I have subscriptions to sites that provide scenes rather than full DVDs. I have the scenes on a usb hard drive. I'd like to view the scenes on a tv, but haven't figured out how to do so. Does anyone have any ideas?
^ Last I knew, which isn't saying a lot, only Samsung TVs can play video on thumb drives. Search online for "media player for tv". For example, this device from NewEgg looks like it will do the job nicely.
A hard drive may not work as its file system (out of the box) probably won't be compatible with a TV. If your hard drive was intended for use with Windows, it was more than likely formatted in NTFS but for a TV, storage formatted in exFAT or FAT32 usually offers more compatibility.
Your hard drive can be formatted to exFAT or FAT32 but you would need to back its files up first. If any of your files are bigger than 4GB, you'll have to use exFAT or split the file up to fit within FAT32's size limit.
^^ Nope. Last TV I bought was at least 10 years ago. Haven't had to replace any of ours since. Besides, the OP was asking about watching videos that were previously recorded, then bringing them to his/her TV. Not recording something that was airing on the TV. The next question, regarding the PVRs, is do they support an open format, i.e., can you copy your own video to the recording device, then have the PVR recognize it.
^ Correct. "If you are wondering whether you can plug your flash drives into your smart TVs to view videos on a bigger and wider platform, the answer is yes." However, "If your smart TV comes with a USB port but it does not recognize the flash drive you have inserted, your flash drive may be in the wrong format."
My Sony's a dumb TV. It can display JPGs, but that's it. It doesn't support videos. But my Samsung does support videos. Both are about the same age.
^^^ "Most of the television systems manufactured today come with a USB connection port."
Hmmm, it's been a while since I deeply researched modern TV's, but I'm not sure if that is actually the case.
But also from the article:
"If ... your smart TV does not have a USB port ... there is still another way. ... grab your HDMI cable and connect one end to your computer ... and the other to your smart TV. You can also use a DVI or S-video cable."
Thank you for the thoughtful replies. My TVs have USB ports, but one tv only displays pictures, not video. I do have a Samsung tv. I'll need to check that and also check the formatting of the usb drive. I'll also check the device on Newegg.
He gave himself to the river and it carried him away 213 Posts 8/17
Posted - Jun 14 2021 : 4:48AM
Depends on your TV model and USB drive format, but the way I do it simply to have my PC hooked up to my TV. That would probably work with a laptop as well, and I think there are plenty of devices that come with USB ports that you connect to your TVs. Hard to give specific advice without more info, but if your tv doesn't have a USB port and uses HDMI it's just a matter of finding a device like a PC with USB ports that you can connect to your tv
If it's within your budget, I recommend buying the LG NANO90UNA. It's one step below an OLED OR QLED and will save you a ton of money. I've owned one for about 6 months and it's one of the best investments I've ever made. I own several LG PC Display Port monitors. I wish I would have followed suit and stayed with LG before purchasing my first Smart TV.
I previously owned a Vizio and it was crap. Some of the pixels were burnt out from the beginning but I didn't know it until after the warranty ran out because it would only create a problem on certain scenes. After numerous calls to support, they kept telling me it was a settings issue. After about 16 months, the pixels were so bad that it became evident what the problem was. I tried to contact their corporate office after support said they can't do anything because the warranty ran out, but they don't have one! Don't ever buy a Vizio!
Anyway, back to the awesome LG NANO90UNA. One of the things I really like (other than the obvious that the picture is way above its dollar amount) was the new software update they had. Now it automatically adjusts to the light in the room. You longer have to worry about adjusting the TV every time the light changes. The remote control is nothing like I've ever seen. It uses an onscreen pointer.
It has several HDMI ports (as was mentioned by Hubardo) to hook up your TV from your computer. My PC has HDMI ports. When purchasing an HDMI cable make sure that you purchase one such as the Monoprice 4K High-Speed HDMI Cable 6ft - 18Gbps Black. It makes a difference.
Here is a link to a site that gives good info on it. https://www.crutchfield.com/S-1JOrOaO3Tjp/p_68965N90/LG-65NANO90UNA.html Just in case there's is an issue linking it from here, go to Crutchfield's site and search for LG NANO90UNA.
You can do the same for Best Buy, but at this time, I wouldn't purchase it from there because it's way too expensive. Crutchfield is currently selling it for a reasonable price at $1,137.14. https://www.crutchfield.com/p_68965N90/LG-65NANO90UNA.html?cc=02
Thank you to everyone for all the good ideas. I've got 2 tv's, both with usb connections. However, only 1 will play video. I tried my portable hard drive, but I get an unknown file type error. I suspect I'll have to reformat for it to work.
I'm thinking that I may look to replace one of the two when prices are lower. I'll definitely check out that LG.
One last thought. If you need to convert video files so that they're readable by a modern TV, Handbrake is a phenomenal conversion program. It can create only .mp4 and .mkv files, as output. But I've seen it handle a huge variety of input formats, with no problems. For some reason, the URL link in ADT is not liking their URL. It's https://handbrake.fr
I did some experimenting and the bottom line is that I may need to purchase a new tv. For context, the two tv's I've tried are low end 32" models that are in bedrooms. They are also 5-10 years old. On the first tv, the USB port will display only pictures. On the second tv, it will display video, but only in motion jpeg format in 320 x something resolution.
Ultimately, I tried our newest tv, which is about 5 years old, but a better quality brand. Not only would it play video, it would also recognize an ntfs formatted drive. While that tv is not conducive to porn watching, the concept has been proven. I'll likely look for a good deal this upcoming Black Friday.
Handbrake is fine, but that program is not user-friendly. A more user-friendly program and possibly just as good is FormatFactory. http://formatfactory.org/ If you (John Holmes Jr.) or anyone else needs help using it, just post, and I should be able to walk you through it. Make sure you install the extra programs that it suggests you install.
Oh BTW, I should clarify a statement I made in my earlier post. The Vizio wasn't just a Smart TV. It was 4k. I bought it on sale for $600. 600 bucks down the drain. The extra money I paid for the LG NANO90UNA is more than worth it.
If being without H.265 isn't a deal breaker, I would personally recommend an older version of Format Factory. Another person's experience may be more agreeable than mine but I found the versions since 5.0 to be really bloated.
He gave himself to the river and it carried him away 213 Posts 8/17
Posted - Jun 20 2021 : 4:06AM
FYI, the screens of most all TVs regardless of brand are made by the same manufacturers. The brands are mostly differentiated by the tech they use, not by the screens. Most all TV's lifespans are limited by the screens and it's really a crapshoot in terms of getting a good one that will last. I've had Visio, Samsung, Sony, and LG and I've had pixels go bad on all of them within a few years, some within a few months.
Plug your laptop into your TV via HDMI. I do this all the time, and in hotel rooms
Get a Roku box. The upper level model (relatively inexpensive) have a USB port for hard drives. Roku comes with a remote and works well. This may be your best option.
When I told a friend of mine about the Vizio nightmare, he said that Vizio's are known to be as you said, a crapshoot. Either they work well, or they're a complete lemon.
What pissed me off wasn't so much that the TV was screwed up from the beginning, but that the assholes kept lying to me, and then the ultimate insanity, Vizio doesn't have a corporate office! Or so they claim.
I thought that it would be no problem once I spoke with their corporate office about what happened because any corporate office would side with me and make them repair the TV since both they and I have proof that I called in several times about the problem prior to the end of the warranty.
He gave himself to the river and it carried him away 213 Posts 8/17
Posted - Jun 22 2021 : 7:03AM
^ Yeah, another thing that genuinely separates brands is tech support. Luckily I have an independent tech guy who's pretty good with fixing minor issues, but pretty much every brand can have problems with pixels or backlights dying. Modern TVs just aren't made to last very long.
^ On top of that, it's not even limited to them not being made to last. Modern TVs are generally not designed to be serviced or repaired in their short lifespan either. Especially if the screen has a problem, a 1 or 2 year old TV (even newer depending on the price) may be cheaper to replace than repair with just the screen being swapped out.
I've found that to be true. So far, the quality of the LG NANO90UNA appears to be above normal. But, because of the nightmare of Vizio, I did something that I've never done with any product. I purchased a 3-year extended warranty for just over $100 w/tax. It comes with tech support too.
I figured that I might as well since I paid around a grand for it. Trying to save a hundred bucks isn't worth the gamble under these circumstances. If the TV fails a little after a year or even close to 3, I would be kicking myself for not paying the $100. BTW, I purchased the TV and extended warranty on Amazon when they had a sale.
Hookup Hotshot: Episode 464: Iris Leon - review by Captain Jack
Posted - Jun 3 2021 : 3:46PM
