Today TV entertainment setups may require external hard drive for TV. It lets you access a large number of movies and other content stored within the drive with ease. Most modern smart TVs typically integrate well with external hard drives via a USB port.

In this post, you’ll discover some of the best external hard drives that are available on the market today. But, before proceeding toward the best hard drives, let’s first discuss how to connect an external hard drive to a TV.

 

How to Connect an External Hard Drive to a TV


The easiest way to connect an external hard drive to a TV is by using your TV’s USB port. You get a standard USB port across modern TV models. Just check the back of the TV for USB ports. If your TV has some available USB ports, you can use it to connect an external hard drive via a USB cable.

Please note that some TVs support hard drives only up to specific sizes, typically 2TB or 4TB. Therefore, it’s recommended that you check the instructions before buying a new external hard drive. Since most TVs use the same NTFS standard as used by the Windows operating system, you can just plug and play the HDD.

Once connected, you should be able to browse through files within the hard drive using your TV’s built-in file browser.

external hard drive for TV

 

7 BEST External Hard Drives for TV


Here are the seven best external hard drives for TV:

#1. SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD

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SanDisk 2TB Extreme PRO Portable...
9,604 Reviews
SanDisk 2TB Extreme PRO Portable...
  • Save time storing and transferring data with powerful NVMe solid state performance...
  • A forged aluminum chassis acts as a heat sink to deliver higher sustained speeds in a...
  • Up to 2 meter drop protection and IP55 water and dust resistance (3), and a handy...

Our top pick external hard drive for TV, the SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD is also the fastest drive on this list. This SSD is highly compact and can easily fit in your pocket. It features up to 2-meter drop protection and IP55 water and dust resistance. Plus, there’s also a handy carabiner loop for added security.

The SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD is highly compatible with almost all TVs. It is available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB variants.

#2. Toshiba Canvio Flex Portable External Hard Drive

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Toshiba Canvio Flex 2TB Portable...
6,019 Reviews
Toshiba Canvio Flex 2TB Portable...
  • Designed for PC, Mac, and Tablet (check compatibility at Toshiba's Consumer HDD...
  • Formatted exFAT for cross-device compatibility (2).
  • USB-C ready, USB 3.0 compatible.

Compatible with most TVs, the Toshiba Canvio Flex is an affordable option when it comes to external hard drives for TV. It comes in storage capacities ranging from 1TB to 4TB. This compact and portable drive is highly convenient and lets you store all your content for TV watching with ease.

The Canvio Flex offers 150 MB/s transfer speed which is a good enough speed for TV. However, please note that the speed of this drive might slow down as its cache fills up.

#3. SanDisk Professional HDD

SanDisk Professional 5TB G-DRIVE...
2,098 Reviews
SanDisk Professional 5TB G-DRIVE...
  • USB-C (5Gbps) drive for quick file backup and storage.Specific uses: Business,...
  • USB 3.0 and USB Type-C compatible
  • Premium, anodised aluminium enclosure for strength you can feel

Another brilliant external hard drive from SanDisk, the SanDisk Professional HDD offers reliable plug-and-play storage and backup for TV. It is rugged, portable, and offers reliable data storage for all your entertainment needs.

The SanDisk Professional HDD features a premium aluminum enclosure, internal shock mounts, an easy-grip rubber bumper, and an IP54 rain/dust rating, so you get the superior durability that you can trust. This drive is available in storage capacities ranging from 1TB to 5TB.

#4. LaCie Rugged Mini External Hard Drive

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LaCie Rugged Mini 2TB External Hard...
25,901 Reviews
LaCie Rugged Mini 2TB External Hard...
  • Shock, drops up to 4 feet, dust and water resistant for all-terrain use.Specific...
  • For Mac compatibility this Hard Drive requires reformatting. Refer to Application...
  • Password protection built in

The LaCie Rugged Mini External Hard Drive is another great option for your TV. This drive lets you store all the movies and other content with ease. This external hard drive is highly durable and offers all-terrain durability of drop, crush, and water resistance.

What’s more, a two-year limited warranty is included with this HDD, which makes it ideal for long-term peace of mind. It is available in different storage capacity variants, including 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 5TB.

This hard drive is also amazing for storage of your adventures. Discover more options: 10 Best Hard Drives to Store Photos & Videos

#5. Western Digital Black P10 External Hard Drive

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WD_BLACK 4TB P10 Game Drive -...
19,710 Reviews
WD_BLACK 4TB P10 Game Drive -...
  • Available in capacities up to 5TB that can hold up to 125 games, so that you can save...
  • Comes with an 18-inch (457mm) USB Type-A to Micro-B cable with SuperSpeed interface...
  • Compatible with Xbox Series X/S (play and store Xbox One games, archive Xbox Series X...

Available in storage capacities of up to 5TB, the WD Black P10 external hard drive offers you ample space for your data, including movies and other entertainment-related content that you can watch on your TV. This drive offers impressive speeds of up to 140MB/s, which is a pretty great speed for most TVs.

The WD Black P10 is highly compact and portable. It can be put in a backpack of any size so you can travel with it conveniently. What’s more, this drive comes with a 3-year limited warranty. It is available in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 5TB storage capacity variants.

#6. LaCie D2 Professional External Hard Drive

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LaCie d2 Professional, 4TB,...
882 Reviews
LaCie d2 Professional, 4TB,...
  • CROSS PLATFORM: The LaCie d2 Professional is the go-to external desktop hard drive...
  • FAST DATA: Easily edit and archive projects with massive capacity and speeds of up to...
  • FUTURE PROOF: Seamlessly connect to USB-C, enjoy reduced noise and vibration thanks...

The LaCie D2 Professional is your go-to hard drive for all your extra storage space requirements for TV viewing. This HDD offers superb speeds of up to 260MB/s, which is pretty great for TV. Thanks to its aluminum body, this external hard drive has very less noise and vibration. The 4TB space is great to store all your data and works with almost all modern TVs.

The LaCie D2 Professional HDD lets you have long-term peace of mind with the included five-year limited warranty. What’s more, you also get complimentary Rescue Data Recovery Services and a one-month membership of the Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps Plan.

#7. Crucial X6 Portable SSD

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Crucial X6 4TB Portable SSD - Up to...
10,031 Reviews
Crucial X6 4TB Portable SSD - Up to...
  • HUGE CAPACITY: Up to 4TB, storage capacity - enough for up to 20,000 photos, 100...
  • FAST: Read speeds up to 800MB/s – that's 5.6x faster than most hard drives
  • TINY, LIGHTWEIGHT: Fits between your fingertips and weighs less than your car keys

For those who want a super fast external hard drive for their TV, the Crucial X6 Portable SSD is about 5.6x faster than most hard drives, with transfer rates of up to 800MB/s. This highly durable drive offers reliable storage for all your favorite movies and other entertainment-related content.

The Crucial X6 SSD is so tiny and lightweight that it easily fits between your fingertips and is lighter than your car keys. It is compatible with most modern TVs. You can get this drive in different storage capacity variants, including 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB.

Do you want a hard drive with bigger capacity?

Check out the following article: 7 Top External Hard Drives 12TB Capacity.

 

Final Words


If you don’t have budget constraints, then I would definitely recommend going for the SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD for use with your TV. It is amongst the fastest options available in the market today.

However, if you’re looking for a budget drive that has a high capacity for storing a large amount of content for your TV, the WD My Passport External Hard Drive is a wonderful option too.

By the way,  if you want to buy yourself a new TV and can’t decide which one to choose read: TV BATTLE: Samsung Q80t vs Q90t QLED – What’s Better?

 

Thanks for reading!

I hope this guide helped you learn about some of the best external hard drives for TV available on the market today.

 

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