If I have a bunch of videos on a hard drive is it possible to view them on my smart TV? It's a Samsung if that's relevant. Ideally I'd be able to make playlists and randomize the episodes, but I don't know if there's a hardware/software solution to what I'm looking to do in the first place. The closest I've been able to get is using an HDMI cable to show my laptop screen on the TV, and the laptop distracts the hell out of me for some reason.
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As others have said, ditch the smart TV.
But the simplest and most versatile answer? Set up a HTPC (Home Theatre Personal Computer).
You're already pretty much doing that with your laptop, just get a cheapy shitbox computer that can handle the output and leave it at that. That way you're not having your dinky laptop to the side mirrored on the TV and it's just a box. Should be able to pick up a little microPC (or build one with second hand parts) for relatively next to nothing. Just make sure it has more than 1-2 USB slots so you can use an external hard-drive.
On that note, most TVs these days can play most video files. Just plug in an external hard-drive at the back and you should be good to go. I've used both methods. I prefer the HTPC because of the extra versatility, but the hard-drive works fine as well.