Do external USB DVD/Blue ray players work with smart TVs?

[LordMortis]

The title says it all. My google fu seems weak. I can find the question asked a lot but the answer is always about media on memory stick.

I'm thinking I would like the option to watch some of my DVDs on my TV but it has not RGB ports and quite frankly a very limited amount inputs, 1 Coax, 2 HDMI, 1 USB. The Coax is already taken and I already have to rotate HDMI devices. I was thinking about picking up a cheap USB DVD player but I have no idea how USB inputs work.

My TV is an LG something but LG didn't have an easy google hit either.

Any one do this? Though I suppose, thinking on this while I type, I can always attach the DVD player to a laptop connected by HDMI... Not as clean but I guess it would work.

[Victoria Raverna]

Probably not for most smart tv, but if you have an android smart tv, maybe something like this:

https://hitachi-lg.com/sw/include/page/ ... kattempt=1

You need an usb dvd drive that can be detected by the smart tv and a dvd player software that can run on the smart tv.

[LordMortis]

Ha! found someone that says yes! I guess that's worth dropping $15 to find out.

https://www.techwalla.com/articles/what ... tv-support

Video File Formats

LG LED TV USB inputs support all ranges of video formats provided by your satellite, antenna or cable provider as well as Blu-ray or DVD players connected to the TV. To play videos directly from a USB flash drive connected to a USB port on a LED TV, the video should be in DivX HD format. Depending on the model, the TV may support DivX 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Edit: Inflation. $30 to find out.

[Victoria Raverna]

Maybe a better solution is a DVD player with HDMI output and a HDMI switch.

[gilraen]

DivX is NOT DVD. It's a compressed video codec (an ancient one, at that) so you'd have to use software to rip the DVD onto your computer in DivX format.

Just get an HDMI switch. I've been using this one for over 5 years - or there might be better technology available now.

[hitbyambulance]

Ha! found someone that says yes! I guess that's worth dropping $15 to find out.

https://www.techwalla.com/articles/what ... tv-support

Video File Formats

LG LED TV USB inputs support all ranges of video formats provided by your satellite, antenna or cable provider as well as Blu-ray or DVD players connected to the TV. To play videos directly from a USB flash drive connected to a USB port on a LED TV, the video should be in DivX HD format. Depending on the model, the TV may support DivX 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Edit: Inflation. $30 to find out.

not sure how you got that an external PC DVD drive works with the TV from that statement? read that a bit more carefully and you'll see what i mean.

the manufacturers don't bother including drivers for this functionality (and maybe the power draw is an issue as well?) so for the most part, TVs only want USB flash/thumb/stick drives. i have seen a few instances where a specific, same-brand external optical media drive worked with a TV, but that is the exception. unfortunately.

[Montag]

You can get hdmi switches on the cheap.