Table of contents
Why PC Users Can’t “Just Download” from ITVX
Most viewers discover the roadblock the moment they open ITVX in a browser: there is no download button at all on desktop. The reason is technical and contractual. ITVX delivers its desktop streams as MPEG-DASH fragments wrapped in Widevine DRM—your browser decrypts each chunk on the fly for playback, but it never writes a clear MP4 file to disk. Community tools such as yt-dlp confirm that the service’s new DRM-first “ITV-X” upgrade broke the old Hub download hacks because the manifest now carries “full-blown DRM” flags. Even specialists on VideoHelp explain you’d have to extract PSSH keys and license URLs from every MPD just to start decrypting, a workflow far beyond casual users.
Meanwhile, ITVX’s own download feature is mobile-only. According to ITV support, you must pay £5.99 a month (or £59.99 a year) for ITVX Premium before the download arrow appears on iOS or Android. Each offline file self-erases after seven days—or 48 hours once you hit Play—and remains locked to the original handset, so copying it to a laptop simply will not work. ITV’s help pages highlight the same limitation when you travel: if you leave the UK without starting the episode first, downloads refuse to play; the official workaround is a UK VPN endpoint.
Stream online and burn data, accepting ads unless you upgrade to Premium;
Use third-party software (e.g., StreamFab) that can log in, pull the encrypted MPD, and handle Widevine licensing under the hood; or
Record the screen in real time—a brute-force method that sidesteps DRM but captures the video as it plays, yielding giant files without subtitles.
In short, the absence of a PC download button isn’t a missing feature—it’s an intentional studio mandate enforced by browser DRM. The next sections break down the official mobile workflow and then compare the only two PC-side workarounds worth your time.
How to Download ITVX Programs on Your Phone?
What You Need
ITVX Premium subscription—£5.99per month or £59.99 per year
A supported device—ITVX lists Android 7.0+ phones/tablets and iOS 12+/iPadOS 13+ as the minimum
Free storage—an HD episode averages 600 MB (ITVX does not disclose exact file sizes, but most user reports cluster here)
Five-Step Guide
Step 1: Sign in to the ITVX mobile app with your Premium account.
Step 2: Navigate to an eligible show and tap the ⬇︎ Download icon.
Step 3: Watch progress under My Downloads; files arrive in 720p (ITVX’s current catalogue ceiling).
Step 4: Play the episode any time within seven days of download.
Step 5: The moment you hit play, a secondary 48-hour timer starts; finish or re-download before it lapses.
Built-In Limitations
|
Limitation |
Detail |
|---|---|
|
Expiry |
7 days from download, 48 h after first play |
|
Device lock |
File tied to the handset; cannot be copied to PC |
|
Audio |
Stereo AAC only – ITVX does not offer Dolby 5.1 yet |
|
Geo-fencing |
Playback and new downloads blocked outside the UK unless you use a UK VPN node |
|
Content gaps |
Some titles are not downloadable due to licence terms |
How to Download Shows of ITVX on Windows & Mac?
Quick-Read Comparison
|
|
Max Quality✱
|
Ads Removed?
|
Auto-Scheduler?
|
Subtitle Control
|
File Expiry
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
StreamFab ITVX Downloader
|
720 p✱
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
SRT / burn-in
|
Never
|
|
ITVX App + USB Cable
|
720 p
|
Yes (Premium)
|
No
|
Burn-in only
|
7 days
|
|
Aiseesoft Screen Recorder
|
Up to 4 K (real time)
|
n/a
|
No
|
None
|
Never
|
✱ Most of ITVX’s back catalog maxes out at 720p; only a handful of brand-new dramas stream in Full HD. StreamFab’s July 2025 build will capture 1080p automatically whenever ITVX offers it.
Feature-Depth Bar Chart
- StreamFab sweeps all five power features—batch queue, subtitle choice, ad skip, auto-scheduler, and full metadata tagging—thanks to its July 2025 engine rewrite.
- The ITVX app + cable is restricted to phones, locks files to seven days, and offers no metadata control or surround sound.
- Screen Recorder is the nuclear option: it bypasses DRM entirely by capturing the screen in real time—but the trade-offs are huge files, no subtitles, and zero automation.
Tool needed—StreamFab ITVX downloader
If you want to download the shows of ITVX on your PC devices, then you need StreamFab ITVX downloader to help you do so.
This ITVX Video Downloader is packed with some of the best and most efficient tools to make your downloading process much easier and faster; you can easily download any number of videos using its features and enjoy streaming them on any device you like.
And here are simple steps to download ITVX videos for offline viewing.
FAQ
Why can’t I get 1080p?
ITVX still serves the bulk of its back catalog at 720p; only a handful of 2024-25 originals and the new Disney+ crossover titles stream in Full HD. StreamFab can fetch 1080p automatically when it exists.
Is this legal?
Section 70 of the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 allows you to record a broadcast “for private and domestic use” (the classic time-shifting exception). However, ITV’s own terms forbid redistribution, and civil damages can reach £50,000 for commercial infringement.
Some shows won’t download at all.
Licensing blocks certain U.S. imports (Family Guy, The X-Files, etc.) from being downloaded, even on mobile. ITV’s help page confirms those titles are stream-only.
2025 Update—Disney+ × ITVX “Taste of Disney+”
On 17 July 2025, ITVX and Disney announced a two-way, curated carousel: Taste of Disney+ on ITVX and Taste of ITVX on Disney+. Viewers can now stream Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Wars: Andor, Futurama, and more for free inside ITVX; meanwhile, Disney+ users get hits like Love Island and Mr Bates vs. The Post Office. The partnership does not change the download policy: mobile-only seven-day files or StreamFab on PC.
Note: The partnership does not change the download policy: mobile-only seven-day files or StreamFab on PC.
Wrap Up
Downloading videos from ITVX is a great way to enjoy your favorite videos all the time. And what you need is StreamFab ITVX Downloader, which will easily and quickly help you download ITVX to MP4. It also provides free trial, click the button below to enjoy your unique opportunity.
