USB tv player?
 

Does anyone know of a device that will take a USB drive and output HDMI and include a remote? Basically, a dvd player without the actual disc slot?

Something like this?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1218008588808

This device turns your USB drive into an HD media player, allowing you to watch your favorite HD movies on your TV.

Product Features
Compatible with My Passport portable hard drives and other USB storage devices; supported USB device file systems: FAT-32, NTFS, HFS+ (no journaling)
Full HD 1080p video playback and navigation
Dock-and-play convenience
Provides access to 2 USB drives simultaneously
HDMI and composite video interfaces for easy connection to a TV
Ultracompact design for easy portability
Includes compact remote with batteries, composite A/V cable, AC adapter, media converter software and owner's manual

A DVD player with USB support would do that cheaper than a special device with no DVD
http://www.amazon.com/PHILIPS-Hi-Def...0010568&sr=1-9

I actually have one of these things. It does not do what the OP has requested, i.e. it will not play videos from a USB drive.

That Phillips one won't, but other models like the Phillips DVP5990 will. I have a $50 (from Costco) Philips here that plays all kinds of movies off USB.

That said, the WD TV player is great, and can be found for about $105 at places like Amazon.

I have one of those. I hook my portable USB hard drive with movies and watch all of my movies on my Samsung TV. Above mentioned PHilips dvd players do have HDMI and even upconverting.

I need it to be portable since I'm out of town during the work week. You'd think a philips dvd player that has usb slot and hdmi out and plays divx would be cheaper then a simple device that goes from usb to hdmi...that one listed at BBY is ideal but $130, really? :td:

The Philips one doesn't play HD video content, just regular resolution stuff (even though it has HDMI out, it is only for the upscaling DVD portion) and since you asked for an HDMI solution, you'll have to pay the price :(

There ARE much cheaper solutions from places like this:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13542

You'll just have to add your own 2.5" drive plus it won't have HDMI.

A lot of the $130 goes towards paying the various license holders for the right to use their codecs in order to play HDMI video. I most certainly wouldn't call it a "simple device that goes from USB to HDMI" as there is a heck of a lot more involved in decoding HD video.

FWIW; the WD TV is $99 from buy.com.

I have two of the WD players. Love them.