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January 22, 2010 12:47 PM

Precor treadmill at gym has a USB port. Can I use this to watch my own movies?

My gym, the YMCA, just got new machines last week. The treadmill, a Precor brand, has an input for the iPod and also a USB port. Can I use this to attach a USB thumb drive loaded with my own video files and watch them at the gym?

I asked one of the YMCA employees about this but I guess they weren't familiar with the new machines enough to give me an answer. Has anyone tried this? Thanks.

posted by cazoo to Grab Bag (6 answers total)

Maybe. There's a few reasons why it isn't a yes/no. One is it depends on what formats the treadmill can play, the other is if the port is actually hooked up. The machines at my gym will often have features like channel/volume buttons but they aren't hooked up because the gym didn't buy that option.

Jot down the model number of the machine and you can probably grab its user guide from Precor's website which will tell you what kind of media it can play...if the Y bought that option.
posted by birdherder at 12:59 PM on January 22, 2010

The port could also be for saving your workout details or make up your own workout programs, perhaps, and not a media player?
posted by AwkwardPause at 1:06 PM on January 22, 2010

Response by poster: Oh you could be right. I just assumed it was a full fledged media player because of the iPod port. I'll jot down the model number and see if I can get details from the Precor website.
posted by cazoo at 1:23 PM on January 22, 2010

As another possibility, my TV has a USB port that can only be used for firmware updates, not for playing media.
posted by stopgap at 1:28 PM on January 22, 2010

Nope. You can save your workout stats to a flashdrive using the USB port, or on some of the fancier models, listen to music.
posted by blue_beetle at 2:56 PM on January 22, 2010

I would be surprised if it can do anything more than charge your ipod. Treadmills are not luxury cars, and everything you find is the smallest "one-up" over the next lower version.
posted by tintexas at 6:31 PM on January 22, 2010