This is how to make a USB movie drive for your TV

• Collecting and converting videos
• Organizing and copying your library
• Playing videos on your TV

I think a lot of people are pining for the old days of collecting movies and shows, at this point. It was easy to be enthusiastic about streaming when it seemed like Netflix and Hulu were replacing Blockbuster — but today, content is fractured across so many services that you can end up paying just as much as you would for a cable package if you want a wide selection. A common habit is to flip a service on for a month or two, then cancel once you’ve seen what you came for.

There are a few ways to approach permanent (or quasi-permanent) ownership, such as collecting Blu-ray discs or paying for downloads from Apple or Google. In this guide, though, I’m going to tackle an option that’s both simpler and more complex — creating a portable video library you can plug directly into your TV’s USB port. It’s not for everyone, for reasons that will become clear shortly.

Collecting and converting videos

Be prepared for some barriers

Building a digital library is arguably the hardest part of the equation. The issue is that while a number of companies will gladly sell you digital downloads, those files are protected by DRM — they can’t be played outside of the host apps/services that you bought them from. This is intended to deter privacy, though in reality, it’s more of an inconvenience for legitimate owners.

You’ve got a few ways of getting around this. The first is to amass a collection of Blu-rays and/or DVDs, then “rip” them to a drive on your computer. One of the most popular ripping tools is Handbrake, although you may need to research and install appropriate plug-in software to get past Blu-ray’s copy protection schemes. I’m being cagey about the details for obvious reasons.

It’s absolutely essential to check which file formats your TV can handle.

The ripping approach has a few downsides. Apart from the time involved and the cost of discs, you’ll need a Blu-ray drive compatible with your PC or Mac, which you probably don’t own — most computers lack an optical drive these days. You’ll also need enough free hard drive space to accommodate the videos you’re ripping. While DVD movie rips tend to be under 2GB apiece, 4K Blu-ray rips can easily balloon into dozens of gigabytes. If you’re willing to sacrifice fidelity, you can keep file sizes reasonable by ripping Blu-rays to 1080p resolution. You may want to rip files straight to the USB drive you intend to use with your TV — but finish reading this guide before you try that.

File formats are extremely important here. While some TVs now support a surprising range of file types, it’s absolutely essential to check which ones your TV can handle. As a rule, the safest format to convert to is MP4. The next best option is MKV, which works with TVs like Samsung’s Tizen-based sets.

If you’re not enthused with the idea of ripping disc after disc, there are only two real alternatives. The first is downloading public domain movies from sites like archive.org. Your selection will be limited, and the quality variable, but the process is dead simple. The other option is sailing the seven seas, if you know what I mean. I can’t recommend it for most people, particularly if you’re unfamiliar with trusted sources or technologies like BitTorrent. If studios or your ISP catch on, you could also be kicked offline or face legal threats.

Organizing and copying your library

Simple in theory, tedious in practice

If you’re serious about relying on a USB drive, it’s probably best to invest in an external SSD. While there are USB thumb/stick drives that are fast enough, most don’t have enough space, being sized at 128GB or less. That’s enough for a few dozen DVD rips, but just a handful of 4K movies, never mind any shows you want to watch. Also, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB SSDs can be surprisingly affordable.

Be aware of the USB connections your TV and drive are equipped with. You’ll want a drive with USB 3.1 speeds or later, since you’ll be transferring hundreds of gigabytes of files from your computer. The port on your TV is liable to be much slower, either USB 2.0 or 3.0. If you’re stuck with USB 2.0, you may want to keep 4K videos compressed (i.e. at lower bitrates) to keep playback smooth. If you’re lucky enough to have a TV with USB-C, that’s inevitably the fastest port.

Before loading any videos, any drive you choose needs to be empty, and formatted for one of the file systems your TV is compatible with. Check your manufacturer’s website for details. Typically, exFAT is the best for cross-platform compatibility, but NTFS may be viable if you have a Windows PC.

Before putting any videos on it, any drive you choose needs to be empty, and formatted for one of the file systems your TV is compatible with.

Next to building a library, organizing it may be the most tedious part of the process. This is because the native media player apps on TVs tend to be dumb, for lack of a better term. They don’t usually auto-detect or auto-organize content, so you’ll have to give videos clear file names of your own, and move them into folders and subfolders on your drive. A movie, for example, might be slotted under an overarching Movies folder, and named something like Dune (1984).mp4. Including the year prevents confusion for similarly-named titles. If a video is subtitled, you’ll want to give it its own subfolder, with the movie and SRT file in the same location and sharing the same exact name. A The Holy Mountain (1973) subfolder should contain The Holy Mountain (1973).mp4 and The Holy Mountain (1973).srt.

TV shows add extra complexity. My own approach involves creating season subfolders — e.g. Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3 under TV Shows -> Twin Peaks. You might be able to get away without those divisions as long as you name each file properly, say with the structure Twin Peaks S03E08.mkv. That identifies it as Season 3, Episode 8.

Playing videos on your TV

Finally, the (relatively) easy part

There’s no uniform set of instructions for every TV. Some models may detect your drive and open their native media player app automatically. In other scenarios, you may have to open the app yourself, or switch to your USB drive like it was any other input. In the case of Samsung TVs, for example, you’re expected to hit the Source button on your remote and choose USB Device. You can also navigate to the Source menu on your homescreen.

At this point, you’ll see why I spent a few paragraphs talking about folder structures and filenames. Without everything in plain language, the browsing structure of TV media player apps can make things very confusing. Indeed they might still get awkward, with issues like identical thumbnail images or truncated file and folder names potentially making it hard to figure out what you’re looking at. Trial and error may be necessary.

Without files and folders in plain language, the browsing structure of TV media player apps can make things very confusing.

Otherwise, it’s just a matter of selecting folders to open them, and/or clicking on a video you want to play. There may be a bit of buffering before playback begins, particularly with larger files. Don’t expect complex controls either. You’ll be able to play, pause, fast-forward, or rewind, but there won’t be any chapter markers, and you may not have any special control over audio or subtitles either. As far as TV makers are concerned, you’re watching personal clips, not replacing streaming services. If you need to interrupt a video, remember the timestamp of where you left off — your TV probably won’t bookmark it.