TV Input

[Dick H]

I have two TVs. One has a USB input, the other has an HDMI input.
Is there an adapter that will take my Male USB and has a Male HDMI connector output?
In other words I want to put my USB device in to my HDMI TV.

[TreeTops]

The USB will probably choke on high bandwidth videos. That's why they created HDMI. So I'm guessing it won't work but the experts here may know of a way to make it work.

[usually_quiet]

I have two TVs. One has a USB input, the other has an HDMI input.
Is there an adapter that will take my Male USB and has a Male HDMI connector output?
In other words I want to put my USB device in to my HDMI TV.

There is no way a simple adapter ever going to work. Assuming your goal is to watch video stored on a USB stick or USB hard drive using a TV with no built-in USB media player, you will need to get a media player that accepts USB devices and has HDMI output to connect a TV.

[jagabo]

In other words I want to put my USB device in to my HDMI TV.

You want a media player like a Western Digital WDTV.

[yoda313]

Here's a third vote for a media player, the wdtv specifically. Any version will be sufficient - except maybe that lite one that doesn't have mpeg2 ability if memory serves.

And also that usb input might be for service only from a technician. Unless you have a recent hdtv that is a "smart tv" it probably isn't meant for video. Though you'll need to read your tvs manual to know for sure.

But a tv that can play video won't be nearly as robust a dedicated video player unit like a wdtv. And depending on how old it is it might not even read ntfs drives and be very very picky about what it will and won't play. A wdtv has very few restrictions in that regard.

[Dick H]

Thanks for all the comments, but I never mentioned video. I want to view my PHOTOS. It works fine on the 50" TV at my fire station. My TV at home has only an HDMI. I need a female USB to a male HDMI adapter or cable.

[hello_hello]

USB and HDMI are completely different things. When you plug an external USB drive into a PC, the PC does the work.... reading and opening the files and decompressing the video/pictures etc. These days PCs generally have a HDMI output. You can't plug the drive directly into a HDMI input. I doubt such an adaptor exists.

The USB input on the TV does the work of the PC (or media player), even when just displaying photos. The TV has a media player built-in which can read and decode the files. Newer TVs tend to have media players which can play many types of video files as well as displaying photos. Some TVs (mainly older ones) can only open and display pictures via USB, but not video. Your TV doesn't have a media player. You'd need some sort of "external" media player with a HDMI output.

[Dick H]

USB and HDMI are completely different things. When you plug an external USB drive into a PC, the PC does the work.... reading and opening the files and decompressing the video/pictures etc. These days PCs generally have a HDMI output. You can't plug the drive directly into a HDMI input. I doubt such an adaptor exists.

The USB input on the TV does the work of the PC (or media player), even when just displaying photos. The TV has a media player built-in which can read and decode the files. Newer TVs tend to have media players which can play many types of video files as well as displaying photos. Some TVs (mainly older ones) can only open and display pictures via USB, but not video. Your TV doesn't have a media player. You'd need some sort of "external" media player with a HDMI output.

" Some TVs (mainly older ones) can only open and display pictures via USB, but not video."
That's exactly what I need, but your other statements say it can't be done. That's confusing.

[yoda313]

Why don't you get a 35.00 chromecast? It will stream stuff directly to your computer and connect to your hdmi.

(but you need either a tablet or computer to send the pictures from that device to the chromecast and you need a smartphone or tablet to operate the chromecast as it doesn't have a remote)

[jagabo]

" Some TVs (mainly older ones) can only open and display pictures via USB, but not video."
That's exactly what I need, but your other statements say it can't be done. That's confusing.

Your TV doesn't have a USB port so it can't open and display anything via USB. If you want to view image (or video) files via HDMI you need an external media player. Do you have a DVD player or Blu-ray player? Some of them have USB ports that allow you to view images and/or video files (via HDMI to the TV).

[usually_quiet]

" Some TVs (mainly older ones) can only open and display pictures via USB, but not video."
That's exactly what I need, but your other statements say it can't be done. That's confusing.

The USB port on a TV that is capable of displaying jpeg photos stored on a USB drive is merely a connection for a very limited built-in media player. External media players that can play video and music can usually also display photos.

The HDMI port on a TV is only capable of processing HDMI A/V signals. It can't read files or decode the information stored in them. That is why a media player is required to read files, decode them, and produce an HDMI A/V signal the HDMI port on a TV can use.

[Edit] Never mind, somebody already beat me.

[Dick H]

I quit.

[jagabo]

It's simple: to display media files from a USB device requires a media player. Some TVs have a built in media player some do not. With TVs that don't have a built in media player you can add an external media player.

[hello_hello]

" Some TVs (mainly older ones) can only open and display pictures via USB, but not video."
That's exactly what I need, but your other statements say it can't be done. That's confusing.

I agree.... a TV with a USB input is exactly what you need.

Thinking about it, I'm fairly sure my "point and shoot" camera has a HDMI output. I'd have to check, but if your camera has one, you can effectively use it as a media player for displaying pictures on a TV when it's connected via HDMI. The camera would probably have some sort of "mini" HDMI plug, but it'd still just require a HDMI cable, only the HDMI plug on one end would be smaller. Chances are, if a camera has a HDMI output, it came with an appropriate HDMI cable....... which has actually made me think maybe that's what the "unidentified" cable sitting in the bottom of my filing cabinet is for. I'll have to check it out....

Do you have any sort of portable device with a HDMI output? Even a phone? My Android smartphone has a (mini) HDMI output. It can be connected to a TV's HDMI input with a (mini) HDMI to HDMI cable and I can use the phone as a media player. Whatever it can play, pictures or video, it should be able to display on a TV.