# HDMI Covert to USB Plug?



## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Hello to everyone who reads this. I need a little IT-ish assistance. I have checked all over my Samsung TV (which is a couple of years old) and can only find points for HDMI. My external drive has a USB plug. Can I buy some sort of adaptor plug? I asked my IT guy at work today and he started showing me something on line that I could buy at around Dhs. 350 (I switched off when I saw another piece of equipment to be plugged into the TV as a 'permanent' fixture). Is there really no plug to convert the USB plug to HDMI or is he right? I so hope he is wrong . Incidentally it's to watch a downloaded TV programme. I know I can watch it on the laptop but I would prefer not to if I can as I am recovering from disc surgery. Thanks in anticipation....

Incidentally tried to edit title but couldn't 'Covert' is, of course 'Convert' 


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

BedouGirl said:


> Hello to everyone who reads this. I need a little IT-ish assistance. I have checked all over my Samsung TV (which is a couple of years old) and can only find points for HDMI. My external drive has a USB plug. Can I buy some sort of adaptor plug? I asked my IT guy at work today and he started showing me something on line that I could buy at around Dhs. 350 (I switched off when I saw another piece of equipment to be plugged into the TV as a 'permanent' fixture). Is there really no plug to convert the USB plug to HDMI or is he right? I so hope he is wrong . Incidentally it's to watch a downloaded TV programme. I know I can watch it on the laptop but I would prefer not to if I can as I am recovering from disc surgery. Thanks in anticipation....
> 
> Incidentally tried to edit title but couldn't 'Covert' is, of course 'Convert' 


 I'm not in Dubai, but my OH works with TVs/IT/electronics etc and when I read him your post he said this:

"IT guy is absolutely correct.
USB and HDMI are entirely different concepts.
In order to play files from an external drive , the TV would need to incorporate a a “media renderer” which it clearly doesn’t unless it has a USB or Ethernet socket.
You will need additional hardware that accepts USB inputs from a external drives and converts and renders those files into a digital video stream that can be sent along the HDMI connection"



Jo xxx


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## nm62 (Dec 11, 2008)

Dh 350... that is a lot of money  

you can get a cable for Dh 35 (approx.) from any carrefour or any electronic shop.


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## Fletch1969 (Nov 12, 2011)

I think you should be able to plug your laptop/PC into the TV and watch it that way. You would basically need to play the programme on the laptop and use the tv as if it were an extra monitor. I should think there will be other input options into the TV as well as HDMI


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Thanks to all of you. Jo, you sound like me. I just get this sort of glazed look when they start talking about other pieces of equipment but I think I understand a bit better now from the way your OH has explained it.

Fletch, will go back to IT guy and ask him about what you have said to see if that's a possibility.

NM, I wish 


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

I bought one of these, does exactly what you need it to do, comes with remote control, etc.

Designer Habitat Nano 3.0 - HD TV Digital Mini Media: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Well, that's one of my Christmas presents sorted then. It's all becoming a little clearer than it was this morning, Thank you.


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## noisyboy (Nov 13, 2011)

If your tv is a couple years old then it must support DVI. Get that cable shouldn't be more than 20AED. For the sound get a regular 10mm audio cable, or an AUX cable as I would rather call it.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

So I can just use a cable? I don't need to buy the box?


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## noisyboy (Nov 13, 2011)

Of course you don't. I consider myself tech savvy and I've never heard of that awesome box!


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

noisyboy said:


> Of course you don't. I consider myself tech savvy and I've never heard of that awesome box!


Obviously I'm not as tech savvy as you are so pardon my ignorance, but isn't a DVI cable only good for connecting the laptop to the TV?

If she wants to connect her external hard drive to the TV and watch files directly from the HDD, then a DVI cable will be of no use whatsoever, which is where that awesome box comes in. No?


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## noisyboy (Nov 13, 2011)

Gavtek said:


> Obviously I'm not as tech savvy as you are so pardon my ignorance, but isn't a DVI cable only good for connecting the laptop to the TV?
> 
> If she wants to connect her external hard drive to the TV and watch files directly from the HDD, then a DVI cable will be of no use whatsoever, which is where that awesome box comes in. No?


You know what, I totally missed the point that she's connecting her external hard drive to the TV LOL. I thought she was saying laptop. I am sorry for the misleading information.

Gavtek is absolutely correct, for the external hard drive you will not be able to use DVI! BedouGirl, the box I believe is your best bet unless you have a blu-ray or dvd player that reads the stick (or a playstation 3 perhaps ), which then you can transfer from the external hard drive to the stick and plug in the dvd/blu-ray player. Sorry again!


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

^^ Well wait - if you are able to connect your laptop to the TV using DVI then couldn't she just connect the external HDD to the laptop and still watch her shows on the TV? Might not be the route I'd go because of too much wiring and connections but it would probably be the most cost effective route.


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## noisyboy (Nov 13, 2011)

w_man said:


> ^^ Well wait - if you are able to connect your laptop to the TV using DVI then couldn't she just connect the external HDD to the laptop and still watch her shows on the TV? Might not be the route I'd go because of too much wiring and connections but it would probably be the most cost effective route.


LOL, yes pretty much and we missed that important point!


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

OK boys, so as I understand it now. I need to connect the external drive to the laptop and then I just connect the laptop to the TV? That sounds simple enough. Could you please all help me one more time? To connect the laptop, what cables do I need to actually buy? Can you please give me the exact names (sorry, but I really am not that technical, as you may have gathered haha!). I thank each and every one of you for your help on this.


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

If your laptop has an HDMI slot, buy an HDMI cable.

If not, you'll either need a DVI cable, or a VGA cable (this option is probably easiest - Sharaf DG do a Monster VGA cable that works well). The only problem with this is that the sound will come from your laptop, not the TV, so you'll either need a cable to connect the laptop headphone port to the TV, or connect your laptop to other external speakers.

Buy the awesome box instead, it'll stay connected to the TV all the time, you just need to plug in your hard drive as and when you like.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Gavtek said:


> If your laptop has an HDMI slot, buy an HDMI cable.
> 
> If not, you'll either need a DVI cable, or a VGA cable (this option is probably easiest - Sharaf DG do a Monster VGA cable that works well). The only problem with this is that the sound will come from your laptop, not the TV, so you'll either need a cable to connect the laptop headphone port to the TV, or connect your laptop to other external speakers.
> 
> Buy the awesome box instead, it'll stay connected to the TV all the time, you just need to plug in your hard drive as and when you like.


I am beginning to think it will be much easier, to be honest. I thought that was more complicated at the beginning and now I think it's much simpler. I am now looking for one of the smiley faces that is bashing its head against a brick wall....


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## indoMLA (Feb 6, 2011)

BedouGirl said:


> I am beginning to think it will be much easier, to be honest. I thought that was more complicated at the beginning and now I think it's much simpler. I am now looking for one of the smiley faces that is bashing its head against a brick wall....


If you want something dedicated to tv and just have a hdd hooked up to it, then get a media player (from WD or Seagate). I use my PS3 as the media player and use the laptop and all other NAS devices as media servers. This might be an expensive option since you are just interested in watching stuff off a hdd on the TV. The cheapest option for you is the HDMI option as long your tv and computer have those connections. 

Let me know if you need an HDMI cable as I think I have a few laying around at the crib.


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## noisyboy (Nov 13, 2011)

It would be best if you give me your laptop make and model #. Same with the TV. Like that we can't be wrong! 

Or take a pic of the inputs on the back of your tv and the inputs on your laptop and post them here!


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## ash_ak (Jan 22, 2011)

does your TV have builtin wifi, if yes:
If you have wifi at home and your laptop is Windows 7, you can watch movies that are on your laptop wirelessly. u gotta google the directions for setup which are simple.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Guys, you are all just brilliant. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I will try to go through this logically. Ash, I know I can watch on the laptop but if you look at my original post, you will see why I would rather not but thank you so much for the suggestion.

Noisy, on the back of the TV which is a Samsung it's got all the normal round plugs plus HDMI and a point for what looks like a computer to be hooked in. You know, one of those with lots of little holes . The type is LA32B350, the model is 32B350F1 and the model code is 32B350F1X2N. I also have a Panasonic Vieja (?) which was made in 2007. The model is TH42PV7M. I can't get behind that one to see what sort of plugs it takes but I am guessing it's no more 'advanced' than the Samsung. The external drive has a USB plug.

Indo, what a sweetie you are to offer but I don't want to take your leads under false pretences  because it seems like none of this is going to work.

A friend was going to buy me Gavtek's gadget for Xmas and went on line today and it seems they don't deliver to the UAE. 

I am beginning to think me and my TVs are a lost cause and I will have to resort to the laptop against my better judgement. 

Thanks all of you once again. You have all been so helpful, I really appreciate it.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Sorry in amongst all this I forgot to tell you the laptop is an Asus A3A which I have upgraded as much as possible. Have now moved onto an iPad which works really well for me and my back . I am now mortifyingly embarrassed because I realize how old and knacked my TVs and laptop are, but they do work....


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

> a point for what looks like a computer to be hooked in. You know, one of those with lots of little holes


That's a VGA port for the VGA cable I mentioned (more commonly known as a PC monitor cable). Cheap ones won't give you a great picture, but I can recommend the Monster one from Sharaf DG. I used one of these until I got a laptop with an HDMI port. It won't play the sound through the TV though.

You might be able to get something similar to that box on Amazon at Dragonmart. There are plenty of similar things on the market but they are usually more expensive. I got mine delivered to my parents house and picked it up last week when I went back to visit.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

I am going to buy the VGA cable and I shall report back in due course. Thank you to all of you for your patience in assisting an IT-illiterate female and to Jo and hubby, Jo for her empathy and her hubby for his advice.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Hi everyone, sorry I didn't 'report' back sooner but I did get everything up and running okay, thanks to all of your help. In fact, I even managed to get a friend sorted on this too. Even better, my cousin arrived yesterday and I am now the proud owner of one of Gavtek's gadgets and it's already hooked up and works like a dream!


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## indoMLA (Feb 6, 2011)

congrats. 

So when you going to invite us all over for beer and snacks as a thank you for the assistance?


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Haha! After the constant chain of visitors have passed through. No sooner do I finish up with my pre-Ramadan traveling than everyone descends on me from near and far. Seriously Indo, this little gadget is soooo cool (and this from a non-techie!).


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