The Best Digital Media Players for USB Drives and SD/SDHC Cards
If you are looking for a simple and effective way to play your content from a storage device to any television in your house, then you should consider a digital media player. These players are very compact and powerful. All of these players allow you to play videos and music from many different types of storage devices. If you have a USB hard drive or an SD or micro SD card full of video or music content, these devices will provide a simple and cost-effective way to play them back. All of the digital media players will play full 1080p video and many different file formats. Don’t mistake these devices as media streaming devices. They will not stream online content but will play your stored content simply and quickly. Digital media players can also work well for trade shows or events. Just plug them into a TV and you can display a video for a promotional event or party. These devices are also good for looping a video for continuous playback.
The Best Digital Media Players for Removable Media Devices
Micca Speck G2 1080p Full-HD Ultra Portable Digital Media Player
The Micca Speck G2 is an excellent compact media player. The Micca Speck G2 will support a wide range of video codecs and audio files. It is capable of 1080p HD playback. The media player comes with an HDMI out and an RCA breakout cable for older televisions or monitors. Boot up is very quick, it only takes a couple of seconds and you’re ready to playback your video or music file. This media player will also display subtitles, allowing you to watch foreign videos. It comes with a very functional remote, allowing for easy setup and playback. It is a well-designed and sturdy media player that is perfect for traveling, home, car, and trade show booths.
Specifications:
- Video Files: MKV, AVI, TS/TP, MP4/M4V (up to 4GB in size), MOV, VOB, RM, M2TS, WMV
- Video Codecs: H.264/AVC, VC1, MPEG1/2/4, RMVB
- Audio Formats: MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, APE, AAC
- Photo Files: JPG, JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG
- Subtitle: SUB, ASS, SRT, SSA, SMI
- Languages: English, Chinese(S/T), Korean, Spanish, French, German, Russian
- Video: 1080P HD, CVBS/Composite
- Resolution: NTSC, PAL, 480i/p, 720p, 1080i/p
- Audio: PCM 2.0, analog stereo
- Storage: USB 2.0 Host port, SD/SDHC memory card reader
- File System: FAT/FAT32 and NTFS, Up to 2TB
For complete specifications and features see Micca Speck’s user’s manual.
What You Get:
- Micca Speck G2
- IR Remote
- AV cable
- 100-240V AC adapter
Where to Buy:
The Micca Speck G2 is available from these retailers:
eBay:
Amazon:
MYPIN 4K Media Player
For those of you looking to play 4K files and want support for larger hard drive capacity then the MYPIN Media Player is what you need. The MYPIN Media Player will playback 4K, 1080p and 720p files. It also will recognize larger hard drives up to 6TB and USB flash drives up to 128GB. This media player supports many file formats and can play music and display photos. It also has repeat and shuffle playback modes. PowerPoint documents can be displayed as well as Word, Excel and PDF files. It also supports horizontal and vertical screen rotation. This can be very useful for a meeting or tradeshow booth. It comes with an AV cable allowing you to use it on older televisions. You can connect an external keyboard and mouse to give it even more functionality. The MYPIN Media Player is an excellent device that will playback hours and hours of content.
Specifications:
- Video format: H.265 (MKV/MOV/AVI), MPEG1-2-4 (DAT/VOB/AVi), WMV9/VC-1, H.265 AVI DIVX, AVI, DIVX, MKV, MOV, HDMOV, MP4, M4V, PMP, AVC, FLV, MPG, MPEG, WMV, VOB, WEBM
- Video resolution: 4K@30HZ(3840×2160); 4K*2K,1080P 3D,720P
- Audio: MP3, WMA, FLAC, OGG, AC3, DTS, Dolby, and AC3
- Picture: JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF (Still picture), you can set it to play the pictures every 5sec / 10sec / 30sec / 1min /5min
- Subtitle: SRT,SUB,ASS
- File: PPT,word, excel,TXT,PDF
- Output port: HDMI, AV, coaxial
- Audio output: Coaxial, AV
- Input voltage: AC100-240V, 50-60Hz
What You Get:
- 4k HD Media Player
- Power Supply( DC5V 1.5A)
- AV Cable
- Remote Control (AAA battery, not included)
- User Manual
Where to Buy:
The MYPIN Media Player is available from these retailers:
Amazon:
AGPtEK 1080p HD TV Mini Media Player
The AGPtEK 1080p HD TV Mini Media Player is another great compact media player that is about the size of a deck of playing cards. The device comes with an HDMI out and an RCA breakout cable for analog televisions. Made from a metal case so it will withstand travel for portable use. Great as a portable player or just a standalone media player. This box will play just about any file format. It can handle full 1080p HD video files. It comes with a very functional full-size remote. The user interface is very basic and easy to maneuver. The playback is very quick and the quality is very good. Audio and video sync is on point.
Specifications:
- Video files supported: MKV, AVI, TS/TP, MP4/M4V, MOV, VOB, RM, M2TS, WMV, PMP, RM/RMVB, MPG, M2TS
- Video codecs supported: MKV, AVI, DIVX, MP4, RM, RMVB, MOV, HDMOV, PMP, AVC, FLV, VOB, MPG, DAT, MPEG, H.264, MPEG1/2/4, WMV
- Audio formats supported: MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, APE, AAC
- Subtitles supported: SUB, ASS, SRT, SSA, SMI
- Supported media devices: USB external HDDs, USB Drives, micro SD, (No Adapter Needed) SD/SDHC Flash Memory Cards (64GB Max), FAT/FAT32 & NTFS file systems up to 2TB
- Video output: HDMI output to 1080P, Composite (AV)
- Resolution: NTSC, PAL, 480i/p, 720p, 1080i/p
- File System: FAT/FAT32, NTFS up to 2TB
- Size: 63×60×13mm
What You Get:
- AGPtEK 1080p HD TV Mini Media Player
- IR Remote (batteries not incl.)
- A/V Cable
- AC Power Adapter
- Instruction Manual
Where to Buy:
The AGPtEK 1080p HD TV Mini Media Player is available from these retailers:
eBay:
AGPtEK 1080p HD TV Mini Media Player
Amazon:
AGPtEK 1080p HD TV Mini Media Player
Buyee 1080p HD Multi-Media Player
The Buyee Portable Full 1080p Hd Multi-Media Player is also a nice little media player that will allow you to play all of your stored media content. Make sure you select the proper setting in the menu options so you are outputting the proper resolution. The nice part about this box is it not only allows you to connect your TV through HDMI but also with a VGA connection. So you can take advantage of an older high-resolution monitor. This player will also decode surround sound. It comes with full size and easy to maneuver remote. Video playback is clean and responsive. The menu controls and user interface are simple and easy to use. This will be a perfect addition to your entertainment system.
Specification
- Supported video formats: H.264, MKV, MOV, AVI decode up to 1080p, WMV9/VC-1 up to 1080p
- Video output: HDMI1.3, AV, YPrPb, VGA
- Video format: RM/RMVB, AVI, DIVX, MKV, MOV, HDMOV, MP4, M4V, PMP, AVC, FLV, VOB, MPG, DAT, MPEG, H.264, MPEG1/2/4, WMV, TP
- Audio format: MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, DTS, AC3
- Picture format: BMP, JPG, PNG, GIF
- Support storage devices: USB devices and SD/MCC/SDHC Cards
- Support external hard discs: FAT16, FAT32, NTFS compatible
- Connect to your TV or monitor through HDMI, VGA or composite AV
- Auto-Play and Loop (continuous) file playing available
What You Get:
- HD Media Player
- Remote control
- Power adapter(AC 100-240V~50/60Hz to DC 5.0V)
- AV cable
- YPrPb cable
- User manual
Where to Buy:
The Buyee 1080p HD Multi-Media Player is available from these retailers:
eBay:
Buyee 1080p HD Multi-Media Player
AliExpress:
3D Full HD 1080P USB External HDD Media Player
Amazon:
Buyee 1080p HD Multi-Media Player
Conclusion
All of these media players can make a good addition to your entertainment center. The nice part is you can take these devices with you when you travel. They are small, portable, and packed with powerful playback abilities.
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Are you aware of any media players that can support an 8 TB hard drive?
Looks like all of the standard media players are limited to 2 TB drives. The only other one I know of is the Western Digital TV Media Player. It is not a pure media player, because it also allows you to stream online and network content. According to their frequently asked questions, it can handle a 8 TB USB hard drive for direct playback. It is a bit more pricier then the others, but has many more capabilities. Here is the link to product below. Hope this helps.
http://amzn.to/2l1FQnJ
The problem is most non-Windows devices/OS do not recognize the GPT partition format, only MBR (which is limited to 2TB; be that hard drive, USB/flash drive, etc). No point using a drive that’s larger than 2TB for this purpose. But you can use more than one 2TB drive and swap them out.
I have a WD TV Media Player. I use it with a 6 TB WD MyBook. Thought if I got sister products they would be more compatible, I’d have less issues, etc. That was true to a point. Once I crossed the 2.6 TB mark of media, the WD TV started having strange and unusual symptoms. None are rare. Read other sites where these are noted. Every issue has been temporarily fixed with a reboot. Until the next time it happens. It seems the more I add to storage, the more often the issues occur. They happen when getting the movie to play. Once it decides to play it then no problem. Also, it doesn’t like .avi too much the further away I get from a cold reboot. Honestly, I don’t think the “read” technology has caught up with the “write” tech on terabytes of storage. If anyone actually has a working set up with 3 or more terabytes of media storage and a player that is 99% consistently reliable, please share the name of this technological marvel.
Thanks for sharing your insight.
any media player that is 4k?
There are none that I know of, you could always use an Andriod box. The ones listed in the link below will play 4K content from an USB drive or SD card. Look at the basic Andriod boxes in the article, they will all do 4k content. Hope this helps. https://www.overtheairdigitaltv.com/the-best-fully-loaded-kodi-xbmc-streaming-media-boxes/
I sometimes play video files over 4gb. You mentioned the Micca Speck G2 has a limit of 4gb, but nothing about the limit on the other brands.
I believe the other brands are similar in file size limitation.
Thanks for the great list. I am looking for a standalone media player like one of these that will allow me to play videofiles AND photos in ONE continuous loop, without stopping in the meantime to buffer etc. I need it to play promotional videos and images on events using a tv that is not smart (enough).
Would you know if one of these or any other device would support that?
Thanks a lot!
The Micca Speck G2 in this article will do continuous looping. You can play back this device on any tv with an HDMI connection.
Thanks Johan! Do you know if it will also allow looping of photos and videos in the same loop? Most devices only allow loops for photos and videos in seperate loops.
I am not sure. Sorry!
Curious about this as well, for showroom / display Window scenarios.
These devices work well for display or trade show purposes. You can use them to display videos or images on a large screen TV. Just load the content on a memory card or stick and you are ready to go. You can also loop the content for continuous playback.
I was unclear: had the same question as OP: does it do videos and photos in the same loop?
I’m looking for two identical digital media players for my retired parents. I tried using an android tablet with hdmi output but there was a latency on the larger screen that could not be calibrated & offset.
All the reviews & videos ive seen rarely mention or focus on the file management, menu or calibration or subtitles.Eg
How would the user navigate an sd card or device which can store over 500 photos , 1000 songs & 100 movies or even more? Are they supposed to prep the files & create even more folders in advance to make them more manageable to scroll to?
Does the device have random play. Does it skip the file if there’s an error? Can you enlarge folders & fonts for older users ?
Many smart tv’s & dvd players play digital media but the navigation is so slow & cumbersome. More files means you create more folders to minimise searching but if you create more folders you may have to do more scrolling.Have any of these items addressed these issues?
I would be gratified if a reviewer focused on these.
I know the Micca Speck G2 has decent file management. It is recommended that you create folders for videos, music, and pictures. Then play them back from the associated folder. Subtitles are supported. The .srt file should be in the same folder as the video file. Make sure the .srt file has the exact name as the corresponding video file. This device does support random play on the remote. You can change font color and size. As far as navigation, generally with any file management system a large number of files may affect performance when scrolling. You may want to consider using an android box with Kodi. This would allow Kodi to manage, playback videos, music and photos. It has a more robust operating system. Hope this helps.
These would be great to play in a car entertainment system. Do you know if any of these could be powered by a USB port as a regular 120v outlet is not available. The power requirements seem within range of a USB charge port.
It would be great for playing in the car. I am not sure if these devices can be powered using USB. You could also try using a power inverter, that would give you standard power.
I don’t recommend the Buyee HD Multi Media player. In fact, I’m here reading your reviews because I’m looking for a replacement. 1) the audio that is sent over the HDMI is out of sync with the video (the analog audio is OK though) 2) For reasons I can’t figure out, it will stop recognizing certain USB sticks. It just happened with a second one last night. Reformatting, etc. doesn’t seem to help.
Sorry to hear you had problems with this device. Sounds like you may have gotten a bad model or the OS is corrupted. Can you send it back for a refund?
Thank you for the list. I was looking for a media player to give to my mom so she can easily watch movies and series without the hassle of going through dvd’s. So I was happy to see that there are devices to do this.
But now I read that all these media players can only play video files up to 4gb of size!?? :-0 This makes absolutely no sense and this makes all these media players completely worthless to me and I won’t waste my money on such a device. Because when you watch a (pirated) movie or series it only makes sense to watch it in the best video quality. And for a movies this means that it’s always at least over 8 gig in size. So I ‘m very surprised (and annpoyed) to find out that they would make this restriction to the playback of videos. 🙁
Can you please tell me if there are any digital media players that play large size video files, like up to 20 gigabytes?
I would recommend an Andriod streaming box or the WD TV Media Player for larger file sizes. Most of these boxes can handle larger file sizes and many types of video files. Hope this helps!