How to watch movies and TV shows on Apple TV

Apple TV

Why go out when you can watch all of your favorite movies on Apple TV?

When you buy a movie from iTunes it is automatically stored in iCloud so you can access it from any device, including your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. Even if you have a digital download code for a movie you purchased on DVD or Blu-ray, you can store it in iCloud and watch it on Apple TV. Once you've purchased or rented a movie or TV show, you can sit down with a bucket of popcorn, put your feet up, and start watching.

How to stream movies and TV shows in iTunes on Apple TV
How to access chapter menus for movies and TV shows on Apple TV
How to fast forward or rewind a movie or TV show on Apple TV
How to identify movies with iTunes Extras on Apple TV
How to watch iTunes Extras on Apple TV

How to stream movies and TV shows in iTunes on Apple TV

Anything you rent or buy is automatically stored in the "Purchased" section of iTunes on Apple TV.

Open the Movies app or TV Shows app.
Navigate to the Purchased section at the top of the screen.
Swipe down and select a title.
Select Play.

Your movie or TV show will begin playing. If you rented a movie, you will have 24 hours to finish watching it before it will no longer be available to watch on Apple TV.

How to access chapter menus for movies and TV shows on Apple TV

Begin playing a movie or TV show.
Swipe down to open the Info menu.
Swipe down to access the chapters.
Swipe left or right and select a chapter.

Your movie or TV show will jump forward or backward to the chapter you selected.

How to fast forward or rewind a movie or TV show on Apple TV

In an effort to avoid accidental fast forwarding or rewinding of content due to brushing up against the trackpad on the Siri Remote, Apple has changed the way you move ahead or back while watching movies and TV shows on Apple TV.

To skip forward or back in 10-second increments:

While a movie or TV show is playing, Firmly press on the left or right side of the trackpad of the Siri Remote until you see the 10-second icon next to the playback status bar.
Press the right or left side of the trackpad on the Siri Remote again to confirm the skip.
The content will skip forward or back 10 seconds.

To fast forward or rewind:

Press Pause while the movie or TV show is playing.
Swipe left or right to fast forward or rewind to a specific time.
Press Play.

How to identify movies with iTunes Extras on Apple TV

You'll have to do a little digging to find out which movies have iTunes Extra. It isn't easily identifiable from the browsing screen. When you find a movie with iTunes Extras, you can check out what special features it has before you decide to buy it.

Open the Movies app.
Select a title.
Scroll down past Viewers Also Watched.
If a movie includes iTunes Extras, the preview section will be next to the trailers with a synopsis of the additional content and a preview of what you will get when you buy.

I should note that if you have iTunes Movies video playback set to Standard Definition, you will not be able to see iTunes Extras. You'll have to switch back to HD to see and play the content.

How to watch iTunes Extras on Apple TV

There are dozens, if not hundreds of iTunes movies that come with extras, just like they would if you purchased them on DVD or Blu-Ray. Once you own a movie with iTunes Extras, you can watch the additional content at any time.

Open the Movies app or TV Shows app.
Navigate to the Purchased section at the top of the screen.
Swipe down and select a title.
Select Play.
The playback menu will automatically provide the option to play the movie or access the extra content.

I should note that if you have iTunes Movies video playback set to Standard Definition, you will not be able to see iTunes Extras. You'll have to switch back to HD to see and play the content.