How to backup photos/video on External so can play on TV and access with Mac??

Hi
I have a bunch on photos and some video on CDs/DVDs as well as some on my Mac that I want to put onto a couple of extrnal drives for safe keeping. More that the Mac will hold at once. I tried partitianing a My Book exernal drive - one side to as a mac so I could recover the pics/video if needed the other side as MDOS (FAT) as I hoped I could play these on my TV. My TV recognized the Hardrive and showed the partitian but wouldn't bring up any pics or videos. Also the My Book only hooked up with a USB so I don't know if it would play video even if it recognized it.

What is the best/easiest way I can back up my pics/video so I can get at them with my Mac and also see on my TV.

Hopefuly a solution without an Apple TV box - I don't have one of those.

Thanks for the help.

Thanks
I am backing up to both Flickr and Smugmug but I just like having something that I can physically touch that has all the pics and videos - even if I never actually need to use it it just sort of feels good to know its in that box in the back of the closet.

If partitioning a hard drive isn't a good idea I guess I would have to stick with the mac format. I have a few different TV options all different brands and the brand would likely change anyways.

If I did get an apple TV box could I use that to get the pics/videos off the hard drive and onto the TV?

Thanks