Hello,
can I use the MPW as an external drive e.g. connecting it directly to a television without using the wireless option?
So I can use it on the holidays in the car wireless and in the hotel connected to the tv.
thanks,
Nolke
Yes… as long as the device understands the format of the disk (which, out of the box, is ExFAT).
I recommend not doing this , since a few people already said here they connected their MPW to a TV and it formatted/trashed their MPW. So, do at your own risk, and don’t come back here to tell us the TV trashed your MPW after you have been warned!!! No sympathy will be given.
A better way to do this is to have your TV (if a Smart TV) is to have the TV access the drive wireless signal.
A way I do this is to connect my MPW on my home network, and EVERY device I have that can do so, can access the MPW. This includes all mobile devices like phones and tablets, and a WDTV also can access the MPW through the network, too.
If you have a way to cast a video from your tablet/phone, you also may get it to a TV, too, depending on your setup, gear, and apps.
I don’t think he is going to have a Home Network in a hotel to use your favourite method Mike.
He could direct connect a hotel Smart TV to the MPW’s wireless network, but most smart TVs I have seen in hotels don’t have their full functionality available, and probably won’t allow connecting to a new wireless network.
While a few people have reported that the MPW drive suffers corruption when connected to a hotel TV, we don’t know if the drive was turned on when connected, or if the TV was turned on, or other circumstances that may have contributed to the problem.
I would say that if a hotel TV has a USB port, and the MPW is turned off when connected to the TV, then then turned on, it should be fine. If a user is really concerned, they should turn the TV off as well before connecting the MPW.
Of course the MPW must also be disconnected from all TVs properly, either by releasing the USB device (safely remove hardware or eject media), if possible, or turning off the MPW and TV before disconnecting. Reports of problems may have been caused but incorrectly disconnecting the MPW from a TV the day before the problem was found, at an earlier hotel.
So I think the answer is yes, the MPW can be connected to a hotel TV via USB, as long as the correct connection and disconnection processes are followed.
I don’t think he is going to have a Home Network in a hotel to use your favourite method Mike.
Of course, Roderick, not in a hotel, and I was giving the guy lots of options at home and away. Also, I would appreciate your not chiding me about this every chance you get. I have LOTS of “favorite” methods to get video on my TV, and video from an mp4 file via a MPW that’s over-enlarged for watching on TV is pretty bad with all sorts of artifacts like scan lines and jitter is not one of them. Although these videos work fine on tablets, they look awful on the 54" TV. I would be watching the same movie either from a disc or ISO file on my TV, instead.
I repeat, hooking a MPW to a hotel TV has it’s risks and I prefer using a tablet to watch or connect it to TV HDMI input when on the road.
Please honor the request I made to you. Thanks.
No problem Mike.
It is just that you do recommend using the Home Network method a lot, and often I find it an inappropriate recommendation, or it seems to miss the point and power of the MPW.
In Nolke’s case, s/he mentioned using the MPW in wireless mode in a car on holidays, and then at a hotel.
I don’t think someone driving a car would be watching movies by connecting to the MPW wirelessly, or at least I hope not. This would imply that there was at least one other person in the car at the time, and since adults don’t often watch movies in a moving car, there is a good chance that it is a child or children, or teenager(s).
A tablet is a great way for one person, such as yourself, to watch a movie while away from home. It is an awful way for more than one person to watch a movie. Hence the request to confirm that the MPW can be connected to a TV via USB, so the whole family can watch together.
Also, despite your concerns, if a USB drive is connected to and disconnected from any Host Device correctly, there is very little chance of corrupting the drive. I described clearly the issues there.
Therefore I disagree with your recommendation, and I repeat, I think the answer is yes, the MPW can be connected to a hotel TV via USB, as long as the correct connection and disconnection processes are followed.
i’ve connected the My Passport Wireless (and several other WD HDD’s) to my Panasonic SMART TV via USB …
No problems with playback … MPW formatted NTFS, MKV, AVI, MP4, WMV, MPG, MOV all play fine on my Panasonic
And no problems removing the drive … no corruption.
Regarding “Hotels”
Keep in mind, it all depends on what the TV “supports” … ie.
Older TV’s with USB … most only supported Music (mp3) and Jpeg Playback (not video)
And even some of the Newer TV’s may not support a certain Format
(Apparently, doing a quick search … Samsung TV’s don’t support MKV … They play fine on my Panny though)
So, it all depends on the Hotel and the Age of the TV they have in the room 
(Personally, a WDTV Media Player with a MPW (connected either via USB or Hotspot or Direct) … would be hassle free)
I’ve never seen a Hotel TV (in North America, at least) that had functional USB ports, either. :)
Most TVs I’ve come across were in “Hotel Mode” which substantially limits menu interaction and disables many functions of the TV.
If you’re lucky enough to come across a hotel that didn’t change the maintenance password, and you know what you’re doing, you can enable it, though…
As Tony suggests, a hotel TV is a big unknown. The only TV I ever plugged into to watch video on was at a B&B (at private residence) and that was to plug a Kindle’s HDMi cable into TV’s port to watch a Netflix show. Beyond that, I just take a pass.
As Joey points out, a home TV can be a better situation for a MPW.
Glad Roderick surmised that obviously a driver is not watching videos in a car and likely the kids in the back are! Many people purchase wireless drives for this very purpose, and since iOS 8, they discover that their iTunes purchased videos can’t be played this way as before. But, that’s another topic!
TonyPh12345 wrote:
I’ve never seen a Hotel TV (in North America, at least) that had functional USB ports, either. :)
USB ports are often functional on hotel TVs in Australia. But they only have fairly limited software functionality to view content. Just basic open folders, select files, and if capable, play them. But that is enough most of the time.
In my experience it has been pretty hit and miss though. Often the TVs aren’t capable of playing the file format I have. For example, not all TVs seem to be able to play Go-Pro mp4 videos. But, it is always worth a try.
