Best way to play movies on TV using an external HDD

[Ally68]

I play movies on my LCD TV using an external hard drive (portable, usb powered) via USB. I also use my external desktop drive which uses a power source. Playback is about the same between the two. I would rather use a portable drive... but would a bigger drive using a power source be better in some way? Just wondering

[Gargoyle]

There won't be any change/difference in the video quality (as long as you're playing the same video file) whether you use a larger externally-powered drive or a portable USB-powered drive.
The only problem that I can see happening is if the USB port on the TV can't supply the necessary current to power the portable drive... but since it seems to be working, then apparently it can supply the needed current to power up the portable drive….

[Ally68]

That was my main concern. Making sure the playback was the same between the 2
I have been testing out the portable drive and it's a lot quieter (WD)