Play Netflix movies on Gear VR through Samsung Smartphones

We know that Netflix is the most popular online subscription service streaming movies & TV episodes over the Internet. People spend money to subscribe the movies from Netflix and enjoy on computer, TV, PSP, Xbox, Roku, etc. any time, any place they like. If you have a Gear VR, chances are you want to watch Netflix on old/new Gear VR through Samsung Smartphones like Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S7/S7 edge, Note5, S6, and S6 edge for 3D movie experience. In this article, I mainly offer users some reliable solutions to help them play Netfilx videos on their Samsung Gear VR.

Option 1. Watch Downloaded Netflix Movies on Samsung Gear VR

Of course, you need connect the device to Internet and start stream movies from Netflix. When you disconnect the portable devices from Internet. You can't enjoy movie on devices. For example, if you want to stream video for your Gear VR and enjoy when have a vacation in the town which do not have Internet. So, why not download movies from Netflix and convert it to Gear VR video so you can play it while you don't have Internet connected.

Normally, you can not download Netflix movies or to cache them to watch later on Gear VR since there is no video downloads service from Netflix. So if you downloaded some Netflix movies by using some 3rd-party video downloader, you'd better maker sure:

1) There is no DRM protection on your downloaded Netflix movies, if yes, remove it.
2). The video format your downloader saved the Netflix movies is compatible with Gear VR, if not, convert downloaded 2D/3D Netflix to Gear VR first.
3). The resolution, bit rate and more is suitable so you can watch the Netflix on Gear VR through Samsung Smartphones with a great view.

See What File Format Are Netflix Movies:

a. WMV3 and WMA

WMV3 and WMA were the original file formats used to encode Netflix streaming movies before Microsoft Silverlight was used. WMV3 is the Windows Media 9 codec, as part of the VC-1 video codecs. Versions of Windows Media Player 9 or later were needed to stream Netflix movies. WMA (Windows Media Audio) compressed the audio data supplied to listen to the Netflix movie as it streamed.

b. Microsoft Silverlight

Microsoft Silverlight must be installed for current versions of Netflix streaming movies to play. Silverlight is a development platform that can run both audio and video. It is not connected to Windows Media Player, so Netflix viewers do not need Windows Media Player to watch streaming movies.

c. VC-1 Advanced Profile

VC-1 (Video Codec) Advanced Profile is the current video software used with Netflix on-demand movies in conjunction with Microsoft Silverlight. VC-1 Advanced Profile is used with both HD DVD and Blu-ray discs, providing high-quality video playback. Microsoft Silverlight supports VC-1 Advanced Profile, and the two programs work together to provide the online video streaming through Netflix.

d. PlayReady DRM

Microsoft PlayReady DRM (Digital Rights Management) is technology that brings the VC-1 Advanced Profile encoding to Netflix and provides content access to Netflix viewers. The Digital Rights Management is necessary to prevent copying or pirating of Netflix on-demand movies. Microsoft PlayReady also works in conjunction with Microsoft Silverlight.

And through 3rd-party video recorder, the Netflix video streaming can be recorded and saved in the video file formats MP4, WMV, AVI, 3GP or others

Resolution/Bitrate/Format Playable on Gear VR

According to my experience, anything over 720p does nothing but turn battery energy into heat, due to the screen resolution. The optimal bit rate is content dependent, and many videos can get by with less, but 5 Mb/s should give good quality. And Samsung Gear VR by default supports most common file formats including MKV, MP4, AVI, and FLV. When it comes to playing 3D videos, Samsung Gear VR requires either side-by-side or top-to-bottom (top down)

However, most of the Netflix movie may not the format Gear VR supported.

Since Netflix movies are so popular that the lack of Netflix video support for Gear VR will no doubt bring lots of trouble to its users. Well, what should you do if your Gear VR doesn't have a builtin Netflix player? Don't worry. One great Netflix video converter you can use is iFastime Video Converter Ultimate for Mac to convert the unsupported video to Gear VR format, after that, you can import the converted movie to Gear VR easily.

his app provides an easy way to convert downloaded Netflix movies to Gear VR supported video formats. With the ultra fast conversion speed, the Mac app enables you to convert video in any popular format including YouTube FLV, MKV DTS, WMV, VOB, MOV, MTS, MXF, etc. with zero quality loss on Mac (El Capitan included).

For 3D devices, you can even get different types of 3D videos, like Anaglyph, Top-Bottom, Side-by-Side 3D MP4/MKV video supported by Samsung Gear VR/Oculus Rift DK2/VR One or other VR Headsets with simple clicks. What's more, with the built-in editor, you can trim, crop, adjust special effect, insert subtitles to downloaded Netflix video, so that you get the very part and effects at your will.

If you are a Windows user, you can turn to iFastime Video Converter Ultimate (Perfectly compatible with Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Visita/XP), which has the same function as the Mac version. Next, you can follow the guide below to convert downloaded Netflix files in Windows, so you can play Netflix movies on Gear VR through Samsung Galaxy Note 4/5, Galaxy S7/S7 edge, S6/S6 edge without any trouble. (Note: This tutorial below is also available for Windows users, for the conversion process is roughly same. )

Free Download iFastime Video Converter Ultimate:

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Convert and Play Netflix movies on Gear VR

Step 1. Load Netflix movies

Launch Netflix video converter for Gear VR, and click "Add video" button to import your source materials from Netflix. Batch conversion is supported so that you can add multiple files for conversion at a time.

Step 2. Select output format

Click "Format" and select "MP4 Side-by-Side 3D Video (*.mp4)" from "3D Video" category as the output format. It works on Samsung Gear VR perfectly.

Tip: 

a. Do video settings (optional)

Click Settings to adjust the parameters like video codec, video bitrate, video frame rate, audio sample rate, audio channel. 1920x1080 compressed side-by-side 3D should be resampled to 1920x540 resolution full side-by-side resolution. And keep audio in AAC or MP3. While H.264 is the recommended video coding, H.265 videos can also be played.

b. Basic video editing (optional)

This Mac video converter has some simple edit functions like cropping, trimming, adding effects, inserting subtitles, etc. so you can touch up the video with basic video editing functions. (Also learn how to add Subtitles to Movies Streamed in Netflix)

Step 3. Start Netflix to Gear VR conversion

Click the "Start conversion" button to start and finish the Netflix to Gear VR conversion. After the conversion, click "Open" button to quickly locate the generated media file. 

Now you can transfer the converted videos to play with Gear VR easily. See detailed steps:

Step 1. Make sure you have the correct smartphone. Yes, it's a silly instruction, but people have been known to make mistakes once in a while, so it doesn't hurt to check. The Gear VR only works on the following Samsung Galaxy smartphones: Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6/S6 Edge/S6 Edge+, and Galaxy S7/S7 Edge.

Step 2. Get a copy of the 3D movies you want to watch and make sure they are in the correct format (.mp4 .m4v .3gp .3g2 .ts .webm .mkv .wmv .asf .avi .flv). Also, check if the audio are in .mp3 or .aac formats. 

Step 3. Place the movies in the correct folder in your phone. To do this, simply navigate to the default folder created by Oculus/Gear VR, but don't paste them there just yet. Create a new folder within that folder and name it "3D" (/oculus/movies/3d/). That's where you need to place your 3D movies since the root folder is reserved for your regular 2D movies.

a. 2D or normal movies you copy/paste into the /oculus/movies/
b. for 360 movies you create folder called "360videos" (/oculus/movies/360videos/ ) and copy your 360 videos

Step 4. Search around the internet for your movies' posters and copy them on Paint, or any other image editing program you prefer. Do them one at a time, of course. Resize the images to 232 x 344 pixels and save them in the 3D movies folder as .png, making sure that the file names are EXACTLY the same as the respective movies. This will display the movies' posters when browsing on Gear VR, instead of some random image. It's entirely optional, though. But it makes things look neat.

Step 5. Grab some popcorn and start watching your movies.

Now you see, watching movies on your Gear VR is a simple matter. All you really need to do is copy your movies in the correct folder and you're good to go.

P.S. Besides viewing 2D/3D Netflix video on Gear VR, you can also use this all-in-one video app from iFastime to rip DVD or 2D/3D Blu-ray movies to Gear VR for stunning playback.

Option 2. Directly Watch online Netflix Videos on Gear VR

As one of the most popular online video sites, Netflix is available on the Samsung Gear VR on select Samsung smartphones, only Android 5.0.1 or above are supported. So as to watch Netflix on Gear VR through Samsung smartphones, you can install the app and directly enjoy your favorite TV shows and movies via Netflix. By the way, to watch Netflix items, you have to be a subscriber of Netflix, if not, join it and get the service from Netflix.

Note: If you purchased or ordered by March 14, you will also receive a second email with your Netflix code. Once you receive your code, you can claim your free year of Netflix by visiting www.netflix.com/specialoffers by April 30, 2016. Netflix codes are limited. (See GS7 & GS7 edge VR FAQ)

Supported Regions:

Netflix is available on Samsung phones with the Samsung Gear VR in all regions where the Netflix service is available.

Resolution:

Watch movies and TV shows in 480p resolution.

Subtitles & Alternate Audio:

Select the Audio and Subtitles icon to turn on subtitles and alternate language audio if they are offered by the movie or TV show.

See The way Using Netflix on your Samsung Gear VR (powered by Oculus) (Details)

1. Connect Samsung smartphones to the Internet;

2. To connect your Samsung Gear VR to your Netflix account, make sure you are on the home screen, then follow the steps for your device below.

a.From the Oculus home screen, select Netflix.
b.Follow the prompt to complete the installation.
c.Once the Netflix app launches, select Sign In. (If you are not yet a member, set up your membership）. According to the Netflix, only people in USA who have a USA mail can use this Online service. So, if you are out of USA, just forget it. 

3. Browse rows of movie posters or press Search to find movies and rent it.

Note: If you rent some Netflix movie, you have to watch it before the dead line.

Your device is now connected to your Netflix account. Enjoy!

To sign out of the Netflix account on your device, follow the steps below.

a.Begin from the Netflix home screen.
b.Navigate up and select Settings or the Gear icon .
c.Select Sign out.
d.Select Yes to confirm.
e.You will now have the option to sign in as a different Netflix member.
Have other issues with watching Netflix online? See solution at Oculus Support Center.

Tip 1. Netflix Original Series and TV Shows

With Netflix, you've got access to top HD TV shows like Narcos, House of Cards, Flash, Marvel's Daredevil, Between, Blodline, Sense8, Marco Polo, The 100, Gotham, The Walking Dead, iZombie, Orange Is The New Black, Reign, How To Get Away With Murder, Haven, Longmire, Bones, Hemlock Grove, Alphas, American Horror Story, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, Breaking Bad, Revenge, Once Upon A Time, Scandal, Doctor Who, Lilyhammer or The Glades.

Tip 2. About Netflix

When you think movie streaming, one of the names that first pops up in your head has to be Netflix. With a monthly subscription of about $7.99, Netflix offers a large selection of movies, TV shows and music videos which can be streamed instantly over the internet using multiple portable devices (Smartphones, Tablets, Netbox, Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Wii, Blu-ray Players, HDTVs, iPad, iPhone, Kindle Fire, Roku etc. are all included). 

Tip 3. The Best Movies on Netflix Streaming Now (April 2016)

1. Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around the World

When Miles Scott was diagnosed with leukemia at just 18 months old, his young life and lives of his entire family became a battle for survival. As he grew up living with the disease, Scott became fascinated by Batman, who became a symbol of hope while he was undergoing his difficult treatment. After years battling the disease, his parents teamed up with the Make-A-Wish Foundation in order to give their son a chance to be Batman for a day. What began as a simple event quickly blossomed into a massive campaign that brought together people from all over the globe — including classic Batman actor Adam West and President Barack Obama — and turned San Francisco into Gotham City. Batkid Begins tells the story of how this now-viral story came to be, and moreover, does so beautifully.

2. Best in Show 

Though none of his films have attained the mythic status of his earliest project, This is Spinal Tap, screenwriter-director Christopher Guest has helmed several brilliant and bizarre mockumentaries since then. Guest's films tend to examine esoteric activities and the eccentric people involved in them. In the case of Best in Show, he chronicles a prestigious dog show and the oddball contestants involved, all of whom bring their emotional baggage to the competition. Featuring some of Guest's frequent collaborators, such as Eugene Levy and Parker Posey, Best in Show is a charming look at obsession and pageantry.

3. Mystic River

Mystic River is proof that Clint Eastwood is as acclaimed a director and composer as he is an actor. It's a haunting and beautiful story, centered on three childhood friends who reunite later in life as the result of a murder investigation regarding one of their teenage daughters. It's based on Dennis Lehane's novel of the same name, and though the rampant profanity and unsettling outcome will likely upset you, the resounding performances by Sean Penn and Tim Robbins are enough to leave you floored when the last scenes of Boston fade out.

4. Sunset Boulevard

Released at the height of Hollywood's Golden Age, Sunset Boulevard examines the transient glory of the movie business through what was one of the biggest genres at the time: noir. Opening with a dead man floating in a pool, the film follows narrator Joe Gillis (William Holden), a struggling screenwriter. Fleeing his creditors, Joe stumbles upon the mansion of Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), an aging movie star who dreams of making a comeback. Norma offers to help Joe with his financial problems if he will revise a script she has been working on, but what seems like a sweet deal for Joe slowly becomes sinister. Deeply critical of Hollywood power structures, Sunset Boulevard slashes through all the glamor of the movie business, revealing the merciless hunger that fuels it.

5. Boogie Nights

While Paul Thomas Anderson's 1997 drama Boogie Nights does, in fact, focus on the porn industry of the '70s, it's anything but a raunchy or lewd piece of filmmaking. Over the course of the film's semi-long run time of two and a half hours, Anderson tells the story of Dirk Diggler (played by Mark Wahlberg), a young high school dropout who stumbles into the world of porn because of his large… personality. With a star studded cast and perfectly written script, Boogie Nights excels at nearly every turn.

6. The Shawshank Redemption

Most prison dramas aren't exactly uplifting — perhaps that's why few of them hold a candle to Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption. The emotional, affectionate film is an adaptation of Stephen King's Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, and as such, it recounts the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), an upstanding banker who's wrongly given two life sentences for the murder of his wife and former lover. However, he quickly befriends the film's narrator Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman) once in jail, and the remainder of the film beautifully examines their deep friendship and the very nature of life itself — both inside and outside of the state prison they call home.

7. 2001: A Space Odyssey

The harrowing, intergalactic satire that is Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey is more than a cult classic. The hugely influential film pushed the boundaries, in terms of both special effects and narrative, chronicling the two astronauts who wage war against their ship's intelligence system while investigating the appearance of a mysterious monolith in deep space. Dialogue is limited and interspersed with classical music, which gives the film differing shades of nuance while the film's accurate depiction of space flight and ambiguous imagery only further the existential questions it brings up regarding what humankind is truly capable of. You could say it delivers on a cosmic scale, even if Matt Damon is nowhere to be found.

8. Witness

Harrison Ford is an iconic actor, even if he isn't the best actor. That said, he gave his best performance to date as hardened detective John Book in Witness, a film in which he goes undercover within an Amish community in order to shield a young boy who witnessed a murder. It's a complicated love story at its core, mostly due to Ford's interaction with a young Amish widow (refreshing Kelly McGillis), though suspenseful elements and aggressive violence carry the pacing in all the right places. Those same scenes also contrast with the small-town pacifism and an endearing samplicity of the rural countryside in which the film takes place, which ultimately results in landscapes that are as enjoyable to watch as the film's on-screen performances.

9. V for Vendetta

Alan Moore's dystopian vision of Britain translates fairly well to the silver screen, with help from the iconoclastic Wachowski Brothers. In a country ruled by a fascist cabal, all information is regulated by the government, and the police maintain an iron grip on all aspects of life. When Evey (Natalie Portman), an employee for the state television network, is rescued from an assault by a masked man known only as V (Hugo Weaving), she is drawn into his campaign to overthrow the government. At first charmed by V's passion and knowledge, she quickly finds that his methods might be too extreme for her taste. Excellent choreography and bold set design make V for Vendetta an exciting, if melodramatic, thriller.

10. A Clockwork Orange

Stanley Kubrick's 1971 opus A Clockwork Orange is many things. On the surface, this dystopian science fiction drama concerns the actions of Alex DeLarge, a sociopath with a strange affection for classical music and "ultra-violence." Between the lines, the film takes a hard look at the boundaries of someone's free-will and whether aversion or condition-reflex therapy is a sensible solution for those deemed immoral. Over the course of the roughly two-hour film, DeLarge and his droogs — the Russian equivalent to friend or buddy — embark on a harrowing spree of crime and mischief, culminating with DeLarge's capture and supposed rehabilitation. Not for the faint of heart, A Clockwork Orange is a horrifically brilliant cinematic experience.

11. Buen día, Ramón

It's often the warmhearted films that make the most impact on our well being, not necessarily the ones ripe with drama or over-the-top special effects. Thankfully, Buen día, Ramón is exactly that. It's a film centered on a young man (Kristyan Ferrer) who leaves an impoverished life in Mexico for the United States, only to later end up forging a lasting friendship with a retired nurse (Ingeborg Schöner) in Germany. That bond, as unlikely as it is given the language barrier and their age differences, becomes the defining aspect of the film, along with a string of simple plot twists and the way the two performers carry their roles with an understated sense of dexterity. Apparently, the kindness of strangers goes a lot further than you might think.

12. Pirate's Passage

Made-for-TV movies are hit or miss. Pirate's Passage falls in the former category, however, taking William Gilkerson's novel of the same name and infusing it with colorful visuals, tremendous voice talent, and a fair share of adventure. The coming-of-age tale involves a 12-year-old boy from Novia Scotia and his mother, both of whom have fallen on hard times as a result of bullying and are struggling to hold on to the family inn. Things quickly change when an enigmatic sea captain (Donald Sutherland), who may or might not be a pirate who supposedly died more than 200 years ago, arrives on the scene to help out. The ensuing journey is exciting, creative, and — best of all — even somewhat enjoyable to adults.

13. The Shining

Stanley Kubrick's 1980 thriller features one of Jack Nicholson's most iconic performances as Jack Torrance, a novelist and recovering alcoholic who takes on a gig as the off-season caretaker at Overlook Hotel, a large winter resort that just so happens to have been built on a Native American burial ground. Jack brings his wife Wendy (Shelly Duval) and young son, Danny (Danny Lloyd) with him, hoping to use the time in the secluded resorts as a means to work on his novel. However, when Danny starts experiencing strange visions in the empty hotel, tensions between Wendy and Jack rise, finally pushing Jack to break his sobriety and — under the influence of alcohol, cabin fever, and a malicious, ghostly presence — attempt to murder his family. The Shining has endured as both as one of the hallmarks of the horror genre, and one of Kubrick's best films.

14. The Exorcist

The Exorcist stands as the pinnacle of horror, and quite possibly, one of the most disturbing films to ever hit the big screen. The film was based on William Peter Blatty's novel of the same, which in turn, recounted the 1939 exorcism of one Roland Doe. That being the case, the supernatural horror film revolves around a 12-year-old girl (Linda Blair) and her mother's attempts to rid her of evil with the help of two priests. Ellen Burstyn's performance as the mother is soaring, but you'll also have to deal with her on-screen daughter who urinates, vomits, masturbates, and unleashes obscenities like no other throughout the course of the film. We wouldn't say watching it makes for an enjoyable experience, but it is a classic one.

15. The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride begins in the late '80s when a young boy (Fred Savage) spends the day home from school sick. While in bed, his grandpa (Peter Falk) reads him a book called The Princess Bride, a fairytale about the young maiden Buttercup (Robin Wright) and Westley (Cary Elwes), aka the farmhand with whom she falls in love. Although Westley sets out with dreams of finding a fortune to support himself and Buttercup, his dreams are cut short when his ship is attacked by the notorious Dread Pirate Roberts and becomes presumed dead.
Buttercup later agrees to marry Prince Humperdink (Chris Sarandon) following years of heartbreak and distress, only to be kidnapped by a ragtag trio of bandits before the wedding. As the gang flees the to the countryside, however, a mysterious man in black trails them. And unbeknownst to Buttercup or her captors, the Man in Black is none other than Westley, who not only survived the attack but vows to free his beloved.

Check out an Ultimate Guide for Using Samsung Gear VR here.

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