To play a video file on a smart TV, you can use one of three routes: a USB storage device plugged into the TV, a DLNA or media-server connection on your home network, or a streaming app on the TV that opens your library. Which route works depends on your exact TV model. A file also has to match that model’s supported container, video codec and audio codec. A file name ending in .mp4 or .mkv does not guarantee playback.
What decides whether a video plays
Four things determine the result, and they interact:
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- The TV model. LG and Sony both publish support information by model. Some models play photos and music from USB but do not support video over USB, so a menu option alone does not prove video support.
- The playback route. USB, DLNA and a smart TV app are separate pathways. The same television can accept a file over one route and reject it over another.
- The container. This is the wrapper around the streams, such as MP4, MKV or AVI.
- The video and audio codecs. These are the encoded streams inside the container. They are what most often causes a failure.
Play a video from a USB drive
USB is the simplest route for a file you already have on a flash drive or external disk. Support is model-specific, so start by confirming in your TV’s manual or support page that it plays video from USB.
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Storage limits in LG’s guidance
LG’s USA support article on viewing files from a USB storage device (updated 2026-09-10) illustrates its steps with a USB memory device of 32 GB or less, or an external disk of 2 TB or less. It recommends FAT32 or NTFS for that guidance and notes that details can vary by model. These figures apply to LG’s instructions, not to every smart TV.
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Steps to play a file from USB
- Format the drive to FAT32 or NTFS if it is not already, and copy the video into a folder. Keep the file name simple.
- Plug the drive into a USB port on the TV.
- On an LG TV, select the USB input, or open the Media Player from the Home dashboard.
- Choose the storage device, then the file type (video).
- Select the video file to start playback.
- When you finish, eject the device through the TV’s menu before you unplug it.
Sony TVs
Sony’s Latin America support table, “Supported File Formats for DLNA and USB Compatible Sony TVs” (modified 2025-07-30), lists USB and DLNA support separately. It also states that not every file is guaranteed to play, so check the row for your model before copying a large library.
Check whether a file will play before you rely on it
Do this before you troubleshoot the drive or the TV. A file that fails is usually a codec or container mismatch, not a bad connection.
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- Find your exact TV model number in the settings menu or on the label, then open its supported-format list in the user guide or support site.
- On a computer, open the file’s media information (for example, the file properties or a media information tool) and note the container, video codec, audio codec and resolution.
- Compare each value with the TV’s list. Every item must match. A supported container with an unsupported video codec will still fail.
- If something does not match, choose another route, use an external player (see below), or convert the file.
Why renaming a file does not work
Changing .mkv to .mp4 only changes the label. The streams inside stay the same, so the TV will still reject a codec it does not support. LG’s guidance says a file may fail when its codec does not match the TV’s requirements, and recommends comparing the media information with the TV specifications.
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If the file is not supported, you can encode a copy to a supported format on a computer. LG’s guidance says unsupported files may need encoding on a PC, but it does not supply encoding software. Keep the original copy until the converted file has played correctly on the TV, since conversion can change quality and file size.
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Play a video over your home network
If the file lives on a computer or network storage, you can avoid copying it to a drive. Two routes are common.
DLNA
Sony’s support material describes accessing media on a home network from other DLNA-enabled devices. Both the TV and the source device must support DLNA, and the supported formats still depend on the TV model.
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Media server apps
Plex’s Smart TV app is another route, but its playback is not identical to USB or DLNA playback. Plex states that the Smart TV app relies on playback systems supplied by the TV manufacturer, and that formats playable over USB or DLNA may not play directly in the app. In those cases, the server may need to stream or transcode the file. Transcoding depends on the server’s processing capacity and network speed, so a file that plays over USB may stutter over Wi-Fi.
Use an external Android TV player
If your TV’s built-in player cannot handle a file, a separate Android TV device running a media player app can be a workaround. VideoLAN’s official VLC page lists VLC for Android, including Android TV, with support for local media files, network streams, NAS or shared drives, and multiple subtitle and audio tracks. VideoLAN also cautions that hardware decoding is not available on every device. Check the specific device’s decoding and connection support before you buy it for this purpose.
Google’s Android TV Help explains that USB storage behavior can vary between TVs, so test your own drive before relying on it.
Compare the routes
| Route | Best for | Check before relying on it |
|---|---|---|
| USB flash drive or external disk | A single local file with no network setup | TV supports video over USB; the file’s container and codecs match; file system and capacity work for that model (LG’s guidance: FAT32 or NTFS, 32 GB or less for a memory device, 2 TB or less for an external disk). |
| DLNA | Files stored on a computer or network storage | TV and source device both support DLNA; the file format is on the TV’s DLNA list. |
| Media server app (such as Plex) | A browsable library served from a computer | The TV app is available for your model; some files may be transcoded by the server, which depends on server power and network speed. |
| Android TV device with VLC | A TV whose built-in player cannot handle a file | The device supports the connection you need; hardware decoding varies by device. |
Practical limits to plan around
- Eject USB storage through the TV menu before removing it, to avoid damaging files.
- Support for a particular format can differ between USB, DLNA and an app on the same TV.
- This guide covers files you own. Renting or buying video through a streaming service is a different task that depends on the service’s own apps.
For most people, the fastest path is to confirm your model’s video-over-USB support, check the file’s codecs against that list, and only then choose a route.
Quick Recap
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