I use Air Droid app to transfer files from my computer to my tablet via wi-fi. Thing is that I have a few HD videos and films I'd like to transfer to my tablet (SD card), but transferring via wi-fi via air droid and similar apps takes ages. Is there any way I can connect my tablet to my computer and then transfer the files directly computer ->tablet and vice versa.

What tablet do you have ? I know the tablets I have you can hook up via USB and just "drag and drop" but I dont know if all can do that.

Or if you do it on a regualr basis get a USB SD card widget thingy /?

Yes when I connected my tablet to my PC, the PC sees it as being like a portable hard drives and allows me to copy stuff over. There's also software that finds the drivers automatically if your PC doesn't detect it....

http://www.moborobo.com/

Air droid is slow.

I use WiFi file transfer pro. Which gives me decent speed.

Or yes USB.

I have most of my music and photos stored on an external HDD that's networked to my desktop, would this app allow me to directly transfer files from my Galaxy Note 10.1 to my HDD without plugging the tablet into my laptop first and then transferring over my network?

sort of but it may not be the best solution.

it allows you to traverse the the file structure of your android device in a browser on your computer. upload download files etc.

so from your computer you could access both the drive and android.

but when you say a networked drive you mean a HDD connected to your router? not the computer? if you do then there may be a better solution.