6 best tablets for watching movies

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

Despite the fact that the diagonals of the screens of modern smartphones have come close to blurring the difference between a smartphone and a tablet, the latter is still in widespread use. So, for example, in terms of watching movies while traveling, a tablet is still preferable to a smartphone precisely because of at least a slightly larger screen. Experts analyzed the current gadget market in 2019 and identified seven worthy tablet models in two opposite price categories that are best suited for comfortable movie watching.

How to choose a tablet for watching movies

When choosing a tablet solely for such entertainment as watching movies, an illusion may arise that any not the worst device can cope with such a simple task. However, modern films in high quality are very, very resource-intensive, and in order to avoid the bitter disappointment of watching, you should still take into account the recommended characteristics.

Screen

The most obvious aspect of a tablet screen is its diagonal size. There are no fundamental restrictions here, and you can be guided by personal ideas about convenience. The tablet screen will be glossy almost without exception, which means there is a potential problem of 'mirror' and glare. If such an inevitable nuisance is too tangible, you should look for models with an anti-reflective coating or think about a matte film.

Matrix

Another key screen parameter, perhaps more important than size, is the matrix technology. To watch films in conditions of increased dynamics (in transport, in line, anywhere, but not in 'stationary' conditions), it is strongly recommended to select a model with the highest possible viewing angles. To date, viewing angles of 178 degrees can only be fully provided by the IPS technology and all kinds of its derivatives. There is also OLED, but this is a topic for another conversation due to the high cost and specifics. TN technology is much cheaper, but even the smallest change in the angle of view, especially in the vertical direction, leads to dramatic distortion of the color gamut, up to inversion. For comfortable viewing of films in 'field' conditions TN is not suitable.

Performance

As mentioned above, high quality movies consume a significant proportion of resources. therefore, a weak processor and graphics core will not be the best choice. The selection of models recommended by experts includes only those tablets where the electronic profile makes it easy to cope with video in FullHD resolution.

Sound

Almost every tablet PC has built-in speakers. For a full movie viewing, of course, it is preferable to use high-quality headphones. But when that isn't possible, the quality of your tablet's own stereo speakers can be important. In those presented models, where the sound is worked out especially well, we will separately emphasize this point.

Battery

Finally, even the highest-quality picture and the deepest sound will lose all their advantages if the tablet cannot 'pull out' a three-hour blockbuster or a couple of episodes of your favorite TV series. Therefore, the autonomy that a capacious battery should provide is one of the most important parameters.

Rating of the best tablets for watching movies

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
Best inexpensive tablets for watching movies	1	Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 64Gb LTE 8 ”	RUB 13,609
	2	Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite 10.1 ”	RUB 17 490
	3	Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 SM-T585 10.1 ”	RUB 12 789
	4	Lenovo Tab 4 Plus TB-X704F 32Gb 10.1 ”	RUB 14,580
The best premium tablets for watching movies	1	Apple iPad (2018) 32Gb Wi-Fi	RUB 21 490
	2	Microsoft Surface Pro 5 i5 8Gb 128Gb 12.3 ”	RUB 75,000

The rating is compiled on the basis of analysis of technical characteristics by RankQuality.com.

Best inexpensive tablets for watching movies

In the first part of our review, the team brings to your attention four tablet options that combine characteristics sufficient for high-quality video playback and an affordable price. Not the cheapest models fell into this category, but rather the price segment closer to the average.

Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 64Gb LTE 8 ”

Rating: 4.9

Let's start with the smallest tablet, especially for those for whom compactness is critically important, and the smartphone screen is still too small for any significant involvement in watching a movie. This is a representative of the M iPad family of one of the most prominent Chinese manufacturers of inexpensive and high-quality electronics – Xiaomi.

The model is quite new – it was announced in 2018, and since then enough time has passed for buyers to make sure that there are no critical flaws.

With a screen diagonal of 8 inches, the overall dimensions of the tablet are 200.2×120.3×7.9mm. It weighs 342g without packaging. The body is mostly metal. There are two color options available – black, gold.

The small diagonal of the screen is compensated by a good resolution – 1920×1200. With this combination, pixelation is completely invisible to the naked eye (density – 283ppi). The aspect ratio of the sides is 16:10. The screen covering is glossy. Viewing angles are typical for IPS technology – 178 degrees, that is, any manipulations with the position of the tablet will not distort the perceived image. Hereinafter, this will be a common characteristic for all tablets in the review.

The configuration of the key electronics of the tablet is more than enough for watching movies in high quality without annoying delays. This is an 8-core (Kryo core) processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 with a frequency of 2.2 GHz and an Adreno512 video module. The processor is manufactured using the 14nm process technology, which is still a big plus in 2019 until the finer process technology becomes 'mainstream'.

4GB of RAM contributes to the overall performance. For data storage, 64GB of internal memory is provided. That's enough for a small HD movie library. Large volumes of multimedia can be stored on external flash cards – the tablet reads microSDXC cards up to 256GB.

One of the advantages of this tablet is 4G support – so you can watch movies directly online and in high quality. The supported format of the operator's SIM card is nanoSIM.

Other potentially important characteristics of the model: rear and front cameras with a resolution of 13 and 5 megapixels, respectively; USB-C charging connector; standard headphone output 3.5mm; face unlock function; increased (as for IPS technology) contrast ratio 1200: 1; standard OS – Android 8.1.

Separately, it is worth emphasizing the high capacity of the battery – 6000mAh, which not every tablet can boast of, especially the budget one.

Advantages

• combination of price and quality;
• increased contrast and image quality in general;
• face unlocking;
• LTE support;
• capacious battery;
• metal non-marking case.

disadvantages

• some of the users feel heavy, as for an 8-inch.

Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite 10.1 ”

Rating: 4.8

Let's continue our review by switching immediately to a noticeably large tablet screen diagonal – 10 inches, and the first to consider the best, according to our experts, inexpensive tablet Huawei for watching movies with good sound. The model first entered the market in 2017.

The dimensions of the device are 241.3×171.5×7.5mm, net weight is 460g. The body is metal, strong, neatly and reliably assembled. The design is classic, completely in line with the generally accepted minimalism in the 'exterior' of wearable gadgets. Standard operating system – Android 7.0.

The screen resolution here is the same as that described above Xiaomi – 1920×1200, and the same matrix technology with large viewing angles and high-quality color reproduction. The experience of watching movies on this tablet will be especially vivid when headphones are not at hand. The outdoor acoustics are four stereo speakers, delivering unexpectedly deep and high quality sound.

The system runs on an 8-core (Cortex-A53) processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 with a frequency of 1.2GHz and an Adreno 505 graphics module. This configuration provides 3GB of RAM. Built-in storage – 32GB. MicroSDXC cards are readable up to 128GB. You can shoot your own video with the rear or front cameras – they both have a resolution of 8MP.

In terms of communication technology, this model is very similar to the previous one. On the cellular side, it supports 3G and LTE, and for short distances – Wi-Fi802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.1. There are GPS and GLONASS positioning modules.

Autonomous operation of the tablet is provided by a 6660 mAh battery. Wired charging via micro-USB interface.

Advantages

• high-quality image;
• metal case;
• deep stereo sound from 4 speakers;
• LTE support.

disadvantages

• no pronounced flaws were noted.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 SM-T585 10.1 ”

Rating: 4.8

Our expert group and the products of top market leaders could not ignore. Among the range of Samsung tablets, experts have proposed this inexpensive option. The model is noticeably inferior to the two above in terms of power, but the 'magic' of the brand itself and the affordable price do their job – the tablet is in demand and causes only positive feedback.

Dimensions of the device – 254x155x8mm, net weight 525g. The case design is classically minimalistic. Available in a range of colors – white, blue, black. The quality of materials and workmanship is beyond doubt – even in budget models of gadgets, the South Korean technology giant confidently maintains its brand.

The 10-inch screen of the tablet is equipped with a high-quality IPS-matrix with a resolution of 1920×1200 with a density of 224 dots per inch. The key electronics are for the most part weaker than the two options described above: the processor on 8 cores Samsung Exynos 7870 (Cortex-A53) operates at a frequency of up to 1.6 GHz, the video module is Mali-T830. Only 2GB of RAM is installed, but this is not too critical parameter for comfortable watching movies. The built-in memory is provided with 16GB, you can traditionally expand using external microSDXC cards.

With regards to communication technologies, in this model everything necessary and relevant as of 2019 is implemented, although the tablet itself came out relatively long ago – in 2016. So, it supports broadband Internet from a cellular operator using LTE technology, there are Wi-Fi modules and Bluetooth. The latter – with support for wireless transmission of high-quality A2DP audio. Suitable form factor of the SIM card is nanoSIM.

The multimedia potential of the tablet is supplemented by a pair of cameras: the rear 8Mpix with LED flash and autofocus, the front – 2Mpix. Additional functionality: GPS and GLONASS positioning, light sensor, accelerometer.

An impressive advantage of this tablet in terms of watching movies is the support for a wide range of formats and codecs, including very exotic ones. The stock operating system is already noticeably outdated Android 6.0, but even without updating it is enough for leisure.

And the most noticeable plus of the model is its high autonomy, which is guaranteed by a 7300 mAh battery. According to the manufacturer, this should be sufficient for continuous operation in video viewing mode for 13 hours. In general, this declared parameter is true, but not at maximum brightness.

Advantages

• brand;
• high-quality image;
• high build quality;
• LTE support;
• support for many video formats;
• up to 13 hours of watching movies on a single charge.

disadvantages

• relatively weak electronics for tasks with increased resource intensity.

Lenovo Tab 4 Plus TB-X704F 32Gb 10.1 ”

Rating: 4.7

The selection of inexpensive tablets, optimal for watching movies, is completed by the model of the trade mark, which is a kind of synonym for high-quality budget electronics – Lenovo. Here, other things being equal, we see perceptibly more pleasant characteristics of key electronics than the previous model.

Tablet dimensions – 247x173x7.1mm, net weight – 475g. A small part of users blame the above tablet for a lot of weight, but here, as we can see, the situation is a little better. Regarding the design, this model has no surprises – the same minimalistic classic, you can choose two polar body colors – white or black. The surface material is glass. You can use a fingerprint scanner for authorization.

The device is controlled by a processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 on eight Cortex-A53 cores with a frequency of up to 2GHz. The 14nm technical process determined the processor's energy efficiency and relatively low heating. Graphics module – Adreno506. The memory configuration is typical for inexpensive tablets: 3GB of RAM, 32GB of built-in, slot for external microSDXC cards up to 128GB. Operating system – Android 7.0.

The configuration of the cameras of this model is slightly better than the previous one, but not too expressive: the rear camera is 8Mpix with autofocus and flash, the front is 5Mp. The stereo speakers sound quite good. In any case, a universal 3.5mm headphone output is available here. In addition to everything, there is also an FM tuner.

For wireless communication, this model has on board Wi-Fi radio modules of the 802.11ac standard and Bluetooth version 4.2. Communication via a cellular operator is not supported. The GPS / GLONASS module is used for navigation. For connection to a computer – USB 3.1 Type-C interface.

Unconditional praise deserves a 7000 mAh battery, capable of providing autonomous work in the mode of watching movies up to 13 hours, as in the case of the Samsung discussed above.

Advantages

• high-quality image;
• high autonomy due to a capacious battery and an energy efficient processor;
• good sound from standard speakers;
• FM tuner;
• fingerprint scanner.

disadvantages

• does not support cellular communication.

The best premium tablets for watching movies

The second mini-compilation in the magazine's review of the best tablets for watching movies in 2019 includes two models, which, of course, will easily cope with much more complex 'challenges' than just playing videos. However, such premium solutions have their own consumer, even if they are not supposed to do anything other than watching movies and photographs.

Apple iPad (2018) 32Gb Wi-Fi

Rating: 4.9

Let's start right away with a brand that needs no special introduction. And here our readers will find a small break in the template. Although this is a tablet from Apple, here it finds itself in such a stellar company, against the background of which its price looks so affordable that it 'begs' for the budget category. However, Apple iPad still cannot be put on the same level with any of the above solutions. The model was announced in March 2018.

Tablet dimensions – 240×169.5×7.5mm, net weight – 469g. Well recognizable by its shape and style, the case is offered in three colors – gray, silver, golden. A sensitive, accurate and reliable fingerprint scanner serves for authorization.

The screen is slightly smaller than the previous three – 9.7 inches diagonally. But the resolution is higher – 2048×1536, as well as the pixel density – 264 per inch. Matrix type – IPS with its wide viewing angles. The glossy display has a scratch-resistant glass surface.

All the electronics of the tablet are controlled by a powerful 'native' processor Apple A10 with a frequency of 2340MHz (4 ARM8 cores). Manufactured according to the 16 nm process technology. Video module – PowerVR GT7600. The considered configuration assumes 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory. This is the minimum, and if you wish, you can purchase a modification with much larger amounts of memory. A slot for memory cards is not provided, but this cannot even be qualified as a drawback, since this approach is part of the Cupertinians' ideology.

The active part of the multimedia profile of this model is rather poor, which is especially strange for a completely new model. The rear camera is 8MP, while the front camera is only 1.2MP. There is a built-in speaker and a standard 3.5mm headset output. Headphones are preferable, as the sound from a single speaker is poor.

Blocks of wireless communication at the tablet: Wi-Fi 802.11ac standard with the possibility of direct connection between gadgets WiFi Direct; Bluetooth 4.2. There is also an NFC module.

Additional features of this model include support for the stylus (not included), and Bluetooth – the keyboard. There is also a docking station connector. The tablet is connected to the computer via Apple Lightning or USB.

Estimated time of continuous work in the mode of watching movies on one full battery charge – up to 10 hours.

Advantages

• brand;
• a high resolution;
• high-quality matrix;
• metal case;
• performance;
• autonomy;
• NFC;
• available, as for Apple, cost.

disadvantages

• quiet sound from a single speaker.

Microsoft Surface Pro 5 i5 8Gb 128Gb 12.3 ”

Rating: 4.9

And in conclusion, consider an example of one of the most successful, albeit few, projects of a 'software' company to create a 'hardware' solution. With all the criticism, we must admit that the company's Surface tablets Microsoft are definitely a success. The tablet is three times more expensive than the one described iPad, which may cause confusion, but you need to understand that the premium and even status of the Surface Pro is even more pronounced here than in the case of the paradoxical budget iPad. This model was announced in 2018.

Here we see a really big screen with a diagonal of 12.3 “. The resolution of the IPS-matrix is ​​2736×1824 with a density of 267 pixels per inch. The surface of the screen is glossy. The design is expectedly minimalistic and elegant. The dimensions of the device are 292.1×201.4×8.5mm, the net weight is 770. The body is predominantly metal.

The developers equipped the tablet with a processor Intel Core i5 8250U – four Kaby Lake R cores, frequency – 1.6 GHz. Created according to the 14nm process technology. Video processor – Intel HD Graphics (Kaby Lake R). This configuration provides 8GB of RAM and 128 internal memory. There are modifications of the same model with higher performance, but more expensive. Supports microSDXC memory cards. Operating system – Windows 10.

The cameras of the tablet are not very impressive – 8 and 5 megapixels rear and front respectively. Although it does not matter for watching movies, but for shooting and later watching your own recordings, I would still like something better, especially at such a price.

Wireless communication in this model is represented by the 802.11ac Wi-Fi module and Bluetooth version Bluetooth 4.1. You can connect external peripherals to the device via USB 3.0 Type A. There is even a Mini DisplayPort. Approximate time of continuous work on one full battery charge – 13.5 hours in movie viewing mode.

Advantages

• large screen;
• high-quality matrix;
• a high resolution;
• impeccable image quality;
• performance;
• Mini DisplayPort;
• autonomy;
• face recognition for authorization.

disadvantages

• relatively weak cameras.

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.