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  1. Member
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    I know an LG 42LD450 (42") will with minor tweaking. http://lgusb.wikispaces.com/message/view/home/23176827
    Can we list other confirmed models here? Maybe even make a sticky??

    I'd like to get a VIZIO 22" M221NV for my son. It has a USB port, but does anyone know if it will play movies?
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  2. The range of files they play can be pretty limited. You're better off getting an external media player. Something like a WDTV Live or Boxee Box.
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    Originally Posted by jagabo View Post
    The range of files they play can be pretty limited. You're better off getting an external media player. Something like a WDTV Live or Boxee Box.
    True... but if you can find one that does it all, it's pretty convenient. One less box, and group of wires.
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  4. Originally Posted by micallen View Post
    if you can find one that does it all
    You won't. And once you've bought the TV they have little interest in updating it to play more file types. You'll have to spend another few thousand dollars to get a new TV to play the new formats. I'd rather spend a hundred dollars to get a new media player. And if I don't need any new formats I can just move the old media player to a new TV when I get one.

    I happened to notice this post about a Samsung 450:
    https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/328157-SD-playback-quality-on-LCD-TV-s?p=2033027&vi...=1#post2033027
    Last edited by jagabo; 17th Nov 2010 at 11:54.
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    Originally Posted by micallen View Post
    Originally Posted by jagabo View Post
    The range of files they play can be pretty limited. You're better off getting an external media player. Something like a WDTV Live or Boxee Box.
    True... but if you can find one that does it all, it's pretty convenient. One less box, and group of wires.
    All of the HDTVs that can do this have rather severe restrictions on what they will play. It sounds like a great idea, but we get posts all the time from people talking about what conversions they have to do to get files to play on their HDTVs. If you don't value your time (and many people here do not) and it doesn't bother you at all to have to convert almost everything you want to watch then it might be an option for you. But jagabo's suggestion is better. Some of the media players like the WDTV models are actually quite small.
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    Originally Posted by jman98 View Post
    Originally Posted by micallen View Post
    Originally Posted by jagabo View Post
    The range of files they play can be pretty limited. You're better off getting an external media player. Something like a WDTV Live or Boxee Box.
    True... but if you can find one that does it all, it's pretty convenient. One less box, and group of wires.
    All of the HDTVs that can do this have rather severe restrictions on what they will play. It sounds like a great idea, but we get posts all the time from people talking about what conversions they have to do to get files to play on their HDTVs. If you don't value your time (and many people here do not) and it doesn't bother you at all to have to convert almost everything you want to watch then it might be an option for you. But jagabo's suggestion is better. Some of the media players like the WDTV models are actually quite small.
    Do you think that will change? There are a few TV's with internet and Apps now, with more and more being added. It seem like next year that will be commonplace. I would think logically, the newer TV's would have USB ports and uncrippled playback.

    Don't get me wrong... I think the WD media players are cool. A few co-workers have them.
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  7. It's more a matter of intentions. TV manufacturers want to sell TVs. They may add some media player features to attract customers and so they can jack up the price. But their primary intention is to produce TVs, not media players. So they do a half-assed job playing media -- not to mention that some manufactures also produce content (eg, Sony) and they don't really want to make it easy for you to acquire and play content from other sources. Media player manufacturers' primary focus is on producing media players so they are more motivated to support a wide variety of media formats. And they tend to come from smaller companies that don't produce content so they don't care where you get it.
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  8. Originally Posted by micallen View Post
    Originally Posted by jagabo View Post
    The range of files they play can be pretty limited. You're better off getting an external media player. Something like a WDTV Live or Boxee Box.
    True... but if you can find one that does it all, it's pretty convenient. One less box, and group of wires.
    My Samsung LN55B650 plays video from a USB drive
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  9. Member edDV's Avatar
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    To find out what a particular HDTV will play you need to download the manual from the support site. Like others have said, don't expect firmware updates. They usually don't add features in updates, just correct problems.

    The list of formats supported usually increases as you go up the model range. The value models found in Walmart or K Mart are usually stripped of features. Again download the manual before you buy.
    Recommends: Kiva.org - Loans that change lives.
    http://www.kiva.org/about
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