Originally Posted by kinseyjaf:
“I have a samsung 40 in tv there are usb ports at the back i will try to find my manual but what i wanted to know is will i need to connect up my laptop for playback or can i do it via my remote control ?”
Unfortunately no one can give you a definitive answer without knowing the exact model of your TV.
Just because your TV has USB ports doesn't automatically mean it supports streaming via them. Some older TVs only used the USB ports for things like firmware upgrades. Some support playback of MP3 files or Jpeg picture files via USB, but wont support video files. Even those that do support video files might only handle some video formats and not others. Some TVs will playback video files from a USB stick but not automatically from a hard disc connected via USB.
It's a bit of a minefield as each manufacturer does their own thing. At least if we know the model we can study the manual and provide better advice.