[jla930]

I'm using iTunes 11 on an iMac, and the 3rd generation iPad. I put a movie onto an external hard drive, then import it into my iTunes library. I'm assuming that the movie is now in two places: the external hard drive, and my iMac's hard drive. Then I attach my iPad to my computer via USB, and I install the movie onto it. After disconnecting the iPad, I remove the movie from my iTunes library, in order to not take up hard drive space, since the movie is on my external drive.

The next time I do this routine with another movie, iTunes deletes the first movie from my iPad, since it is not in my iTunes library. Is there a way to keep the original move on my iPad after I delete it from my iTunes library?

[bastion]

jla930, on 27 January 2013 - 08:34 AM, said:

I'm using iTunes 11 on an iMac, and the 3rd generation iPad. I put a movie onto an external hard drive, then import it into my iTunes library. I'm assuming that the movie is now in two places: the external hard drive, and my iMac's hard drive. Then I attach my iPad to my computer via USB, and I install the movie onto it. After disconnecting the iPad, I remove the movie from my iTunes library, in order to not take up hard drive space, since the movie is on my external drive.

The next time I do this routine with another movie, iTunes deletes the first movie from my iPad, since it is not in my iTunes library. Is there a way to keep the original move on my iPad after I delete it from my iTunes library?

Your assumption that the first movie is in two places after importing it into iTunes is correct *if* you have left iTunes at its default configuration. Then media added to your iTunes library is copied into a subdirectory of the Music folder in your home directory. You have a few options depending on what you'd really like to do. If the only reason you're removing the item from the library is that you don't want it on your boot drive, you can change the copy behavior such that you don't need to delete afterwards.

1. You can configure iTunes to not copy added items into the library directory.
2. You can have your library live on the external disk.
3. If you generally do want the copying to occur but don't want it with individual movies, you can hold down the option key while you drag the media onto the iTunes window. This will make iTunes make a reference to the file in its current location instead of copying. (If you have copying set off normally, the option key will make it copy.)

If you'd want to remove the movie regardless of the copy issue...you're pretty much out of luck.

This post has been edited by bastion: 27 January 2013 - 03:12 PM

[jla930]

bastion, on 27 January 2013 - 03:12 PM, said:

jla930, on 27 January 2013 - 08:34 AM, said:

I'm using iTunes 11 on an iMac, and the 3rd generation iPad. I put a movie onto an external hard drive, then import it into my iTunes library. I'm assuming that the movie is now in two places: the external hard drive, and my iMac's hard drive. Then I attach my iPad to my computer via USB, and I install the movie onto it. After disconnecting the iPad, I remove the movie from my iTunes library, in order to not take up hard drive space, since the movie is on my external drive.

The next time I do this routine with another movie, iTunes deletes the first movie from my iPad, since it is not in my iTunes library. Is there a way to keep the original move on my iPad after I delete it from my iTunes library?

Your assumption that the first movie is in two places after importing it into iTunes is correct *if* you have left iTunes at its default configuration. Then media added to your iTunes library is copied into a subdirectory of the Music folder in your home directory. You have a few options depending on what you'd really like to do. If the only reason you're removing the item from the library is that you don't want it on your boot drive, you can change the copy behavior such that you don't need to delete afterwards.

1. You can configure iTunes to not copy added items into the library directory.
2. You can have your library live on the external disk.
3. If you generally do want the copying to occur but don't want it with individual movies, you can hold down the option key while you drag the media onto the iTunes window. This will make iTunes make a reference to the file in its current location instead of copying. (If you have copying set off normally, the option key will make it copy.)

If you'd want to remove the movie regardless of the copy issue...you're pretty much out of luck.

Thank you for the detailed reply, Bastion.

[smax013]

jla930, on 27 January 2013 - 08:34 AM, said:

I'm using iTunes 11 on an iMac, and the 3rd generation iPad. I put a movie onto an external hard drive, then import it into my iTunes library. I'm assuming that the movie is now in two places: the external hard drive, and my iMac's hard drive. Then I attach my iPad to my computer via USB, and I install the movie onto it. After disconnecting the iPad, I remove the movie from my iTunes library, in order to not take up hard drive space, since the movie is on my external drive.

The next time I do this routine with another movie, iTunes deletes the first movie from my iPad, since it is not in my iTunes library. Is there a way to keep the original move on my iPad after I delete it from my iTunes library?

bastion gave you good directions for how you can modify how the movie files are stored in iTunes...but I do have one question...

Are these movies ones that you bought from the iTunes Store or ones your ripped from a DVD?

If it is the former, then the potential option is to just download the movies directly to the iPad from the iTunes Store on the iPad...and not sync the iPad with the computer (either at all or as frequently). This would work with many movies from the iTunes Store as Apple has deals now that allow you to re-download most movies.

Obviously, this will NOT work if they are movies that you ripped from a DVD.

The downside of this route is that it will be slower than syncing from a copy of the movie that you already have on your computer since you are re-downloading using your Internet connection.