My experience with two WDTV is similar to many other posted here :
unacceptable failure of audio performance at comes and goes , video stuttering etc. I have tested the mkv clips with VLC and I know the files are fine.
WDTV may be god's gifts to the hackers but I cannot take another hiccup, just too inconvenient.Let the buyer be aware:WDTV is not reliable like a SONY PS3 .
There is a Hualu blue ray player BDP 8201, capable of playing mkv with usb drive.When it is available, I think it should be the top player.

My experience with two WDTV is similar to many other posted here :
unacceptable failure of audio performance at comes and goes , video stuttering etc. I have tested the mkv clips with VLC and I know the files are fine.
WDTV may be god's gifts to the hackers but I cannot take another hiccup, just too inconvenient.Let the buyer be aware:WDTV is not reliable like a SONY PS3 .
There is a Hualu blue ray player BDP 8201, capable of playing mkv with usb drive.When it is available, I think it should be the top player.

Just because a computer will play a file, doesn't mean the file is good. There's a lot more processing power in a computer, my pc will play 1080p with 16 reframes and DTS-HD audio, but the WD won't even try. Mkv is just a container, the movie still has to be encoded to spec to play.

Well doesn't bother me any, played every single mkv I've tried and thats over a hundred. Not sure why you felt the need to start a thread on this.

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I haven't had a file that it hasn't played flawlessly yet.

Did you create them MKVs yourself, or just download bad copies from the 'net? All my MKVs play perfectly (I have over 100) and all in wonderful 5.1 DTS and AC3. Not one problem.

BTW comparing it to the PS3 is a joke as the PS3 will not even play HD MKVs.

My experience with two WDTV is similar to many other posted here :
unacceptable failure of audio performance at comes and goes , video stuttering etc. I have tested the mkv clips with VLC and I know the files are fine.
WDTV may be god's gifts to the hackers but I cannot take another hiccup, just too inconvenient.Let the buyer be aware:WDTV is not reliable like a SONY PS3 .
There is a Hualu blue ray player BDP 8201, capable of playing mkv with usb drive.When it is available, I think it should be the top player.

Sorry to hear you had such troubles. Mine (and other people who've posted in this thread) have has a completely different experience. All the files I've thrown at it have played fine. For me the WDTV is very reliable and for the price I've yet to see anything that can beat it. Different storkes for different folkes, I guess.

My experience with two WDTV is similar to many other posted here :
unacceptable failure of audio performance at comes and goes , video stuttering etc. I have tested the mkv clips with VLC and I know the files are fine.
WDTV may be god's gifts to the hackers but I cannot take another hiccup, just too inconvenient.Let the buyer be aware:WDTV is not reliable like a SONY PS3 .
There is a Hualu blue ray player BDP 8201, capable of playing mkv with usb drive.When it is available, I think it should be the top player.

If you are not happy with WD TV you can always consider the Egreat M34A... a little bit more expensive than WD TV ( 45€ more ) but will play all those files perfectly.

... but will play all those files perfectly.

Uhmm, is that a guarantee? Anyways OP, like someone else mentioned, what was the need to start another thread?

Uhmm, is that a guarantee? Anyways OP, like someone else mentioned, what was the need to start another thread?

Fell free to post here files that Popcorn Hour doesnt play... as the firmware between them are the same!

Fell free to post here files that Popcorn Hour doesnt play... as the firmware between them are the same!

Theres no such thing as a perfect player, so Im sure some stuff wont play on PCH or other NMT bases player.

However, imho a product's succes lies in having transparant and open communication with the users. So far, from what ive seen, WD has dropped some prefws for us to test, but never really replied on many of the bug reports and wanted features in here. Same goes for being open about what stuff theyre working on, whats possible and what not. Its too much "here have a new release, let us know how it goes, but dont expect any updates from our side and real interaction". sure, they put otu some nice things based on input from users.....but all in all its just too much in the dark. Once people start speculating on future support, on whether WD is even working on the device.....its time to step in and prove us wrong. since they havent done that, more and more users are either defending WD for their "great" support and updates, where others are more critical and demand more. I am one of the last bunch as you might have guessed already :)

I do like the player and it does have much potential, but i think WD has to really change their approach and attitude in order to avoid sales drops, which eventually stalls support. Especially since new players (ie egreat m34a) are already here and from first reports are whooping WD's ass.

Fell free to post here files that Popcorn Hour doesnt play... as the firmware between them are the same!

I actually know a guy who switched to WD TV-HD because the Popcornhour, which he also possesses, didn't play back certain files properly, which the WD TV-HD did.

I actually know a guy who switched to WD TV-HD because the Popcornhour, which he also possesses, didn't play back certain files properly, which the WD TV-HD did.

Can you tell me which files? I find that trully amaizing....

Can you tell me which files? I find that trully amaizing....

i find it full of corn too!

My experience with two WDTV is similar to many other posted here :
unacceptable failure of audio performance at comes and goes , video stuttering etc. I have tested the mkv clips with VLC and I know the files are fine.
WDTV may be god's gifts to the hackers but I cannot take another hiccup, just too inconvenient.Let the buyer be aware:WDTV is not reliable like a SONY PS3 .
There is a Hualu blue ray player BDP 8201, capable of playing mkv with usb drive.When it is available, I think it should be the top player.

from reading this post, i just get the assumption that you only have a fleeting concept of hardware and software specs. it's not a magic box; there are specific limitations to what it will and will not play dictated by many things, and if you feed it a file outside of those parameters, it would be foolish to believe that it would play them. more than likely, VLC won't show you the amount of reference frames that a file has. your computer has much more physical prowess than the WDTV does, so your assertion that your file is "fine" is a loaded term and negates your point entirely.

Can you tell me which files? I find that trully amaizing....

BR Rips, HDDVD Rips, even DVD Rips. The major problem for him was instability of the Popcornhour. But don't take my word for it, if you understand German, you can read the the whole thread in the official German Popcornhour / Syabas forum, and be even more amazed:

http://www.popcornforum.de/showthread.php?tid=6580

There is no such thing as the 'perfect' player, but some probably have to learn that the hard way.

Theres no such thing as a perfect player, so Im sure some stuff wont play on PCH or other NMT bases player.

However, imho a product's succes lies in having transparant and open communication with the users. So far, from what ive seen, WD has dropped some prefws for us to test, but never really replied on many of the bug reports and wanted features in here. Same goes for being open about what stuff theyre working on, whats possible and what not. Its too much "here have a new release, let us know how it goes, but dont expect any updates from our side and real interaction". sure, they put otu some nice things based on input from users.....but all in all its just too much in the dark. Once people start speculating on future support, on whether WD is even working on the device.....its time to step in and prove us wrong. since they havent done that, more and more users are either defending WD for their "great" support and updates, where others are more critical and demand more. I am one of the last bunch as you might have guessed already :)

I do like the player and it does have much potential, but i think WD has to really change their approach and attitude in order to avoid sales drops, which eventually stalls support. Especially since new players (ie egreat m34a) are already here and from first reports are whooping WD's ass.

We're beta testers, not beta developers. You talk like we work for WD and therefore should know everything that is going on in every meeting WD has about this player. Beta testing goes as follows, download firmware, try it out. If you find a bug that is reproducible then give enough info to reproduce the bug so that WD can reproduce the bug. Just saying it's broken doesn't help WD whatsoever. Once the bug is described there's no reason to keep mentioning it. The bug will be addressed depending on if there's a solution and how much time the solution will take to implement. No feedback needs to be given to the tester on the bug progress or feasibility since our role in the testing is complete.

It's only been 8 days since 1.02.07 went live. We all want stuff immediately but the reality is that things take time. The egreat m34a looks interesting but show me some links of the reports where it's whooping anything (promisses of DTS downmixing are just that, promisses)

-Mod

BR Rips, HDDVD Rips, even DVD Rips. The major problem for him was instability of the Popcornhour. But don't take my word for it, if you understand German, you can read the the whole thread in the official German Popcornhour / Syabas forum, and be even more amazed:

http://www.popcornforum.de/showthread.php?tid=6580

There is no such thing as the 'perfect' player, but some probably have to learn that the hard way.

And can WD TV play those files? Don´t forget I'm comparing the 2 devices...

If you are trying to say that WD TV is more compatible with files out there than Syabas, you are out of your mind, sir!

That thread is actually a comparison of both devices, and yes, the WDTV apparently can play back those files properly.

I never claimed what you are trying to put in my mouth now, just replied to your very broad generalisation that has no factual basis, sir.

It's only been 8 days since 1.02.07 went live. We all want stuff immediately but the reality is that things take time. The egreat m34a looks interesting but show me some links of the reports where it's whooping anything (promisses of DTS downmixing are just that, promisses)

-Mod

Sorry but in 4, 5 months the only thing that was resolved in terms of playback was SRT delay and improve of 23,976fps movies (not resolved yet...)... And that is not enough!

We're beta testers, not beta developers. You talk like we work for WD and therefore should know everything that is going on in every meeting WD has about this player. Beta testing goes as follows, download firmware, try it out. If you find a bug that is reproducible then give enough info to reproduce the bug so that WD can reproduce the bug. Just saying it's broken doesn't help WD whatsoever. Once the bug is described there's no reason to keep mentioning it. The bug will be addressed depending on if there's a solution and how much time the solution will take to implement. No feedback needs to be given to the tester on the bug progress or feasibility since our role in the testing is complete.

It's only been 8 days since 1.02.07 went live. We all want stuff immediately but the reality is that things take time. The egreat m34a looks interesting but show me some links of the reports where it's whooping anything (promisses of DTS downmixing are just that, promisses)

-Mod

By testing their stuff, we are working for WD :) The difference is that they get paid to work on this device, while we have to pay to work for WD :) This is exactly why they need to change the way they talk to us. I dont need to know everything they talk about, but it would be nice of they at least responded to issues (ie "thanks were looking into it")reported or questions asked a million times(ie "yes that can be done" or "no thats technically not possible"). Once they step into these forums they should know that. Otherwise, just release that stuff on the WD site and let some user here notify us. Do not come in here yourself, that calls for responses and much more interaction than just dropping a new fw now and then. imho ofcourse :) if you love WD and sleep with your WDTV, thats fine with me, but I am more critical and demand more support than this.

i dont care when the .07 was released or when the next one will be released. Its the way they are being released, a pre dumped as official? with all those bugs in it ? thats not the way to go i think. and indeed, what the heck have they been doing really ? fixing bugs that shouldnt have been there in the 1st place, adding features that should've been there in the first place (spindown anyone?), not fixing bugs that have been there from start (audio clipping, low output volume with ac3 to analog) and introducing new bugs that werent there before.

Really, this thing is still catching up with the, imo, premature release last year. they need to fix the bugs quick, then start implementing many more features and options to get it on par with other players, software wise.

say I cannot expect them to get involved and reply to stuff in here....OK sure. im fine with droppping a note, without them ever replying or anything,if i can see the effect of it in the next fw release. if people keep posting stuff without seeing things fixed, or even worse, more bugs being introduced...that doesnt stimulate to continue testing or even using this device. we put in our time to test this stuff, and we expect to see results and improvements in a speedy manner......(again im not talking about bugs so stupid any fool could have seen it coming before launch, like spindown or features like correct 23,97 playback which still isnt working ok)

they should have taken more time before launching this device....thats why people are moaning and demanding more now. they are getting tired of having to wait more and more until this thing is finally ready for uncompromised hd playback pleasure that they expect of this device, without having to go workaround bugs that werent in previous firmwares.

sure, in time all will be fine and dandy. if that isnt a wild guess then i dont know :) but other players in the same pricerange are emerging that seem to be giving what they need right now, and not somewhere this year....

Sorry but in 4, 5 months the only thing that was resolved in terms of playback was SRT delay and improve of 23,976fps movies (not resolved yet...)... And that is not enough!

Then bail dude, build an htpc, this thing does what I bought it for, so what you are stating is opinion.

Then bail dude, build an htpc, this thing does what I bought it for, so what you are stating is opinion.

This is a thread... is suposed to exist for people give their opinions... you dont like my opinion... then bail out boy!!!

Then bail dude, build an htpc, this thing does what I bought it for, so what you are stating is opinion.

does what YOU bought it for, thats fine for you then. I expect this thing to properly playback HD material, of which alot is in 23,97fps. Its after all a wd HD player, right? You're suggestion of getting an htpc because this thing doesnt do what its supposed to do is rather weird. its like saying, well you should buy a ferrari if you want it to drive, and not expect this volvo to drive, cuz thats just too much to ask :)

dont even get me started on the many other issues and missing features. basically, WD is trying to catch up to its premature release by dumping some preFWs on us with 3/4 things fixed/added which should have been fixed/available from start! just look at the release notes of NMT players, usually alot longer...WD is running out of time and theyre not up the pace needed. by now they should be able to focus on adding extra features, that make it unique opposed to other players and add support for more codes and combinations of those in containers and such. thats the only way to survive against other players, especially against the new egreat m34a, which benefits from a long history of updates and future proof support. WD is alone, closed source firmware....thats fine but they need to speed up and improve the software right now, in order to prevent sales drops, which eventually will stop support as a whole.


just my opinion, ofcourse ;)

Until another HD player comes out at $99, WD has nothing to worry about. The egreat m34 isn't in the same price category being about 60% more expensive. So it isn't apples to apples. Just my opinion.

I hope the egreat m34 works well for you and I am interested in reading about how it performs.

-Mod

Well I also bought it for HD content and its plays it flawlessly. I have about 100 mkvs never had an issue with them, other then converting dts.

They are mostly 720p and I dont use subs so that might be a big part.

Its 100 dollars so cheap. A couple months ago everyone was on here slagging off WD because there was no firmware releases for some time. Now they come on here releasing numerous firmwares trying to make people happy with all types of different issues.

Most people should read the limitations of the unit before they buy it then come on here and bitch that it doesn't play this or that.

If it said it would play the exact file you have and it wont then that is bunk and I would be mad too.

But just cause it says 1080p some people need to read a little deeper then that.

Until another HD player comes out at $99, WD has nothing to worry about. The egreat m34 isn't in the same price category being about 60% more expensive. So it isn't apples to apples. Just my opinion.

I hope the egreat m34 works well for you and I am interested in reading about how it performs.

-Mod

I agree with MrMod, it's hard to compare the WD TV and egreat.

Is the egreat even sold in stores, or is it just available online? If it's more expensive and obscure to the general public. I don't think it would be a threat to WD TV.

Which isn't necessarily a good thing, if WD had real competition in the form of another media player in the same price range ($100), that was available in stores like Best Buy and seen by the general public in their Saturday/Sunday ads they would have more motivation to improve their product.

Well I also bought it for HD content and its plays it flawlessly. I have about 100 mkvs never had an issue with them, other then converting dts.

They are mostly 720p and I dont use subs so that might be a big part.


Most of my file are 1080p, and almost all have subs and all play fine :) The only files I haven't been able to play are two that had DTS-HD, but once the core DTS track was extracted, they played perfectly.

well me like alot of people reading this garbage have no problems with any files on the wdtv, it seems that alot of people either need to reencode their movies, read directions, or just stick to their dvd or blueray player.

and have any of those whining about files not playing tried the wd software to convert them? and if so why not?


Includes free media conversion software - ArcSoft MediaConverter™ 2.5 -- a fast, easy-to-use application that converts photo, video, and music files into formats optimized for use on the WD TV HD Media Player.


i use handbrake and ripbot264, and have not had one file that will not play (dvd and blueray rips).

is there a reason you can't encode them to spec? or do you not have the orginal disc? if so why?


now for those thinking that wd should give us more feedback, get real, at least they do post on these forums, and respond (not a lot but they do).
or would you rather have them not get any input from us users and just not care? or hire someone just to chat with kids on forums all day?

get real and let them be, they have done a great job with this.

and p.s what else could you get for a $100 that works this good?

well me like alot of people reading this garbage have no problems with any files on the wdtv, it seems that alot of people either need to reencode their movies, read directions, or just stick to their dvd or blueray player.

and have any of those whining about files not playing tried the wd software to convert them? and if so why not?



i use handbrake and ripbot264, and have not had one file that will not play (dvd and blueray rips).

is there a reason you can't encode them to spec? or do you not have the orginal disc? if so why?


now for those thinking that wd should give us more feedback, get real, at least they do post on these forums, and respond (not a lot but they do).
or would you rather have them not get any input from us users and just not care? or hire someone just to chat with kids on forums all day?

get real and let them be, they have done a great job with this.

and p.s what else could you get for a $100 that works this good?

Very well said.

well me like alot of people reading this garbage have no problems with any files on the wdtv, it seems that alot of people either need to reencode their movies, read directions, or just stick to their dvd or blueray player.

and have any of those whining about files not playing tried the wd software to convert them? and if so why not?



i use handbrake and ripbot264, and have not had one file that will not play (dvd and blueray rips).

is there a reason you can't encode them to spec? or do you not have the orginal disc? if so why?


now for those thinking that wd should give us more feedback, get real, at least they do post on these forums, and respond (not a lot but they do).
or would you rather have them not get any input from us users and just not care? or hire someone just to chat with kids on forums all day?

get real and let them be, they have done a great job with this.

and p.s what else could you get for a $100 that works this good?

Very well said.

+1

Especially when you consider that this little gizmo probably doesn't even make up a single percent of their sales. Comparing the support to companies that all they do is make media players, and "middleware", I'd say they have done a pretty good job.

Then bail dude, build an htpc, this thing does what I bought it for, so what you are stating is opinion.

I love it, there are like a hundred WD threads and it's ok... but someone creates one that criticizes it and you get your panties in a bunch.

+1

Especially when you consider that this little gizmo probably doesn't even make up a single percent of their sales. Comparing the support to companies that all they do is make media players, and "middleware", I'd say they have done a pretty good job.

Yes, you are right compared to most companies they deserve praise...but compared to other companies they should step up to the game, if they want to continue its success. The new marketing model is all about interaction with the users, and more then just dropping a fw now and then.

Even if it is only 0.00005% of their sales, that shouldnt be a reason to let it drag on and on like this....also the argument that its only $99 is stupid...even its $9 then still i expect it to do what its advertised to do: playback (HD) video easily, easily for a standard user is NOT having to worry about converting subs to other formats or putting videos in different containers for them to work. Myself am capable of doing so...but I dont want to hassel with this stuff. it should just play the stuff. and , imho, right now it doesnt do that good enough. It might be better, but up until now more bugs are introduced alongside the "great new" features (which are not unique or special at all, but should've been there before launch).

Also, the m34a is not 60% more expensive ! in my case its only 25% more expensive and thus in the same price range.

like i said: if you're all so happy with WD doing their thing then fine. if you're ok with having to adjust you're previously working video's then fine. If you're ok with having to (re-)encode your video with the software included then fine. And if you know the specs for video files, then let me know cuz i havent seen any good documentation on that as well. How am i supposed to follow the specs then ?

Also, i said i would be ok if WD didnt drop anything at all....as long as bugs reported and features are being followed up upon, confirmed by WD (and not by all you guys basing that on faith).

finally, a ray of light: http://wdtv.uservoice.com ! c'mon all and let yourselves heard!

...even its $9 then still i expect it to do what its advertised to do: playback (HD) video easily, easily for a standard user is NOT having to worry about converting subs to other formats or putting videos in different containers for them to work.

And for the standard user, it *does*. For a small handful of users, of which you are one, it doesn't. However, as you are "capable of doing so" but choose to spend that time that you could be doing so here bitching and moaning speak volumes....not about the WDTV, I might add, but about you!

I haven't had to worry about converting subs to other formats or putting videos in different containers for them to work. Other users on these forums haven't had to either. Perhaps you need to look into how it is you are creating those files in the first place. Or is it that you aren't creating those files in the first place, in which case when you download pirated material you get what you pay for.


Also, the m34a is not 60% more expensive ! in my case its only 25% more expensive and thus in the same price range.


Um, 125 is not the same price range as 100. last I looked 125 > 100, unless mathematics has completely changed, 25% more is still 25% more.

And for the standard user, it *does*. For a small handful of users, of which you are one, it doesn't. However, as you are "capable of doing so" but choose to spend that time that you could be doing so here bitching and moaning speak volumes....not about the WDTV, I might add, but about you!

I haven't had to worry about converting subs to other formats or putting videos in different containers for them to work. Other users on these forums haven't had to either. Perhaps you need to look into how it is you are creating those files in the first place. Or is it that you aren't creating those files in the first place, in which case when you download pirated material you get what you pay for.



Um, 125 is not the same price range as 100. last I looked 125 > 100, unless mathematics has completely changed, 25% more is still 25% more.

blablabla.....another WD fanboy at word. if youre happy then fine, dont bitch on me about "bitching" let me have my opinion and you yours. Why are you even on here if all is fine and dandy? go play with your WD then :)

the fact that you dont encouter problems does not mean there arent any problems and how big the group is with those problems....man grow up open your eyes: WD needs to step up NOW and FAST or they will lose the race. crap man were all happy voting for DTS on the suddenly (desperately?) created voting site...while DTS will never happen. Why cuz it would cost about $20 for fee we didnt pay when we bought it. Also, if you want lan you need a usb stick at about $20/30..i guess both those make the WD and M34 in same price range.

[im not even talking about the stupid issues like audio clipping and screwed up black levels....]


25% is nothing compared to what you get for it! Lan, DTS, stable software and support...those alone are worth 25% or more. 25% more cash for 90% less troubles....well im sold!

blablabla.....well im sold!

Bye.

blablabla.....another WD fanboy at word.

blablabla another bitcher and moaner who has nothing better to do than bitch and moan.

the fact that you dont encouter problems does not mean there arent any problems and how big the group is with those problems....man grow up open your eyes:

I never said there were no problems, just that you are, from all indications, in the minority of experiencing the ones you were complaining about. Is the WD perfect? no, and no one has claimed otherwise. But then no device is perfect. The one that need to grow up and open his eyes, my friend, is you. You don't like the WD, that's fine. You've said your piece, time to move on. Go buy that 25% more expensive UNIT if you think it'll serve your needs better. But, judging by your posts so far, I will not be surprised to find you bitching and moaning about that one in a few weeks time when you discover that it too is not perfect.

Also, if you want lan you need a usb stick at about $20/30..i guess both those make the WD and M34 in same price range.

Yeah, *IF* you want lan. not everybody does - and for those that don't extra money spent on unneeded features is money wasted. Just because *you* want something does not mean everyone else wants the *same* thing. When you grow up, that is one lesson that you'll eventually learn.

the fact that you dont encouter problems does not mean there arent any problems and how big the group is with those problems....man grow up open your eyes: WD needs to step up NOW and FAST or they will lose the race. crap man were all happy voting for DTS on the suddenly (desperately?) created voting site...while DTS will never happen. Why cuz it would cost about $20 for fee we didnt pay when we bought it. Also, if you want lan you need a usb stick at about $20/30..i guess both those make the WD and M34 in same price range.

[im not even talking about the stupid issues like audio clipping and screwed up black levels....]


25% is nothing compared to what you get for it! Lan, DTS, stable software and support...those alone are worth 25% or more. 25% more cash for 90% less troubles....well im sold!


It sounds like you you've run into the culmination of the problems this device could possibly have. You need DTS, you need Wifi, you have problems with file playback, your black levels are screwed up, you have audio clipping, you're having to convert subtitles, you can't get good support, your software is not stable, you have an extra 25% burning a hole in your pocket. I think that pretty much sums up your complaints in this thread. :rolleyes:

You and a minority of other users have been very vocal in telling everyone how the device is failing you. If you are so unhappy with it then why not return the thing and buy what YOU feel is a good choice for you? I don't get why bitch about features that were never advertised (DTS downmixing) or file compatibility (which happens due to encoding being out of spec, WD is not resposible for your downloaded material). Sounds to me like you're rationalizing to us YOUR desire for a different unit... you don't have to, we get it. :D

As far as your: NOW and FAST comment to WD...lol. Until egreat or anyone else can put a unit on the shelves (uhmm like BestBuy, not a website in HK) at sub-$100 range than I don't think WD has to worry. As a matter of fact, I don't see how anyone not coming in with more features (downmixing or even lan) for the same price could dislodge the WD from its spot and if they did, great for us the consumers.

I love it, there are like a hundred WD threads and it's ok... but someone creates one that criticizes it and you get your panties in a bunch.
I'm sick of everybody crying on here. The thiing does what it says on the box for me. I've never seen a product where people though tthey could just demand and cry for all these new features. And when their demands aren't meant in the time they feel is good enough.

They want to go and bash the product, company, WD guy coming on here and actually getting feedback from the communitty.

How many other players in this section actually have reps posting here asking for bugs and releasing firmwares here??

Hey toolman2k10,

These guys here in this area of the AVS forum worship the WDTV. You wont get any sympathy from these faithful followers. These guys think it is the holy-grail of all things, plus it's even cheap. And I'm sure it IS a great box for a lot of college students who are tight and can't spend too much on entertainment, but there ARE some of us who know that this little box is purely an entry-level media streamer.

If you want a good media player, that gets good support, I personally like the SageTV HD Theater HD200. It has a standalone mode where it can see Samba/Windows network shares or play stuff off of USB, etc. You can view Google video, You Tube, connect it to a UPnP server with Playon installed and watch Hulu TV, or NetFlix streaming movies, or you can run it in SageTV extender mode in tandem with a SageTV server (like I prefer) and watch any content that your Server had recorded. You can also watch live TV streams, and select programs to record from the program guide all from the HD200. I love this box. Originally, I had some issues with it, but they were really on top of firmware updates and it works great now using the latest beta. It plays everything I've thrown at it so far. It will also play 1080p MT2S blueray now with full DTS-HD or True-HD audio pass-through (with digital receiver connect to optical), and it plays many other things like my AVCHD video from my camcorder too. I personally recommend this unit. It was only $200, so it is twice what the WDTV costs, but it much more of a unit in my opinion. I wouldn't even waste my time on the WDTV based on the limited feature-set and lack of network connectivity it offers, as it doesn't come close to meeting my personal demands. Go to forums.sagetv.com to learn more it. But if your on an extreme budget, you may want to just use the WDTV and do all the time-consuming hacks, and learn the nuts and bolts of encoding and proper protocol so you can make files that it can play. For me, I just like to turn it on and play whatever I already got without having to learn what's wrong with my file.

These guys here in this area of the AVS forum worship the WDTV. You wont get any sympathy from these faithful followers. These guys think it is the holy-grail of all things, plus it's even cheap. And I'm sure it IS a great box for a lot of college students who are tight and can't spend too much on entertainment, but there ARE some of us who know that this little box is purely an entry-level media streamer.

WD TV is not a media streamer. (I'm talking non-hacked firmware)

If you want a good media player, that gets good support, I personally like the SageTV HD Theater HD200. It has a standalone mode where it can see Samba/Windows network shares or play stuff off of USB, etc. You can view Google video, You Tube, connect it to a UPnP server with Playon installed and watch Hulu TV, or NetFlix streaming movies, or you can run it in SageTV extender mode in tandem with a SageTV server (like I prefer) and watch any content that your Server had recorded. You can also watch live TV streams, and select programs to record from the program guide all from the HD200. I love this box.

Sounds like the SageTV is your holy grail.

Originally, I had some issues with it, but they were really on top of firmware updates and it works great now using the latest beta. It plays everything I've thrown at it so far.

Sounds like what the WD TV will be in two years. The SageTV should work well after being out 2+ years.

It will also play 1080p MT2S blueray now with full DTS-HD or True-HD audio pass-through (with digital receiver connect to optical), and it plays many other things like my AVCHD video from my camcorder too. I personally recommend this unit. It was only $200, so it is twice what the WDTV costs, but it much more of a unit in my opinion. I wouldn't even waste my time on the WDTV based on the limited feature-set and lack of network connectivity it offers, as it doesn't come close to meeting my personal demands.

Costs more money and has more features, makes sense to me.

Go to forums.sagetv.com to learn more it. But if your on an extreme budget, you may want to just use the WDTV and do all the time-consuming hacks, and learn the nuts and bolts of encoding and proper protocol so you can make files that it can play. For me, I just like to turn it on and play whatever I already got without having to learn what's wrong with my file.

I highly doubt you just plugged it in and everything worked. I'm sure you spent many hours setting things up, and still do, getting your content staged for playback on the SageTV.

To each his own.

-Mod

Was I talking to you?

I highly doubt you just plugged it in and everything worked. I'm sure you spent many hours setting things up, and still do, getting your content staged for playback on the SageTV.

To each his own.

-Mod

By the way, I do nothing, other than let my server record my HD shows off of Dish Network ( look up R5000-HD mod ) and it records the native digital stream in its unencrypted form from the Dish broadcast, and I do nothing to the file for prep. They just work, whether it is an Mpeg2 channel or an h264 channel. And AnyDVD blueray rips to folders just play fine when you play the MT2S file that is the movie, with sound of course. No prep necessary. I can plop a blueray into the blueray player of the server, and AnyDVD can decrypt on-the-fly, and I can still watch that movie in 1080p right off the HD200 coming from the BD player as a stream. I can upload the raw AVCHD files off my camcorder directly to any folder on the server and browse to it on the HD200 and watch it. I can watch dvix, mkv, any mpeg4, wmv and anything else I browse to on the server. No staging necessary. I can even browse to live TV stream, or to program guide and browse shows for up to 2 weeks into the future and tell them to record on the server, all from the client. It was made to do this, yes.

To each his own is right. I was just offering another perspective to a guy who seems to be frustrated with the capabilities of the WDTV non-streaming device

To each his own is right. I was just offering another perspective to a guy who seems to be frustrated with the capabilities of the WDTV non-streaming device

You are comparing a product that's 200% more expensive and saying how much better it is... well I would sure hope so. Your statement about this device being for those that are on a tight budget is quite lame. Why should I spend an extra $100 for features I don't care about? But hey, OP, if you would like to be pretentious then this device right here gets you in the "know better" club for free. Giving your advice on an alternative player is one thing, stating things the way you did is another.

These guys here in this area of the AVS forum worship the WDTV. You wont get any sympathy from these faithful followers. These guys think it is the holy-grail of all things, plus it's even cheap.

If you want a good media player, that gets good support, I personally like the SageTV HD Theater HD200. .


Sounds like you worship your SageTV ;) My WD gets good support and is a good media player too btw. Also, it's no a matter of sympathy. He's coming here with a bag of complaints and a chip on his shoulder...what's there to sympathize with. Might as well have a "my downloaded 23,97fps media doesn't play correctly" thread where everyone can go and provide emotional support. Or maybe a "I wish WD HD TV had DTS downmix" support thread. :rolleyes:

You people are so very funny to read. If we were to believe 'ojosch' and 'toolman2k10', the eGreat and SageTV are perfect, there are no problems associated with them, it's already set up out of the box, all issues were resolved via personal phone calls from the respective support teams with 72 hrs of the problem's occurrence and they are super easy to operate even with your eyes closed. God I wish I was $100 richer and knew better... the possibilities!!

movie on m4v encoded with handbrake , all 3 soundtracks work fine on quicktime, english , Spanish , french.


Only one track available on WDTV ,

It will also play 1080p MT2S blueray now with full DTS-HD or True-HD audio pass-through (with digital receiver connect to optical)

Optical cables do not support DTS-HD, or TrueHD. Looks like it does the samething the WDTV does with DTS, passthrough.

Audio formats suppported: MP2, MP3, AAC, WMA, PCM, Vorbis (stereo only), AC3 (stereo down-mix/pass-through), FLAC, DTS (pass-through)

Until another HD player comes out at $99, WD has nothing to worry about. The egreat m34 isn't in the same price category being about 60% more expensive. So it isn't apples to apples. Just my opinion.

I hope the egreat m34 works well for you and I am interested in reading about how it performs.

-Mod

$79 refurb!
http://store.westerndigital.com/store/wdus/en_US/DisplayAccesoryProductDetailsPage/productID.126669700/categoryID.13096400/parid.13092700/catid.13096400
shipping.. 3 bucks

I am not completely cracking in a 100% negative way on WDTV. I may still just buy one to toy around with for kicks. But you guys are right, I am liking my SageTV box, as it's cheap and does an awful lot of cool stuff for the price. The main thing I never liked about the WDTV thing is it just doesn't do network. I suppose it would be good for a dentist office where they just play a video loop in the waiting room showing their before/after pictures or something? I'm sure it has it's place, but our world functions revolve around network nowadays. It's like buying a PDA that can't connect to the internet, it just isn't that versatile. You can spend a little more now and get an iPhone and do much much more and get a lot more out of it. I'm sure there's a place for WDTV, but for just $100 more you can have 20 times more features, and you can still unplug it from network and bring it camping with your USB stick and use it that way. Then when you get home, you can plug it in to your network again and do much much more. This is a case where, a little extra spent now can buy something that can do a lot more, longer, in the sense that it may have a better chance at not becoming obsolete for a longer time, since it has connectivity to the world. I don't know, it's all a matter of opinion I guess.

By the way, it's a 100% increase, not a 200% in price over the WDTV

And I don't know what that guy was talking about that mine doesn't do optical or something. It is pass-through, as I had stated, and it is optical pass-through, as I had stated. No, it does not down-convert True-HD or DTS-HD to analog L+R coaxial.

Hey toolman2k10,

These guys here in this area of the AVS forum worship the WDTV. You wont get any sympathy from these faithful followers. These guys think it is the holy-grail of all things, plus it's even cheap. And I'm sure it IS a great box for a lot of college students who are tight and can't spend too much on entertainment, but there ARE some of us who know that this little box is purely an entry-level media streamer.

This is what you people don't understand. Nobody is saying that the WDTV is the holy grail or that it doesn't have its issues. No box is perfect but the WDTV does what a lot of us want/expect it to do. Not everyone cares about having the box networked. Not everyone cares about DVD menus. Not everyone cares about being able to hook up an external DVD-ROM drive. To each their own. That's the beautiful thing about competition and price points. If I wanted more features and wanted to spend more than $100, then I would go out and buy a different box (as it sounds some of you should). It plays everything I've thrown at it just fine and is perfect for my needs. Is it going to suit everyone? No. Of course not. And everyone for the most part respects other people's opinions on here. It's when people constantly bitch and moan about things that people get annoyed. Seriously, if someone is that unhappy about a product wouldn't you think they would just get another product that suits them better instead of posting the same negative opinions over and over in every WDTV thread they can find? Some people just love to complain. When people express their opinions, positive or negative, nobody says anything about it. It's when people constantly complain, especially when other people try to help them with workarounds, that people are going to speak up and say something about it. I seriously would love to know what some of you expect from a company selling product. Do you constantly badger every company of every product you're not happy with? Why would/should there be "sympathy" for that?

And that's great that you like your SageTV. It looks/sounds like a pretty cool box. So why again are you posting in a WDTV thread? Just asking...

I suppose it would be good for a dentist office where they just play a video loop in the waiting room showing their before/after pictures or something?

You can spend a little more now and get an iPhone and do much much more and get a lot more out of it. I'm sure there's a place for WDTV, but for just $100 more you can have 20 times more features...

So yours is good for nerd types that spend hours on youtube, hulu and downloading torrents, nzb's and fiddling with firewall settings? Is that how the rest of us should classify you and your device?

Just how you don't see the use of a non-networked device, many of us don't see the use of those 20 times more features that you talk about. Especially for double the price. Is that really so hard to see?

Since you brought up the iPhone: I have a Touch Pro. Granted it doesn't have as many apps or features as the iPhone (and vice-versa), but I only pay $30/month for my plan. According to your logic, for a 20 times more features (uhm, apps in this case I guess) I should pay an additional $45/month just so I can say: Look, I have an iPhone, wanna see all the cool things it can do? Although really in the end it's costing me a thousand more over the life of the contract for "features" I'm doing fine without. ;)

And I don't know what that guy was talking about that mine doesn't do optical or something. It is pass-through, as I had stated, and it is optical pass-through, as I had stated. No, it does not down-convert True-HD or DTS-HD to analog L+R coaxial.

I didn't say the SageTV doesn't do optical, and I didn't say it down mixed it to stereo, I said that optical does not support DTS-HD, or TrueHD. If it (SageTV) does anything it it decodes them, and passes the core stream along to the receiver, but optical cables can't handle DTS-HD, or TrueHD only HDMI, or analog. The only difference between it and the WD in this respect is that the WD can't transcode DTS-HD/TrueHD streams to pass along the core, so it can't play files that have those types of streams.

Just how you don't see the use of a non-networked device, many of us don't see the use of those 20 times more features that you talk about. Especially for double the price. Is that really so hard to see?

+1

I still don't get how being able to watch some of the worst quality videos on the internet (youtube) is considered a "feature".

Like I said, a bunch of diehards

Like I said, a bunch of diehards

its funny to see al the replies :) i knew that would happen...dont feel bad, i know how it feels ;) just let them be and go enjoy your sage !

all our "bitching and moaning" resulted (i strongly believe) in a dedicated voting forum, set up by WD.This was not due to the "superior support" brought to us by WD inc. but because of us critical users, who neither worship or demonize the WD, but are just speaking out that things could and should be better. If everybody kept singing praises and defending WD's faults and slow support, I'm pretty sure the forum would not have happened.

its funny to see al the replies :) i knew that would happen...dont feel bad, i know how it feels ;) just let them be and go enjoy your sage !

all our "bitching and moaning" resulted (i strongly believe) in a dedicated voting forum, set up by WD.This was not due to the "superior support" brought to us by WD inc. but because of us critical users, who neither worship or demonize the WD, but are just speaking out that things could and should be better. If everybody kept singing praises and defending WD's faults and slow support, I'm pretty sure the forum would not have happened.

Like I said, a bunch of diehards

No one is defending WD, we're defending the product to be what WD adverstised and not what people want out of it. Bugs are being worked on, apparently not fast enough. Again, WHY don't you return the player and get one with the features YOU want?

Funny how the two of you pandered your wares, failed to properly make your points or reply coherently and yet claim victory. Even funnier how toolman2k10 feels that his bitchin got WD to "step up"... :D

Funny how the two of you pandered your wares, failed to properly make your points or reply coherently and yet claim victory. Even funnier how toolman2k10 feels that his bitchin got WD to "step up"... :D

Ineed, as I pointed out to the tool in another thread:
"I agree it's no coincidence that they put up such a forum at this time, I disagree however that it's a result of the bitchers and moaners. See, just before they put up that site, they made an official firmware release/milestone (the 01.02.xx fw) which means they are now in the planning stages for the next firmware release/milestone (the 01.03.xx fw). Since, as you say, they are a business and not a non-profit charity, they want to make their product as profitable as possible, which means giving their customers as much of what they want as they can manage (knowning, of course, that it's impossible to give them everything they want for various reasons - time, money, technical limitations, etc). To do that, they need some way to guage how much their customers want various features/improvements. While threads on forums like this are useful to a degree, they are also filled with a lot of useless noise. As a result they figured a different mechanism was needed, hence the new voting forum."

No one is defending WD, we're defending the product to be what WD adverstised and not what people want out of it. Bugs are being worked on, apparently not fast enough. Again, WHY don't you return the player and get one with the features YOU want?

Funny how the two of you pandered your wares, failed to properly make your points or reply coherently and yet claim victory. Even funnier how toolman2k10 feels that his bitchin got WD to "step up"... :D

You must be semi-delusional, because you completely misunderstood my stance on the matter. I never once implied that WD should be more than it is. First of all, if you read my first post on this string, you can see that I was addressing my original post to toolman2k10 and no other person. Then I went on to say that I'm sure WDTV is a great box for some people (and continued to hold this stance in further postings). I still believe it to be an adequate solution for some situations, and whomever wants it. Don't forget WD is in the primary business of selling storage, so they don't want it to have network connectivity. They want you to buy WD USB drives and plug into it for storage, and use it in the living room like a DVD player type appliance. Then I went on to express my personal opinions on what I think (this is the point of forums). I only stated about products that I prefer to use, and gave the reasons why feel this way. Sorry if you mistook that as meaning something other than what I had really said. Forums have many opinions and this is supposed to be a place where the reader can come to see many viewpoints come together into one place, to help him learn things that would be much harder to learn on his own. Simple logic really. It is up to the reader to sort out the 'noise'.

I never claimed any victory. I really don't care what anybody else does. It is your money. And I'm happy you enjoy your WDTV units. I just found it to be a little peculiar after reading a bunch of various postings in several strings and seeing so many other units out there, why people think the world of this little box. This doesn't make me hate it, or think no one should go buy it. If your happy with it, then who cares what I say about it. It is just a forum.

So again, sorry for any misunderstanding

Oh look... it's another WDTV thread where people are "whining" about people "whining"! :)

Oh look... it's another WDTV thread where people are "whining" about people "whining"! :)

Oh look... It's another thread with you "whining" about people "whining" about people "whining". Pot the kettles calling you black! ;)

Yeah, I'm just hoping people get the "hint"!

Since I started the discussion, let me clarify what happened.
I am just an average consumer, using mac for my pc need at home.
After I read this forum , I wanted to give wdtv a try to play video files instead of using my mac.
Although there were a few mentioning the audio problems happening to the dts files when played using optical connection, I never thought it would happen to me.
But i was wrong, my wdtv behaved just like what other people say, audio disappearing here and there.
I ordered the second wdtv from amazon. com, taking advantage of prime delivery.
The second unit was worse, simply no audio from the first minute.
Change machine ,using the same optical cable, sound came back.
Meanwhile, usb loading became a hiccuping problem with the first machine.
But i am still willing to try the third one, but amazon.com customer service replied that since two machines failed, it is unlikely that the third one would work.
So i published my decision of giving up wdtv because people also need to know negative experience, fair game.
Often I read reviews of products on amazon.com and always appreciate knowing there are alternative view.
Like i said wdtv is god's gift to hackers, but for me, I rather pay more for
reliability and able to enjoy my hard to have leisure time.

And I'm sure it IS a great box for a lot of college students who are tight and can't spend too much on entertainment, but there ARE some of us who know that this little box is purely an entry-level media streamer......................................

........ But if your on an extreme budget, you may want to just use the WDTV and do all the time-consuming hacks, and learn the nuts and bolts of encoding and proper protocol so you can make files that it can play. For me, I just like to turn it on and play whatever I already got without having to learn what's wrong with my file.

I'm not a college student, nor on a tight budget. I have a dedicated, bat cave, home theatre with a 9' screen; 1080p projector; 7.1 sound system; PS3 for playing blurays, etc. All I wanted was an HD media player, and that is what I got. It has played every HD file I've thrown at it. Even 16gb 1080p files have played perfectly. It even plays my HD video camera files, without having to re-encode - which my PC won't even do!

I've used a 1.5 TB drive, 500GB drive, and a 8GB flash drive with no problems.

DTS is no problem either because I have a receiver...and I read what it could/could not do before I bought it.

It is fantastic that there are alteratives out there for those that need extra features. This one does what is says it will do, and that's all I need.

Art

DTS is no problem either because I have a receiver...and I read what it could/could not do before I bought it.

Seems like a lot of people should have also done this before they bought it.

we are receiving feedback of Egreat M34A here in Portugal...

The bootup is slower

Image quality is worst than WD TV

Recognition of external disks is faster than WD TV

Menus are slower

Egreat seems to load all the ISOs

Since I started the discussion, let me clarify what happened.
I am just an average consumer, using mac for my pc need at home.
After I read this forum , I wanted to give wdtv a try to play video files instead of using my mac.
Although there were a few mentioning the audio problems happening to the dts files when played using optical connection, I never thought it would happen to me.
But i was wrong, my wdtv behaved just like what other people say, audio disappearing here and there.
I ordered the second wdtv from amazon. com, taking advantage of prime delivery.
The second unit was worse, simply no audio from the first minute.
Change machine ,using the same optical cable, sound came back.
Meanwhile, usb loading became a hiccuping problem with the first machine.
But i am still willing to try the third one, but amazon.com customer service replied that since two machines failed, it is unlikely that the third one would work.
So i published my decision of giving up wdtv because people also need to know negative experience, fair game.
Often I read reviews of products on amazon.com and always appreciate knowing there are alternative view.
Like i said wdtv is god's gift to hackers, but for me, I rather pay more for
reliability and able to enjoy my hard to have leisure time.

Is this one file, is this all your files, what type/s of file/s, what specs etc; did you upgrade to the latest FW? Just because the files play in VLC that doesn't mean anything. It sounds like the files you are trying to play are not within the specs of the device, it happens. There's a chance that a different (albeit more expensive) device may play the files. From what I've heard from other users in this forum, what you have is (are) 1080p files and maybe wtih DTS too...I seem to recall users reporting certain freezing and audio dropout on those files.

Why not hop on over to BestBuy, get you a unit (WD that is), update to latest FW and try again. If it still doesn't work then you have the choice to re-encode, re-download ;) or go with a different unit. Either way best of luck. :D

The bootup is slower
//as is with all other NMT players, is this only cold boot or or from standby ?

Image quality is worst than WD TV
//really? in what way is it worse? and how can that be, same chip and same SW as the PCH...or is the PCH also worse in this area ?

Recognition of external disks is faster than WD TV
//you mean indexing or seeing ? seeing is fast on my WD, indexing could be faster.

Menus are slower
//i knew it! reports telling its faster than WD seemed rather suspicous....since all NMTs are slow. How slow/fast is it compared to the PCH?

Egreat seems to load all the ISOs
// load? the WD loads all ISOs too:) do you mean it fully supports dvd menu's etc ?

The bootup is slower
//as is with all other NMT players, is this only cold boot or or from standby ?

I think from boot up.

Image quality is worst than WD TV
//really? in what way is it worse? and how can that be, same chip and same SW as the PCH...or is the PCH also worse in this area ?

Speaking of popcorn, I dont know... but the guy who posted that, had a WD TV and said the image in WD TV was way better. Maybe Syabas firmware dont process so much the movie so it can handle more demanding files... I really dont know. Or he is just speaking about the UI of Egreat...

Recognition of external disks is faster than WD TV
//you mean indexing or seeing ? seeing is fast on my WD, indexing could be faster.

My disks take 10 - 15 seconds to be operational in WD TV... pretty fast to me... but he said that Egreat was faster.

Menus are slower
//i knew it! reports telling its faster than WD seemed rather suspicous....since all NMTs are slow. How slow/fast is it compared to the PCH?

That I dont know... but for me I think the menus are as slower as Popcorn as the firmware is the same.

Egreat seems to load all the ISOs
// load? the WD loads all ISOs too:) do you mean it fully supports dvd menu's etc ?

Yes... i think he was speaking about compatibility... ISOs with more than one language or subs, etc... and menus I think...

not very clear info, but thanks anyway :)

first video of m34a in action:
http://avmania.zive.cz/Testy/eGreat-EG-M34A---maly-tichy-Popcorn-video/sc-20-a-1708/default.aspx

in czech though....but still looks pretty decent and fast for a NMT player!

does anyone know czech and know what hes saying ? is it good, he talks about popcorn and probably compares it .... im curious what he says.

More info:

Bootup is slower

Image quality is worst than WD TV in Divx and DVD ISO. WD TV has better upscalling.

More info:

Bootup is slower

Image quality is worst than WD TV in Divx and DVD ISO. WD TV has better upscalling.

thanks! i dont think this is m34a only. my guess is that all nmt based players have this, including the PCH. it uses the same chip and same software.

now im thinking of it....the WD uses the same chip! maybe the scaling is done by another chip than the sigma ? or is it the software that makes the difference (that would be surprise, that the relatively immature software of WD is better than the NMT/sayabas software, which has been around for like years and had many updates)

WDTV 2 announced, with lan:

http://www.homecinemachoice.com/blogs/team+hcc/western+digital+confirms+wdtv+version+2+adds+ethernet+sneake rnet+hit+08+05+09