Movies On Tv From Usb Hard Drive

[Gary A]

I'm going to buy a TV with a USB input. I have a 3.5 inch 2 TB hard drive with many movies. A friend told me to be careful because the USB hard drive will not work on some TV's. He also said that a USB stick would work on most that have the USB input. If the TV doesn't work with the external hard drive, that would not be a deal breaker because I can easily copy movies from the hard drive to a USB stick.

Recommendations please.

[Bizz]

Hi Gary

What will the tv except fat32 EXT2 OR EXT 3 my preferance is ext3 you may have to split the movies to a smaller drive formated to what the TV will except .

iv got a humax foxsat hdr that will no except more than 4gs on fat32 but formating it to EXT3 it will . Have more information if you need.

[astral]

You also need to consider what file formats are supported.

.avi .xvid .mkv etc

[irlguy1]

Most hard drives will NOT play through the usb connection on a tv because the format is wrong.As the above poster said for example they will definitly not play .mkv files and most wont play mp4.

Most avi will play but again depending on the codecs even they may not play.

Is it a hard drive or a media hard drive you have because that also makes a difference. Does it have AV output or even HDMI ?

[Dork]

As you have probably gathered from the above posts trying to play hard drive media content with the TV's operating system is a pain. You are much better off with a dedicated media player. You can buy a reasonable one now for around THB3000. That won't have any problems with your 2TB hard drive or care how the drive is formatted. It will also play almost any file format including 1080p HD movies. Also the more powerful processor makes it less frustrating when you are fast forwarding etc. Playing avi's etc from the TV can be sluggish.

[lomatopo]

FWIW I have a Samsung LA32C530, which is now nearly two years old. It supports both FAT32 and NTFS, I use a 1 GB HDD, and it plays everything I've thrown at it including avi, mp4, mkv, vob, et al. Also nice because no additional power adapters/cords, neat and easy. The TV also remembers where you left off watching each file, which is handy.

No need for an additional media player these days unless you have unique application requirements: streaming across a LAN (WiFi) or odd file formats.

I would narrow your choices to a few specific makes/models then download the PDF of the User's Guide which should detail all of the specs re: FAT32/NTFS and files supported. Further do some additional research re: other users experiences with the specific model.

If purchasing now I might opt for a LAN connection, even if just ethernet, then add a WiFi adapter and be able to play any files off my desktop.

[Banzai99]

I got a 40 inch Samsung LED, series 5, I have a 1 TB EXTERNAL DRIVE, powered by USB in TV.

It plays everything no problem, 18,900 Baht, Tesco Lotus, Loei.

MKV, MP4 included.

Edited April 16, 2012 by Banzai99

[TommoPhysicist]

As you have probably gathered from the above posts trying to play hard drive media content with the TV's operating system is a pain. You are much better off with a dedicated media player. You can buy a reasonable one now for around THB3000. That won't have any problems with your 2TB hard drive or care how the drive is formatted. It will also play almost any file format including 1080p HD movies. Also the more powerful processor makes it less frustrating when you are fast forwarding etc. Playing avi's etc from the TV can be sluggish.

I'm with Dork

Buy a media player for less than 3kbht to go with your new Tv, then any Tv you fancy will do the job.

I like the Western Digital players, but there are many more that will do the job, and you can just plug your HD into them.

Just to point out many of last years models of Tvs and media players won't work with 2TB (or larger) hard drives, their limit was 1TB.

Edited April 16, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[2unique]

watch out for JVC they're still using old codecs and have problems with some AVIs as well as MKVs and MP4s -

My Samsung plays pretty much every format I've thrown at it except FLV - LG good but again not as many as the Samsung...

That said I have a desktop (which I'm on now) which has 4TB of storage, HDMI out and is apart from occasion used solely for downloading and playing permanently hooked up to the Samsung and connected via WiFi to all laptops, smartphones and tablets in the house as a media server.

warning - don't teach a 4 year old how to use youtube!!

[lomatopo]

FWIW I have a Samsung LA32C530, which is now nearly two years old. It supports both FAT32 and NTFS, I use a 1 GB TB HDD, and it plays everything I've thrown at it including avi, mp4, mkv, vob, et al. Also nice because no additional power adapters/cords, neat and easy. The TV also remembers where you left off watching each file, which is handy.

[kurnell]

I have a 55" LG and it plays everything except MP4

[TommoPhysicist]

I have a 55" LG and it plays everything except MP4

As most of the pirating distribution networks have recently standardized on MP4 this is not entirely useful.

Edited April 16, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[nocturn]

I have a 55" LG and it plays everything except MP4

As most of the pirating distribution networks have recently standardized on MP4 this is not entirely useful.

odd, i watch alot of torrents and almost everything is exclusively mkv. I gave up ubc/true 2 years or more ago, and everything i watch is downloaded.

but then i only watch 720 or higher

besides mp4 and mkv are merely containers and files can easily be remuxed losslessly

the only thing i find in mp4 are cartoons for my kid in lower def and those are rare

Edited April 16, 2012 by nocturn

[TommoPhysicist]

I have a 55" LG and it plays everything except MP4

As most of the pirating distribution networks have recently standardized on MP4 this is not entirely useful.

odd, i watch alot of torrents and almost everything is exclusively mkv. I gave up ubc/true 2 years or more ago, and everything i watch is downloaded.

but then i only watch 720 or higher

the only thing i find in mp4 are cartoons for my kid in lower def and those are rare

At the start of this month LOL, EZTV. etc. changed to MP4, if you look at any Tv series from the last two weeks you will see the changed format.

Edited April 16, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[aussiebebe]

As you have probably gathered from the above posts trying to play hard drive media content with the TV's operating system is a pain. You are much better off with a dedicated media player. You can buy a reasonable one now for around THB3000. That won't have any problems with your 2TB hard drive or care how the drive is formatted. It will also play almost any file format including 1080p HD movies. Also the more powerful processor makes it less frustrating when you are fast forwarding etc. Playing avi's etc from the TV can be sluggish.

Hi, thanks for explaining that - there's a shop in my local mall selling these things but I've never understood the benefits.

Last year I bought a 40” Samsung LED-LCD series 6 TV – it was 37000 but is a lot less now. Since buying it I downloaded all my movies via my laptop onto a 1tb Acer external HDD and play them on my TV via a USB lead. In my experience, my ‘Smart’ TV really isn’t that smart: the online content is good when it works (I had to ask advice from other board members to connect it as Samsung customer care is non-existent). The TV plays almost everything except QuickTime but the menu is frustrating, you need to select movie, music or photo first then it will display files of that type from your HDD – no mouse, just up, down, left, right via the remote - very tedious. And you have to buy an 8k webcam to use the Skype app - seriously Samsung - they couldn't build-in a web-cam on a 37k TV?

The active shutter 3D glasses give great vision but are awkward, heavy and flicker when you look at light or outside, now LG’s passive technology does full 1080HD, those seem a lot better and cheaper; the glasses are lighter and more comfortable; about 25k for a 40” LG LED with passive 3D. Overall, instead of getting a smart internet TV, I think the art thing to do is to get an HD TV and run it through a PC or laptop. That’s what I’m doing right now, using my TV as a monitor with a wireless keyboard and mouse through my PC.

[TommoPhysicist]

The active shutter 3D glasses give great vision but are awkward, heavy and flicker when you look at light or outside, now LG’s passive technology does full 1080HD, those seem a lot better and cheaper; the glasses are lighter and more comfortable; about 25k for a 40” LG LED with passive 3D. Overall, instead of getting a smart internet TV, I think the art thing to do is to get an HD TV and run it through a PC or laptop. That’s what I’m doing right now, using my TV as a monitor with a wireless keyboard and mouse through my PC.

I looked at the LG 55" LED with passive 3D and 4 sets of glasses, on special offer at the LG shop for 41kbht.

The store had a media player hooked up to it, so they must agree, media player is the way to go.

Not sure there is much 3D stuff out there yet, but the glasses were much lighter and no batteries compared to the Samsung.

[lomatopo]

While it is still quite easy to find AVIs (use Torrent Finder), it is true that a lot of weekly TV shows are now in H.264.MP4 format. Again, my nearly two year old Samsung TV plays these fine.

I am pretty sure the hot set-up now would be to run a media player software package on your desktop PC, and then stream files across a LAN/WiFi to a 'smarter', newer TV. If you have an older TV then perhaps a media player is your only option?

For the OP, it does seem like the Samsung sets do work with many HDDs up to and including 2 TB, but there may be some issues with 3 TB HDDs?

[Gary A]

I have checked my movie properties that are on on the two TB Seagate USB 2/3 Expansion drive and they all appear to be AVI format. I have copied three movies onto a memory stick and will take the stick to the stores with me and see if it will play. That seems to be the most foolproof way to choose. Using the memory stick eliminates having to deal with a hard drive and the power supply.

Thanks for the comments and advice. I will report what I find.

[Valentine]

I have a 1TB HDD connected to my LG TV via the USB port. It seems to play most formats but the strange thing is it will play some mkv files ok whereas others it will show the video but no audio. In that situation I have to run it through my netbook which substitutes for a media player although I have to use a programme called Media Player Classic as VLC will not run them properly with this configuration even though it will run OK on my PC. Can I get some kind of upgrade for my TV which is an LG 42LW65 model or any other ideas/

[Gary A]

I am kind of an impulse buyer so I didn't shop around. I took my memory stick into the new Loei Makro store and and looked at a wide selection of different TV's. I liked the Samsung 32 inch LED as well as any. I asked the salesman to see if my memory stick would work in that model. It didn't but naturally a more expensive 32 inch could use the memory stick. The price was 11,960 baht so not too bad. He got a new one out of stock and we tested it right there. I was impressed so he made the sale. The model number is UA32EH4000R. It is a series 4 LED, whatever that means. I still don't know anything about the latest TV's but this one suits me. My hard drive doesn't work with the TV but that's OK. The memory stick is handier anyways.

[lomatopo]

^ The Samsung UA32EH4000R, according to the spec sheet/user's guide supports:

The file system supports FAT16, FAT32 and NTFS.

So the 2 TB HDD should in theory work?

This table shows the video formats supported:

[Gary A]

Thanks very much for that information. You are correct, it does indeed work. I tried it again and it works fine. I don't know what I did wrong the first time. Everything popped up the same as using it with my computer. That TV is indeed amazing.

It has created a problem for me. Now my wife wants one. This one is for the bedroom.

[TommoPhysicist]

So the 2 TB HDD should in theory work?

No, because they didn't allow addressing that much memory on one hard drive.

[meand]

FWIW I have a Samsung LA32C530, which is now nearly two years old. It supports both FAT32 and NTFS, I use a 1 GB HDD, and it plays everything I've thrown at it including avi, mp4, mkv, vob, et al. Also nice because no additional power adapters/cords, neat and easy. The TV also remembers where you left off watching each file, which is handy.

No need for an additional media player these days unless you have unique application requirements: streaming across a LAN (WiFi) or odd file formats.

I would narrow your choices to a few specific makes/models then download the PDF of the User's Guide which should detail all of the specs re: FAT32/NTFS and files supported. Further do some additional research re: other users experiences with the specific model.

If purchasing now I might opt for a LAN connection, even if just ethernet, then add a WiFi adapter and be able to play any files off my desktop.

I have the samsung la40d550 and it plays everything, I have never had a problem. The vob ability surprised me -- I sometimes even rip dvd's to my hard drive in a folder and it plays those too, without too much problem -- sometimes I do have to cue up the next file though with that method. Anyway, point is to the op.... I highly recommend this samsung. Maybe all the new tvs have similar capabilities, but this thing plays everything. I love it. Crazy part is, it costs 15,000 baht. I only had a problem one or two times playing movies, and it was because of the subtitle files. They usually play fine on my hard drive if I just name the file the same as the video.... anyway, one time i had a problem and just played the movie on my laptop (where the subtitle file would play), and hooked the laptop up to the tv, not too hard. Point being, I agree with you.... you dont need media players nowadays, but just in case, have an AVI cable as a backup and use your pc to play it and you are GOLDEN.

[Gary A]

So the 2 TB HDD should in theory work?

No, because they didn't allow addressing that much memory on one hard drive.

Apparently you are wrong. My two TB Seagate Hard drive works fine,

[TommoPhysicist]

So the 2 TB HDD should in theory work?

No, because they didn't allow addressing that much memory on one hard drive.

Apparently you are wrong. My two TB Seagate Hard drive works fine,

It's only when you try to play files more than half-way through the HD, that the problem becomes apparent.