Questions on DLink DSM-520

[ablevy]

The simple solution to the WMV files download is to use TVersity as the server.

Alan

[mchaney]

Originally Posted by ablevy

The simple solution to the WMV files download is to use TVersity as the server.

Alan

Does that mean WMP11 (which I'm using on Vista: didn't even install the D-link software) is to blame for my wmv9 files not having audio?

Mike

[k10ck3r]

Originally Posted by cbethke

I recently bought a DSM-520 a few weeks ago and have been fairly pleased with it so far. There are a couple of issues that I've run into and was wondering if anyone on this forum has seen anything similar.

3) Anyone know if D-Link is planning a firmware upgrade to fix the cover art problem. Currently I can only get cover art to show up if it's 200 x 200 or under even though D-Link's website states that the 520 will show 300 x 300 and anything larger will be scaled down to fit. I find that 200 x 200 cover art really looks bad when viewed on the TV and really cheapens what in my opinion is otherwise a pretty nice media player.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

#3 has been a problem for a while. Larger album art worked unreliably in earlier firmware builds (up to 500x500), but the supported size got reduced in 1.05. It was supposed to be fixed in 1.06, but for some reason, no one has seen any improvement (although att1234 claims that it is supposed to support 300x300). My guess is that the released version is different than the one he tested. Maybe a configuration management problem?

Anyway, the last I heard, he was going to check into it - but it has been a while and I haven't heard anything more on it.

[ablevy]

Originally Posted by mchaney

Does that mean WMP11 (which I'm using on Vista: didn't even install the D-link software) is to blame for my wmv9 files not having audio?

Mike

I never really looked into it. I've used TVersity for quite a while and noted that none of the other servers I have used plays the audio portion of the WMV files found on the Microsoft site. In fact, last night I was trying out the latest version of Twonky and it doesn't play the audio from these files. My guess is that TVersity is transcoding the audio to something supported by the DSM-520. The good news is that TVersity is free and will run on a service assuming you are using a PC to stream content. The bad news is that if you are using a NAS, the cpu in most NAS devices don't have the horse power to transcode.

Alan

[ablevy]

Originally Posted by MediaMall

Yes, MediaMall (the company that develped Active-TV) is working on adding Netflix Watch Now! to the DSM-520. There is still a bit more work to do, so it is a few months away, but will happen this year.

The MediaMall Team

Given that the Roku is out there already, it would seem to me that this should be a high priority for the Media Mall team. Furthermore, given the success Infrant had with using a beta forum to test the ReadyNas, and the similar success that Netgear has had with the EVA 8000 and it's beta forum, I would like to suggest that Media Mall start a beta forum to test the Netflix software out. I think it would generate a lot of interest in your software, and in the DLink.

Alan

[freddiefenster]

I've been trawling through all these posts trying to work out if the xvid issues I had with 1.04 are fixed. I notice aargh, poet_imp and cdrsteve all seem to report issues. But is it widespread?

I get a lot of my video from torrent sites and I remember when I was on 1.04 xvid issues were driving me mad. Can you confirm if 1.06 is any better or is 1.02 still a better experience? It's pretty much flawless in 1.02. For me video playback is of primary importance, I can live without active-tv and the FF/resume features and don't playback pictures or music. I'm using WMP as my server.

In my attempt to downgrade to 1.02 (July last year) I actually bricked the box, but was fortunate enough to get a replacement (it was within the warranty) when I pleaded ignorance and said the box no longer powered on. So I don't want to go through that process again if it's just not worth it. Should I just stay put on 1.02?

Thanks

[cdrsteve]

Originally Posted by freddiefenster

I've been trawling through all these posts trying to work out if the xvid issues I had with 1.04 are fixed. I notice aargh, poet_imp and cdrsteve all seem to report issues. But is it widespread?

I get a lot of my video from torrent sites and I remember when I was on 1.04 xvid issues were driving me mad. Can you confirm if 1.06 is any better or is 1.02 still a better experience? It's pretty much flawless in 1.02. For me video playback is of primary importance, I can live without active-tv and the FF/resume features and don't playback pictures or music. I'm using WMP as my server.

In my attempt to downgrade to 1.02 (July last year) I actually bricked the box, but was fortunate enough to get a replacement (it was within the warranty) when I pleaded ignorance and said the box no longer powered on. So I don't want to go through that process again if it's just not worth it. Should I just stay put on 1.02?

Thanks

V1.06 still remains problematic for me when playing many of my avi's. My work around is that only one of my three 520's is running V1.06 with the other two still running the ever-faithful V1.02. I have recently added a NMT Popcorn Hour to my army of media tools and so far it plays almost everything I throw at it though it is really still in its infancy and undergoing a very active firmware upgrade program. I still love my 520's but wish D-LINK would get serious and fix its shortcomings.......but I suspect there is not much hope for that after all this time.

[as400jockey]

At risk of beating a dead horse, I want to dust off an old topic.

DVR-MS on the DSM-520.

I bought my DSM-520 almost a year ago because the marketing literature claimed (and still does, by the way) to support DVR-MS files. It doesn't. Never has. Maybe never will. The picture comes up initially... the audio is all choppy. The audio comes up initially but instantly gets out of sync with the picture and gets progressively farther behind the picture. Instead of "HELLO, WORLD", what I hear is "H|E|L||L|||O|||| W||||O|||||R||||L||||||D", where each | is an annoying ticking noise. The whole mess slows down more and more until it just croaks. Within about 30 seconds, typically.

I have tested wireless and wired. 100MB and 1GB ethernet. Network served files and USB stick. All the same. All chopped audio, all slows and drags to a halt. I have used different hardware, software and tv card platforms to record the dvr-ms files. No dice.

I bought the thing specifically for this reason - to play DVR-MS files. I had a DSM-320 which had it's own problems (which the DSM 520 fixed) but the 320 couldn't do DVR-MS and never will. So I thought the 520 would do it.

I have gone back and forth with Dlink support at least half a dozen times on this issue. I have been told time and time again that they're working on it. I have gone through several firmware updates since then, the most recent being a couple weeks ago.

Still no joy.

My last rant to Dlink support (about a week ago) ended in a promise for the lead support person for DSM520 to call me back. You know the saying - when the phone don't ring...

I have sent Dlink several sample little dvr-ms files from MCE 2005 and also Vista Ultimate, at all three resolutions. None of them play on my DSM520. The most informative response I've gotten from Dlink on this was "yep... you're right... they don't work..."

So I'm right. Good for me.

I've used servers on win2k server and xp, I've used the dlink server software (both v1.09 and 1.10), Tversity (both delivering 'native' dvr-ms and 'transcode on the fly'), Twonky (won't stream dvr-ms), and Windows Media Player (streams native dvr-ms).

Only Tversity works because it does the transcode on the fly. But the PC drags to do the transcode, and ff/rew don't work real well in a transcoded stream. And my PC starts glowing red from all the work to transcode.

None of the platforms / server software solutions that feed native dvr-ms work properly.

I have tested the heck out of this thing with as many permutations as I can think of. I have spent hours on this thing. All I get out of Dlink support is "well... it plays SOME dvr-ms files and not others". Well I have yet to find a single dvr-ms file that it WILL play. And with the recent arrival of Vista SP1, I tried again, just for giggles.

Nope. Not gonna do it...

I'm fuming over this. I spent $200 for a device that, since July 2007, has served merely as a dust cover for my DVD player. I realize that it can do lots of other things, but _I_ bought it to play the TV shows I've been recording on my Media Center PC.

If I bought something that said "toaster" on the box, I'd expect it to make toast. If it turns out that it doesn't make toast, I would have expected the manufacturer _at some point_ to at least take the "makes toast" claim off of the box. Dlink hasn't fixed it to make toast, nor have they stopped claiming that it's a toaster.

I thank all of the sympathetic eyes that have read through my rant.

Anyway... I am hoping that someone on this list has some more hopeful information for me. All... I.... want.... is.... for.... the.... thing.... to.... do.... what.... it.... says.... .

Has ANYONE been able to play DVR-MS files on the DSM-520 using the dlink-supplied server software? If so, can you tell me what the config of the MCE computer looks like?

Does anyone have some advice beyond what I've already tried (please please please don't anyone mention Nero Recode... ugh)???

[wmorgan]

Download VLC and you should be able to extract the audio and video streams then remux them into another container. Something like this should do it:

vlc <inputfile> --play-and-exit --sout "#standard{access=file,mux=ps,dst=<outputfile>}"

You can probably do it through the GUI as well.

[Laserfan]

Originally Posted by as400jockey

DVR-MS on the DSM-520.

What is the source of your DVR-MS files? If they're OTA recordings e.g. transport streams originally, why are you converting these w/TVersity or MCE or whatever. Why not use instead the original format?

Honestly I don't know DVR-MS files, but the chipset in the DSM-520 supports WMV, not "DVR-MS" whatever that is. I'm not arguing if the DLink lit sez it's supposed to support it, but sometimes in life if you find yourself beating your head against a wall, then you should consider stopping...

If you can't cap in a DSM-520 friendly-er format, maybe you should edit w/something like VideoReDo that can output as mpg.

[fccgrant]

Originally Posted by Laserfan

Honestly I don't know DVR-MS files, but the chipset in the DSM-520 supports WMV, not "DVR-MS" whatever that is.

I understand his rant. Look...if you spend $200 for a device that states that it plays DVR-MS files you want it to work as advertised. The data sheet found on D-Link's own website states that the format is supported.

Re-encoding files from one format to another is not a joy, either. Depending on the format it could take twice as long as the original runtime of the video.

[wmorgan]

If you paid $200 for a DSM-520 recently you got hosed!

[fccgrant]

Actually...I don't know the going rate for a DSM-520 these days. I paid $200 about 2 years ago.

[Laserfan]

Originally Posted by fccgrant

I understand his rant... Re-encoding files from one format to another is not a joy, either. Depending on the format it could take twice as long as the original runtime of the video.

My point was that it seems unlikely to me that his video STARTS AS (is recorded as) DVR-MS so why use that in the first place?

I didn't see his original recording mechanism--maybe I missed it?

For example, I have an HD HomeRun and my software is GB-PVR. GB-PVR defaults to DVR-MS format, but I've changed that to just cap the original Transport Streams from the HDHR. These will play directly on the 520.

[as400jockey]

Originally Posted by Laserfan

What is the source of your DVR-MS files? If they're OTA recordings e.g. transport streams originally, why are you converting these w/TVersity or MCE or whatever. Why not use instead the original format?

Honestly I don't know DVR-MS files, but the chipset in the DSM-520 supports WMV, not "DVR-MS" whatever that is. I'm not arguing if the DLink lit sez it's supposed to support it, but sometimes in life if you find yourself beating your head against a wall, then you should consider stopping...

If you can't cap in a DSM-520 friendly-er format, maybe you should edit w/something like VideoReDo that can output as mpg.

My dvr-ms files came from Windows Media Center 2005 and also Vista Ultimate (aka Vista Media Center). As vanilla as it gets. And they don't work...

[aldamon]

Originally Posted by fccgrant

Actually...I don't know the going rate for a DSM-520 these days. I paid $200 about 2 years ago.

I just sold mine for $150 shipped on Ebay.

[fccgrant]

Originally Posted by aldamon

I just sold mine for $150 shipped on Ebay.

Congrts...that's the pricing over at Best Buy online. Are you using a different box now?

[aldamon]

Originally Posted by fccgrant

Congrts...that's the pricing over at Best Buy online. Are you using a different box now?

With the latest firmware, my PS3 does an excellent job with XVID/DIVX and it obviously plays music very well as well. Sony really dragged its feat with XVID/DIVX support, so I am grateful I had the 520, but don't really miss it.

I also have an ASUS EEE hooked up to my receiver so I can play music off of my file server without turning on the power hogging PS3/RPTV. The lack of a secondary screen (along with all of the unaddressed firmware quirks on the 520) has bugged me for a long time.

[mittyjing]

Originally Posted by freddiefenster

I've been trawling through all these posts trying to work out if the xvid issues I had with 1.04 are fixed. I notice aargh, poet_imp and cdrsteve all seem to report issues. But is it widespread?

I get a lot of my video from torrent sites and I remember when I was on 1.04 xvid issues were driving me mad. Can you confirm if 1.06 is any better or is 1.02 still a better experience? It's pretty much flawless in 1.02. For me video playback is of primary importance, I can live without active-tv and the FF/resume features and don't playback pictures or music. I'm using WMP as my server.

In my attempt to downgrade to 1.02 (July last year) I actually bricked the box, but was fortunate enough to get a replacement (it was within the warranty) when I pleaded ignorance and said the box no longer powered on. So I don't want to go through that process again if it's just not worth it. Should I just stay put on 1.02?

Thanks

i've been using the dlink for about 2 years. what i find is the big problem with xvid is when the files are encoded with VBR MP3 as opposed to CBR MP3.
What i have been doing is reencoding the avi with virtualdub. (it takes about 1 mintue for a 30 minute show.

For some reason the 520 hates VBR. it will run fine on the pc but not the 520 with 1.06 firmware.

i've also tried the dlink software, wmp11, orb and tversity. they all do the same. i stuck with tversity because of the number of containers and i can stream to my wii.

PS - in some cases i have to do a fast recompress in vdub with some videos that use the older xvid codec to fix sync problems as well. if all else fails, i change the interleave to make it work.

[mittyjing]

Originally Posted by as400jockey

My dvr-ms files came from Windows Media Center 2005 and also Vista Ultimate (aka Vista Media Center). As vanilla as it gets. And they don't work...

i totally gave up on the DVR-MS container on the 520. i downloaded DVRMSToolbox. it translates it to an mpg file. then i use virtualdubmpeg to translate the mpg into xvid. it's work but i'm pretty happy with the results.

[skingery]

Originally Posted by as400jockey

My dvr-ms files came from Windows Media Center 2005 and also Vista Ultimate (aka Vista Media Center). As vanilla as it gets. And they don't work...

Yep. Dvr-ms does not work. Actually I don't know why they ever said it did. It wasn't an original feature, only added a few firmwares ago. Don't even think about playing HD dvr-ms files.

I have an automated process that uses VideoRedo to do a quick save to of the dvr-ms file to mpeg2. One wonderful thing about the 520 is that it plays 1080i HD with no problems (at least, none over the wired port. I took wireless out of the mix long ago when trying to troubleshoot other issues)

[Yahman]

Has anyone heard anything about the next software release? 1.07?

[aagha]

Originally Posted by cdrsteve

V1.06 still remains problematic for me when playing many of my avi's. My work around is that only one of my three 520's is running V1.06 with the other two still running the ever-faithful V1.02. I have recently added a NMT Popcorn Hour to my army of media tools and so far it plays almost everything I throw at it though it is really still in its infancy and undergoing a very active firmware upgrade program. I still love my 520's but wish D-LINK would get serious and fix its shortcomings.......but I suspect there is not much hope for that after all this time.

I'm fascinated by the NMT Popcorn Hour--I just checked it out based on yoru post. How do you like it?!

One big thing for me is that it plays MKV--I see a lot of torrents posted that are 720p and only come in MKV.

Have you (or anyone else for that matter), gotten MKV to play on the DSM-520?

[wmorgan]

mkv does not and probably will not ever play on the 520

[aagha]

Originally Posted by wmorgan

mkv does not and probably will not ever play on the 520

Anyone know how to convert mkv to play on the DSM-520?

[misfit410]

Originally Posted by aagha

Anyone know how to convert mkv to play on the DSM-520?

I have been successful with the Vista version of Windows Movie Maker converting them to HD-WMV, They look exactly the same and are the same file size.

[Yahman]

Originally Posted by aagha

Anyone know how to convert mkv to play on the DSM-520?

I've been converting them with avidemux to xvid files. They play with no problems.

[snowbdr1]

Not sure if this is the right place for this a question on Active-Tv install for use with my
DSM-520.. but here goes..
I'm trying to install the Active-Tv sw on my Pc running Windows Vista SP1.
The Active-Tvsetup2.57.3034 program complains that I don't have enough memory and
fails. It recommends at least 512Mb on the system. I have 1Gb of memory on my pc.
Has anyone seen this type of install failure? Is there anything I can change on on windows to make it install OK? Thanks.... jimb..

[chenrikson]

Contact MediaMall for support (they write the program). MM has the best support in the universe and they will fix your problem. My system works fine with 1Gb, tho 2 might be better . Yours should work.

Craig

[ablevy]

I may be wrong about this but I thought ActiveTV doesn't support Vista.

Alan