Using Extension Cable with wdbpck0010bbk-01

Hi,

I tried to connect the WD Elements HDD to my new Sony SmarTV usb port. The TV detected and supported the HDD so I was also capable of watching movies (.mkv, .avi, etc.). When I tried to connect the HDD through a 2 ft. usb 2.0 extension cable, my TV was not even capable to recognize it.

Do I need to use a usb 3.0 extension cable?

If so, does the length of the cable may affect the results?

Does WD have an original extension cables for sale?

Thanks in advance,

Lior.

The extension cable will have resistance, so the power that the drive is receiving from the TV will be diminished, and by the sound of it is now not enough to support and power the drive. Hence it is generally recommended not to use extension cables or hubs with the WD drives.

You may need to look at another solution, such as mounting the drive on the TV somehow, or using a wifi, DLNA or HDMI sender coupled to the drive to make it a wireless connection if your TV can support that.

Hi Darren,

First of all thank you for your kind reply.

Actually I’m using the extender bacause my TV is mounted to the wall, so it’s difficult to connect the HDD directly again and again each time I want to use it. Moreover, bacause my TV is able to stream movies from the HDD, it actually replaces the use of an external streamer.

In the bottom line- if I need to use an extension cable, what is the ultimate way?

By the way, before we get to any conclusion, I may purchase a very short usb 3.0 extension cable and try it again. Do you agree?

Thanks again.

It’s a bit difficult to advise, as it depends on the cable itself (length and quality will both affect the resistance) and also on the current that your TV’s USB port is able to provide (some makes/models will provide more than others). So a cable that works on one TV make may not work on another if the USB port current is lower on the latter one.

So there is no guarantee that any cable will work, but your best chance is with a shorter one than a longer one. If you can find one at a price (or sales arrangement) that you don’t mind too much if it doesn’t work then I would certainly give it a try.

I can understand your problem though - I often use my equipment (not just the HD, also HDMI cabling from my laptop) in hotel rooms which have TVs mounted to the wall and it’s always a pain to get any type of cable plugged in. The TV makers design them to be wall-mounted and nicely discrete for cable-connection, without thinking that sometimes things need to be plugged in and out…

Thanks again Darren, finally I understand.

  1. What do you think about buying a new usb cable - male type A to micro B-data (long enough), instead of using an extension cable at all?

  2. If I still want to purchase an extension cable, I must use a usb 3.0 cable right?

Thanks again!

An alternative option could be a micro-USB Y-cable, where you can connect the drive to the TV, but also connect an external power supply (like a phone or tablet charger style unit) to the cable to give additional power. That may be slightly risky as you will also be feeding power in towards the TV USB port, but it could be an option if required. And again there’s no guarantee of things working.

For your specific questions:

  1. Same comments apply as before - the voltage drop is dependent upon the cable length, whether it’s one cable or multiple ones joined together. You may well get additional voltage drop on two cables due to the losses in the male/female connection, but you will still potentially get a larger drop if it’s a single longer cable than the one supplied (hence why WD don’t recommend using either longer cables or hubs with their external drives as it’s not guaranteed).

  2. You can use USB2.0 cables too, as they too can connect to the USB3.0 port on the drive (it just connects to the larger side of the port, leaving the smaller section unconnected). If your TV port is USB3.0 though, you will get a lower data transfer rate though of course if you use a USB2.0 cable to connect your drive to the TV (if your TV port is also USB2.0 then it shouldn’t make much difference which cable you use, as you’ve already got the USB2.0 limitation from the TV hardware).

Indeed if you have a longer USB2.0 cable available, it could be a way to do a quick and simple test as to whether things will work or not without purchasing anything new.