How can I connect my hard drive to my TV

Televisions have become increasingly compatible with computer technology in the recent past. Many new TVs enable the owner to connect a hard drive directly to the television as an added source of content or storage. This application has numerous advantages; increased storage capacity is perhaps of the greatest use. An external hard drive has a far greater memory capacity than a digital television box, for instance. Depending on the size of the hard drive you can store hundreds or even thousands of movies and TV shows.

It is possible to synchronise some new brands of flat screen plasma and LCD televisions with an external hard drive, also called a USB HDD, and record television shows and movies directly on to them. Recording HD television is also an option, again made possible by the large storage space available. Pausing live television is another function available with USB HDD and you can record two programmes while simultaneously watching a third. This is not possible with say a sky digital box for instance. These external hard drives sometimes come with a separate controller or are compatible with the television remote so activating data is a simple matter of scrolling through recorded material displayed on neat menus on the TV screen. The only problem with the USB HDD is that when synced to the TV it is not compatible with other devices. If you desire an external hard drive that will work in harmony with your computer to for instance transfer you DVD collection or view family pictures on your television then don’t format the drive for live television recording.

(1)To connect an external hard drive to your television, you must first ensure the television has a built in USB port. This is available only on newer models and is commonly located on the back or side of the television.

(2)If the TV has a UBS port then you can proceed to step two. Plug the external hard drive into a power source. Then connect a USB cable from the USB port in the hard drive to the USB port in the television.

(3)Next, power on the television and press ‘input’ or ‘AV’ on the remote control. A menu should come up, allowing you to select the USB device(s). Select this and follow the steps shown: Many USB drives are ‘plug and play’ which enable immediate use, while others require a simple setup for each output source (in this case, your TV).

If you want to connect your laptop to your television then you will require an S-video cable. These can vary with different brands of computer and television so make sure you purchase one that is compatible. The S-video connection is located on the back or side of the computer. Connect the cable to its counterpart on the television. After this step, select AV on the television. There should be a button on the laptop that enables you to switch between the computer screen and television; it’s usually located in the top keys in blue, hold ‘Fn’ to activate.

For those seeking a flat screen TV, compatible with a hard drive then try the Panasonic TV website for a reliable brand.