How to Download iTunes/Apple TV Movies to USB/External Hard Drive

Part 1. Can You Download Apple Movies to an External Hard Drive?

No matter what your reason is for downloading Apple TV movies to USB or other external hard drives, the answer is positive.However, the method will vary depending on the type of Apple movie you're watching.

For Apple TV/iTunes Purchases and Rentals:

If you want to copy purchased or rented iTunes movies to an external hard drive to release the storage space of your computer or backup them, iTunes itself can complete this process directly. This way only allows you to use iTunes again to watch iTunes movies offline on Apple-authorized devices.

If you'd like to play iTunes movies offline without iTunes on different devices, like smart TVs, you should get help from a third-party tool, DRmare M4V Converter to finish this process. All iTunes movies can be put on USB and other external hard drives and saved in MP4 format for playing offline anywhere.

For Streaming Apple TV Movies:

You cannot directly download streaming movies from the Apple TV app to an external hard drive. Because they are protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM) and are stored as cache files, not permanent local files. If you'd like to download Apple TV movies to a USB or other devices, you have to use DRmare Apple TV Downloader to get rid of the DRM lock and download them as common video files.

Part 2. How to Download Purchased iTunes/Apple TV Movies to External Hard Drive Directly

In this section, we will walk you through how to move purchased movies from the Apple TV app or iTunes app to an external hard drive. You can refer to the following steps to ensure that the process goes smoothly:

Step 1. Authorize Your Computer

1. Open iTunes or Apple TV app on your computer.
2. Go to "Account" in the menu bar and select "Authorizations" > "Authorize This Computer".
3. Enter your Apple Account name and password to authorize your computer.

Step 2. Change Media Folder Location

For the legacy iTunes App

1. Go to "Edit" (Windows) or "iTunes" (Mac) in the menu bar and select "Preferences".
2. Click on the "Advanced" tab. Click "Change" under the "iTunes Media folder location" section.
3. Select your external hard drive as the new location for your iTunes Media folder. Click "OK" to confirm the change.

For the modern Apple TV App (macOS & Windows)

1. Go to Apple TV app and choose the "Settings" > "Files" on Mac. For Windows users, you can click the "down arrow" next to your name > "Settings" > "Files".
2. Click "Change", select your external drive, and make sure "Keep Media folder organized" is checked so the app handles the folder structure for you.

Step 3. Consolidate Your Library

For iTunes Library

1. After changing the media folder location, go to "File" in the menu bar.
2. Select "Library" > "Organize Library". Check the box for "Consolidate files" and click "OK".
3. This will move all your media files, including movies from iTunes to the new location on your external hard drive.

For Apple TV App

1. In the same Settings > Files menu where you changed the location, ensure the box "Copy files to TV Media folder when adding to library" is checked.
2. Go to File in the top menu bar and select "Library" > "Organize Library...". A small window will pop up. You can check the box for "Consolidate files" and click "OK" to confirm it.

Step 4. Download Apple Movies to External Hard Drive [USB] Directly

1. Find your favorite movies on iTunes or Apple TV app and click the "Download" button to download them. Apple movies will now be stored on the external hard drive directly.

Part 3. How to Download iTunes Movies to USB and Other Externarl Hard Drive (Purchases)

The above way enables users to save purchased iTunes movies to external hard drives, but other players cannot recognize these files and play them offline. Why? It's simple. All iTunes videos are encrypted with Apple's DRM copyright protection. They can only be played on Apple's devices or platforms compatible with the iTunes app. In this case, we will provide another better way to put iTunes movies on a USB flash drive or other places.

Here we can use the DRmare M4V Converter. It is a smart iTunes protection removal tool and iTunes video converter. It's well-designed to unlock limits from iTunes videos and convert iTunes M4V videos to MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, etc. for better playback. Besides, it can keep the original audio tracks and subtitles of the video files. Moreover, you can edit your iTunes movies before converting, like adding watermarks, and subtitles.

With this tool, you can transfer movies from iTunes to USB, and any other external hard drive and watch them via any media player on all devices.

How to Download and Put iTunes Movies on USB Stick Step-by-step

How to convert and copy iTunes movie to USB flash drive with DRmare M4V Converter? Here we will take the Windows version of DRmare program as an example.

Step 1Add iTunes M4V films and TV series to DRmare

Firstly, download and authorize the videos to play on your iTunes. Then launch DRmare M4V Converter. Drag & drop the downloaded iTunes movies from iTunes Library to the main screen of DRmare. Or you can add the iTunes videos via "Load iTunes Library" button at the bottom left of the program.

Step 2Customize output settings for iTunes movie to USB

In this step, you are required to select an output format for the iTunes movies. You should set the format to be compatible with your USB drive, or other external hard drives. Here we'd recommend the lossless MP4 or HD MP4 by clicking the "Format" button. They are supported by most of the media devices. Or you can choose the preset profiles of specific device you own from "Devices" panel.

Step 3Download movies from iTunes for USB flash drive

Click the "Convert" button in the main interface. And it will start to convert and download iTunes movies to USB supported formats. Once completed, you'll get the common iTunes videos on your computer.

Step 4Transfer iTunes movies to USB flash drive

1. Plug the USB flash drive into the USB port on your computer. Open the USB drive folder on your computer.
2. Find and locate folder with the converted iTunes movies on your computer.
3. Select and copy the iTunes movies you like. Then paste them to the USB drive. Or you can drop and drop iTunes movies to USB flash drive.
4. Once finished copying, then unplug the USB drive from your computer.

Part 4. How to Download Movies from Apple TV to External Hard Drive [USB]

Apple TV app locks its streaming video files to your account. They can be transferred and moved to other hard drives directly. The DRmare Apple TV Downloader is a specialized tool designed to bypass the strict DRM limitations of the Apple TV app, allowing you to save streaming content as permanent, local files. It converts Apple Originals and streaming movies into compatible MP4 or MKV formats.

It supports high-definition downloads up to 1080p and is unique in its ability to preserve the cinematic experience by retaining Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround sound, multiple audio tracks, and multilingual subtitles (including CC and SDH). With it, you can simply drag and drop them onto a USB drive or external HDD and play them on any device, such as a Smart TV, game console, or non-Apple computer, without needing to sign in your Apple Account anymore.

How to Download Apple TV Movies to External Hard Drive [USB]

Step 1. Launch the DRmare Apple TV Downloader on your PC or Mac. Instead of using the desktop app, this tool uses a built-in browser. Click the "Sign In" button and enter your Apple Account credentials.

Step 2. Before you start downloading, click the "Menu" icon (three lines) in the top-right corner and select "Preferences". Go to the Download tab and set the Apple TV movie output format to MP4. You can also choose your desired Quality (up to 1080p) and ensure your preferred Audio and Subtitle languages are selected.

Step 3. Search for the movie or Apple Original you want to save. When you open the movie's page, a Download icon will appear on the side. Click it to add the title to your list. Now, you can click the "Download" button at the bottom right. DRmare will begin downloading the stream into a permanent file. Once finished, you can move them to USB or other external hard drives

The Verdict

It is easy to download and transfer iTunes and Apple TV movies to an external hard drive, like a USB flash drive from this post, right? You can choose the suitable method based on your purpose.

If you like to play Apple movies and TV shows on other devices, DRmare M4V Converter or DRmare Apple TV Downloader could be the better way. They can help you unlock restrictions of Apple videos and do format conversion of them. With it, you can move movies from iTunes and Apple TV to USB, and other external hard drives and use any media player to watch them offline on your device.