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Are you looking for the best laptop for watching movies in 2022?
Laptops can be great devices for watching movies on the go, or from the comfort of your own bed. With the rising popularity of streaming services, a lot more people now prefer laptops for media consumption.
However, not every laptop can be ideal for watching movies. Since they are multifunctional devices, each one is tailored a bit differently.
We have selected some of the best laptops out there that can enhance your movie experience.
Let’s dive right in.
Check This: Best Laptops For Streaming
Top 3 Best Laptops for Watching Movies Comparison
Editor’s Choice Dell XPS 13 9310
| Best Premium For Watching Movies Apple MacBook Air M1
| Best Budget For Watching Movies Acer Aspire 5
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How We Choose the Best Laptop for Watching Movies
Since laptops perform a variety of different functions, not all laptops are ideal for watching movies. Therefore, we focused on several different factors while selecting the laptops for this roundup.
Our primary concern was inevitably the display quality and compact display size. We selected laptops that had excellent displays not only on paper but in person as well.
In terms of size, people who like to watch movies on laptops are always on the go so our prime focus is to recommend smaller and compact laptops that can be handled easily during a daily commute.
Obviously, anyone who’d like to watch movies on a bigger screen can always watch them on a big TV in their home. So, ultimately small but crisp and accurate displays are the way to go when it comes to watching movies on your laptop.
We considered the resolution of the display to be a primary deciding factor since 1440p and 4K content is so much more popular nowadays. Furthermore, we also laid a focus on color reproduction, viewing angles, and dynamic range that was provided by the panel.
Of course, the picture is just half of the experience. We also considered heavily the audio quality of the laptop in our roundup. The only downside of things like retina display, and IPS display is that you definitely need better sound quality to go with them!
Laptops with front-facing speakers were given priority, while the quality of the output was judged as well. We considered factors like maximum volume, clarity of output, and distortion in our verdict.
Battery life plays an important role in the day-to-day operation of a laptop and is especially important if you are consuming content like movies on a regular basis. This was a priority for us in this roundup.
Again, we also considered the weight and size of the laptop body as it pertains to comfort and ergonomics. Nobody wants to keep a big, heavy laptop on their lap for extended periods as it can get very tiring.
Finally, the price and value proposition of the laptop were deciding factors. All things considered, this is probably the most important step of the purchase process and it can completely make or break your choice.
Keeping these factors in mind, we have curated a list of the very best laptops for watching movies. Let’s jump in.
7 Best Laptops for Watching Movies Review
1. Dell XPS 13 9310 – Editor’s Choice
Size: 13.3 inch | CPU: Intel Core i7-1185G7 | GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB SSD | Battery: 10 Hours | Resolution: 1920×1200 | Refresh Rate: 60
Pros:
- Great OLED Display
- Impressive Specs
- Excellent Keyboard
- Solid Build Quality
- Acceptable Battery Life
Cons:
- Mediocre Audio Quality
- Quite Pricey
Our first pick of the day comes from Dell with their XPS 13 9310. It is a standard office laptop that comes with a very impressive edge-to-edge display which is an absolute treat for any type of visual media consumption.
Kicking things off with the display, we have a 1920×1200 resolution display which is quite impressive and rather pleasing to look at.
The bezels are thin, the colors are vivid and accurate, and the viewing angles are very wide which means that you can have a movie night with multiple friends without worrying about distortion.
This is all thanks to the excellent OLED panel here, which gives deeper blacks and a better contrast than other laptops. The dynamic range, especially, seems to be much better than other office laptops in this price bracket. Some might prefer a higher resolution, but 1080p looks quite sharp on 13.3-inch OLED Panel.
There are a few other OLED laptops like the Dell XPS 15 OLED, the HP Spectre x360 14, and the Thinkpad X1 Extreme Gen 3. All of which are great devices. Particularly the XPS 15 OLED because of its bigger screen. However, the XPS 13 beats all of them when it comes to the best all-around ultrabook and value for money.
The XPS 13 falls a bit short in terms of its audio quality. The speakers get fairly loud, but they do not deliver the same quality as one would expect at this price point. Competitors such as the Apple MacBook M1 line have much better sound systems.
Dell has provided various specification options in the XPS 13 lineup, but our recommended setup is the solid 11th Gen Core i7 CPU paired with the Intel Iris Xe Graphics. This combination yields excellent performance in day-to-day tasks as well as in relatively heavier productivity workloads.
You can certainly use the XPS 13 9310 as a multipurpose office or school laptop with these performance numbers. Dell also claims a battery life of 10 hours which is standard for laptops in this price bracket.
Another excellent feature of the XPS 13 9310 is its exquisite build quality. The materials are excellent and the overall fit and finish of the laptop feel quite premium. This is an added bonus if you are using this laptop as your daily driver.
The lack of numerous ports might annoy people, but that’s to be expected with a thin and light laptop. The XPS 13 only has two USB C ports which means you will have to carry a lot of dongles with you to take full advantage of them.
The Dell XPS 13 9310 is a great option for watching movies if you plan to use its performance for office or school work as well. It is a bit pricey, especially when configured with premium specs, but it is incredibly versatile. You could treat it as a workhorse, a laptop for college, or even for general entertainment needs.
RATINGS:
- Performance: 8.5/10
- Battery: 8.5/10
- Display: 9/10
- Value for Money: 8/10
- Overall Rating: 8.5/10
2. Apple MacBook Air M1 – Best Premium Laptop
Size: 13.3 inch | CPU: Apple M1 SoC | GPU: Apple 8-Core GPU | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB SSD| Battery: 18 Hours| Resolution: 2560×1600 | Refresh Rate: 60
Pros:
- Extraordinary Retina Display
- Impressive 18 Hour Battery Life
- Very Lightweight
- Tremendous Performance
- Premium Sound Quality
Cons:
- Only 2 USB-C Ports
- Very Expensive
Apple’s M1 line of laptops has been highly praised by users and reviewers alike, and there is a good reason. The flagship Apple MacBook Air M1 from that lineup is one of the best laptops you can currently buy, period.
It is no surprise that it is also our pick for the best premium laptop for watching movies.
Let’s kick things off with the screen. Apple doesn’t like to talk about resolution and refresh rates, but the “Retina display” panel on the M1 MacBook Air has an impressive 2560×1600 resolution. The color reproduction and viewing angles of the screen are even more impressive than the specs.
The bright and vibrant display is perfect for watching movies either by yourself or with companions. The excellent viewing angles of the screen make it easy for others to join the activity as well. The dynamic range of the display is also exquisite, as one expects from Apple.
The M1 chip inside of this thing makes the Air hard to beat. The Surface Laptop 3 and Lenovo Yoga 9i come to mind when it comes to a high-end fit and finish. But again, the M1 processor helps the MacBook Air secure an easy win over most Windows laptops in the same price range.
When it comes to sound quality, there is little to complain about. The front-facing speaker system of the MacBook Air M1 is unlike any we have ever seen on any laptop out there. The sound quality is impeccable and it is probably the best sounding laptop currently on the market.
You cannot have any complaints about the performance of the Apple MacBook Air M1 CPU either. Its fully loaded M1 SoC is exponentially better than the traditional Intel CPUs that Apple used in these laptops. Not only that, but it is also way more efficient in delivering those performance figures.
That efficiency is the reason for the excellent battery life we get on the Air M1. Apple claims a battery life of around 18 hours on moderate use, which is more than enough for a movie marathon. You can probably use this laptop for work all day and then watch a movie before going to bed with that battery life.
The MacBook Air is still pretty light, weighing in at only 2.8 pounds. You won’t be able to notice the difference if you compared it to an LG Gram. A lightweight chassis is a big advantage when watching movies as you don’t want a big, heavy laptop on your lap for extended periods of time.
Apple should have included a few more ports on the laptop, as the two USB-C ports get occupied fairly quickly. You may also be using one of those ports for charging since that is the only way to charge the laptop.
It is true that the Apple MacBook Air M1 has a really steep price tag, but there are plenty of benefits that are unique to this laptop. It is certainly not the ideal choice for everyone, but if you can make use of the performance of the Apple M1 SoC then there is not a lot of reason to deviate from this choice.
RATINGS:
- Performance: 9/10
- Battery: 9/10
- Display: 8/10
- Value for Money: 8/10
- Overall Rating: 8.5/10
3. Acer Aspire 5 – Best Budget Laptop – BEST SELLER
Size: 15.6 inch | CPU: Intel Core i5-1135G7 | GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics| RAM: 8GB | Storage: 512GB SSD| Battery: 8.5 Hours| Resolution: 1920×1080 | Refresh Rate: 60
Pros:
- Very Affordable
- Excellent Performance
- 512GB SSD in this Budget
- Decent Speakers
Cons:
- Only a 1080p Display
- Mediocre Battery Life
- Relatively Heavy Chassis
What if you don’t want to spend over a thousand dollars just for watching movies? If your use case is fairly simple, then you can go with our pick for the best budget laptop for watching movies which is the Acer Aspire 5.
Like most laptops, the Aspire 5 comes in multiple variants, but all of them are great for this particular use case. Our selected combination has a fairly standard 15.6 inch 1920×1080 screen which might be the biggest downside of the Aspire 5.
The 1080p resolution is fine for watching movies, but it is nothing extraordinary. The screen itself has decent color reproduction but the viewing angles leave a bit to be desired. This might not be the laptop if you want to watch movies with multiple people.
Surprisingly, the dynamic range of the panel is fairly acceptable which is not common in budget laptops. The screen gets fairly bright and the contrast in the dark areas is impressive for what you get.
These days, you have a lot of alternatives for this price. Acer’s own Swift 3 and the ASUS Vivobook 15 are both laptops that are great bang for the buck. However, when it comes to an enjoyable movie watching experience, that’s where the Acer Aspire 15 tends to shine in the budget segment of the market.
Continuing with the acceptable movie-watching experience, the speakers are decent too. Now they are nothing in comparison to the sound system of the aforementioned premium laptops, but they certainly get the job done. The laptop can get pretty loud without distortion, which is a big plus.
One thing that might be a bit of an issue with the Aspire 5 is its weight. The chassis is 5.2 pounds heavy, which is on the higher side when it comes to laptops. You might get tired if you keep the laptop on your legs while watching movies. This laptop is more suited for table use due to its weight.
The battery life of the Aspire 5 is decent, although nothing extraordinary. Acer claims a running time of 8.5 hours with moderate use, which falls in the mid-range when compared with similar laptops. You might need a charge if you plan to use this laptop all day.
Performance, on the other hand, is rather impressive thanks to the 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor paired with the Intel Iris Xe Graphics. You also get a 512 GB SSD in our selected variant, which is rare to see at this very affordable price. Certainly, you can use this laptop for office or school work too.
Conclusively, the Aspire 5 obviously has some shortcomings in key areas but the overall value proposition is way too good to be ignored. If you are on a tight budget and want a multipurpose laptop to watch movies online, or streaming movies at home, this is your best choice.
RATINGS:
- Performance: 8/10
- Battery: 7/10
- Display: 7/10
- Value for Money: 9/10
- Overall Rating: 8/10
4. LG Gram – Best Big Screen Laptop
Size: 15.6 inch | CPU: Intel Core i5-1135G7 | GPU: Iris Xe Intel Graphics | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB SSD| Battery: 22 Hours| Resolution: 2560×1600 | Refresh Rate: 60
Pros:
- Large 15.6-inch Display
- Extremely Light Chassis
- Solid Audio Quality
- Excellent Color Reproduction
- Great Performance
Cons:
- Quite Expensive
- No High Refresh Rate Screen
- Glossy screen won’t be for everyone
The Gram’s unique feature can be deduced by its unique name, but that’s not the only thing unique about this laptop. In fact, the LG Gram is one of the best laptops for watching movies because of it’s large display and excellent versatility.
First thing’s first, the screen is top-notch with a resolution of 2560×1600. It is still 60Hz, but that shouldn’t matter much while watching movies. The color reproduction is extremely impressive and the viewing angles are acceptable as well.
Sound Quality also plays a huge role when viewing movies, especially on a laptop. In this regard, we are happy to report that the LG Gram’s speakers do a great job of immersing the viewer in the experience. They do not sound tinny or garbled at any point in the volume range.
The LG Gram is also a super-lightweight laptop, as one can imagine by reading the name. Coming in at just under 2.5 pounds, this laptop is extremely comfortable to carry around with you and to use on your lap due to its light chassis. This is also a bonus while watching movies.
The HP Elite Dragonfly and Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 9 are great alternatives if a lightweight design is what you’re looking for. Speaking of which, the Razer Book 13 also has an interesting design. Fortunately for LG, the Gram’s iconic design and superb screen make it a better laptop than those we just mentioned for watching movies.
There are multiple variants of the Gram, but our selected combination offers the best balance of features and price. Performance is very impressive thanks to the 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor paired with the integrated Iris Xe Intel Graphics. Which is up to four times better than the Intel UHD graphics.
You can expect quick, responsive multitasking and productivity work with this combination. The Gram can also be your office or work laptop thanks to the great internals.
Speaking of internals, one of the most impressive features of the LG Gram is its humongous battery life. LG has rated the Gram for 22 Hours of mixed-use, which is by far the longest of any laptop in our roundup.
This impressive battery, paired with the incredible 15.6-inch screen, means that you can watch multiple movies in a row without even worrying about charging.
LG has really hit the nail on the head with this laptop, as it combines the best of multiple worlds. The laptop does feel a bit too expensive for the specs, even with our variant, but there are way too many good things about the Gram that you cannot ignore.
All in all, a very impressive laptop and certainly one of the best for watching movies.
RATINGS:
- Performance: 8/10
- Battery: 8/10
- Display: 8/10
- Value for Money: 8/10
- Overall Rating: 8/10
5. Dell Inspiron 13 5310 – Best All-Rounder Laptop
Size: 13.3 inch | CPU: Intel Core i7-11370H | GPU: Nvidia GeForce MX450 | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB SSD| Battery: 12 Hours| Resolution: 2560×1600 | Refresh Rate: 60
Pros:
- High-Resolution Display
- Excellent Processor and GPU
- Decent Battery Life
- Lightweight Body
Cons:
- Very Pricy
- Some Thermal Issues
- Better Competing Options For Watching Movies
Dell’s Inspiron lineup has always had some interesting offerings for everyone, and the Inspiron 13 5310 seems particularly interesting for our use case. It has a combination of premium specs that make this laptop an excellent multipurpose choice.
The Inspiron has a 2560×1600 resolution screen which is great for users who like to consume content like movies on their laptops. Furthermore, the panel offers an impressive color reproduction with a high peak brightness. Viewing angles are acceptable too, which means you can have other people join you as well.
The Inspiron 13 has always been more of a business laptop. With that said, the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch, and the HP Elitebook x360 are viable alternatives. Unfortunately, the MacBook Pro is quite expensive, and the Elitebook might not be for everyone with its convertible design. That’s why the Inspiron 13 might be the better choice for most people.
Audio is an integral part of the movie-watching experience, and the Inspiron does not disappoint in this regard. The speakers get fairly loud without producing distortion, and the general output is clear and pleasant.
Battery life should not be a problem with the Inspiron 5310. Dell claims a battery timing of roughly 12 hours on a full charge, which should get you through a normal day on moderate use. This battery life is mostly better than what the competition is offering at this price point.
In addition to the impressive battery, Dell has also provided a 65W USB-C power adapter for quick charging. This is a nice touch and can help you tremendously in your day-to-day routine.
You will also be impressed with the lightweight nature of the chassis. Weighing in at just 2.78 pounds the Inspiron is the ideal choice for portability. It is also extremely comfortable to use on your lap, which is good news for movie enthusiasts.
Speaking of good news, the performance of the Inspiron 13 5310 is very impressive. There are multiple spec options, of course, but our selected variant offers the 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with the dedicated Nvidia GeForce MX450 GPU.
The 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD are premium options that are not commonly present in laptops of this category. There are, however, some thermal issues that are reported with this combination due to the high heat output of the CPU and GPU.
A dedicated GPU like the MX450 will help you perform additional productivity tasks like video editing, photo manipulation, 3D modeling, animation, etc. You may also be able to do a little bit of gaming in your free time with this setup.
Though it isn’t a gaming laptop, there are added features like a fingerprint reader, and less blue light on the 16:10 QHD display panel. So your movies won’t hurt your eyes!
The price of the laptop is fairly high, and it does not make a lot of sense if you just want a laptop for watching your favorite movies. You should prioritize the Inspiron if you can take advantage of its impressive specs as well.
Overall, this is one of the best laptops for watching movies. A solid choice with the Intel Core i7 and decent display quality.
RATINGS:
- Performance: 7.5/10
- Battery: 8/10
- Display: 8/10
- Value for Money: 7/10
- Overall Rating: 7.5/10
6. Lenovo Flex 14 – Best 2-in-1 Laptop
Size: 14 inch | CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3500U | GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics Vega 8| RAM: 12GB | Storage: 256GB SSD| Battery: 12 Hours| Resolution: 1920×1080 | Refresh Rate: 60
Pros:
- Quite Affordable
- Convenient 2-in-1 Design
- Touchscreen Support
- Good Battery Life
Cons:
- Unimpressive Audio
- Mediocre Performance
- Poor Trackpad Responsiveness
The convenience of a 2-in-1 laptop cannot be denied, especially in situations where you might need the portability. Lenovo’s Flex 14 is a great option for watching movies on-the-go thanks to its 360-degree hinge, great laptop features, and impressive ergonomics.
Lenovo has equipped the Flex 14 with a standard 1920x1080p screen that isn’t particularly special, but that might not matter due to the particular use case of this device. The Flex 14 isn’t meant to be a media consumption powerhouse, but it is more geared towards flexibility and portability which you might not get from most laptops.
The touchscreen laptop screen itself is not bad either. Apart from the unimpressive resolution, there is not a lot wrong with it. The color reproduction is fine and the viewing angles are surprisingly good. There is a lack of dynamic range but that is to be expected at this price point.
These days, we have a lot of 2-in-1 laptops to pick from. If you want to splurge, the Thinkpad X1 Yoga and Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable are great choices. Still, not everyone is willing to spend that much on a 2-in-1 laptop. That’s what makes the price of the Flex 14 so appealing.
If you are outside with your Flex 14, then you might want to use its speakers as well. The audio system isn’t anything extraordinary, although the speakers do get pretty loud. There is a bit of distortion at high volumes and a lack of spatial qualities in general.
It may not matter, however, if you are in a public place with this laptop since movie watchers may as well be using headphones most of the time.
There are some special qualities of the Flex 14 that you simply do not get in other laptops. The touchscreen display and pen input are standout features that can help you in day-to-day operations. Being a convertible laptop, it is also a great device for office and school work.
The performance aspect is also pretty average, but it is understandable for an affordable 2-in-1 laptop. AMD’s Ryzen 5 3500U sits at the heart of the machine paired with the integrated Vega 8 graphics. This setup is decidedly mid-range but should allow you to do office or school work without a hitch.
Lenovo has rated the battery life to be 10 hours after a full charge which is an average number for a laptop in this category. It should, however, be beneficial if you want to watch multiple movies in your free time as you can do so without worrying about the charging.
Some users have reported issues with the trackpad tracking as well, but the reports seem to be negligible in number as of now. Still, it is a gripe worth mentioning.
For a particular use case, the Lenovo Flex 14 seems to be a great laptop. Its convertible design and convenient features make it our ideal pick for the best 2-in-1 laptops for watching movies. The price tag is rather palatable too, which is another great aspect.
RATINGS:
- Performance: 6.5/10
- Battery: 8/10
- Display: 7/10
- Value for Money: 8/10
- Overall Rating: 7.3/10
7. Huawei MateBook X Pro – Best 3K Display Laptop
Size: 14 inch | CPU: Intel Core i7-8550U | GPU: Nvidia GeForce MX150| RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB SSD| Battery: 10 Hours| Resolution: 3000×2000 | Refresh Rate: 60
Pros:
- Extraordinary 3K Resolution
- Decent Battery
- Impressive Speakers
- Mate Dock 2.0 Added
Cons:
- Some Thermal Issues
- Quite Pricy
- Weak GPU
The unique display of the Huawei MateBook X Pro makes it a great choice for watching movies, especially if you can get a hold of some high-resolution prints. It is not just a one-trick pony though, as there are plenty of great things about the MateBook X.
When you open the lid of the Huawei MateBook X, you are greeted by the highlight feature of this laptop. The gorgeous 3K display with a resolution of 3000×2000 has a tremendous 91% screen-to-body ratio. The 3:2 aspect ratio means that you might have to live with some black bars while watching movies on this laptop.
Previous designs from Huawei indicated that they were trying to make a MacBook clone. This one has more personality. If you’re looking for alternatives, the Dell XPS 15 and Surface Laptop 3 are both more interesting choices. However, you might go for the Matebook Pro for its high-resolution display, which makes it better for watching movies.
The display is impressive beyond the mere resolution, however. There is support for touch screen input as well which can come in handy with productivity tasks. The contrast ratio is 1500:1 according to Huawei, and the color reproduction is impeccable.
Viewing angles are rather impressive, and the dynamic range feels reasonable enough. The panel also has a 260 PPI density which is quite impressive for a 14-inch screen.
Furthermore, the speakers of the Huawei MateBook X Pro are very impressive. They are not quite as good as the ones on the MacBook Air, but they do have some great qualities. You get a clear sound without distortion even at high volumes, and there is a reasonable amount of spatial quality as well.
When it comes to the specs, however, the story changes a bit. Although the 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor is still very usable, it is inefficient compared to modern CPUs and has some thermal issues. Huawei has added the Nvidia GeForce MX150 dedicated Graphics Processing Unit to the laptop which is a bit underpowered for modern use too.
The battery life is relatively standard at 10 hours as claimed by Huawei, but that shouldn’t be a big problem. What can be a problem though, is the weight of the laptop. The MateBook X Pro is not a lightweight laptop and is certainly meant for table use thanks to its weight and size.
The MateBook X offers an array of redeeming features that may not be present on other devices. Windows Hello authentication using the One Touch Power Button, backlit keyboard, the inclusion of the compact Mate Dock 2.0, and Dolby ATMOS audio system tuning really elevate this laptop above the competition.
Overall, it is true that Huawei’s offering is really expensive and it probably does not make a lot of sense to buy it purely for the screen. However, there are a lot of unique qualities in the MateBook X that make it our pick for the best 3K laptop for watching movies.
RATINGS:
- Performance: 6.5/10
- Battery: 7/10
- Display: 8.5/10
- Value for Money: 7/10
- Overall Rating: 7.2/10
Best Laptops for Watching Movies Buyer’s Guide
If you are on the lookout for a laptop for watching movies, fret not. Consider these factors carefully before finalizing your purchase decision for this specific purpose.
Most modern laptops should have an excellent graphics card, stunning visuals, HD display, sufficient storage space, as well as excellent video quality for mobile computing. Here are some things you need to consider for your laptop for movies!
Display
Movies are all about the picture. Well, that is not entirely true since sound plays a huge role too, but the picture is what you are attentive to all the time. The display of your laptop should be top-notch. Though you don’t necessarily need a larger screen size, you do want options like IPS display, a full HD screen, and a great integrated graphics card.
Look for laptops with high-resolution displays. There are plenty of laptops that offer a high-resolution option like 1440p or 4K in their lineup. Selecting a high-resolution panel will allow you to experience the content in an elevated way.
Also make sure to check out other aspects of the display like color science, viewing angles, peak brightness, and dynamic range. Look for HDR certification, which is a bonus if it is present. Few laptops with a touch screen will have a large screen, but they are still very versatile for every day use.
Speakers
Arguably the most important thing to consider after the display is the sound setup. Laptop built in stereo speakers are not known for being particularly impressive. Usually, they are small and produce a tinny, robotic sound.
However, there are certainly laptops out there that lay a focus on this aspect. Particularly, premium laptops such as the MacBook M1 line from Apple have excellent speakers that enhance the whole experience.
If you cannot test the sound of the laptop yourself, online reviews are your best bet. Be sure to check out a healthy mix of user reviews as well as expert reviews before making your decision. Not to mention having a headphone jack option just in case.
Storage to Watch Movies
To watch films you will probably need to store data permanently. That’s why you will need atleast 256GB SSD for storage. Nevertheless if media streaming is what you need most, you won’t need lots of storage.
Weight and Size
Nobody likes to carry around a big and heavy laptop all day. It gets even more uncomfortable if you have to place it on your lap for long periods while watching movies.
It would be wise to prefer thin-and-light laptops for watching movies. Look for laptops under 3 pounds of weight. There are many excellent offerings by manufacturers in this space and you don’t even have to sacrifice performance at all.
The laptop weight is generally mentioned on the product page.
Battery Life
Another crucial aspect of purchasing a laptop for watching or streaming movies has to be the battery life.
Battery technology is improving ever so slightly, but components are getting more and more powerful too. Manufacturers have to balance long battery life with performance in many cases.
Prioritize a laptop with at least 10 hours of rated battery life. This rating varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, so be sure to check independent reviews as well.
A good battery life should allow you to watch multiple movies back to back if you prefer. You can also use the laptop as a work/school device and then watch movies on it later in your free time.
Most modern laptops will have retina display, or a backlit keyboard that could use up battery in the background as well, so have this in mind.
FAQs:
Which Laptop Size is Best for Watching Movies?
13-15 inch laptops are great to watch movies on since that display size provides a comfortable surface area with a high pixel density as well. You can stream your favorite movies and get good quality video with this screen size.
Which Processor Do I Need for Watching Movies?
You do not need a particular processor for watching movies. Any modern laptop processor, like an Intel Core with Intel HD graphics, can provide you with enough processing power to stream movies online or offline at any resolution up to 4K.
Is a Bigger Laptop Screen Better?
A bigger laptop screen is not necessarily better, but a small screen isn’t the best for watching TV shows, streaming content, and movies. Options like full HD display, IPS display, and OLED display, are going to get you better display quality. Color reproduction, viewing angles and dynamic range also come into play.
Do I Need a 144Hz Laptop for Watching Movies?
You do not need a 144Hz laptop for watching movies. Most movies play at 24-30FPS, therefore a 144Hz screen would not be any different than a standard 60Hz screen. A Full HD screen will be better for display quality and refresh rates.