How to Play DVD on TV (Samsung, LG, Sony, etc.)
Nowadays, watching movies on TV is easy with Netflix, Hulu, and many other on-demand services. But every so often, nostalgia kicks in, and you suddenly remember the DVDs you collected which are now lying around gathering dust. How to play old DVDs on a smart TV (Samsung smart TV, Panasonic, Sony, LG, Insignia, and others)? If you don't know how, here we have detailed methods and steps to help you connect and watch DVDs on TV.
Table of Content
Method 1. How to Play DVD on TV with DVD Player
Step 1. Connect DVD player to the TV
First, unless your TV has a built-in DVD drive, you need to connect a DVD player to the smart TV. Check and decide which cable you should use. Normally, newer Blu-ray player and HD DVD player can connect to HDMI, and most DVD players support Component, S-Video, and Composite cables. However, S-Video is no longer supported on newer TVs. So below we'll show you how to connect DVD player to TV (Samsung, Panasonic, Sony, LG, etc.) using the other 3 types of cables.
Option 1. HDMI
1. Connect one end of the HDMI cable to the HDMI output port on the DVD player.
2. Connect the other end of the HDMI cable to the HDMI input port on the TV.
Option 2. Component
Component cables contain 5 color-coded connectors: the red, green and blue connectors are for video, and the red and white connectors are for audio. To connect the DVD player to the TV, you need to connect the proper cables to the color matched ports.
- Connect the component video cables (Green, Blue, Red RCA) and audio cables (White and Red) to the corresponding ports on the back of the DVD player.
- Connect the other end of each component cables to the same colored ports on the TV.
Option 3. Composite ("AV" or "RCA")
Composite cables contain 3 color-coded connectors: the yellow connector is for video, and the red and white connectors are for audio. Similar, you need to connect the yellow, white and red cable to the color matched ports on both the DVD player and the TV.
What if you can't connect DVD player to a smart TV successfully, check fixes here >>
Step 2. Start to play DVDs on TV
1. After you connect the TV and the DVD player, turn on both the DV player and the TV. From the Home Screen, navigate to and select Source. You should see the DVD player, then select the corresponding input using the TV's remote.
2. Now open the disc tray of the DVD player, put in your DVD and press play. Once the DVD is loaded, you should see the DVD menu on the TV, select Play or Enter to watch the DVD on smart TV now. The steps to play DVD on TVs (Samsung, Panasonic, Sony, LG, etc.) are similar.
Method 2. How to Play DVD on TV via Streaming
With so many streaming devices on the market today, including Amazon, Roku, Chromecast and Apple TV, here is another option to watch DVDs on your TV – stream DVD to TV via a streamer. We'll use the free software Plex, a smart TV that support Plex (Samsung, LG, Sony, and most TVs do), or a streaming player connected to your smart TV via HDMI.
Step 1. Convert DVD to digital video
As Plex won't support DVD discs, you need to convert the DVD to Plex-supported files. There are popular programs like Handbrake and Makemkv to help you do this. But if your DVDs are store purchased and copy protected, the program should be able to handle the DRM limits. Here we use the software WinX DVD Ripper Platinum to show you how. It's GPU hardware accelerated (5X faster), very easy to convert DVDs (any copy-protected Disney/Sony/Marvel) to Plex supported digital files, like MP4, H.264, AVI, HEVC, MKV, MOV, WMV, etc.
- Download the software and insert your DVD to your hard drive. Open the program and click Disc to load the DVD.
- The output Profile window will pop up. Select a format for Plex, for example, go to General Profiles > MP4 Video (codec: H.264+AAC).
- Click the Browse button at the bottom to specify a destination folder and hit RUN and wait. Several minutes later, the DVD will be converted to Plex supported file and saved in the folder. Then you can set the Plex to play the digitized DVD on TV.
Disclaimer: Digiarty Software does not advocate ripping/copying copy-protected DVDs for any commercial purpose and suggests referring to the DVD copyright laws in your countries before doing so. And do not use WinX DVD Ripper to rip DVD rentals.
Step 2. Stream DVD from Plex to TV
1. Download Plex and follow the instruction to setup. Then you need to create a free Plex account.
2. Name your server and allow it to access media from your local drive.
3. Select the Library you'd like to add media and add your converted DVD files to it.
4. Now log in the account on the streaming player, browse the library you just added and start to play DVD movies on TV.
Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the movie! For more advanced features, explore the DVD's menu options, which might include subtitle selection, bonus content, or scene chapters. If you encounter any playback issues, check the disc for scratches or consult your device's manual for troubleshooting tips. Happy watching!
