50 inch TV that plays all formats on USB?

[deepakvrao]

Hi guys,

Planning to buy a 50" LED but need one that will play all USB formats. Suggestions? Budget 50-70K.

I was looking at

LG 49LF540A 123 cm Full HD LED TV: Amazon.in: Electronics

 

[efernand1]

Hi

Would suggest you go to an electronics store like Vijay Sales / Croma / Reliance Digital for window shopping and carry your pen drive with movies and music in different formats....do your auditions and trials there..then take a call to decide which brand based on performance, appearance and budget....check warranty options...if purchasing online, ensure it is manufacturer warranty.....

Infact with the discounts being offered online or from the big electronics store, you should also check small time dealers near your place at what best price they can offer the same to you.....atleast you can return the TV back to the nearby dealer if any issue...

trust your instincts...all the best...make a proper informed decision...don't rush

 

[jay1]

Hi, I have got the HDMI cable of Dell. However i cant play movies on my television. I have Sansui TV & ACer laptop. Can Anybody guide me how which companies cable i ashould use so that i can play from LAPtop. Whaet is the difference between HDMI & VGA cable?

 

[Vinod.R]

I would suggest that you prioritize picture and audio quality as the primary requirement. A TV playing all USB formats should not be a criteria for a TV selection, picture quality should.

A media player can usually handle all formats one throws at it. Hence a 50-70,000 should not be allocated only based on USB format playability. Just a thought to point you at the right direction.

 

[Appys]

A Samsung might well do the job for all file formats apart from hevc along with subtitle support afaik,yet the main buying criteria is supposed to be picture quality and not media capabilities..In fact buy a good TV and ask the showroom to throw in a blu ray player for media playback..dont compromise on pq for media player

 

[deepakvrao]

Thanks guys. I suppose you'll are right regarding quality. My issue is that I have a current old LG 50 plasma, which plays very limited formats, so it's a pain to convert films and then watch.

So, any suggestions on a TV with good pic quality in this range? How is the LG I posted the link to? I have a 32 LG which is newer and plays all formats, and has a great image quality too, hence looking at LG.

 

[raghupb]

@deepakvrao
Most TVs play only a limited number of video formats. AVI is the most widely supported one.

Japanese brands are notoriously selective. Korean brands are better with variety.

The TV guys spend most of their R&D budget on display and rendering tech.
This is why everything else takes a back seat including sound; let alone movie and music formats.

Your best bet for ultimate decode capability is a laptop with HDMI out and SW like VLC or the likes of it. Next best thing is a media player Western Digital, Seagate, Asus, etc that have good features at various price points. These will usually play 90% of the formats available out there (read: on torrent sites).

If you are upgrading for screen size then look for a model that plays many formats. Otherwise, it makes sense to buy a 4-5K media player. Also you have a plasma; why downgrade to LED? I say downgrade because LED is still a long way from matching plasma display in terms of contrast and viewing angles. Newer tech (LED) is not always better than older tech (plasma). It is only cheaper to mass manufacture. Unless your plasma is degrading, an upgrade will only satisfy you marginally (upgrade cost considered)

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[regeHA]

HEVC is the future, but not every model plays it, so check for that.

Anything with HDMI input will be future proof, as you can always use an external media player or Android TV box instead of a USB to play media files.

In an ideal world you would get TVs with HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, and VGA inputs.

 

[deepakvrao]

Thanks guys.

I am completely a noob here. Any suggestions for this external media player?

 

[deepakvrao]

Will a Google Chromecast do the job? I use a Macbook pro, not a Windows.

 

[raghupb]

I have ASUS O!Play Paid 4K for it in 2014. Plays almost anything thrown at it.
Check out Western Digital and Seagate too. These come with storage options as well.

My media chain:
2TB External HDD (download from torrent sites on desktop and transfer)
VLC player on Laptop (HDMI only for movies)
ASUS media player (has HDMI out for movies, optical out for music only, also recognizes subtitle files)

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[deepakvrao]

^^Thanks. I have a WD MyCloud. Will I be able to stream from there to the Asus wirelessly? Where did you buy the Asus from?

There are many Oplays. Which would you recommend?

 

[raghupb]

Chromecast is small and wireless. I have not used it, but many people I know have had some niggle or the other. Personally, I prefer cabled operation. HD video can be B/W hogs. Hence dedicated cable is good.

MACBook Pro has HDMI out. The player on MAC itself will handle most formats. It may complain about DRM, if so you should be able to find compatible SW to play video.

The only logistical issue with using laptop to play movies is:
You can't work while the family watches a movie

-Raghu

 

[raghupb]

On O!Play it boils down to what features you need.
I chose O!Play mini (Full HD, 7.1 Audio, HDMI, optical)
As I said earlier, I don't yet subscribe to wireless completely.
So a base model works for me.

-Raghu

 

[gp_freak]

This may sound very negative, but in real world scenario, No TV can play all formats .

As other members has suggested, please choose a TV for its Picture clarity and Quality. The Media boxes are so cheap nowadays.

 

[deepakvrao]

Thanks a bunch all you guys.

I was disappointed with the USB drive quality as well as the limited formats, but now based on suggestions here, I connected my Mac with a HDMI cable and the quality is BRILLIANT.

Using VLC. Any better software?

My wireless mouse is enough to act as a remote. I'm a happy camper with my current TV

Work while someone is watching a movie is not an issue. we are all internet junkies and have our own laptops ;-)

Tempted to try Chromecast or Teewee, to escape the wires.

 

[Vinod.R]

So all is well that ends well.

Sometimes the culprit is something else, and we blame something else.

In this case, probably the source was the culprit and once you connected your Mac, you found out that the TV is not the culprit!

 

[sud98]

Thanks a bunch all you guys.

I was disappointed with the USB drive quality as well as the limited formats, but now based on suggestions here, I connected my Mac with a HDMI cable and the quality is BRILLIANT.

Using VLC. Any better software?

My wireless mouse is enough to act as a remote. I'm a happy camper with my current TV

Work while someone is watching a movie is not an issue. we are all internet junkies and have our own laptops ;-)

Tempted to try Chromecast or Teewee, to escape the wires.

1. As said earlier, except HTPC, most TV's or even media players too dont play all formats. For ex. you will find many struggling with DTSHDMA or Dolby Tru HD or with Atmos.

2. VLC is good, MPC is better(not sure if it will work on Mac).

3. Wireless mouse. Check out the options from logitec. They have an htpc keyboard cum joypad which is nice.

4. Chromecast is very limited in what can it do.

Overall, using a Mac for a source, is an expensive equipment to just use as a source.

My two cents.

 

[raghupb]

Glad you found a solution.
Now with the money you were intending to spend on TV upgrade the audio components in the chain
HFV FMs are all infected with upgraditis

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[deepakvrao]

Glad you found a solution.
Now with the money you were intending to spend on TV upgrade the audio components in the chain
HFV FMs are all infected with upgraditis

Cheers,
Raghu

Hehehe, that saved money will go towards cycling stuff. My 'real' passion.


I just got a whole lot of Sonos speakers for audio anyway.