Best Laptops for Watching Movies

Laptops are excellent for business users, students, gamers, and design professionals. But if you wonder whether laptops are great for media consumption, know that it is a suitable trade-off between smaller mobile phone and television screens. Not only are you offered some of the latest technologies, but you also get some of the best screen quality in the market today. Modern laptops offer excellent displays, eye protection technologies for extended use, outstanding speakers, and a cinematic viewing experience.

However, choosing the best laptop for watching movies can be challenging due to the endless features of every new-generation laptop. So, to help you make the right laptop choice, we have curated a list of some of the best laptops for watching movies and other media that meet your requirements under your budget.

Features you should consider

If you are looking for a laptop solely for streaming audio, keeping up with all the latest TV shows and watching movies in high definition, you need a laptop with the best multimedia performance, high-resolution display and powerful hardware.

With more content streaming platforms taking center stage, streaming quality has improved significantly, and more high-quality videos from Full High Definition (FHD) to even 4K support is available in most scenarios. The most critical factor is a premium display to enjoy all this high-definition content. In this case, FHD screen quality is minimal if you are on a budget; otherwise, you may want to look for UHD or 4K.

Like the display, solid audio capabilities are critical to enjoying your movie experience. Music, background score, and all the other sound effects sound better and richer on better and more powerful speakers. Unfortunately, not every laptop comes with great speakers, so this is another feature you must focus on before buying your laptop.

Often we hear about processors for gaming, but having a fast processor is essential even for multimedia. You wouldn’t have your viewing experience affected by stutters and lags. Likewise, battery life is important when you are watching a lengthy movie. Having a laptop that shuts down just before the climax of your film and waiting for your laptop to be charged again wouldn’t be an ideal way to enjoy your film.

HD vs. FHD vs. QHD vs. UHD

Many of us may wonder why we should worry about a screen type, especially if it is just for entertainment. But here is the catch, a higher resolution becomes critical for multimedia entertainment. Resolution is the number of horizontal and vertical pixel counts that produces an image on your screen. The more the pixel count on your screen, the better and sharper-looking images and text.

Most affordable laptops provide 1366 x 768 (HD) resolution panels that produce usable picture quality, but lack sharpness. However, if you primarily need a laptop for movie streaming, consider 1920 x 1080 pixels (FHD). Of course, you won’t want a resolution lower than FHD for a great viewing experience. However, if you wish for better and sharper image quality, you can find high-end notebooks with pristine resolutions, such as 3200 x 1800 (QHD).

Finally, if you want breathtaking visuals and an immersive experience, choose a laptop with a 3840 x 2160 (UHD) display. These resolutions have four times more pixels than the FHD displays. But know that higher-resolution laptops are more expensive than other ranges of notebooks.

Is screen size important?

Some of the information you seek on laptops suggests that the larger the display, the better the image quality. So, technically, if you have a large screen, you would want more pixels, else it will result in low-quality and fuzzier images. But in general, resolution and screen size are independent factors. Also, screen size depends on different users and their comfort.

Laptops are available in smaller sizes anywhere between 11.6 and 14 inches. These laptops are primarily offered as an affordable option and may also be available as a convertible or 2-in-1 laptop.

While modern laptops are offered in different sizes, bigger screens make a laptop heavier and require more power consumption for a larger screen. Therefore, 17.3-inch laptops are best suited for office purposes or professional work. On the other hand, the most popular form factor for laptops is 15.6-inch, which are the most convenient, portable, and lightweight. Some of these laptops are also available with a slimmer design.

The 5 best HP laptops for watching movies

HP Pavilion Laptop 14-dv2014TU

The HP Pavilion range offers some of the best features for its price. This HP laptop is perfect for movie streaming with a 12th generation Intel® Core™ i5 processor and Windows 11 at its core. You are also offered a bright FHD antiglare display, with 250 nits brightness. 

Powered with Intel Iris® Xe Graphics, you are assured of impressive performance for gaming and entertainment. In addition, you can maximize your entertainment with Audio by B&O, a larger screen-to-body ratio, and thin bezels. You are also offered ample storage and DDR4 RAM to boost multitasking.

OMEN by HP Laptop 17-ck1022TX

One of the best high-end laptops is the HP OMEN 1-ck1022TU laptop. This laptop boasts of 12th Generation Intel Core i7 processor and includes the Windows 11 operating system. You also get a QHD display with a high refresh rate of 165 Hz and a 3 ms response time. 

You are well equipped on the display front and get a powerful NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070 Ti that boosts performance for demanding multimedia tasks and gaming. This laptop has an antiglare display with Eyesafe®-certified display that ensures protection from harmful blue light - without any color distortions - and reduces eyestrain. Then you have the DTS: X® Ultra technology that provides accurate 3D sound through your headsets for an immersive entertainment experience.

HP Pavilion Plus Laptop 14-eh0025TU

Another popular laptop by HP is the Pavilion Plus laptop with configurations such as the 12th Generation Intel Core i5 processor and Windows 11. This laptop has a 14-inch screen with a 2.2K display and Intel Iris Xe Graphics. You also get 16GB DDR4 RAM onboard with 512GB PCIe® NVMe™ TLC SSD.

One of the highlighting features is its weight of 1.4 kg, perfect for portability. This laptop also has DC dimming technology that allows you to control the brightness by adjusting the current fluctuation, resulting in flicker-free and comfortable viewing. Finally, with an antiglare panel and 300 nits of brightness, you are assured of great image details, enhanced image quality, and viewing angles even in bright lighting conditions.

Victus Gaming Laptop 15 fa0350TX

The Victus range from HP offers top-of-the-line specifications. With a 12th Generation Intel Core i5 processor, Windows 11, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050, this 15-inch HP laptop is designed for peak PC gaming and multimedia. In addition, the laptop has a wide range of features such as an HD camera, a micro-edge display, dual fans for keeping your laptop cool over extended use, and an antiglare screen for comfortable viewing. 

This laptop has a proper hardware and software specification balance. While it is a powerhouse in performance, you are also assured of immersive display and image quality to binge-watching without interruptions.

 HP Laptop 15s-fq5112TU

This HP laptop has a 12th Generation Intel Core i5 processor, Windows 11, and an FHD display. On the graphics front, you are provided with Intel Iris Xe Graphics, and it also has 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD. 

In addition, the laptop has an antiglare panel, micro-edge bezels, a long-lasting battery, and dual speakers that are required to fulfill hours of uninterrupted movie streaming. Not only is it thin and portable, but it is also lightweight, with support for fast charging. You can carry it anywhere, work, watch, or stay connected all day.

Summary

With great options under different budgets and a wide range of specifications, finding the right HP laptop for movies has never been easier. All you have to do is, pick the model that best suits your needs within the proper budget.

To summarize, you may want to focus on key characteristics before you choose, such as display size and resolution, audio capabilities, battery, weight, and, most importantly, graphics.

Whether you are focused on a budget-friendly laptop or at the top of the line, we have provided some best-selling laptops to help narrow your search.

About the Author: Kaushik Das is a contributing writer for HP Tech Takes.