HELP!!! I want to connect my HD to DVD to TV and it won't work!
By coffeebreak
@coffeebreak (17797)
United States
August 18, 2010 7:11pm CST
I have alot of movies I had put on an 2T Seagate external hard drive with a USB plug. I was told that since my 2 year old sony Bravia tv doesn't have a USB port, to buy a DVD player that has a USB port, plug the hard drive into the dvd player via the USB port and then connect the dvd player into the tv via RCA/red/white/yellow connectors that came with the dvd player. I did this and it said "device not supported". I called Phillips customer service and they told me that that dvd player didn't support all that is on a hard drive, it can only support what would be on a flash/thumb drive and they don't make one that will.
WHAT DO I DO NOW?!?!?!?!?!?!?! How the heck can I get this hard drive connected to my TV to watch my family home movies?!??!?!?
I have been working on this for so long, first finding if it is possible, then a good HD...now this... I'm exhausted and all I want to do it watch some movies and have all up to date equipment....AND IT DON'T WORK!!!!!!
HELP HELP HELP... any out there got a solution?
3 responses
@harpreet89 (723)
• India
21 Aug 10
The solution to this problem is really simple.
But to watch your videos on Sony Bravia TV, you have to do following steps.
It might seems tricky but its the easiest way.
1.Connect your computer with your TV through VGA cable(that Blue port cable, which is used to connect monitor with PC). Your TV should have that VGA port.So just connect it with your PC through VGA cable(of course after removing your monitor).
2.Turn On the computer and connect your portable hard drive with your computer's USB port.
3.Play any video/file from your computer off the hard drive and watch it on big screen.
So, here you go. No use of DVD player.The easiest way to watch your favorite video on big screen.
Also, if the VGA cable of your monitor is permanently attached from one end and cant be removed, then buy a VGA cable from local PC hardware shop. Its really cheap.Would cost 10-20 bucks at max. That's it.
1.Connect your computer with your TV through VGA cable(that Blue port cable, which is used to connect monitor with PC). Your TV should have that VGA port.So just connect it with your PC through VGA cable(of course after removing your monitor).
2.Turn On the computer and connect your portable hard drive with your computer's USB port.
3.Play any video/file from your computer off the hard drive and watch it on big screen.
So, here you go. No use of DVD player.The easiest way to watch your favorite video on big screen.
Also, if the VGA cable of your monitor is permanently attached from one end and cant be removed, then buy a VGA cable from local PC hardware shop. Its really cheap.Would cost 10-20 bucks at max. That's it.@coffeebreak (17797)
• United States
22 Aug 10
Thanks for the instructions. I know I can do this, but my PC is literally at one end of the apartment and the TV is at the other.. I can't connect them. But good to know should the event arise that I can do this.
@harpreet89 (723)
• India
22 Aug 10
This is the only method to play videos off the hard drive as most of the DVD player dont recognize hard drives attached to them. So, either you should invest in a pen drive which it supports, or buy a HD-DVD player which supports playback from portable hard drives or get a Wireless Media Streamer.
Western Digital Media Player,ASUS O!Play and similar companies make such devices.These devices have capability to stream high-definition content from any source to your TV.
So what you can do is connect your hard drive with this device and it can stream the content directly to your TV. Even if you connect the Media streamer with your PC, it can still stream content to your TV.
But for a temporary use, you can pick your pc and connect that with your TV to enjoy movies and videos with your family and friends.
That's the cheapest method i think so.
@damned_dle (3942)
• Philippines
19 Aug 10
Just a buy a USB storage device of about 16Gb capacity. COpy your files from the hard drive/computer to the USB storage device and plug it on the dvd player. I always do that.
@coffeebreak (17797)
• United States
19 Aug 10
I have just found that out, but a flash/thumb drive of USB with 16 gig is $70! I just paid $97 for the external Hard drive, $66 for the USB port DVD player and now another $50-$70 for a 16 gig USB flash drive and then have to copy from the hard drive to the flash drive and then plug the flash into the dvd player. And since all I have won't fit on one flash (HD is 1 TB) I'll hve to either get multiple flash drives (at large expense) or copy watch, erase, copy, watch, erase.
I thought in this huge world of massive amazing, "can do" electronics, a simple thing like a dvd player accomodating an external hard drive would be a simple no brainer! This is getting to be a major ordeal!
But thanks for the suggestion. It's probably what I will have to do.
@coffeebreak (17797)
• United States
22 Aug 10
I happened to have a 4gig that I bought last summer when they were on sale for $12..didn't know what I would do with it, but I bought 2 of them... I put four movies on it yesterday and they played fine. So I guess until I can figure out how do do the hard drive any differently, I'll just copy and delete, copy and delete....
@Gorillafootprints925 (3586)
• United States
19 Aug 10
Well you should have just bought a desktop pc that had an hdmi port and use that to connect to your TV. Many people build their own entertainment system with custom built pc. Many have done this. Your dvd player would be worthless if you can't play your HD on it.
@coffeebreak (17797)
• United States
19 Aug 10
I can't afford a new PC and the one I have is totally fine for my needs. I also have my PC in the bedroom and the TV is in the living room... I can't hook them together. I know the dvd player is worthless if it won't play the HD. I have spent days and days trying to learn about this and have asked questions out the wazoo and the popular opinion was to get the hard drive and plug it into the tv. I do that and now find it won't work. I know people build entertainment systems...that is why I can't understand why this won't work. It seems such a very simple way of expanding television versitility.
Someone now.. one that told me to do this, now says to get flash drive with 16 gig on them and copy what movies I want to the flash and plug that to the dvd player. Okay, fine, but I have tons on this HD. He is telling me I have to pick which I want to watch,copy them. and if there are any others, Ieither have to buy more flash drives or delete and copy over. GOod grief... what a hassle in the day and age of upper technology!
