Problems...and more problems
Recently, I've tried using my USB storage strategy for watching/streaming movies to my Smart-TV.
I discovered several things.
A Western Digital My Passport 4Tb external hard drive does is at risk when connected directly to the TV using a USB port. The drive is best used at the router. The router has a couple of USB ports for external storage units.
Most recently, the drive lost two subdirectories containg many videos. Fortunately, the directories returned after sitting, disconnected from anything for a couple of days. I'm off grid and turn off all devices every night. The TV is intended to remain connected to power 24/7.
I did a disconnect using the TV screen software removal option. However, I left the drive in place without actually disconnecting. When I turned everything off and powered on the following day, error messages popped up and two subdirectories were listed as files instead of directories.
Previously, I had the 4Tb drive connected to the router but had problems with some files.
A fan edit of a Star Wars movie, 80Gb in size, lagged in wifi. The busy signal'was running too often.
I will need to move that video to one of the drives connected to the TV.
I need to replace the 4Tb WD Passport drive with four discrete (separate) 1Tb drives or a 4Tb drive not packaged for external use. By that, I mean the case containing the 4Tb drive has a circuit board and software not found on discrete drives. That interface is the source of the problems.
Most movies done with Dolby Atmos and HDR (4K) will generate an error message pop-up on the screen informing me the video does not support audio (no sound). The files' audios always play anyway. Except for one recent addition. The message pops up and the audio DOES NOT PLAY.
When the drive is removed from the router and connected to the TV directly, the audio is fine.
I will need to move that movie to one of three 1Tb drives already connected directly to the TV.
Currently, I'm using a USB hub with seven inputs to connect my drives to the TV. This leaves a couple of the TV's USB ports free. I'll use another USB hub to expand the number of possible USB inputs.
I think the hub acts, incidentally, as a safety buffer between the drives and the TV, protecting them from unpredictable data losses.
I had a drive dedicated to archiving my computer acivities over the last twenty-five years. That drive crashed after being connected to one of the TV's USB ports and a power down occurred.
If the TV is on nothing will go wrong. The problem is when the TV is turned on or off. The USB ports become, to a certain degree, unpredictable.
Anyway, I'll have to use a recovery software to extract what data I can, or send out to a professional data recovery service in hopes they can recover all the data on the drive. I think, typically, an index entry is altered which results in files becoming unlocatable or identifiable. I'm sure most,if not all. of the data is unaffected, just the index table that associates filenames and places is disturbed.
Last but not least, always use a USB powered hub as a buffer zone when accessiing from other devices.
I discovered several things.
A Western Digital My Passport 4Tb external hard drive does is at risk when connected directly to the TV using a USB port. The drive is best used at the router. The router has a couple of USB ports for external storage units.
Most recently, the drive lost two subdirectories containg many videos. Fortunately, the directories returned after sitting, disconnected from anything for a couple of days. I'm off grid and turn off all devices every night. The TV is intended to remain connected to power 24/7.
I did a disconnect using the TV screen software removal option. However, I left the drive in place without actually disconnecting. When I turned everything off and powered on the following day, error messages popped up and two subdirectories were listed as files instead of directories.
Previously, I had the 4Tb drive connected to the router but had problems with some files.
A fan edit of a Star Wars movie, 80Gb in size, lagged in wifi. The busy signal'was running too often.
I will need to move that video to one of the drives connected to the TV.
I need to replace the 4Tb WD Passport drive with four discrete (separate) 1Tb drives or a 4Tb drive not packaged for external use. By that, I mean the case containing the 4Tb drive has a circuit board and software not found on discrete drives. That interface is the source of the problems.
Most movies done with Dolby Atmos and HDR (4K) will generate an error message pop-up on the screen informing me the video does not support audio (no sound). The files' audios always play anyway. Except for one recent addition. The message pops up and the audio DOES NOT PLAY.
When the drive is removed from the router and connected to the TV directly, the audio is fine.
I will need to move that movie to one of three 1Tb drives already connected directly to the TV.
Currently, I'm using a USB hub with seven inputs to connect my drives to the TV. This leaves a couple of the TV's USB ports free. I'll use another USB hub to expand the number of possible USB inputs.
I think the hub acts, incidentally, as a safety buffer between the drives and the TV, protecting them from unpredictable data losses.
I had a drive dedicated to archiving my computer acivities over the last twenty-five years. That drive crashed after being connected to one of the TV's USB ports and a power down occurred.
If the TV is on nothing will go wrong. The problem is when the TV is turned on or off. The USB ports become, to a certain degree, unpredictable.
Anyway, I'll have to use a recovery software to extract what data I can, or send out to a professional data recovery service in hopes they can recover all the data on the drive. I think, typically, an index entry is altered which results in files becoming unlocatable or identifiable. I'm sure most,if not all. of the data is unaffected, just the index table that associates filenames and places is disturbed.
Last but not least, always use a USB powered hub as a buffer zone when accessiing from other devices.
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