphone and use one of the above services to access festive films.
Connect via DLNA or HDMI to send films to your TV
If you subscribe to Netflix or another online film subscription service, you may get a bit tired of watching films on the small display of your mobile or tablet.
But if your smartphone is DLNA or HDMI enabled and you have a compatible television, you’ll be able to send movies from your device straight onto your telly.
HDMI requires a cable to connect, whereas DLNA uses your home Wi-Fi network meaning you can stream stuff wirelessly.
To check if your phone is HDMI compatible look for a HDMI port around the device’s edges, and to see if your mobile has DLNA capabilities check in the settings menu.
You’ll be able to find out both these things by looking for corresponding logos on the outside of the box.
Get cinema ticket discounts on your mobile
The Orange Wednesdays offer allows Orange mobile phone customers to get two for one cinema tickets by texting ‘FILM’ to 241.
They’ll then receive an offer code to present at the ticket desk.
O2 is also in on the act with its O2 Priority Moments, which has loads of money-saving deals including offers on cinema tickets.
Also, O2 customers can download the Priority Moments app (available for iOS, Android, BlackBerry) and keep an eye out for offers.
This guest post was penned by Abbi Cox, mobile phone and technology writer for Phones 4u. All she wants for Christmas this year is a great iPhone 5 deal and Hugh Jackman wearing a piece of tinsel around his neck.
