External HDD for media needed

Zak87 said:
Guys I am also looking for an external HDD.

I Have never owned one so I have no clue how they work. Is there any link here in this forum to a simple expalanation of the various different types and tips on what to get and to what to avoid?

Like from reading this topic

1. what is the dif between usb powered and external?

USB-powered external hard drives ("portable") are smaller and work/are powered via one or two USB ports. They have laptop hard drives inside them, which use less power than desktop PC hard drives. They are more expensive.

AC-powered external hard drives are bigger and work via USB (for data) and need power from AC/a plug. They are bigger and require more power. They are cheaper.

2. Can I hook an external HDD to a LCD Monitor and watch Movies etc? I want it mainly for series,movies etc

No, you need something to do the video processing with a video output port (VGA/DVI/HDMI), such as a computer or a media player i.e. Western Digital Live, Mede8er, AC Ryan Playon HD, and others (these are the most popular). Also, some newer LCD/plasma TVs have USB ports that are able to process videos (some even HD videos).

3. I saw this 2tb Toshiba at Makro for R1K.
http://www.makro.co.za/p/35506/toshiba-2tb-external-hard-drive/

Very good price! This is the larger external hard drive which requires AC power

But when I read the reviews
http://www.makro.co.za/live/content.php?Action=view-rating&Cat=3693&ProdId=35506&Sku=

someone mentioned
"This unit can only store info to the max of 4G at a time. It is also not FAT32 compliant which means that any movie loaded cannot be accessed directly via the LCD/LED TV or PS3.
"

what does this mean only 4G at a time? And also re FAT 32 etc.

See what ponder said - 4GB is the file size limit with the FAT32 file system (the way a hard drive is formatted). The reviewer is probably hooking the HDD up to something that can only read FAT32. Basically all modern media players (and PCs) support NTFS, where file size is unlimited (I think).
Click to expand...

Hope this helps.
 
Hi PostmanPot that helps alot!

"Also, some newer LCD/plasma TVs have USB ports that are able to process videos (some even HD videos)."
Do you know what are the prices of these compared to a normal LCD TV without USB port?

I plan on using the HDD hooked up to my laptop. Will there be any heating up issues watching movies on a laptop connected to a HDD?
With it be better to buy and LCT TV with a USB port or an LCD monitor with a Mede8ter? What are the Mede8ters basic functions? I've tried googling but only get complex reviews

Thanks in advance
 
Zak87 said:
Hi PostmanPot that helps alot!

"Also, some newer LCD/plasma TVs have USB ports that are able to process videos (some even HD videos)."
Do you know what are the prices of these compared to a normal LCD TV without USB port?

I plan on using the HDD hooked up to my laptop. Will there be any heating up issues watching movies on a laptop connected to a HDD?
With it be better to buy and LCT TV with a USB port or an LCD monitor with a Mede8ter? What are the Mede8ters basic functions? I've tried googling but only get complex reviews

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

Not really sure if there is a formula yet as to how much more USB-video-playing-LCDs/plasmas cost than those without it. But they aren't much more expensive at all.

Samsung's your best bet for media playability. For entry level LCD, the C5xx range; for entry level plasma, the C450 range.

Plasma is my personal choice as it is much better at displaying sport and SD/standard definition stuff like non-HD TV channels, series/movie rips like .avi/.divx, etc. But that is a whole other can of worms and if you need to discuss it, it would belong in the TV sub-forum. ;)

Definitely better to buy a Mede8er (I'm glad you like this one, as it is the most aesthetically pleasing and practical, with best warranty and menus) over a LCD/plasma that plays videos, which would be a lot more limiting. The Mede8er (and simialr units I mentioned) plays just about any file format you throw at it, including pictures and music. However, a LCD/plasma capable of playing movies is not going to cost R1500 (± price of the Mede8er) more than one that doesn't play video.

No, you won't have any issues with heat, unless the HDD sits in a very small & enclosed area with no airflow.
 
PostmanPot said:
Well yes, if OP wants a separate HDD + enclosure I would also tend to recommend Vantec stuff (again, good value).

What I'm asking though, is why you say Seagate externals are of better quality. Unless that is your personal feeling?
Click to expand...

The OP wanted an external USB powered HDD, as far as I can see.
 
... Did you explain white levels, Postman? ;)

Nice explaination btw
 
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