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Question

Watching movies from hard drive on TV

Feb 19, 2015 6:28PM PST

Hi

I'm looking to get something for my dad to watch movies on a portable hard drive. most of the time it will be a large 4tb seagate drive or possibly a smaller usb some times.

I did get chromecast before I realised that it needed to be hooked into the network (so effectively having the drive plugged into laptop)

I've used a Sumvison Cylcone for a few years and was ok apart from the poor remote. This doesn't seem to work with a 5TB Seagate drive. Is that because it's a very large drive or a USB 3 issue?

I saw Sumvision Micro 4 recommended on Amazon. I assume this will work in same way as my existing Cylcone ie plug in the hard drive and off you go no hooking upto network.

Any views from owners or alternative recommended products?

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Clariifcation
Feb 19, 2015 6:30PM PST

It would be useful if it worked with a non wired USB on ocassion as well (like my existing cyclone)

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Answer
how I did it
Feb 19, 2015 7:26PM PST

just going to tell you how I did it. maybe it will help or at least give you some ideas. I have a netgear router that has a usb port. I plugged a usb hub into it and four external 1 tb harddrives into it. Netgear has readyshare so the movies can be accessed no matter where I am at in the world or computer/device I am on. It is like my own little cloud service.

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Answer
Drive likely too big/unsupported
Feb 19, 2015 11:47PM PST

That's the issue most of the time, especially with the rather generic Chinese media streamer boxes like that one. Move into some of the more name brand streamers, and you might start to see support for larger drives. YMMV.

It sounds like you do need a local connection given your reference to an external connected to an HDTV. For this reason, you should consider utilizing smaller drives of 2TB or less, so you have a greater chance of it being supported natively by the streamer (or a Windows box, even). How about 2x 2TB drives connected at the same time? I have never actively used two USB drives simultaneously with my WDTV Live streamer box, but I believe it should be possible. Why not test the Cyclone?

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Answer
Try something a little better.
Feb 20, 2015 3:29AM PST

Go find reviews on the WD TV. For me I'm holding out for the Intel Stick.
Bob

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There are 'reviews' and...
Feb 21, 2015 4:00AM PST

....there are those of us who have very few issues with it since we have other devices to fill in any 'gaps' as such.
Some of us realists understand that it's not a full fledged PC(!)

Do you actually own a WDTV Live, Bob(?) Understand, anyone could comment on a product by simply stating 'go find reviews <aka look at the poor reviews> on xxx'. Not exactly helpful from a moderator, wouldn't you agree? Wink

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(NT) No.
Feb 21, 2015 4:21AM PST
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hmm
Feb 21, 2015 4:23AM PST

I must have shook my computer and some words fell off. Wink

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Can we get back on track....
Feb 21, 2015 6:06AM PST

I don't think I'm asking for anything complicated really...I've had a Cyclone device for a few years and it worked grand apart from the lousy temperamental remote...

My old harddrive 500gb broke recently and I mind my 5tv seagate doesnt work with it but a 128gb usb stick does

I want something simple for my dad ... I tried chromecast and ddint realise it needed to be hooked upto network/laptop to use.... so I want a simple solution where I can plug in a bog standard hard drive probably 4tb to a device that can pick movies from the drive.. that's it...

I could go out and get the latest Sumvision Cyclone (micro 4?) but it would be nice if someone can say is this good it there anything better?

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So far, I'd pick the WDTV over Chromecast or Cyclone.
Feb 21, 2015 6:23AM PST

But if you feel your Cyclone was OK and a new one with it's remote works, why not? I can't find such to borrow to try out. Here we play with WDTV, AppleTV, Roku's, PC's and such.
Bob

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Thanks
Feb 21, 2015 7:31AM PST

Yea if SumvisionCyclone Micro 4 works with 4tb Seagate and the remote is better than old version it will probably do. I was just wondering if there were alternatives as I will need something new myself and wondered what else was out t here that was comparable.

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What's comparable is...
Feb 21, 2015 11:04PM PST

...usually one or more of the other 'clones' of this type of device, all made in China- often with similar chipsets under the hood. When you start buying the less supported ones, it's mostly trial and error since there isn't always any authority as to which drives are necessarily supported, etc.

Start by seeing what the manufacturer's support site says about drive support of 4TB drives (really, drives > 2TB).