Watch Movies and TV by USB with a Roku Digital Video Player

If you own a Roku XDS or XD-HR model digital video player, you can watch movies, TV and other media using a USB flash drive or external hard drive. The USB port on the side of the Roku media player can be set up easily and for free. In addition to movies and TV, you can watch videos and listen to music and audiobooks that you have downloaded to a high-capacity USB drive. Downloading media to your USB drive is your best option if your Internet connection is too slow to handle streaming content in high quality or HD format.

Install the USB Media Browser Channel

The USB Media Browser channel is a free private channel for the Roku digital video player. To install the channel on the Roku player, go to Roku.com, log into your account, select "My Account" and click "Add a Private Channel." Enter the the code "KGULU" in the box provided and click "Add Channel." After adding the channel, navigate to the "Channel Store" on your Roku digital video player. Then exit back to the main menu. The USB Media Browser channel should appear at the end of your channel list. Keep in mind that this channel has been developed by a third party, not by Roku. Roku does not provide support for private channels.

Download Media to USB

You can download movies, TV episodes and other media from many different websites to watch on your Roku digital video player. For example, you can download videos from YouTube to watch offline. Also check out the Internet Archive for free downloadable classic movies and TV episodes. Free and cheap MP3 music files are also available from Amazon.com. Each of these websites also has media in HD. You may also transfer your personal photos and pictures downloaded from the Internet to USB for viewing on the Roku HD player.

The USB Media Browser channel can play media in MP4, MP3, JPEG or PNG video, audio and image files. If you have downloaded your video or audio files in any other format, such as non-DRM WMV or WMA files, use a file converter such as Any Video Converter or YouTube Downloader to convert them to a supported format. If your image files are in an unsupported format, you can use a free photo processing software program such as GIMP or Windows Live Photo Gallery to convert them. Transfer these files to your USB flash drive or hard drive before continuing. Before purchasing movies, TV shows or music to view on the Roku USB Media Browser channel, make sure they are available in a supported format.

Start Browsing Movies, TV and Other Media on USB

Plug the USB drive into your Roku digital video player. If you're using a USB external hard drive, make sure it's connected to the power before attaching it to the Roku player. Navigate to the USB Media Browser channel and press OK. Browse the folders on the USB drive for the movies, TV episodes and videos you'd like to watch. Exit the USB Media Browser channel before unplugging the USB drive from the Roku player.

Troubleshooting the USB Media Browser Channel

If you have any problems with the Roku USB Media Browser channel, you can find answers and get support on the Roku forums. You may also find the answer to your problem on the Roku support pages.

For more information on this topic, read Best Private Channels for the Roku Digital Video Player and How to Solve Problems with a Roku Digital Video Player.