Grab some popcorn and a large glass of cola: the Pathé Thuis app brings the cinema feeling to your own living room. How does this streaming service from the well-known cinema chain work, and what can you do with it? In this article, you can read everything you need to know about the Pathé Thuis app.
What is Pathé Home?
Pathé Thuis has been around for a while and is a streaming service for well-known films. You can rent or buy recent blockbusters or classics via the service to watch them at home on your own TV. You can log in for free and then you only pay for the films you actually watch.
That works differently from other well-known streaming services, such as Netflix and Disney Plus. There you pay a fixed amount every month, after which you have all the content at your disposal. The handy thing about Pathé Thuis is that you are not tied to anything and you are in control of how much you spend on it. We give you some practical tips about the app, so that you can enter no-time bring the cinema into your living room.
1. Start watching
To view the range of Pathé Thuis, you first create an account. To do this, go to the website in your browser. Once registered, you can download the app and log in here.
You will receive a discount from Pathé for your first film. With a code that is sent to your e-mail, you can watch the first movie for 1.99 in sd quality. You pay one euro more for HD quality.
2. Select a movie
The homepage of Pathé Thuis may remind you of that of Netflix. Here too you can scroll through the different categories. Are you looking for a specific genre, such as comedy or drama? You can choose from the list of genres via the three lines at the top left. When you tap on a movie, you will see a description and some information about the actors and director.
If you already know exactly which movie you are going to put on, you can search for your favorite movie by tapping on the magnifying glass. Are you not yet sure of your case and do you want to orientate yourself in the offer? On the homepage you will see various selections from, for example, the Top 20, newly released movies, Arthouse hits and more.
Rent or buy a movie
When you have chosen a nice movie, you can choose to rent or buy it. When you rent the film once, you have thirty days to watch the film. But beware: once you have started watching a movie, you must finish it within 48 hours. The rental price of films varies: for old classics you pay a few euros, for the latest films up to fifteen euros.
If you choose to buy the film, you will of course watch it as often as you want. Prices also vary with the purchase of films and there are regular offers. In terms of costs, however, this quickly increases: it is no exception if you pay 15 euros to always watch a movie.
The price also varies between the quality in which you rent or buy the film. If you go for mediocre SD quality, then you are the cheapest. If you go for the best quality, you pay one euro more.
4. Checkout in the app
If you have selected a film, you pay in the app. You do this by linking your account to PayPal or by depositing a credit into your account with iDeal. It is most convenient to deposit a few tens into your account, so that next time you can immediately start watching when you feel like it. You can only top up your credit via your browser;
- Log in on the website and tap ‘Profile’ at the bottom;
- Choose ‘Increase credit’;
- Choose a fixed amount or enter an amount yourself;
- Pay with iDeal in your banking app.
If you have a PayPal account, you can also link it to pay for movies. That too is only possible via the website. For that you must of course have a PayPal account. This works as follows:
- Log in and tap ‘Profile’ at the bottom;
- Select ‘Link PayPal’;
- Enter your information.
Stream a movie
If you have chosen a movie and paid for it, you can stream it to your TV. You do need a Chromecast for this. If you don’t have this, you can of course also connect your laptop to your TV with an HDMI cable. Streaming via a Chromecast is very simple:
- First of all, make sure you have an internet connection via the same WiFi as your Chromecast;
- Put your TV on the HDMI channel of your Chromecast;
- In the Pathé Thuis app, tap the cast icon at the top right;
- In the ‘Cast to’ window, choose your Chromecast.
The app is now connected to your TV. When you turn on the movie, it plays through the TV. To stop casting again, tap the cast icon again and then tap ‘Stop casting’ at the bottom.
More streaming tips
On iPhone you can read all about streaming. For example, we list all streaming services for you and regularly share viewing tips for Netflix and Apple TV Plus. We also share useful tips, such as how to use a Chromecast in combination with an iPhone or iPad.