*New* Western Digital - WD TV HD Media Player [Text View] - Page 39

christoofar

10-14-09, 03:07 PM

so i am trying to find the easiest way to keep the dang external hdd loaded. if i load it and it finds everything on it i can turn off the wdtv adn on again and it will all still be loaded. but if i turn it off overnight in the morning ill have to just through hoops to get it to see it again(turn media library on off, unplug replug, or delete wd folder UGHH)so should i just leave this thing allways on? just it takes like 5 minuts to see the thing. any tips?

Hi,
Couple questions:
Do you eject the drive before shutting the WD down for the evening?
Did you try connecting the hdd to your PC & deleting the wdtv folder on it & re-connecting it to WDTV & let it rebuild the media list?
Id your drive usb powered, or does it have it's own wal-wart? IF it's own, do you turn the hdd on FIRST , then power up the WDTV?
Have you tried turning off the WDTV & then pulling out the adapter plug from it & then reinserting it. Tried re-setting the device back to default via the Setting Menu, then re-starting it & setting your prefs again?
Perhaps one of these may help.

taz420

10-14-09, 04:55 PM

and if none of that works, what brand/model of drive is it?

SmokerMI

10-14-09, 07:17 PM

Greetings Folks

I have also gone through trying to get hanewin nfs to work without success.

I'll give the steps and such but the bottom line is that the mounts show up on the wdtv box but hangs when I try to list the video files I have in the mounted directories.

I am using ext3-0.92 along with hanewin nfs 1.1.66.

I have used mrlazy's help page (http://mrlazy.wordpress.com/2009/08/04/how-to-setup-nfs-shares-on-wd-tv-using-hanewin/) also.

my hanewin exports file has this line:
E:\Movies name:movies

my net.mounts file on the wdtv has the following:
xmount xx.xx.xx.xx:/media media nfs udp,rsize=32768,wsize=32768

and my net.config has the following:
DHCP=yes

Like I said, I can telnet into my wdtv box and traverse enter 'mount -t nfs' to get the following:
xx.xx.xx.xx:/media on /tmp/media/usb/USB2/media type nfs (rw,v3,rsize=32768,wsize=32768,hard,lock,proto=udp,addr=10.1 0.10.40)
xx.xx.xx.xx:/media on /tmp/media/usb/media type nfs (rw,v3,rsize=32768,wsize=32768,hard,lock,proto=udp,addr=10.1 0.10.40)
xx.xx.xx.xx:/media on /tmp/media/usb/USB2/387E-828A/media type nfs (rw,v3,rsize=32768,wsize=32768,hard,lock,proto=udp,addr=10.1 0.10.40)

I go to /tmp/media/usb/USB2/media and type 'ls' or 'ls -la' and it just hangs there. Same thing if I try to go there through the WDTV on screen gui.

Is there something I am missing ? like windows permission ? guest account setup ? using simple file sharing ? do I need to windows share the directories as well ?

btw I am trying to use hanewin nfs cause of the support for v3.

Thomas

Ph8te

10-15-09, 03:16 AM

islandofshame

10-15-09, 06:50 AM

christoofar

10-15-09, 07:28 AM

Is this the only file giving you this problem?

islandofshame

10-15-09, 07:49 AM

nup, any MKV is capable of doing it - i.e. I could watch through a full file and it would be fine, I could then watch it a second time and it would do it 4-5 times...each time it does this I have to press Back then select the file again and resume playback - starting to get quite annoying :mad:

csrini1

10-15-09, 10:51 AM

islandofshame

10-15-09, 12:16 PM

csrini1

10-15-09, 01:04 PM

its mainly 720p rips, wd hd media player is set to auto for resolution but normally displays at 1080p60hz - got several other devices connected to the same tele (component and hdmi) and have no issues remotely similar to this :confused:

and what is your tv resolution , 720p or 1080p?

can you change it to 1080p/50hz or 720p from auto, and test??

taz420

10-15-09, 04:59 PM

no-one is responding to my posts...I know you know more that you are letting on.

I have attached a picture of this issue now. This occurs intermittently during playback of MKV files on my WD HD. Please, someone help me :confused:

the MKV content is downloaded from a reliable source on the internet...

cheers
- islandofshame :cool:

I've seen that problem and it's been reported on here many times but I haven't experienced it since probably March. I forget which firmware fixed it. Never saw it in any movies, just HD TV shows I downloaded. Pressing RW then PLAY would always clear it right up.
Is your firmware up to date or are you one of the holdouts?

SmokerMI

10-15-09, 06:24 PM

From the looks of this is one of the custom firmwares. A question like this is probably best asked in the dedicated thread for that ;).

It's ok I found out that tcp protocol works (udp doesn't).

islandofshame

10-16-09, 02:42 AM

Ph8te

10-16-09, 04:50 AM

TV is a LG HD Ready unit, so 720p but accepts 1080p.

I have now changed from auto to 720p 60hz, haven't had a chance to test it out yet though - will do tonight.

i'm currently running 1.02.11 prerelease, upgraded last week from 1.02.08 prerelease which I was on for a good while...

i've already spoke to WD tech support and they are quite happy to exchange the unit for a new one, would this sort the issue though?

cheers again

Is it happening on all files or jsut a few select ones? Does this happen on AVIs as well?. Also, what about 1080p files?. I personally ahve not experienced this issue, with either 720p or 1080p files, so I can only give you basic information.

You might want to check the health of your drive as well, if needed defrag it, or if you are near capacity remove a few files. I know I have read of strange things happening when HDs are near capacity.

islandofshame

10-16-09, 05:18 AM

AVI's are fine, only ever happens with MKV's. I tend to only download 720p content i'm afraid so not sure about 1080p content. My external is a 500GB MyBook which is probably due a good defrag actually. The drive is normally running near capacity with somewhere between 20-40Gb of free space.

I have a new 1Tb MyBook which I bought a few months back, do you recon I should connect this up instead and load some content onto it? Or perhaps connect my 8Gb USB drive and try that?

csrini1

10-16-09, 11:04 AM

islandofshame

10-16-09, 11:16 AM

ok doke, so it appears this is the "green screen of death" upon a searching frenzy through the site. Doesn't seems to be a fix for it which is pretty pants :(

I never used to have this problem, personally I think it is something to do with these prerelease firmware updates that has caused it. Do you think exchanging it for a new one is the best idea? This way I will have a new unit with the factory firmware on it...I would try downgrading my firmware but scared incase I void the warranty as I understand WD do not support downgrading.

csrini1

10-16-09, 11:27 AM

islandofshame

10-16-09, 03:20 PM

ok guys, here are my findings from tonight.

found specific 1.1Gb mkv which was always causing the green screen of death during playback...

copied this from my external drive which is connected to my WD HD TV box to a freshly formatted FAT32 8Gb memory stick...green screened at same point :mad:

checked playback on my PC and there are absolutely no glitches or blockyness at the specific point in the file (9m18s)

I then though ok, let download this file again - exact same source/release, exact same file down to the byte. Formatted my memory stick again and put the new file onto it, BAM - no green screen in sight :confused:

the files are clearly being corrupted at some point after download, literally the only thing I do is rename them and move them over to my external drive! what on earth could be causing this corruption?

NOTE: I done an analysis on my external drive earlier - highly fragmented (40%+) and only 6% free space :rolleyes:

Could this be causing the corruption during transfer as its splashing it across the drive?

Cheers guys!

christoofar

10-16-09, 03:42 PM

Sounds to me that it is more the fault of an "iffy" movie file than the WDTV in this case. I'd ask more specifics of the the file, but this forum doesn't really allow discussion of things found "in the wild"
You might try defragging your drive & moving a few things off of it & see if that helps any.

brianley

10-16-09, 04:05 PM

taz420

10-17-09, 03:49 PM

was the file you downloaded repaired with par files?

GotMILF

10-18-09, 12:56 PM

This seems like a pretty big thread :p Is there maybe an organised post somewhere that explains everything that the player lacks or has fixed?

I still can't seem to get around the issue where the player just cuts off the sides. Its driving me nuts. It's especially annoying with bollywood films that somehow get cropped from 16:9 to 4:3 :mad::mad:

Sigh... If I only I was better informed before buying this :(

drazil

10-18-09, 01:32 PM

The new firmware 1.02.11 seems to have lost the 10 min skip feature :mad:

philnort

10-18-09, 01:35 PM

The new firmware 1.02.11 seems to have lost the 10 min skip feature :mad:

Not so......works fine...

drazil

10-18-09, 03:26 PM

My mistake... somehow the chapter forward/reverse buttons got unmapped when I reprogrammed my harmony.

Not so......works fine...

almot09

10-18-09, 06:06 PM

Have incidentally discovered this little thingy, and upon some very hard thinking (no kidding - gadget addiction does exist), decided that a TV-dedicated small and silent PC, hooked permanently to TV, with a remote mouse on a coffee table, works for me. I already have all this, so can't justify spending more $$. Just curious - may be I missed something in specs, but WDTV doesn't open streaming video FLV files saved on HDD?

islandofshame

10-19-09, 06:59 AM

ok, looks like I have now found the cause of this issue...I doubt it will be the same for everyone experiencing this issue though :rolleyes:

got it down to being the usb extension cable causing the files to become corrupt, disconnect it from the back of my downloads PC and jackpot, my 1 month old cable has a big chuck out it exposing the full guts of the cable :) for that I have to thank my pet rat George...

watched a whole load of freshly transferred stuff lastnight using the standard usb cable and not once has it green screened, woohoo! :D

islandofshame

10-19-09, 07:01 AM

also, how do you do a 10min skip? I though 16x ff was as good as it gets :confused:

seymouru

10-19-09, 11:26 AM

also, how do you do a 10min skip? I though 16x ff was as good as it gets :confused:1. To skip ahead 10 min: - Press FF (>>), then Next ( >>| ).

2. To skip back 10 min: - Press Rew (<<), then Prev ( |<< )

islandofshame

10-19-09, 11:50 AM

nice one, thanks for that :)

Scottfox

10-21-09, 02:31 PM

seymouru

10-21-09, 03:12 PM

That's a great trick, I love it. Any other hidden functions you know of?
Here's what I'm really looking for. I use the WDTV & Ext Hard drives as my music server as well as for movies. I have well over 2000 songs on it. It is very difficult to scroll thru the list 10 at a time by hitting next many many times. Is there a way to jump ahead maybe 100 or more at a time?I think the "Next" button is the only page-down option available. What I do to avoid lots of scrolling is to organize my music into smaller directories:

Artist
-Album
--Titles

It's pretty easy to sort lots of music files into separate directories using a retagging tool like Tag and Rename (http://www.softpointer.com/tr.htm), which I use all the time.

christoofar

10-21-09, 03:23 PM

I think the "Next" button is the only page-down option available. What I do to avoid lots of scrolling is to organize my music into smaller directories:

Artist
-Album
--Titles

It's pretty easy to sort lots of music files into separate directories using a retagging tool like Tag and Rename (http://www.softpointer.com/tr.htm), which I use all the time.
2nded on Tag & Rename ! Excellent tagger

extreme9040

10-21-09, 03:26 PM

Tag and Rename is a great tool

taz420

10-21-09, 06:40 PM

That's a great trick, I love it. Any other hidden functions you know of?
It's not a hidden feature
It's been around since Firmware Version 1.01.01 and listed in the Release Notes
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/wdtv/releasenotes/WDTVreleasenotes.pdf

bre

10-22-09, 02:34 AM

It's not a hidden feature
It's been around since Firmware Version 1.01.01 and listed in the Release Notes
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/wdtv/releasenotes/WDTVreleasenotes.pdf

Yep, another thing is that you should try to find it on your own cause it is obvious that function exists and remote is really nothing really complex ;) Think about waiting 8minutes to get to 70% of 3hour movie on 16xFF.

Mustang1

10-22-09, 03:54 AM

lol awesome

Afrsa

10-22-09, 05:55 AM

New Beta?

http://www.wdc.com/wdtvprerelease/

Prerelease 1.03.01 (includes all previously released updates)

Resolved Issues:

* Resolved the language displayed as OFF when English was selected
* Resolved the “Contains” button displayed as "ContainsWWW" in the search function
* Resolved MKV audio which was out of sync with the video
* Resolved slow rendering of Greek subtitles in Greek character encoding mode
* Resolved disappearance of Korean subtitle during video playback
* Resolved missing characters from the Greek subtitle font
* Resolved playback issues with VC-1 codec in an MKV container
* Resolved gain being applied to audio output that resulted in signal clipping
* Resolved playlists playing audio tracks in alphabetical order by playing them in track order
* Resolved the appearance of tracks in alphabetical order by displaying them in track order
* Resolved the spacing issue seen in Korean subtitles during video playback

New features:

* Added support for video playlists functions which were limited to music files only
* Added support for the drive lock function on the new My Passport™ and My Book® external storage devices

taz420

10-22-09, 10:36 AM

New Beta?

http://www.wdc.com/wdtvprerelease/

Prerelease 1.03.01 (includes all previously released updates)

strange they didn't tweet about it if it's new
maybe they just added some text to the release notes since the "new features" are the same from previous version and "resolved issues" haven't changed much either

evad1962

10-22-09, 07:55 PM

Hi folks

Not sure if this is on topic or not but I'm considering buying a WDTV to play my edited m2ts films from the Sony XR500E camcorder on my HD telly. The finished movies have been edited in Vegas MS Plat. 9 and use subtitles extensively...My question is: will the WDTV player be able to play these files (off a USB stick) with the subtitles intact? I only ask because I've read a lot of stuff on various forums about lack of subtitle support with the WDTV and I'm hoping that this problem is related to file structures on Blu-ray versions of 'popular' films with subtitles, and the ripping process(?) I hope this makes sense!

IOW, I basically want to watch my own HD m2ts movies (edited and subtitled in Vegas MS Plat9) on a Sony HD tv, from a USB stick via the WDTV, and have all the info (including subtitles) display correctly.

Can anyone help?

Appreciated,
Dave

hdfan23

10-22-09, 11:49 PM

No .ISO; man, when will there be a box that can handle everything you can throw at it.

CD

This can play .iso however it cannot handle menus, just the main movie.

colossus

10-24-09, 02:08 PM

What is the frequency/resolution limits on the FLAC playback?

If I make a FLAC of a 5.1, DVD-A file, it won't playback, even though it does using Winamp. I'm using 1.02 firmware, HDMI output, etc.

christoofar

10-24-09, 06:35 PM

What is the frequency/resolution limits on the FLAC playback?

If I make a FLAC of a 5.1, DVD-A file, it won't playback, even though it does using Winamp. I'm using 1.02 firmware, HDMI output, etc.

44 hz/16 bit stereo is the only resolution WDTV can play.

colossus

10-24-09, 06:45 PM

44 hz/16 bit stereo is the only resolution WDTV can play.

Can this be addressed through firmware?

christoofar

10-24-09, 06:50 PM

Possibly, but doubtful, and it may be hardware limitations of the chip, the design, etc. besides
I don't forsee WD putting much more effort to give us a good AUDIO media player any time soon. It seems they only work on the video side of it.:(

LTD602

10-25-09, 04:56 PM

Easy question (I hope):

I've got the WD HD mediaplayer released last year (or earlier this year), and have done all the updates. Been using it regularly since June to play mostly 1080p and 720p content in .mkv format.

I've always had the Display Resolution set to 1080p 60hz, but I'm wondering whether I should set it to 720p 60hz or "Auto."

I've got a great Panasonic Viera 720p (786p to be precise, I think) LCD TV - beautiful quality, pretty much the best 720p LCD you could get a year or two ago - it's even purported to best some 1080p models, but that's just hearsay. Paid quite a bit for it at the time. In any case, 1080p content looks fine on it.

So, given that my HD TV is 720p, should I have the WD box display resolution set to 720p or even "Auto"? Seems to work just fine at the 1080p 60hz setting.

Thanks for reading.

Carlos Martinez

10-25-09, 05:22 PM

AFAIK the display is setting the resolution down to 720p. I don't think you should worry about it.

csrini1

10-25-09, 09:40 PM

Easy question (I hope):

I've got the WD HD mediaplayer released last year (or earlier this year), and have done all the updates. Been using it regularly since June to play mostly 1080p and 720p content in .mkv format.

I've always had the Display Resolution set to 1080p 60hz, but I'm wondering whether I should set it to 720p 60hz or "Auto."

I've got a great Panasonic Viera 720p (786p to be precise, I think) LCD TV - beautiful quality, pretty much the best 720p LCD you could get a year or two ago - it's even purported to best some 1080p models, but that's just hearsay. Paid quite a bit for it at the time. In any case, 1080p content looks fine on it.

double checked 180p,60z worked for me on 720p set.

So, given that my HD TV is 720p, should I have the WD box display resolution set to 720p or even "Auto"? Seems to work just fine at the 1080p 60hz setting.

Thanks for reading.

1080p,60z works for me.

SIMISTER

10-25-09, 11:50 PM

LTD602

10-26-09, 06:48 PM

LTD602

10-26-09, 06:49 PM

By the way, thanks for the replies, everyone!

Derelict_Drvr

10-26-09, 06:58 PM

@LTD602-

You might try saving your vide as an iso file. WDTV HD does not do menus, but an iso makes it easier to burn your movie back to disc in case something happens to the original, complete with menus, subtitles and special features. That is my preferred way.

mytbyte

10-27-09, 01:12 AM

simister, you can try MakeMKV, it doesn't transcode the video/audio, just repacks DVD titles into an .mkv with chapters intact, each title into it's own mkv...nice thing...

KVN31

10-27-09, 01:41 AM

Hi everyone,

I finally got around to updating my wd tv and been trying to make a playlist for my vids. I used the search function an didn't see how to create a playlist with a mac.

So far I tried creating a playlist on vlc (with my external hooked up), and changed the preferences like I read on this board said to do, clicked every video to show the time, then saved the playlist on my external in a folder called video playlist. I find the folder in the video section of the wdtv, click it an says empty folder. What am I doing wrong? Can anyone please help me out?

KVN

basquille

10-27-09, 02:50 PM

Bit of a conundrum here..

I've a 64MB USB key which I use to store the latest WDLXTV firmware and various other files (net.config etc).

But when I've the 64MB USB key in (which is formatted at FAT16), everything works grand and I get network access to my D-Link DWL-G122 wireless dongle.

However when I put the exact same files onto my media library drive (which is formatted as FAT32), a 320GB Passport drive, the wireless doesn't work anymore.

Anyone got any reasoning behind this, or how to get this working? Is there a reason why the firmware should be on a small USB key rather than a large HDD (read / write access slower on a large drive possibly).

And if I can't get it working on my 320GB drive, how do I keep my 64MB USB key in and the Passport drive (can't use a hub so how about a USB Y Cable)?

microcens

10-27-09, 03:53 PM

basquille check your pm

SIMISTER

10-27-09, 04:17 PM

Thanks guys for your help

John

Neoculture

10-27-09, 05:19 PM

I have a WD HD Media Player. Is it better to copy the dvd's to the hard drive in *.vob format rather than compress them to avi or something similar. I have tried converting the vob files to different formats but it doesn't display the image in the correct size on my WIde screen Pal TV. I have tried numerous settings without any luck. If I copy the *.vob files onto my hard drive and run them through the Media player they are perfect but not compressed.

I use a program called FairUse to rip and compress my DVDs - I personally use h264 and AAC 5.1 by preference and (since I can specify the video frame's width/height of a specific movie) I never have had any problems playing the back via WDTV - aspect ratio is always correct, no black bars in the video stream. You can specify the final size/quality of the data file and it also allows you to save any subtitles as part of the file or as external files.

The only restriction is that the freeware version will only create files up to 700MB max, regardless of quality. I liked it so much I paid the 20-odd USDs to get the full version.

Ron Jones

10-27-09, 09:59 PM

It seems to me that now about time to change the "new" in title of this thread to "old" to avoid confusion with the actual new models.

windfreik

10-29-09, 10:03 AM

I have been searching through any forums related to WDTV and cannot find my situation. I have a Imation Apollo 500GB 2.5 HDD model Apollo phdd-500gb It shows as a SAMSUNG HM500LI usb device when i eject or "safely remove hardware"
The USB connection has a normal USB connection and a "power" usb connection piggybacking. I believe it is called a non-standard usb device. Issue: my WDTV will not detect the drive. "no storage detected" no matter how i connect, repower, eject, etc. I have connected this without using the power usb connection on my desktop fine, or powered, both work. but neither work with my WDTV. I also just upgraded to the unofficial firmwar by B_RAD and still not detected.. Any way to make this work?
Thanks for any advice.

christoofar

10-29-09, 10:24 AM

windfreik

10-29-09, 10:47 AM

True, although I can use a different usb connection, without the piggyback power usb that came with the device, and it is read without problem on my desktop.
I was hoping that the "non-standard" referred to only the piggyback power usb connection and not the HDD itself.

Yes, I can use my WD powered HD on the WDTV with no problem but I love the smallness of the 500GB imation. It is literally a little bigger than an IPHONE dimension.

Any ideas that may trick my WDTV to read this drive?
thanks again

jaldi

10-30-09, 04:29 PM

Hi, i have a question. Where can i find menu mods for my wdhd-tv?(like aerostyle...)for download. I hope someone can help me.Another question how can i make coverflow in my collection? Thanks for your help...:)

autolycus_avsf

11-04-09, 11:06 AM

Apologies if it's been asked before, but I've searched and did not find an answer to this one.

The thing is, the WDTV has been working pretty well for months - the odd bug, typical of what's reported here, but generally i'm well pleased. But although it works fine through the HDMI2 and HDMI3 (AV5 and AV7) inputs, it doesn't want to play through HDMI 1 (AV4). It flashes up "WDTV" (or something like that for a second, but that's it - the screen goes black and stays black no matter what i do.

I wondered if anyone, perhaps with a particular knowledge of Bravias, could say what is happening and if there's a way i can get the WDTV to play through HDMI 1.

Thanks in advance.

DavidML3

11-04-09, 06:19 PM

My wdtv stutters/pixelates on mt2s files that are large. I tried watching knowing which is 20 gigs but only 5 reframes and the wdtv was struggling to play it.

Has this been fixed? If not can popcorn hour play very large mkv files?

brianley

11-05-09, 08:05 AM

csrini1

11-07-09, 09:56 PM

I was in a similar situation and decided to use WMA Lossless because it was guaranteed to be around as long as Microsoft (MP3 and FLAC were largely open source) and because at the time FLAC didn't support some of the meta data that WMA / MP3 did (they do now). All worked well for a year or so until I wanted to try out a few more software programs for media management, not to mention a few gadgets like WDTV. Everybody seemed to support FLAC, some supported MS but certainly not all. I'm sure eventually everyone will at least have to accommodate Microsoft but that didn't help me at the time.

Long story short, several months ago I bit the bullet and converted everything to FLAC. Actually it wasn't as bad as I feared since WMA lossless can convert back to WAV and then onto FLAC via batch programs like MediaMonkey, WinAmp, and others.

My guess is that either a firmware upgrade or V2 will definitely solve the problem so perhaps you won't have long to wait.

ok, i am going back to this flac question. I have flac on a hard drive, this player will see them and play them, no problem with playing.BUT, i am connecting the media player to my onkyo-705 receiver via hdmi. it again plays the flac files, but the display on the receiver shows pcm fs:44.1hz. I was expecting it to display flac, not sure why it is showing as pcm. Is the media player downgrading to pcm and playing it??
I am on latest .11 firmware.

FCBarca

11-08-09, 03:49 AM

Perhaps I missed it somewhere but is it possible to program the WD TV Media player to work with the Harmony One?

philnort

11-08-09, 09:23 AM

Perhaps I missed it somewhere but is it possible to program the WD TV Media player to work with the Harmony One?

Absolutely...!

taz420

11-08-09, 09:51 AM

ok, i am going back to this flac question. I have flac on a hard drive, this player will see them and play them, no problem with playing.BUT, i am connecting the media player to my onkyo-705 receiver via hdmi. it again plays the flac files, but the display on the receiver shows pcm fs:44.1hz. I was expecting it to display flac, not sure why it is showing as pcm. Is the media player downgrading to pcm and playing it??
I am on latest .11 firmware.

to understand better what Flac actually is you may want to check out this:
http://flac.sourceforge.net/features.html

FCBarca

11-08-09, 12:29 PM

Absolutely...!

Ok, how? :confused:

philnort

11-08-09, 12:53 PM

Ok, how? :confused:

Just use the logitech software (client) that came with your remote !? Have you not used the software to map your other remotes' commands onto your Logitech? The WD-TV is in the online database !

bre

11-09-09, 04:21 AM

ok, i am going back to this flac question. I have flac on a hard drive, this player will see them and play them, no problem with playing.BUT, i am connecting the media player to my onkyo-705 receiver via hdmi. it again plays the flac files, but the display on the receiver shows pcm fs:44.1hz. I was expecting it to display flac, not sure why it is showing as pcm. Is the media player downgrading to pcm and playing it??
I am on latest .11 firmware.

There are few facts for you:

1. PCM is method for representing analog signals digital way.
2. Flac is losselessly compressed PCM.
3. To play Flac player needs to extract PCM out of it.
4. If your flac is 44.1/16 so will be extracted PCM. No harm done.

hollow05

11-09-09, 09:38 AM

Hi folks, i'm having lag issues while playing a 1080p movie.

With MEDIA INFO i found:

English, 10.2 Mbps (10.5 Mbps), 1920*816(2.35:1), at 23.976 fps,
AVC (Container profile= Unknown@4.1) (High@L4.1) (CABAC/5 Ref Frames)

The point is that WDTV should accept 5 or 6 ref frames in 1080p movies, but thats not happening !

What's the deal here and how can i fix it?

Thanks in advance !! :cool:

mrgimble

11-09-09, 10:17 AM

I think it is funny that people keep posting the names of files they obviously have downloaded from torrent sites edit: . The least you could do is rename it so it is not completely obvious it is an illegal download.

Edit: File name was removed from original post but it was "Gladiator.2000.Extended.Cut.1080p.BluRay.DTS.x264-HiDt.mkv" I think it is unfair for people to blame the WDTV for every error they get when playing downloaded files when the errors can be in the files themselves.

hollow05

11-09-09, 01:09 PM

Hi mrgimble, i think we had a misunderstanding, my intention wasn't blame WDTV for anything, but only find a solution for my issue.
The movie plays well on my pc, so i assume the file is ok.

I want to know if anyone experienced this kind of situation and if there's anything i can do to solve it.

Cheers

vandoc

11-14-09, 03:47 PM

Has anyone noticed any improvements with the new 1.03 Firmware update?

jones07

11-14-09, 04:12 PM

I think it is funny that people keep posting the names of files they obviously have downloaded from torrent sites .

Some peeps are clueless :p

taz420

11-16-09, 12:28 PM

Has anyone noticed any improvements with the new 1.03 Firmware update?

improvements over what?
original firmware?
last pre-release?
last official?

kronoxz

11-16-09, 02:05 PM

Hi guys, i've been really pleased with the WDTV box, it certainly is a major improvement from my previous box (MVIX)

Anyway, i have a few questions:
1. Is there any firmware (official or unofficial) that can enhance the navigation capability when playing videos? I'm talking about FF till 32x or jumping to a specific point in the video, because i can do this in my MVIX box. It's really frustrating if it is a really long video..

2. Some of my videos are displaying a lag (those washed pixel syndrome). I think its because of the really high bitrate of the videos (I haven't checked for sure) much like the fansubbed anime videos which are really encoded with really high quality. Is changing firmware gonna help it? How about playing the video in a NTFS HD rather than a USB stick which i'm currently using?

Thanks for any replies guys...

seymouru

11-16-09, 02:44 PM

Hi guys, i've been really pleased with the WDTV box, it certainly is a major improvement from my previous box (MVIX)

Anyway, i have a few questions:
1. Is there any firmware (official or unofficial) that can enhance the navigation capability when playing videos? I'm talking about FF till 32x or jumping to a specific point in the video, because i can do this in my MVIX box. It's really frustrating if it is a really long video..Navigation through long videos is a snap when you use the 10-minute skip feature (available in the standard official firmware):

1. To skip ahead 10 min: Press FF (>>), then Next ( >>| )
2. To skip back 10 min: Press Rew (<<), then Prev ( |<< )

You can press the Next or Prev button multiple times to quickly move ahead or back in 10-minute increments (e.g., nine presses = 90 minutes in either direction).

taz420

11-17-09, 07:00 PM

Google Translator can now translate .srt and .sub files.
Anyone try it yet?

google: We just added subtitle translation support to Google Translator Toolkit http://*******/taA5f

ok, really, why can't I post a link?
it's bit dot ly slash taA5f
(case sensitive on that last part)

drazil

11-18-09, 12:32 PM

Does anyone know what the cause/fix is to the problem when a mkv file is playing, at random spots throughout the file, the video starts to stutter - just a little bit at the beginning, then eventually freezing every second like someone was hitting pause, play, pause, play. The audio cuts out at this point and all you get is stuttering video.

This happens at random points in a file, because I can play the same file later and have no stuttering, or the stuttering occurs at different points in the file. The only fix appears to be pressing x2 FF or RW, then hitting play again but this gets very annoying.

I used to think this was because my drive was too full, but this is also happening on a drive that is half full as well. I use two 1TB WD Green drives and a 1.5 TB Seagate FreeAgent drive.

taz420

11-18-09, 06:52 PM

drazil

11-19-09, 09:18 AM

Yes it's all videos, I haven't used my WDTV for mp3 or photos. This problem happens with some .ts files too from my pvr backups. I've tried using a few different USB cables from my drives to the WDTV. I can be watching several movies with no issues, then suddenly it starts to stutter and when it starts, it just keeps happening every few minutes.

This happened on every firmware I've put on so far 1.02.03, 1.02.06-11 and now 1.03.01.

Should I have media library turned on? I noticed it scanned my drive every time I turned the machine on, so I disabled the media library.

Is it all videos?
Have you tried gently moving your cables around while a video is playing to see if it's a bad cable?
or just try new cables?

taz420

11-19-09, 12:17 PM

taz420

11-19-09, 12:21 PM

Western Digital today announced:
Now available: the second generation WD TV HD Media Player ( WDBABF0000NBK ) http://*******/14rIQf
that's bit dot ly slash 14rIQf (case sensitive)

So now there are different firmware upgrades for 1st & 2nd gen.
The 2nd gen got it's first update yesterday similar to the Live box
Release 1.01.75 (11/18/09)
•Added cover art display function when viewing music files in album view.
•Added user selectable on/off for fade in and fade out effect while browsing files.
•Resolved issue of no audio when there is only a single, center channel audio stream in a video.

drazil

11-19-09, 02:23 PM

I'm using HDMI out and optical. I brought my WDTV over to a friend's house and used their HDMI/optical cable and the stuttering happened at their house too. I'm surprised this phenomenon hasn't happened to other people. This only happened when the drives started getting full so I assumed it was the drives, but since I got the 1.5TB Seagate, it's only half filled ~800GB and I get the stuttering with it as well. I notice that when the stuttering happens, the drive access light blinks really slowly, basically in synch with every frame stutter, but when everything is working properly, the drive access light is blazing all the time. It's like the drive goes to sleep or something, and FF/RW wakes it up again.

what about the AV cable(s)?

christoofar

11-19-09, 02:52 PM

What type of enclosure do you have your drive housed in? Is it rated to support that size drive? Have you tried another drive with the same media content on it with the WDTV?

joshjoshlol

11-19-09, 06:04 PM

wait, so they forked the firmware between the generations? uh-oh, looks kinda bad for us old timer WDTV owners, huh? :P

honestly though, if they're up front and say "we're just looking to advance our product line and output efficiency and thus won't develop any longer for the 1G WDTV," i would understand. a year of development is pretty good for a first generation item, after all (some ipods didn't even get that). but anything along the lines of, "we pushed the 1G WDTV as far as it could go" will only meet my ire, because there's still a good deal of work left on that one.

drazil

11-19-09, 06:14 PM

For the two 1 TB WD Greens I'm using a NexStar external HDD enclosure. It has USB and SATA connections. When I am transferring files to the drives, I have it hooked up using the eSATA cable and the files get moved in no time. I have tried using the USB to transfer files from my laptop which does not have eSATA, and it takes about 8 mins for a 10GB file. The box says the enclosure support up to 1TB drive, but I think 1TB was the largest size available for sale when I picked it up. I don't know why there'd be a limit to the size of drive I can use in it.

The Seagate FreeAgent drive came inside it's own enclosure and the drive does not appear to be removable (aside from me taking the thing apart with a screwdriver).

What type of enclosure do you have your drive housed in? Is it rated to support that size drive? Have you tried another drive with the same media content on it with the WDTV?

kronoxz

11-20-09, 12:54 PM

Navigation through long videos is a snap when you use the 10-minute skip feature (available in the standard official firmware):

1. To skip ahead 10 min: Press FF (>>), then Next ( >>| )
2. To skip back 10 min: Press Rew (<<), then Prev ( |<< )

You can press the Next or Prev button multiple times to quickly move ahead or back in 10-minute increments (e.g., nine presses = 90 minutes in either direction).

thanks for that info, seymouru.. too bad they don't have any 5 mins interval too, cause for me the remote control is not as responsive as some other players, so fast forwarding is a hassle for me.

anyway, about my 2nd question about washed/stuttering videos.. these are the specs of the video from mediainfo.. i hope anyone who are able to play any videos with quite the same specs successfully can give a say here..

General
Complete name : D:\abcdefg.avi
Format : AVI
Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
File size : 698 MiB
Duration : 45mn 24s
Overall bit rate : 2 151 Kbps

Video
ID : 0
Format : MPEG-4 Visual
Format profile : AdvancedSimple@L5
Format settings, BVOP : Yes
Format settings, QPel : No
Format settings, GMC : 3 warppoints
Format settings, Matrix : Default (H.263)
Codec ID : XVID
Codec ID/Hint : XviD
Duration : 45mn 24s
Bit rate : 1 947 Kbps
Width : 640 pixels
Height : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 4:3
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Resolution : 24 bits
Colorimetry : 4:2:0
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.211
Stream size : 632 MiB (91%)
Writing library : XviD 1.2.1 (UTC 2008-12-04)

Audio
ID : 1
Format : MPEG Audio
Format version : Version 1
Format profile : Layer 3
Format_Settings_Mode : Joint stereo
Codec ID : 55
Codec ID/Hint : MP3
Duration : 45mn 23s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 192 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Resolution : 16 bits
Stream size : 62.3 MiB (9%)
Alignment : Aligned on interleaves
Interleave, duration : 33 ms (1.00 video frame)

joshjoshlol

11-20-09, 12:56 PM

WDTV doesnt support GMC. it says so on the box

RichE

11-20-09, 01:36 PM

I would like to install a Blu Ray drive in my PC and share it out across the network (for when I don't want to spend the time to rip the disk). Does anyone know if I would be able to steream from the Blue Ray to my WDTV Live.

keric

11-25-09, 01:42 AM

Simple question: Looking to buy this player as a Christmas gift. The person does not have a receiver of any kind. Will he be able to run HDMI from the WDTV to the plasma and receive video and audio(specifically DTS)?

If not what are his options?

RCA/coaxial plugs included with player? (Will this pass DTS)

I have movies with DTS tracks...will he be able to utilize these movies with this player and no receiver?

Can the WD Live pass DTS straight to the plasma via HDMI?

vannostrom

11-25-09, 02:19 AM

joshjoshlol

11-25-09, 07:20 AM

the WDTV version 2 (different from the Live model) will supposedly downmix DTS 2.0

taz420

11-26-09, 11:21 AM

the WDTV version 2 (different from the Live model) will supposedly downmix DTS 2.0

where did that info come from? I don't remember reading that anywhere

joshjoshlol

11-26-09, 11:44 AM

where did that info come from? I don't remember reading that anywhere

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1195534

the new WDTV (non-Live) is essentially the WDTV Live, sans networking.

kmurali70

11-27-09, 05:39 PM

csrini1

11-27-09, 07:42 PM

also for the dvd's, i am not able to access the navigation like chapters and others. is this a flaw ?

Working as designed, no navigation, it will just play the main feature like the movie only.

Tegas Bob

11-27-09, 09:07 PM

It seems to me that now about time to change the "new" in title of this thread to "old" to avoid confusion with the actual new models.

I agree with this, because not only do they have the WDTV Live, but now there is even a new model of the "original" WDTV

piecutter

11-29-09, 01:33 AM

$74.99 today at Bestbuy. They had tons of 'em, but sadly, generation 1's only.

Neoculture

11-29-09, 06:28 PM

I brought the wd hd player and i am trying to upgrade to a new version but the prompt never comes, the version on the hd player is 1.o2.o5 and the version i am trying to install is 1.02.75, the usb thumbdrive is recognised but the upgrdade prompts never appears. I also tried changing the version file to 2.02.75 but still it doesnt work.

also for the dvd's, i am not able to access the navigation like chapters and others. is this a flaw ?

First off: a quick search of the Forum would have answered your DVD question: the WDTV will only play the largest file from your ISO/VOB. No titles, no chapters, no nothing else.

Second: with your upgrade, are you doing the following:
1) unzipping the upgrade file (I assume you are doing this since you mention changing the version number)
2) sticking the unzipped files in the *root* directory of your USB key?

More importantly, can you double check what 1.02.75 is supposed to be? I've seen 1.02.11 and 1.03.11, but I have no idea what 1.02.75 is? Upgrade for the WDTV mini or WDTV Live, perhaps? if so, you won't get your WDTV to upgrade using the wrong firmware type.

stlobsvr

12-01-09, 11:12 AM

Having installed the latest 1.03.01 firmware, I’ve discovered that once again Forced Subtitles (translating dialog from any foreign to the native language of the DVD) do not display. This has been an on and off problem in the past with the various firmware and beta releases but finally was corrected until now. Now were back to square one. While not affecting every DVD movie, it is really annoying when it does. A little over 4 minutes into the main movie of the recent Angels & Demons release (VOB file stored in its VIDEO_TS folder), you soon become aware of the problem. I hope the WD TV project personnel still from time to time monitor this forum.

4drint3gr4

12-03-09, 02:20 AM

Does anyone know how to do thumbnails for this player? Please if you know, let me know where I can find the info or steps to do it. I just have the direct mkv file so I don't know how to add a thumbnail to it. I would love to know how to do this, I don't want to look at the default film reel anymore. Thanks

Stew4msu

12-03-09, 08:43 AM

4drint3gr4

12-03-09, 02:57 PM

You already asked in the Thumbnail thread before posting here. No need to repeat yourself. All the info you need is in the thread you originally posted this question in, all you have to do is read it.

hahaah I just thought I'd ask cuz there's 300 some pages. Sorry if that bothers you. Don't worry about it. Don't need to get all trippy about it.

Derelict_Drvr

12-03-09, 05:29 PM

easy to answer. simply place a jpg in the same folder as the mkv with the same name as the mkv. i.e. moviename.folder> moviename.jpg & moviename.mkv/avi/mp4 etc.

4drint3gr4

12-04-09, 11:21 PM

easy to answer. simply place a jpg in the same folder as the mkv with the same name as the mkv. i.e. moviename.folder> moviename.jpg & moviename.mkv/avi/mp4 etc.

I tried that that didn't work. I don't get why. and I tried a smaller picture too 120x
Another thing I just have a direct mkv file.
example...transformer.mkv
so I made a transformer folder and put transformer.mkv and transformer.jpg in that folder that I just made. Am I doing something wrong?

4drint3gr4

12-04-09, 11:23 PM

I tried that that didn't work. I don't get why. and I tried a smaller picture too 120x
Another thing I just have a direct mkv file.
example...transformer.mkv
so I made a transformer folder and put transformer.mkv and transformer.jpg in that folder that I just made. Am I doing something wrong?

I just reread your thread and I'm gonna try transformer.folder=exactly as I typed it.

4drint3gr4

12-04-09, 11:27 PM

I just reread your thread and I'm gonna try transformer.folder=exactly as I typed it.

did not work for me. I'm lost. Am I getting the wrong size?

4drint3gr4

12-05-09, 01:31 AM

did not work for me. I'm lost. Am I getting the wrong size?

Thanks to who replied. It works. I just had to do a firmware upgrade

gswarriorfan

12-06-09, 12:14 AM

Does best buy sell the gen 2's of these yet?

SmokerMI

12-06-09, 03:24 PM

I do not know why but I can not get anything from RapidShare. I've tried for nearly an hour and it either says try again later or that the file is only downloadable by a premium account.

Are there any other sources for WDLXTV_LIVE-0.2.2.1 ?

Thanks

rusky_g

12-06-09, 08:02 PM

Hi

I have a WDTV and 99% of my media is .MVK 1080p/DTS encodes. My unit connects to a basic DTS receiver via Optical.

Having tried a mixture of Firmware, I'm at the point now where most films I watch are OK in terms of Lip Sync, however there are still a few where it's slightly off.

I've read that HDMI '1.3' has an inbuilt 'Lip Sync' correction facility and with the WDTV Live having HDMI 1.3, I am considering:

1) Buying a WDTV Live
2) Buying a new receiver that has HDMI [1.3] 'in' and 'out'
3) Connecting the WDTV Live direct to receiver via HDMI and then HDMI from the receiver to TV

My idea, as above, being that I ditch using Optical and the new receiver sorts out the Picture and Audio signal by HDMI only thus 'surely' meaning that Lip Sync issues will be reduced further?

Note that my current receiver has no HDMI 'out' as it is very basic.

Do people think this will work? Also, would my TV need to have HDMI 1.3 and is it likely to have it? (a 46" Panasonic 2008 model TH-46PZ8)

Thanks
Russell

yuenzhi

12-07-09, 11:08 AM

hi, i was watching this video i downloaded and tried playing it on my 1st gen WD HD media player, it is horribly lagging !! its avi format, i have no trouble playing other avi files but only these batch of .avi files.
when i try playing it on my computer it works flawlessly and also i tried playing it on my Wii, it played without lagging, just the WD media player.
can anybody help me ?
here's the link to one of the video
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=2H2CF0BT

taz420

12-09-09, 06:05 PM

Afrsa

12-09-09, 07:22 PM

Jackie78

12-10-09, 06:14 AM

Hi,

I am having trouble with my network connection sometimes, I share some folders on my machine (XP SP3), and 95% of the time they are visible by the WDTV live, but in some rare cases, the device claims it is unable to access the network share, or that there are no files available. When that happens, I won't have any luck accessing the network unless I reboot the WDTV, then everything works fine.

So atm, network seems to be quite unreliable.

Beside that, I am very unhappy with the fast forward/rewind capabilities of this device, as soon as you go any faster than 4x, you have a stuttering refresh rate :(

taz420

12-10-09, 05:19 PM

I share some folders on my machine (XP SP3), and 95% of the time they are visible by the WDTV live

this is not the thread for the WD Live

joshjoshlol

12-10-09, 05:29 PM

yuenzhi

12-11-09, 07:15 AM

post the mediainfo on it and maybe we can see what the issue is.

i used mediainfo on the files and i got this

General

AVI: 173MiB, 23mn5s
1 video stream: mpeg-4
visual(XviD)
1 audio stream: MPEG audio (MP3)
Writing library; VirtualDub build 28346/release

Video

843 Kbps, 640*480(4:3) at 23.976 fps, MPEG-4 Visual (XviD) (packed bitstream)
(AdvancedSimple@L5)(BVOP/GMC3/Qpel)

Audio

102Kbps, 48KHz, 2 channels, MPEG Audio (MP3) (VErsion 1) (Layer 3) (joint stereo/MS stereo)

d3rutat

12-11-09, 07:47 AM

I would like to know if it's possible to access an usb drive plugged in the WD TV Live from my PC? The connection between my PC and WD TV live is via ethernet.

joshjoshlol

12-11-09, 08:33 AM

yuenzhi, i believe that the "GMC3" listing in your mediainfo report means that the file has 3 GMC warp points. if you look on the box of your WDTV, it states that GMC is not supported. you need to re-encode the files so that they do not utilize GMC.

yuenzhi

12-11-09, 10:52 AM

joshjoshlol

12-11-09, 12:54 PM

ffmpegx is good, albeit abandoned in terms of development. the reason i would recommend it despite it not seeing updates in years is because it is perfectly fine for sd xvid content. mpegstreamclip is also really good for being free, and it handles xvid content without a hitch. if you have quicktime pro you could even export just as well through that application, so long as you have a codec pack like perian installed.

bri1270

12-13-09, 07:31 AM

Derelict_Drvr

12-13-09, 08:53 AM

bri1270

12-13-09, 09:06 AM

Then I would stick with the Gen 1. If you're not going to stream from a computer to the player, and/or do not want to stream content from the internet, then you're fine.

Cool, thanks DD

thumbgen

12-13-09, 12:07 PM

Hi there!

You can use thumbgen.blogspot.com to add thumbnails to your WD TV (Live) Media Player.

;)

d3rutat

12-13-09, 12:31 PM

I would like to know if it's possible to access an usb drive plugged in the WD TV Live from my PC? The connection between my PC and WD TV live is via ethernet.

anybody?

philnort

12-13-09, 01:48 PM

anybody?

Absolutely it is possible.

taz420

12-13-09, 03:51 PM

anybody?

you might get more help in a forum for the "live" box
I'm sure there is one on here or WD now has their own forums which are probably monitored more than these currently

yuenzhi

12-14-09, 01:59 AM

DanDaMan069

12-14-09, 06:13 PM

I bought the "Gen 1" WDTV player from Amazon for $25 less than the "New" version. Is it worth the hassle to return the one I have for the newer one?

I have a DTS capable receiver

I'm not interested in networking or anything, I really just want to load up an external drive with a bunch of kids movies and some other SD movies that I have and maybe a few of the Digital Copies I've gotten with BR purchases.

Although I'd love to load up some BRD's for convenience, it's not imperative and I'd prefer not to lose the A/V quality. With certain films wouldn't matter, but with some others it would.

i bought 2 WD gen 1 devices when they first came ouit over a year ago..and have been posting here since also...i recently purchased 2 WDTV lives. and I must say there is quite a difference... but the biggest improvements in my eyes are the UI, as it is much faster than gen1... especially if youi have large HDs of 1-2TB per usb plug... and/or play large 1080p MKV files of 5GB+ sizes.. Hard drives are recognized and scanned in few seconds, going from folder to folder or hard drive to hard drive is nearly instant, where GEN1 WDTV would take 5-10 seconds... the preview mode is also instant, and that is really good considering i am scrolling through files that are 10GB+, they start to play as soon as the cursor is moved onto file.. also, if you click next movie, it is also instant, where this was the slowest transition for the WDTV gen1...sometimes taking 5-15 secs and sometimes crashing the box... i also dont really need the online capabilty, i got them manily for the DTS downmix as majority of my movies are 1080p with DTS/Dolby+ or DTSHD, so now I can take all my buray rips and wathc them in a hotel room, or even my lcd screen in my car.. gen1 will not decode DTS, only pass thru to DTS receiver, gen2 will decode if you dont have a DTS receiver or you can still passthru if you have DTS receiver..

I would personally get the GEN2 if I were you, and especially if only for $25 more! I bought my original WD for $99 when they first came out.. I bought my 2 WDTV lives for $109 at Best buy on cyber monday ..so I am happy for new device thaqt only cost $10 more!

Derelict_Drvr

12-14-09, 06:28 PM

@bri1270

There is a new WDTV HD v2 (Model: WDBABF0000NBK) out now that will downmix DTS if you are not interested in the networking capabilities of the WDTV Live.

majstor33

12-15-09, 12:59 AM

new WDTV HD v2 have DTS downmix to STEREO.
It's possible to modify the firmware in the old WDTV v1 player? Or it's the hardware addon?:confused:

Thank you!

benchmarkjoe

12-18-09, 07:40 AM

I am waiting to one, but there is still the problem with newest medel on the market with Amazon sell for $99 plus free s/h. Should I wait for little more?

Derelict_Drvr

12-18-09, 08:23 AM

I am waiting to one, but there is still the problem with newest medel on the market with Amazon sell for $99 plus free s/h. Should I wait for little more?

If Amazon has the WDTV Live for $99, I would buy one if I were you. I have one and not had any problem to speak of. The few netorking issues I have had were due to my network and/or computer settings.

seymouru

12-18-09, 11:24 AM

If Amazon has the WDTV Live for $99, I would buy one if I were you. I have one and not had any problem to speak of. The few networking issues I have had were due to my network and/or computer settings.It's the new WDTV non-Live version that's $99 (http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Media-Player-WDBABF0000NBK-NESN/dp/B002USAIYS/) at Amazon.

onlysublime

12-18-09, 09:55 PM

hi. i used the popcorn audio converter to add an AC3 audio track to my MKV files that previously only had DTS audio. this was because I used to only have a WD TV with no audio receiver that had DTS decoding.

now, in mediainfo, it says that the AC3 audio is the primary track and the DTS audio is the second track.

so when I'm running the WD TV player (it's the original version), it nondescriptly just shows digital audio. so I can't tell which track is DTS and which is AC3. is it the same order as in mediainfo on the PC in windows? because it's hard to tell and sometimes, the initial audio track it plays seems cleaner and more distinct leading me to think the first track is DTS. but in mediainfo, the DTS track is always the second listed track.

Derelict_Drvr

12-18-09, 10:57 PM

It's the new WDTV non-Live version that's $99 (http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Media-Player-WDBABF0000NBK-NESN/dp/B002USAIYS/) at Amazon.

Sorry, I just forgot what thread I was in...

David Sacco

12-19-09, 02:43 AM

Does the latest firmware update solve the 1080p stuttering problem? slow motion video with no audio....... Are there any other solutions?

thanks dave

AceMT

12-19-09, 01:11 PM

Hey Gents,

I just purchased one of these little boxes and overall I am quite pleased with it. It plays my .mkv a hell of a lot better than a hacked AppleTV, at least until they get the Broadcomm card working.

My question is this, has anyone else been able to get your shared DVD to play correctly via the HD Live? I have an Imac that I shared the DVD/CD Drive and have attempted to play them via the internet to the WDLive which is connected to my TV via HDMI. The video plays flawlessly, but the audio says PCM when it starts on the screen and all I get is static. Anyone know of a solution? Thanks

badshah2000

12-19-09, 08:00 PM

Compared the qulaity of video playback to that of my HTPC (mostly on divX files) and WD doesn't even come close...

christoofar

12-19-09, 10:05 PM

Compared the qulaity of video playback to that of my HTPC (mostly on divX files) and WD doesn't even come close...

and yes comparing a $140 device to a full blown HTPC makes perfect sense. The WDTVLive was designed for a completely different market niche - affordable , easy to use, plays lots of formats, easy to set up.

chinamusic

12-19-09, 11:45 PM

Just picked up one of the Generation 2 boxes (sans ethernet) for $99 at BestBuy. Overall, I'm quite happy with it. This will make it possible for me to have a fairly mobile video collection for the kids when combined with a tiny cassette sized 500gb WD Passport.

Anyone care to share their secret sauce for getting the best quality 720p ripped from their DVD collection? I've been using Handbrake with H.264 + 2-pass encoding in some initial testing with pretty good results.

Lt. Dang

12-20-09, 04:51 PM

Compared the qulaity of video playback to that of my HTPC (mostly on divX files) and WD doesn't even come close...

That’s interesting because I’ve just been comparing the WDTV and the WDTV Live with an Acer Aspire Revo R3610, 4Gb Ram, 500Gb HDD and dual core processor with onboard Nvidia ION chipset.

I didn’t really see any difference in PQ between the 3 devices other than the fact that the Revo playback was not quite as smooth on some 1080p material. I used MPC-HC standalone and XBMC using the new dsplayer and with a build using MPC-HC as an external player.

Given how little the WDTV devices cost and their simplicity in use and setup compared to PC solutions like the Revo; IMO I feel that they present a very good option for customers who are looking for a more mainstream consumer device rather than tinkering with IT configuration, codecs and builds etc.

Regards,

Lt. Dang

Afrsa

12-20-09, 07:14 PM

That’s interesting because I’ve just been comparing the WDTV and the WDTV Live with an Acer Aspire Revo R3610, 4Gb Ram, 500Gb HDD and dual core processor with onboard Nvidia ION chipset.

I didn’t really see any difference in PQ between the 3 devices other than the fact that the Revo playback was not quite as smooth on some 1080p material. I used MPC-HC standalone and XBMC using the new dsplayer and with a build using MPC-HC as an external player.

Given how little the WDTV devices cost and their simplicity in use and setup compared to PC solutions like the Revo; IMO I feel that they present a very good option for customers who are looking for a more mainstream consumer device rather than tinkering with IT configuration, codecs and builds etc.

Regards,

Lt. Dang

You did not configure it well! Ion can read 1080p without any problem...
And yes... WDTV is good for those who need an appliance... ION is good for those who need a powerfull media player with the best UI of all.... XBMC!

Lt. Dang

12-21-09, 09:00 AM

You did not configure it well! Ion can read 1080p without any problem...
And yes... WDTV is good for those who need an appliance... ION is good for those who need a powerfull media player with the best UI of all.... XBMC!

Yes, it probably is a configuration problem and I have a lot of experience from the IT industry, which illustrates my point really.

Mass consumers what a device which is plug-in and go, like their DVD or video recorder. They don’t want to tinker with PC configuration and learn how to edit xml files.

As for XBMC it is very good, and the latest Confluence skin looks very nice. But it does not natively support the ION chipset so it cannot use the GPU to playback 1080p material successfully.

So you have to install MPC-HC as an external player, edit up an xml file to set it up to call it correctly and you still do not get all of the embedded video player features.

Or you can try a build incorporating the latest incarnation of the dsplayer. Which is still a work in progress with outstanding bugs and all, particularly in the sound playback department.

So the XBMC UI may look very nice and also have some very clever media features but it does not yet correctly do the 2 key tasks of playing back HD video or playing back sound for an ION enabled device – which is the only type of HTPC which comes anywhere close to the price or functionality of a WDTV / WDTV Live.

So that still leaves me with my own personal opinion which is that for the average consumer, who just wants to playback HD video, the WDTV devices are a good choice.

Regards,

Lt. Dang

Afrsa

12-21-09, 10:11 AM

I watch 1080p perfectly in a ION! Perfect!

Mass consumers what a device which is plug-in and go, like their DVD or video recorder. They don’t want to tinker with PC configuration and learn how to edit xml files.

If you want XBMC in windows, you just have to edit a file... i find it easier that having to encode and reencode, etc, every file that WDTV strugles to read... and they are a lot! :rolleyes:

As for XBMC it is very good, and the latest Confluence skin looks very nice. But it does not natively support the ION chipset so it cannot use the GPU to playback 1080p material successfully.

True in Windows... not true in Ubuntu+XBMC for example... or XBMC Live! If you want 1080p hardware aceleration without setting external players, you can install XBMC LIVE with the scripts for REVO... everything is installed correctly.

So the XBMC UI may look very nice and also have some very clever media features but it does not yet correctly do the 2 key tasks of playing back HD video or playing back sound for an ION enabled device – which is the only type of HTPC which comes anywhere close to the price or functionality of a WDTV / WDTV Live.

Again... true in Windows... not true in Ubuntu+XBMC for example... or XBMC Live! Or XBMC with MPC-HC has an external player... which you configure in 2 minutes!

So that still leaves me with my own personal opinion which is that for the average consumer, who just wants to playback HD video, the WDTV devices are a good choice.

Regards,

Lt. Dang

In january you can install new version of Boxee in Windows... and you will have hardware aceleration for all your MKV (http://blog.boxee.tv/2009/12/07/the-boxee-beta/)! Soon after that will be ported to XBMC... so you have plenty of choices... better than have to wait for firmware fixes that never come... :rolleyes:

But is true... for those who need an appliance, WDTV, EGREAT, PLAY!ON, etc, is the way to go! For those who want a real media player, ION is the best option!

Lt. Dang

12-21-09, 10:33 AM

I watch 1080p perfectly in a ION! Perfect! If you want 1080p hardware aceleration without setting external players, you can install XBMC LIVE with the scripts for REVO... everything is installed correctly. ...
I think this option requires that you either partition your drive, and/or move some files via CD/DVD to a bootable USB stick - again, not exactly consumer friendly.

If you want windows, you just have to edit a file... i find it easier that having to encode and reencode, etc, every file that WDTV strugles to read... and they are a lot! :rolleyes:
No, its more than just editing a file. You either need to install XBMC and then MPC-HC and then create a playercorefactory xml with the correct settings for the type of HD files you want to play. And even then you don't get the full embedded video player functionality of normal XBMC.

Or, you can install XBMC with dsplayer which currently has some signifcant bugs, especially for surround sound.

As for re-encoding files for WDTV - I never have to do that because I rip my files correctly and never use pirate material which is notorious for all sorts of strange codec problems and probably the main reason for the need for people to re-encode.

In january you can install new version of Boxee in Windows... and you will have hardware aceleration for all your MKV! Soon after that will be ported to XBMC... so you have plenty of choises... better than have to wait for firmware fixes that never come...
Yes we could wait until January to try the Boxee beta install and see if that has any issues - or I could just use my WDTV now, because it works?

As I said before, the ION chipset has some real potential, but it requires a fair bit of tinkering and does not compare favourably cost-wise.

The WDTV is cheap and simple and IMO remains the best choice for someone who wants to just play back HD video without needing to explore the guts of their PC's software configuration.

Regards,

Lt. Dang

Afrsa

12-21-09, 11:02 AM

I think this option requires that you either partition your drive, and/or move some files via CD/DVD to a bootable USB stick - again, not exactly consumer friendly.

In a Asrock you just install it... simple... like the script.

No, its more than just editing a file. You either need to install XBMC and then MPC-HC and then create a playercorefactory xml with the correct settings for the type of HD files you want to play.

His dificult for you to copy/paste this?:

<playercorefactory>
<players>
<player name="MPC-HC" type="ExternalPlayer" audio="false" video="true">
<filename>C:\Program Files\MPC-HC\mplayerc.exe</filename>
<args>/fullscreen /close "{1}"</args>
<hidexbmc>false</hidexbmc>
<hideconsole>false</hideconsole>
<warpcursor>none</warpcursor>
</player>
</players>
<rules action="prepend">
<rule filetypes="mkv" filename=".*720p.*" player="MPC-HC"/>
</rules>
</playercorefactory>

Or, you can install XBMC with dsplayer which currently has some signifcant bugs, especially for surround sound.

I don't know why you keep on talking about dsplayer... this is a work in progress... still beta now... give the guy some time and that player will blow up your mind! We are talking about pro's here... not lazy devs...

As for re-encoding files for WDTV - I never have to do that because I rip my files correctly and never use pirate material which is notorious for all sorts of strange codec problems and probably the main reason for the need for people to re-encode.

My files (1080p, 5 reframes+subs) stoped working after firmware 1.01.02... I needed to reencode to 1080 4 reframes... thank you WD!

Yes we could wait until January to try the Boxee beta install and see if that has any issues - or I could just use my WDTV now, because it works?

Boxee is BETA now! And it works pretty well... really! January comes final version!

The WDTV is cheap and simple and IMO remains the best choice for someone who wants to just play back HD video without needing to explore the guts of their PC's software configuration.

True... has I say, WDTV is just an appliance... and is good for those who want an appliance... not for those who want a true media player experience!

christoofar

12-21-09, 11:37 AM

Lt. Dang

You might as well give up. He will just.....go.....on..... :rolleyes:

Derelict_Drvr

12-21-09, 12:10 PM

@Afrsa-

Why don't you start your own thread about the sooper dooper pooper scooper ION and stop hijacking this thread. Everybody knows you hate the WDTV, and guess what, we don't care.

Be gone, Troll.

Lt. Dang

12-21-09, 01:48 PM

In a Asrock you just install it... simple... like the script.

His dificult for you to copy/paste this?:

<playercorefactory>
<players>
<player name="MPC-HC" type="ExternalPlayer" audio="false" video="true">
<filename>C:\Program Files\MPC-HC\mplayerc.exe</filename>
<args>/fullscreen /close "{1}"</args>
<hidexbmc>false</hidexbmc>
<hideconsole>false</hideconsole>
<warpcursor>none</warpcursor>
</player>
</players>
<rules action="prepend">
<rule filetypes="mkv" filename=".*720p.*" player="MPC-HC"/>
</rules>
</playercorefactory>

I don't know why you keep on talking about dsplayer... this is a work in progress... still beta now... give the guy some time and that player will blow up your mind! We are talking about pro's here... not lazy devs...

My files (1080p, 5 reframes+subs) stoped working after firmware 1.01.02... I needed to reencode to 1080 4 reframes... thank you WD!

Boxee is BETA now! And it works pretty well... really! January comes final version!

True... has I say, WDTV is just an appliance... and is good for those who want an appliance... not for those who want a true media player experience!

Not willing to go around this merry-go-round again.
I think we will just have to agree to differ. :cool:

Regards,

Lt. Dang

set2374

12-21-09, 03:05 PM

I just purchased a Second Gen WDTV HD (not the Live) two weeks ago and I have been extremely impressed with this gadget. I have a medium to high-end Dell Studio 15 (ATI Radion 3400 Graphics/1080P Screen/4G/BD drive/ P8600 chip) and I have to say that video playback on the WDTV looks MUCH better than when I hook the TV up to the computer via HDMI. I have had no problem with any of the codecs, lip synching etc. I using the unit in my bedroom setup have the WD hooked right ino my pioneer 819 via hdmi. My BD rip of Dark Knight looks just as nice on the WDTV as it does on my Panny BMP60 BD player. I do miss the ability to bitstream DTS-MA and I hope they can correct this with a firmware update in the future.

I download a lot of media from graboid.com and the WDTV makes it so easy to port over the content to the TV--far easier than hooking up and configuring the computer. The WDTV v2 scans my 1.5TB WD My Book (about 50% full) in less than two minutes (which is about as long as it took for my gen 1 panny and sharp BD players to spool up one BD disc). Also, from the time you press play, the media is on the screen instantly.

Playback is terrific--much smoother than on the computer. My cousin just bought a Dell XPS 16 with the I7Core Processor and Nvidia graphics card (off the hook!). We hooked it up and, frankly, playback was comparable, even with a slight edge to the WDTV. Better scaling and easier set up.

On the negative side, althoug the UI is better than most of the other media players I have seen (Seagate, Popcorn A-110), the actual list of the contents needs improvement. Where my computer directory lists a movie and tv shows in alphabelical/numeric order, the Western Digital reads a different description of the content. When trying to watch a tv series that I downloaded, this requires some hunting around to find the correct episodes. I might be able to correct this be renaming the files, but to go through a 2gig collection--that's a lot of work. There should be an easier way to do this. Also, they should allow for a more simple search method rather than scrolling through the content (perhaps a la apple, where you can pick titles starting with a certain letter????). Search by word or at least first letter

Another knock, I did notice that the colors tend to have a "slight" red shift. Skin tones appear a bit on the pink side. This is easily corrected on the TV, but i just wanted to list.

Although there are some negative, I do want to point out a major positive: SD playback. I was really surprised at how well the WDTV is at upconverting SD content. I would actually compare the upconversion on the WDTV to the upconversion on my Oppo DVD--much better than most dvd/media players on the market. This may be, in part, be attributable to the well regarded Sigma chipset, but I believe WD licensed code for their upconversion from Arcsoft. In my experience, Arcsoft offers great upconversion software solutions. I use the ArcSoft Player on for my DVD/BD playback on my dell. Their True Theature feature for DVD Playback vastly improves image quality and renders images that seem similar to what I am seeing coming out of my WDTV.

On the whole, I paid $99 for this from Amazon (free shipping/no tax). I have some buyer's remorse for not getting the live, but it is unlikely that I would bother to network my content.

I would give this a big thumbs up!!!

Question, has anyone tried use a USB splitter to add more than two drives to the WDTV??

Frosty62

12-21-09, 05:34 PM

I fast forward an iso movie and now my WDTV Live will not play any iso file. Anyone else had this problem>

Derelict_Drvr

12-21-09, 05:46 PM

I fast forward an iso movie and now my WDTV Live will not play any iso file. Anyone else had this problem>

Just ISO files, or any file? Have you tried a hard reboot (unplug, let set a minute or two, plug back in)?

badshah2000

12-21-09, 08:06 PM

Derelict_Drvr

12-21-09, 08:19 PM

Lt. Dang

12-21-09, 09:54 PM

No offence, but it would be good if we stayed honest when describing our experiences... :)

No offence - but I will call you dishonest?

Yeah - right!! :rolleyes:

Talk about oxymoron!! :D

Regards,

Lt. Dang

crazycap

12-21-09, 11:05 PM

I fast forward an iso movie and now my WDTV Live will not play any iso file. Anyone else had this problem>

it happens to me on the live version too, reset to factory fixes it.. this is bugging me to hell

set2374

12-22-09, 12:58 PM

Guys, all of you who work for WDTV :), stop comparing and posting false reports indicating that WDTV performs oh so better than a HTPC, or that you couldn't tell the difference, etc. That would be grossly misleading!

I'd agree with you that nothing beats WDTV in price, convenience, portability, cost to operate, simplicity, etc. But....it can NOT beat a properly configured HTPC in PQ department. The difference is simply too obvious to ignore... Both exist for a specific audiance, and both fill a particular need. No offence, but it would be good if we stayed honest when describing our experiences... :)

I agree. I really am a HUGE fan of the WDTV and I spent three months building what I think was a solid HTPC/cheap gaming pc a year ago (2 nvidia 8800 GTS, AMD Phenom X4, 8Gig DDR2 and 1tb HDD) It took my buddy and I days to work out the bugs in this thing (probably months in total and I still have glitches). Yes, I can "NOW" play every media format out there on my and they look awesome. However, 90% of the time, I need to pause the playback and go into the system menus on the computer to mess around with the hardware setup. I then need to fidget around with the rendering and make sure that I am porting the heavy grafting lifting over to the gpu's and away from the CPU, deal with syncing issues on the sound (adjusting ms delays) and, of course, plenty of times the AVR isn't able to read the bitstream from the dvi/hdmi cable (using an a Pioneer 1019). By the time I am done, it's 10 minutes later and my wife is pissed and yelling at me just to let the movie play for Chr---'s sake! Yeah, it looks great and it's fun to play with all the options and settings (for me), but if you just want to watch a movie or tv show with the family, an HTPC is a tough sell.

The WDTV that I picked up for the bedroom is the perfect solution--particular for my wife. I didn't bother with the "Live" version, a choice I regret (although I doubt I would bother using it much). The WDTV has proven the perfect solution. My wife is comfortable using a PVR and this has basically the same functionality. She has no problem navigating the UI. There is no scaling to deal with and little to play with. Only issue was on one file, she couldn't figure out how to get rid of the subtitles and I was able to talk her through it over the phone in 2 minutes (not an option on the HTPC). She can pick her content and press play and not give it another thought.

Is the PQ as good as my HTPC--of course not. It is, however, probably 90% as good and soooo much easier to use. It also has a tiny foot print and can easily fit next my avr and stacked on top of a 1.5tb WD Elements HDD that I just got from dell small business for $90. Combined the whole package for the WDTV and HDD was 200, with tax (including shipping). MY HTPC was easily three times that, even with canabolized parts and ebay purchases. As the WDTV continues to improve over the next year or two with the price of external HDD and SDD plummeting, and better and cheaper graphics chips coming online, I can see a future where the HTPC is completely unnecessary. The third and fourth gen WDTV's are going to be incredibly impressive. I can see a future where WD and other manufacturers will start dropping in potent and dirt cheap cpu's that are becoming increasingly available. Combined with the future sigma and realtek graphics chips and using Android or Chrome, and dirt cheap storage and ram, these will be fully functional, networkable $100-150 HTPC's in the next two to three years (maybe sooner).

The WDTV is the equivalent of the "Netbook" for media playback compared to the full function HTPC. For the average person that will buy a WDTV, the WDTV is everything they could hope for and more!!! Yes, it has its flaws. It won't play the lossless formats (yet) and playback quality is excellent, but not as good as well spec'd HTPC. The average person person that might be interested in this product is a guy that bought a more expensive HTIB that a salesman pushed on him (onkyo 7.1 maybe?), downloads and streams some movies on a decent, but not great laptop and can't hear the difference between lossy and lossless sound formats while watching moves on a 42'' Vizio 1080P that he bought on sale at Costco. That's the guy that will buy a WDTV and he'll LOVE it!!!! (no offense any women AVS fans, but I am just being honest about the market). This is a terrific product and an incredible bargain.

badshah2000

12-22-09, 11:16 PM

I agree....

Thank you. Finally, an honest voice of reason. I agree with you (or was it you agreeing with me? :)) 100%...I have nothing against WDTV. I have eagerly bought one for our bedroom to make the wife happy. I am going to buy a second one for kids. My mother-in-law is going to get one on boxing day. Several of my friends have bought it at my recommendation... I could go on, but I'd stop hoping that readers believe me that I have got NOTHING against WDTV.

I was compelled to write after reading grossly misleading posts by people who probably don't even have an idea as to what HTPC stands for, let alone having experienced it, that WDTV produces *better* PQ than one....No, it does not!

(BTW, I never had so much trouble with HTPC's (I have two full time dedicated and one part-time HTPC's in our house...but that could be just a fluke)

Lt. Dang

12-23-09, 09:39 AM

Thank you. Finally, an honest voice of reason. I agree with you (or was it you agreeing with me? :)) 100%...I have nothing against WDTV. I have eagerly bought one for our bedroom to make the wife happy. I am going to buy a second one for kids. My mother-in-law is going to get one on boxing day. Several of my friends have bought it at my recommendation... I could go on, but I'd stop hoping that readers believe me that I have got NOTHING against WDTV.

I was compelled to write after reading grossly misleading posts by people who probably don't even have an idea as to what HTPC stands for, let alone having experienced it, that WDTV produces *better* PQ than one....No, it does not!

(BTW, I never had so much trouble with HTPC's (I have two full time dedicated and one part-time HTPC's in our house...but that could be just a fluke)

set2374 said the WDTV was for him/her 90% as good as their properly calibrated HTPC - you don't think that another set up with a different HTPC could account for as small a difference as 10% in PQ for playback of digital material? Don’t tell me – you never would accept that.

My comparison gave details of the HTPC being compared, the chipset, the technical specs and even details of the software being used.

Your comparison consisted of "I have compared a HTPC with the WDTV" and gave no details at all. Which post sounds the more authentic I wonder?

set2374 should be congratulated for giving a reasoned and balanced view, taking trouble not to be rude or insulting, and also acknowledging my point about the fiddle-factor overhead of codecs, OS build etc that is inherent to using a HTPC.

Obviously you would never take that approach.

Regards,

Lt. Dang

set2374

12-23-09, 03:01 PM

Wow! I didn't realize this was shot a hottly debated issue. The WDTV is really a niche product, I just happen to fit into that niche. When I built my HTPC, I did it as much for the pleasure of project itself as much as the end result. It is certainly far more flexible and I have many more options for rendering the picture, downloading new filters etc--things that are not possible on a WDTV. It's really comparing apples to oranges. If you want to watch a movie or t.v. show without muss or fuss, the WDTV is the easiest way to go IMHO.

As far as image quality goes, i think it's fair to quantify the difference between my home built HTPC to say the WDTV performs around 90% in terms of visual and sound quality to the HTPC on the whole. To be fair though, there it varies depending on the content. If rip 1080p from a bluray to .mkv, I don't see noticeable difference between the original bd disc or watching the rip on the HTPC or WDTV. The HTPC and WDTV may show some slight pixilization and the WDTV has slight red crush, but you really have to be looking for the issues to spot them. On a few samples poorly ripped SD content downloaded off of graboid (not a knock on graboid which is a fantastic site), playback initial looked noticeably worse on my HTPC than the WDTV. The difference is that on the HTPC, with some playing around, i was able to resolve the issues and improve image quality to exceed the WDTV. If I am by myself, that's fine. The wife factor is the difference maker here.

I just got a rip of the BSG complete series (including Razor and The Plan) series off of bluray in 1080P (which looks fantasitc on the WDTV btw). My wife finally agreed to give it a shot (after listening to me go on about the series for the past five years). Now, am I going to make her sit while I fiddle with the HTPC to resolve some redering issues on the black in the open sequence of the miniseries or am I going to deal with a little rending issue for the first 1:20 and watch the otherwise fantastic image on the WDTV without the muss and fuss? No brainer!! I am watching on the WDTV. She won't care about a little granniness (some of it is intentional put there by Ron Moore), even if I would rather not see it. The bottomline is that ease of use makes the WDTV a compelling alternative to a full HTPC.

Don't get me wrong, there HTPC is a terrific device and has many advantages over a WDTV. However, had the WDTV existed when I was buidling my HTPC, I might have bought two WDTV's and spent the HTPC budget on something else.

Lt. Dang

12-23-09, 03:41 PM

set2374

12-23-09, 04:00 PM

Lt. Dang

12-23-09, 04:05 PM

Lt. Dang, you put the bullet in the horse's head with that one. Ease of use is definitely a HUGE advantage.

Unless you downloaded the latest firmware and bricked your unit, it's hard to see how someone can complain about the WDTV. Has anyone had any issues with B-RAD's custom firmware? I want to be able to use a usb hub on the unit, but I would like to avoid bricking it the first month.

I have never heard of anyone having an issue with B-RAD's code - and it is always possible to revert to your previous firmware if desired.

However, I have never personally used any of his firmware hacks so far.

Regards,

Lt. Dang

Adidas4275

12-24-09, 12:54 AM

daphatty

12-24-09, 02:57 AM

over the last 3 years i have ripped many DVDs into 5.1 audio only and my TV is stereo only. HTPCs will convert the audio to stereo, but my WDTV doesnt....

anyone have a good way of converting 5.1 DTS, DD and AAC into stereo audio.....
i am kicking myself for not ripping both audio tracks.

I have mkvs and mp4s with 5.1 audio

thanks guys

I use Popcorn Audio Converter (http://www.networkedmediatank.com/showthread.php?tid=20887) to downsample my DTS MKVs to AC3 Audio. Works perfectly for me. Just point it at a folder and press run. It will even keep the source track for you.

I've never tried PAC on MP4 files so I am not sure if it will work on those files.

Derelict_Drvr

12-24-09, 03:25 AM

I know the WDTV Live will not downmix AAC 6 Channel. It also will not recognize DTS-MA or Dolby Tru-HD. Hopedully that will be fixed in a future firmware upgrade. Maybe not.

Lt. Dang

12-24-09, 07:24 AM

I know the WDTV Live will not downmix AAC 6 Channel. It also will not recognize DTS-MA or Dolby Tru-HD. Hopedully that will be fixed in a future firmware upgrade. Maybe not.

Did you mean the WDTV Live?

I ask because this is the "New" WDTV thread and Dolby Tru-HD has been confirmed as supported for the Live; are you saying it will not downmix it? Not sure if it will downmix 6 channel AAC either - has anyone tried this?

Also, I suppose that since the WDTV V2 now uses the same chipset as the WDTV Live it should have the same audio capabilities? I know it does have DTS downmix.

Regards,

Lt. Dang

set2374

12-24-09, 09:46 AM

Lt. Dang, I called up customer service for WD and they said the machine isn't capable of bitstreaming TrueHD (not that they necessarily know what they are talking about). I don't believe the Sigma 3665 chipset has the ability to bitstream DTS-HD MA, but theoretically it should be able to handle Truehd. Have you actually bitstreamed over DD TrueHD to your receiver through the WDTV? I tried to make it work over the weekedn, but my receiver played it as DD, not TrueHD. I could have screwed up on the rip, but I assumed it was an issue with the machine not being able to stream it over. I would think WD would make a big deal about the WDTV's ability to play TrueHD unless they don't want to pay for the license and it would only be an "unnofficial" capability.

set2374

12-24-09, 09:48 AM

[quote: anyone have a good way of converting 5.1 DTS, DD and AAC into stereo audio.....
i am kicking myself for not ripping both audio tracks.:quote]

I ran my WDTV (v2) into my TV and bipassed the AVR. I had no touble playing back DD/DTS (5.1) in stereo via HDMI.

Lt. Dang

12-24-09, 10:13 AM

Adidas4275

12-24-09, 11:31 AM

I use Popcorn Audio Converter (http://www.networkedmediatank.com/showthread.php?tid=20887) to downsample my DTS MKVs to AC3 Audio. Works perfectly for me. Just point it at a folder and press run. It will even keep the source track for you.

I've never tried PAC on MP4 files so I am not sure if it will work on those files.

found it late lastnight and it works great.....

now for mp4s :(

john251

12-24-09, 06:02 PM

Don't really mean to change the topic here, but I'm still not clear if downsampling DTS on the original WD TV is even possible if WD decided to add this on a upcoming (?) firmware update.

I've been very happy with my WD TV, but to be honest, don't like the fact that I'd have to buy new hardware all over again to get DTS downsampling..

any thoughts or info on this will be appreciated.

DigitalfreakNYC

12-26-09, 04:45 PM

Guys,

Got the new version for Christmas and it's absolutely fantastic!! Few questions:

1) Are there firmware upgrades for this that I should be checking into?

2) I have a couple of WMV files that I tried to play. The SD (low quality one) would play fine but the HD one wouldn't play and an error message came up that said it wouldn't be played. Anyone know what would prevent this?

3) I have an HD concert that was recorded off of UK tv. Each segment (between commercials) is separated and the audio plays on all. However, on the first few segments, the video will not play. It seems that they're all encoded the same (as TS). Anyone know why this would be?

THANKS! :)

Derelict_Drvr

12-26-09, 09:17 PM

1) Are there firmware upgrades for this that I should be checking into?

Here is the website for a FW update for WDTV HD v2 (model:WDBABF0000NBK):

http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/updates/?family=wdfwdtv_hd

Here is the update for Version 1 (model:WDAVN00):

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/wdtv/

2) I have a couple of WMV files that I tried to play. The SD (low quality one) would play fine but the HD one wouldn't play and an error message came up that said it wouldn't be played. Anyone know what would prevent this?

What WMV codec version are the files? WDTV HD will only play WMV9.

3) I have an HD concert that was recorded off of UK tv. Each segment (between commercials) is separated and the audio plays on all. However, on the first few segments, the video will not play. It seems that they're all encoded the same (as TS). Anyone know why this would be?

Use MediaInfo to check the files to see what is different about them (use the "text" option). You might post the results here so we can take a look too.

namyelus

12-27-09, 12:29 AM

hi

i just bought a wd tv hd media player the full 1080p hd and when i connect my western digital 1 tb external hard drive i can view all my movies and music etc. but when i try to play it it says "UNABLE TO PLAY THE SELECTED FILE. PLEASE REFER TO THE USER MANUAL ON HOW TO CHANGE THE FILE TO A SUPPORTED FORMAT"
and this is a ntfs formatted hard drive from my macbook the same movie i put in a fat32 formatted hd from the macbook but this time it plays i dont know what im doing wrong. i wanna use ntfs format cause i got some movies thats over 4 gb and fat 32 doesnt go over 4 gb. i looked everywhere online even their website but couldnt find anything can somebody please help me iv been wanting one of these thing for a long time and now i got it i cant use it properly. note that i have a macbook and the wd tv says that it supports fat 32 and ntfs thank you for your help in advance

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SOMEOME HELP ME when i got it i was really excited but not its frustrating i just wanna brake it

Derelict_Drvr

12-27-09, 06:46 AM

@namyelus-

I am not a Mac user so I don't know for sure, but doesn't a Mac not write to NTFS properly? You might try formatting your HDD to HFS+ and try again. Using a Mac to write to NTFS might be corrupting the file.

DigitalfreakNYC

12-27-09, 07:38 AM

@namyelus...

That's the same error i get with the one WMV file that I have.

What type of files do you have on there? Clearly something is wrong.

Is it possible that it's not playing back any PAL info? Just a thought. I tried changing it to PAL but it doesn't let you.

namyelus

12-27-09, 11:03 AM

@Derelict_Drvr

i used ntfs for mac program to change it to ntfs and it works cause when i hook it up to my windows 7 it works but if i do hfs+ then the windows doesnt read or write it. and the other thing is i got 3 external hard drives one of the are a fat 32 from mac wd tv reads it very well . the other one is a ntfs made from my windows i formatted again last night from my windows and still doesnt read it on wd tv i can see it but cant play and my last hd is ntfs made from mac and that doesnt work either i dont know whats wrong the same movie plays on a fat 32 but when i hook up my other 2ntfs hd's doesnt work i thought that wd tv supported ntfs and hfs+

@DigitalfreakNYC

i got so many files mkv's avi's mp4's and more.

taz420

12-27-09, 11:34 AM

sometimes if you play one file the is not playable on the WD all files you try to play after that will give the same error until you disconnect the power then reconnect. That may have been fixed with a firmware update but I'm not sure.

namyelus

12-27-09, 12:28 PM

hey guys i just change the format to HFS+ in mac now it plays files really good but i got another problem now

i got Public.Enemies.2009.1080p.BluRay.DTS.x264-WiKi.mkv

13.23 gb

it plays the video realy good but no sound do i need a codec if yes how do i do that thank you in advance

DigitalfreakNYC

12-27-09, 01:44 PM

What WMV codec version are the files? WDTV HD will only play WMV9.

Here's the info about the WMV file that it won't play:

General
Format : Matroska
File size : 238 MiB
Duration : 4mn 4s
Overall bit rate : 8 169 Kbps
Writing application : Lavf52.13.0
Writing library : Lavf52.13.0

Video
ID : 1
Format : VC-1
Codec ID : WMV3
Codec ID/Info : Windows Media Video 9
Codec ID/Hint : WMV3
Duration : 4mn 4s
Bit rate : 7 783 Kbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Resolution : 8 bits
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.125
Stream size : 227 MiB (95%)

Audio
ID : 2
Format : WMA
Format version : Version 2
Codec ID : 161
Codec ID/Info : Windows Media Audio
Duration : 4mn 4s
Bit rate : 224 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Resolution : 16 bits / 16 bits
Stream size : 6.54 MiB (3%)