The 5 Best Laptops for Watching Movies Reviewed
Maybe you don’t have the room for a large TV, the money to afford one, or even the want for one.
Maybe you want to watch movies while you travel, or want the portability that a laptop offers.
But for whatever reason, if you are reading this article it is likely you are looking for a laptop to watch movies on.
But with so many different laptops for sale, it can be difficult to understand which one is the best for you.
That’s why we’ve put together this guide, packed full with the best laptops for watching movies and all the information you need to select the one that is best for you.
If you follow this guide, you’ll be watching movies on a laptop in no time.
In a hurry?
If you want to watch movies quickly, why not choose the Huawei Matebook X Pro?
Out of all the different laptops on the market, we think this one is the best for watching movies.
It’s packed full of wonderful features that make it the best choice for a day watching films, including:
It has a full view display with an immersive 13.9-inch 3K screen.
It has a super lightweight design, measuring only 0.57-inches thick and weighing less than 3-pounds.
It has a 3000 x 2000 screen resolution allowing you to see all the details when watching HD movies.
It starts up very quickly, taking only 8 seconds to power up and login from the moment you press the power button.
Best Laptop for Watching Movies
1. Huawei Matebook X Pro
Our favorite laptop on the market is the Huawei Matebook X Pro.
Huawei is a company that has grown ever more popular since they first entered the technology market, and their laptops are some of the best on offer. The Matebook X Pro is the world’s first full view display laptop, boasting a 13.9-inch touchscreen, with an immersive 3K picture.
It has an incredibly lightweight design, measuring just over 0.5-inches in thickness and weighing less than 3-pounds, making it a perfect choice for portability. It runs on Windows 10 Home, making it an easy laptop to operate.
This laptop is the perfect choice for all your movie watching needs. It is powered by an 8th generation intel core processor for great power and has a variety of connection ports including USB, HDMI, and VGA.
This laptop powers up extremely quickly, taking only 8 seconds to power on, and log you into the desktop from the moment the power button is pressed.
It comes with home theatre technology, including the 3K, 3000 x 2000 touchscreen, and its 2nd generation Dolby ATMOS speakers for excellent immersive audio.
With all these factors taken into consideration, this is one of the best laptops available.
- World's First FullView Display: Immersive 13.9-inch 3K touchscreen with 91% screen-to-body ratio, only 0.57-inch thin and weighs only 2.93 lbs., perfect for at-home or on-the-go computing
- Powerful Inside: Windows 10 Home Signature Edition with no bloatware. 8th Gen Intel Core i7 8550U processor + NVIDIA GeForce MX150 - boosts performance up to 40% over its predecessor
- Home Theater: 3K touchscreen with 3, 000 x 2, 000 resolution, 1500:1 contrast ratio and 260 PPI allow you to see vivid details when viewing HD content. 2nd Gen Dolby ATMOS for immersive audio
- One Touch Power Button: Enabling users to power on the notebook, finish identity authentication through Windows Hello and access the desktop in less than 8 seconds. Bluetooth - Bluetooth 4.1
- Includes compact Mate Dock 2.0: USB-A port, USB-C port, HDMI port and VGA port. Includes 1 year Office 365 Personal and 1 year manufacturer warranty.60Hz refresh rate
2. Apple MacBook Air
Another excellent choice, and an industry giant, is the Apple MacBook Air.
The only excuse for having not heard of a MacBook is if you live under a rock because they are everywhere.
MacBooks are easily one of the most popular laptops in the world, with their excellent performance and an even better brand reputation, so we couldn’t make this list without including an Apple product.
The MacBook Air, in particular, is an excellent choice if you want to watch movies on your computer. Its combination of sleek design with excellent build makes them a great investment.
The Air has a 13.3-inch retina display screen, which comes with true tone technology. It is operated by a 10th generation Intel core i3 processor and has Intel Iris plus graphics for a great display.
It has a screen resolution of over 4 million pixels allowing for an extremely immersive experience every time you watch a movie on this device. Combine the excellent screen with its stereo speaker system, and you are guaranteed an excellent movie experience.
The MacBook Air also comes with up to 11 hours of battery life, making it a great choice if you want to watch movies on the go or in bed without having to worry about power cables.
- Stunning 13.3-inch Retina display with True Tone technology
- Backlit Magic Keyboard and Touch ID
- Tenth-generation Intel Core i3 processor
- Intel Iris Plus Graphics
- Fast SSD storage
3. Acer Predator Helios 300
You should also consider the Acer Predator Helios 300, this is the first of two Acer products on this list, and it’s clear to see why it has made it.
This laptop is primarily designed for gaming (think Minecraft on a laptop, or Overwatch on a laptop), which means that it is also a great choice for streaming movies. It has a large, 15.6-inch full HD widescreen with an LED-backlit IPS display for perfect graphics.
This combined with the device’s DTS X ultra audio makes it a great choice for an all-round immersive movie experience.
The device comes powered by a 10th generation intel core, a 6-core processor for lots of power, and durability. It also comes with a 4-zone RGB backlit keyboard and an all-metal aeroblade 3D fan so you never have to worry about the laptop overheating.
It has an extremely bright display on the screen ensuring you will always be able to see the picture easily. Finally, it operates on Windows 10 Home, making it incredibly user-friendly even if you do not have much experience with laptops.
With all this in mind, it is clear to see why this is one of the best laptops on the market.
- Aspect Ratio:16:9
- 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 5.0 GHz) with Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
- Overclockable NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM
- 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) Widescreen LED-backlit IPS display (144Hz Refresh Rate, 3ms Overdrive Response Time, 300nit Brightness & 72% NTSC)
- 16 GB DDR4 2933MHz Dual-Channel Memory, 512GB NVMe SSD (2 x M.2 slots; 1 slot open for easy upgrades) & 1 - Available Hard Drive Bay
4. Dell Inspiron 15
Another laptop you should consider is the Dell Inspiron 15. Dell is a computer tech company that has been producing laptops for as long as they’ve been invented.
With all of their products known for their reliability and durability, there is no way we could make this list without including one of their laptops. Of all the Dell products, the Inspiron 15 is one of the best for watching movies due to its great design.
The laptop comes with a 15.6-inch screen. The screen is full HD with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080, and anti-glare technology to ensure you can always see the picture, even when watching in direct sunlight.
It is also LED-backlit for excellent quality. The device comes with a balanced volume system for good sound quality and Intel HD graphics for good imagery.
It has a battery life of 12 hours making it a great choice for on the go, and extra security features like a fingerprint scanner to make the process of logging in easier.
With all these amazing features, it is clear why this laptop has made it to the list.
- 10th Generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 (1 0 GHz up to 3 6 GHz 6 MB cache 4 cores) Processor + Intel UHD Graphics
- 8GB 8Gx1 DDR4 2666MHz RAM
- 256GB M 2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive
- 15 6-inch Full HD (1920x1080) Anti-Glare LED-Backlit Non-touch Display Narrow Border
- Wifi AC Bluetooth Backlit Keyboard Windows 10 Home 64-bit
5. Acer Chromebook 314
Finally, you should consider the Acer Chromebook 314. Chromebooks aren’t for everyone, but if you are looking for a laptop to stream or play movies this could be a good choice for you.
Chromebooks run on the Chrome operating system, and they operate at their best when connected to the internet which does put some people off of them. They come with in-built virus protection, automatic updates, and start very quickly making them convenient to use.
Chromebooks also come with access to more than 2 million Android apps through the Google Play store, allowing you to download your favorite streaming apps and play movies through there.
It also gives you access to the wide variety of movies that are sold through the Google Play store. You can then stream all these movies and videos on the device’s 14-inch full HD IPS display screen for excellent picture quality, and all-round brilliant movie experience.
- Chromebook runs on Chrome OS - an operating system by Google that is built for the way we live today. It comes with built-in virus protection, updates automatically, boots up in seconds and continues to stay fast over time. (Internet connection is required).
- All the Google apps you know and love come standard on every Chromebook, which means you can edit, download, and convert Microsoft Office files in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.
- Get access to more than 2 million Android apps from Google Play to learn and do more.
- Chromebooks come with built-in storage for offline access to your most important files and an additional 100GB of Google Drive space to ensure that all of your files are backed up automatically.
- CB314-1H-C884 comes with 14” Full HD IPS Display, Intel Celeron N4000, 4GB LPDDR4 Memory, 64GB eMMC, Google Chrome and Up to 12. 5-hours Battery Life.
Laptops for Watching Movies Buyers Guide
Laptops are all built with different purposes in mind, so if you are looking for a laptop to watch movies on, you should buy one designed for this purpose.
But with so many different laptops on the market, we understand that it can be confusing to find the right one for you.
That’s why we’ve put together this helpful buyer’s guide packed full of all the information you need to make your search better, and your perfect laptop easier to find.
Graphics and Processors
The most important thing you should consider when buying a laptop to watch movies is the graphics and processors that the laptop has.
Together these will contribute greatly to the quality of video that you can view through your laptop.
You might find yourself tempted to invest in a laptop that has a more advanced processor or graphics card, but you should understand the differences between the different graphics cards and processors.
You will encounter three different types of processors: everyday, premium, and powerhouse. A powerhouse or premium processor may sound appealing because they are more powerful, but you do not need to spend the money on these if you simply want to watch videos.
If you want to use your laptop to stream movies, an everyday processor is more than capable of doing the job. Everyday processors are the most basic design but they are great for the majority of tasks you want to complete on your laptop.
From streaming videos to surfing the internet, and even basic word processing, an everyday processor can complete all these tasks. There are some specific processors you should look out for, including Ryzen 3, AMD A4, and Intel Pentium processors.
All of these will allow you to easily stream high-quality movies. An Intel i7 laptop or an Intel i9 laptop is probably overkill for viewing movies, but having the extra horsepower is nice if your budget permits.
You should also consider the graphics card that is in-built into the laptop. There are two types of graphics you will find: integrated and dedicated.
The majority of processors will feature integrated graphics. These graphics processors share RAM and processing power to deliver excellent quality graphics on the laptop screen.
Integrated graphics are the ideal option for everyday use. They are a perfect choice for watching videos, and great value for all the different tasks they can complete.
You may find yourself tempted to spend extra for a dedicated graphics card, however, if the main objective of your laptop is to watch videos there is no need. An integrated graphics processor will do the job easily.
The Screen
Another very important thing to consider is the screen. The screen of your laptop is where you will be watching all your movies so you should buy one which is best suited to you.
There are two things you should consider in terms of the screen, and that is the size and resolution.
The first thing is the screen size. Laptops tend to come with a screen size between 12 and 17-inches, which is measured diagonally from corner to corner.
The size of the screen has an impact on the entire design of the laptop. A bigger screen will mean that the laptop is a lot heavier and bulkier, whereas a smaller screen will result in a lighter, more compact laptop. Depending on what you want out of the laptop, a bigger or smaller screen will be more appropriate.
If you plan on watching movies on your laptop exclusively at home, you might want to buy a laptop with a larger screen for better viewing. Whereas if you want to watch movies on the go, you might sacrifice a larger screen for easier portability. A touchscreen laptop can also make it easier to control the movie without having to fumble with a keyboard in the dark.
The most popular screen size is 15-inches as it is the perfect balance between big and small, but the right size for you will depend on your situation. A 17-inch laptop will give you a better viewing experience, but it does make for a bigger and heavier computer to carry around.
You should also consider the screen resolution. Screen resolution is built by the number of pixels that form together to produce the graphics displayed on your screen.
The larger the number of pixels, the sharper an image your screen will display. If you want a very good quality image, it is worth investing in a laptop that has a high screen resolution.
This will enhance your experience watching movies on the laptop and give a crisper picture. However, the high screen resolution does hurt battery life, so you should consider this if you’re buying a laptop to watch movies on the go.
Durability and Battery
You should also consider the durability of the laptop you buy.
When you set out to purchase a laptop you likely have an idea in your head of how long you want to use it for.
A laptop is a high-value purchase, so you will probably want a laptop that will last you for a while. If this is the case, you should avoid cheaper laptops.
Budget laptops may seem like a good deal, with their small upfront fee and easy accessibility, but they are not. In the long run, a budget laptop will cost you more than a more expensive one.
You will encounter endless problems that will need to be fixed, and the cost of repairs can build up in a short time.
Instead, you would be better off investing your money initially on a more expensive laptop. You should look for one that has an excellent processor, a greater amount of memory, and a larger hard-drive as this will reduce the need for upgrades and ensure your laptop will last.
Connections
Finally, you should consider the connections that the laptop has.
Different laptops will come with a variety of different ports, commonly including USB, USB Type-C, and HDMI ports.
If you plan on watching movies, you might want to watch DVDs as well as streaming videos from the internet. It has become more common in recent years for laptops that do not include disk drives.
So if you want to watch DVDs, connection ports are very important to allow you to do this. Not only that, but connection ports give you the ability to connect your phone and play videos from there on your laptop’s screen, and similarly allow you to stream videos from your laptop onto other devices.
USB ports will be vital in allowing you to connect an external disk drive, from which you can play your DVDs. Whereas an HDMI port will be very important if you want to stream video from your laptop onto an external screen, for example, a television.
These might be things that you would overlook in your search, but connections are very important when looking for the best laptop for watching movies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much RAM do I need for streaming movies?
There has been some debate over how much RAM you should have to be able to stream movies on your laptop.
All laptops come with a certain amount of RAM, so if your main aim is to stream movies through the laptop you should buy RAM accordingly. If you don’t want to spend too much money, 8GB of RAM will supply enough memory for you to be able to stream movies.
However, for the best quality, you should look for a laptop with 16GB of RAM, especially if you plan to use the laptop for gaming as well as watching movies. And it goes without saying that a 32GB laptop will play any video you throw at it.
Which processor is best for watching movies?
On your hunt for the best laptop to watch movies on, you will likely come across different processors.
You may be tempted to invest in one of the “better” processors, but for watching movies an everyday processor will do the job just fine.
You do not need to invest in a premium or powerhouse processor unless you are passionate about gaming or work in graphics. You may be able to find the best $400 laptop or a $600 laptop that will meet your viewing needs.
You may find that companies will try to upsell you, but an everyday processor is more than enough to do the job.
Is 4GB RAM enough for everyday use?
For most basic tasks, 4GB of RAM will be enough, however, if you want to stream movies this might not be the case.
It is recommended that you buy a laptop that has at least 8GB of RAM to stream videos from the internet, however, 16GB is preferred if you want a better quality stream.
4GB of RAM will stream videos however the quality is likely to not be that great.
Can I connect my laptop to the TV to watch movies?
Absolutely! For most laptops and TVs all that is required is an HDMI cable. For a quick tutorial on how to connect your laptop to your TV, watch this video: