Watching films,TV shows, music videos and more

 Getting to know the new Videos app

IF THERE'S ANY PROOF THAT WE'RE ALREADY

living in the future, it's the fact that we have lightweight mobile devices that can store and play hours of video. Think about it: only 30 years ago, people had VHS decks that seemed to weigh about the same as a small horse and had gigantic keys. And just remembering the televisions of that era is enough to bring some of us out in a cold sweat.

Today, we have the iPad 2: 600 grams of portable goodness that can play back 10 hours ofvideo on its spectacular screen before it needs recharging. And thanks to the fabulous Videos app, you have a great way to enjoy content you've downloaded from the iTunes store.

Now, it's true that quite a few people have claimed that the iPad is rubbish for video. Their argument is largely based on the fact that the iPad screen uses the 4:3 aspect ratio of older television sets, rather than widescreen. But this was a considered decision by Apple, and the dimensions were chosen as they are better for most content.

Sure, this means wide screen movies are 'letterboxed' by default (with black borders above and below), but the iPad's screen is big enough to enable you to comfortably enjoy your favourite shows while curled up on the couch or winging yourway by plane to a holiday destination.

In this tutorial we show how Apple got mobile video right with its great new Videos app.



 KIT LIST:

■ iPad with some videos synced

Time required : 10 mins
Difficulty : Beginner

  Scrub bar

Jump rapidly to any point In a video clip with this handy control.

Video playback

Simplicity is key in the Videos app. The screen is normally black, apart from the video, but a tap brings up straightforward controls.

Remember your place 

For videos you've watched part-way through, a small round indicator on the screen shows how much of the clip you've seen.

 1 Choose what to watch The Videos app displays tabs in its top toolbar that group the clips on your iPad by category (for example, 'Music Videos'). Select one to see what is available to watch.

 2 View video details Tap a video to zoom its artwork and also view more information about it. For films, you can switch between 'Info' and 'Chapters' via two toolbar buttons.

 3 Start watching Just tap the play button to the right of the video's title. In portrait mode, the video will sit halfway up the screen.

 4 Use controls Tap the video to see the scrubbing bar (top), which lets you scan quickly through, plus play, pause, skip and volume buttons.

 5 Go wide screen Rotate into landscape mode and the video fills more of the screen. Since the iPad has a 4:3 screen ratio, widescreen videos play 'letterboxed' - with black borders above and below.

6 Toggle video modes Using the button at the top right ofthe screen, you can toggle landscape video between letterboxed mode {the default) or full-screen but with the sides chopped off.

 Screen lock

You know how it is when you're watching a truly great piece of television or a wonderful movie - you simply don't want anything to distract you. You can stop one potential distraction on your iPad: once it's in landscape mode, activate the screen rotation lock (located on the side ofthe iPad, above the volume rocker switch). This will stop the video suddenly rotating should you happen to shift the iPad while you're watching.

 7 Watch on a real TV In the Settings app, select Video'to set options (widescreen and PAL/ NTSC) for sending video from the iPad to a TV.

8 Set play options The 'Start Playing' menu has two self-explanatory options: 'Where Left Off' and 'From Beginning'.