Running a movie night with friends online
Settle the time before the film
Pick the time first, and be specific. “Saturday 9pm Tehran time” is clearer than “Saturday evening”, especially with friends in different time zones.
Make the room on the day and send the link with the invitation. HamFilm deletes empty rooms after one day, so for plans further ahead, sign in and make the room permanent. A permanent room keeps the same address every week.
Getting everyone in
Send the link. Nobody needs an account or an app, including the friend on a borrowed laptop.
The invite dialog has a QR code for people joining on a phone, so nobody reads a URL out loud. Latecomers join mid-film, and the room takes them to the same point as everyone else.
Choosing what to watch
Pick the film before the night, so the group spends the evening watching instead of debating.
If the group has no pick, queue two or three videos in the playlist. The room starts the next video when one ends. The host pastes a link, shares a file from their computer, or shares a tab. See how HamFilm works for what each source suits.
Keeping everyone in sync
Pausing applies to the whole room. One person pauses for an intermission and everyone pauses.
When the film starts, the room waits for every player to get ready, so nobody starts 30 seconds behind. If someone's connection drops mid-film, the room pauses and names the missing person. You decide whether to wait or carry on without them.
Sound and voice during the film
Turn on push-to-talk in the voice channel. Six open microphones fill quiet scenes with background noise.
If the host shares a screen and you want the film's audio too, the host needs Chrome or Edge and must share a tab or the whole desktop, not a single window. A link or a shared file carries the audio with no extra steps.
When something goes wrong
- Somebody sees a black screen while the host shares: the host is sharing a protected streaming tab. Use a file or a direct link instead. The browser enforces the protection, and no workaround exists.
- No sound from a shared screen: the host needs Chrome or Edge, and must share a tab or the desktop, not a window.
- One person always lags behind: ask them to press the sync button in the control bar. The button jumps them to the room's position.
- Someone on a phone has no screen sharing: no mobile browser supports screen capture. Sharing needs a computer.