Best iPad mini video apps

Even though the iPad mini is much smaller than its bigger brother, I've found that this tablet is great for viewing videos. We've rounded up a list of our favorite video apps for the iPad mini and be sure to let us know some of yours. 

NetflixNetflix is pretty well known to most of you but it's an essential video app for me. You do have to pay about $8 a month to get access but it can provide hours and hours and hours of entertainment. 

The Netflix app for the iPad mini is well-optimized for the touchscreen interface and the shows and movies are laid out in a pleasing way. Netflix is also starting to ramp up its original content like the show House of Cards, so it's even home to content that you can't find anywhere else. 

Download Netflix for the iPad mini here (free but requires subscription).HBO GO

This is another iPad mini video app that requires a bit of money to set up but if you're an HBO subscriber, then you must download this app. The HBO Go app for the iPad mini lets you get access to all the shows on HBO, including the back catalog. 

In order to make the most use of this, you have to have cable, pay for HBO and sign up for an HBO Go account. Once you've done that, it's quite a breeze to use. They even let you use AirPlay to stream content to your Apple TV. 

Download HBO Go for the iPad mini here (free but requires subscription).

Vimeo

Vimeo is another iPad mini app which will deliver great content that you can't find anywhere else. I've heard Vimeo described as a "rich man's YouTube" and I think that's a little exaggerated but is illustrative of what type of content you'll find here: high quality, original videos. 

The Vimeo app is well designed and looks really nice on the iPad mini. Discovery of new videos is a snap and you can even use the app to upload new videos. 

Download Vimeo for the iPad mini here (free).

YouTube

It took a while but the official YouTube app is available for the iPad mini and it's even better than the app that used to be a part of iOS. The YouTube app has the fresh, new layout to match the web version and search is much better. 

In particular, I like the navigational bars on the left, as it's simple to jump to different categories. The YouTube app on the iPad mini is also very touch-friendly, as you can swipe to go back or dismiss videos. It is easier for Google to have pre-roll ads with this app, so that may make some of you long for the older version. 

Download YouTube for the iPad mini here (free). 

ShowYou

We've covered ShowYou before because we think it's a fantastic way to find and discover new videos. The hook to it is that you can tie your social networks to it and it will comb through those to find the interesting videos your friends have shared. 

The ShowYou app on the iPad mini has a really nice interace that makes scrolling through various videos fun. If you're like me, you miss a lot of what gets shared on social networks, so it's also a nice way to get the most out of Facebook and Twitter. Finally, the AirPlay integration means you can share the fun with your big-screen TV if you have an Apple TV. 

Download ShowYou app for the iPad mini here (free).