as soon as he sees multimedia content on our smart TVs the fastest is to do this via a network connection, either locally to access a computer acting as a server at home, such as a PC, or directly from the Internet on different streaming services.

But most of us still have files that we want to play directly on the big screen and without servers involved. A very comfortable option in these situations copy them to a USB stickAlso known as pendrive or USB stick or connect to an external hard drive and connect them directly to a USB port on the TV.

Why should you use a USB disk or memory connected to the TV?

What do these devices give us and when are they better than a network server? To begin with, they let us. not dependent on anything else for content playback. We just connected the memory to the USB port, that’s it. You don’t need to have an internet connection, local network or a PC working in a room.

And if what we want is to multiply 4K and 8K content for example with the highest bitrates per second as in some demos, but also content recorded by ourselves from cameras and even smartphones, watching them from the local network can sometimes cause them to hang and stop more than usual. USB ports, which we will not have.

In general, accessing saved files will be faster than from a USB stick. thumbnails displayed before if we have hundreds or thousands of files, for example photo collections to see it on the big screen.

But having a USB connected to the TV is not only used to display the internal content on the TV, it also works the other way around. TVs are available. save programsand in most cases, you can configure these recordings to be stored on external drives such as a USB stick or hard drive pre-adapted (formatted) by the TV’s operating system.

Advantages and disadvantages of both technologies

If we are already convinced to use external hard drive or USB stick For watching content on TV, the question definitely arises: What is better, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each technology? Here we will break them down:

• Storage capacity: USB sticks tend to have less capacity than hard drives. Although there are currently models 128 and 256GB relatively affordable price, for common pocket it is almost impossible to increase these capacities, and if we need a lot of space, for example, for 4K or 8K videos, then it is not the best option. Hard drives, on the other hand, will offer us capacities Greater than 1TB for reasonable prices.

• price per GB: hard drives usually cheaper at the rate of gigabytes per euro storage, especially in mechanical models, but increasingly in solid state or SSD.

• size issue: Hard drives are bulkier, even the most unobtrusive 2.5-inch drives are noticeably larger than the largest USB sticks. If we have little available space, it is better to bet on a USB stick. This also affects their portability. if we want easy-to-carry device making frequent copies to go around in your pocket will be a worse behavior of hard drives than their younger siblings.

• transmission speeds: The clear winners at this point are external hard drives and especially SSDs. While both the hard drive and flash drive have a very capable connector like USB 3.0 with theoretical speeds of around 5 Gbps, in practice the reality is, hard drives are infinitely fastespecially when typing.

  The general thing is that a good USB stick will give us approximately real speeds. 100/50 MBps read/write with large files, the most advanced external hard drives (SSDs) are approx. 400 or 500 MBps in both cases it provides much better performance with smaller file sizes. Modern 2.5- or 3.5-inch drives also far exceed the 100MBps read and write barrier and outperform USB sticks when saving many small files such as photos or music.

• Energy efficiency: mechanical hard drives consume more energy than USB sticks, very little, but in the long run this can be noticed if we keep the TV on for hours and external memory is connected.

• This additional energy is also a heat generation, something that is usually common especially on larger hard drives and should be taken into account when there is not much free space left and we should use it without the possibility of distributing the extra calories well. However, USB sticks are not exempt from this heat. Especially in cheap models, if we use it for hours, it can be a problem and cause data loss.

• the question is power to hard drives: If we choose a 3.5-inch model, it comes with a separate power supply, one more “stack” where we need to find a hole in the cabinet. If it’s 2.5 inches, both mechanical and SSD are probably a “high current” USB port (900mA) to provide enough power, or they won’t turn on properly.

  There are also models that solve this by mounting a link replicator on the cable to plug into two conventional USB ports that only deliver 500 mA each, but these together will allow the hard drive to work.

Recommended models

Toshiba Canvio Basics

this model Toshiba Canvio Basics already a classic. It is a 2.5 inch mechanical external hard drive that offers storage capacity. 1TB via a USB 3.2 port, all weighing less than 150 grams. Its price is 39 euros.

Toshiba Canvio Basics 2.5 Inch USB 3.2 Portable External Hard Drive (1 TB) Black

For €32.59 on Amazon today

My WD Passport

Another classic external drive model, My WD Passporta 2.5-inch laptop that offers less than the following in this special edition 5TB storage With 256-bit encryption, 5400 RPM mechanical spindle speed, and a USB 3.0 port. Its price is 110 Euros.

WD My Passport – Portable Hard Drive, Black (Black), 5 TB

Today on Amazon for € 110.00

Seagate Expansion Portable

Another well-known brand in the industry is Seagate, which has a wide product range. Expansion PortableIn this case with the capacity 1TB For the 2.5 inch mechanical portable hard drive we connect via the USB 3.0 port. Its price is 49 euros.

Seagate Expansion Portable, 1TB, External Hard Drive, HDD, USB 3.0 for PC, Laptop and Mac, 2-Year Recovery Services (STEA1000400)

For €49.13 on Amazon today

SanDisk Ultra Talent

If we want a compact USB stick, we can choose this model. SanDisk Ultra TalentUSB 3.0 port and up to capacity 128GB data has a more durable metal casing that dissipates better heat and 150MB/s reading speed. Its price is about 18 euros, depending on the offer.

SanDisk Ultra Flair 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive – Durable and Stylish Metal Case with Up to 150MB/s Read Speed ​​- Silver

For €17.40 on Amazon today

Samsung ‎MUF-128BE4/APC

this flash drive Samsung ‎MUF-128BE4/APC Titan Gray It has a beautiful design and capacity. 128GB in a USB 3.0 connector. It far exceeds 100 MBps in reading and 50-60 MBps in writing, making it suitable for transferring large volumes of data from a PC. Its price is 23.5 euros.

Samsung ‎MUF-128BE4/APC Titan Gray 128GB

For 23.49 Euros on Amazon today

Kingston DataTraveler Exodia DTX

Another interesting model of the USB stick is Kingston DataTraveler Exodia DTXa capacity unit 128GB and a plastic-coated USB 3.2 Gen 1 port with a protective cover. It is a device for everyday use, which is quite inexpensive as it costs less than 15 euros.

Kingston DataTraveler Exodia DTX/128GB USB 3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drive with Protective Cover and Multi-Color Keychain

For € 14.78 on Amazon today