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#1 ·
#1,405 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ive /forum/post/21730088


Don't bother using streamer software (Tversity, Playon, etc.) and just use network shares since the WD SMP plays just about everything natively without the need for transcoding. If you are having problems with sharing out your media folders, first thing I'd start is to make sure your Windows (asming you're using Windows) Workgroup names are the same. If they are, then check your folder permissions in addition to them being actively shared on the network. I (like I think most everyone here) plays off a NAS/PC Share and few are actually playing all the time via local storage.




So it turns out one of the laptops in our house was stuck on Homegroup mode and took over as master browser on our LAN. Went and changed my Media-stored PC as the master browser and the shares finally came alive and showed up on the SMP. Re-updated to 1.07.15 and everything is holding together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by WDFan1970 /forum/post/21730179


Probably not.. You've probably got some fundamental problem somewhere in your setup... Everything you described works fine for me...


DLNA is working fine for me with PlayOn (from a Win7 box), Twonky (from two WD MBLs) and Access DLNA servers (MBL Duo)...


Everything I play is on networked media scattered around 20TB of NAS on four different servers...


It all just works out of the box, so to speak...

Thanks for the reassurance that it should work. I played around with it a bit more and the problem was a bit simpler than this. I had password protected sharing set to "on" and I needed to set up a guest on the shared folders. I still can't get Playon to work though. I have a few months to figure that one out since I only use it for ESPN3 during college football season.
 
#1,406 ·
Is anyone else noticing corrupted videos on Netflix

I updated and first thing I get is a corrupted looking video on Netflix. This only lasted for less than 10 secs and went away as frames got updated. Came back some time later too.


Ill have to try watching more videos, see if it was a network fluke.
 
#1,408 ·
any tips for diagnosing my streaming issues after the 1.07 upgrade?


everything was working well for the most part prior, updated to 1.07 and now even avi's, xvids and iso's are lagging, stuttering, audio dropping out, etc. did a partial reset (saved online account info), reconnected to shares, etc. reset routers, switches, etc. power cycled smp, no love. forget about high bitrate files, they won't even start now.


not sure what else do to. considering rolling back if i can find the old firmware.


this is getting pretty frustrating. what kills me is that tony over on the WDC thread has clearly illustrated a networking issue (been posted for at least a couple months now) and there's been no progress or updates. it's currently still listed as "investigating". i'm no engineer, but i would think that that post is the root of many of the issues/complaints surrounding audio dropouts, stuttering, lockups, etc.


any advice is appreciated.
 
#1,413 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by WDFan1970 /forum/post/21741462


You might... Especially if it doesn't support HDCP.


But then again, if you're not using the premium services on that box, it will probably be OK since HDCP isn't used anywhere else.

you're talking netflix, hulu, etc? I would love to use those. DVI supports HDCP, no? Or will it lose all that through "conversion" ?
 
#1,414 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by theslydog /forum/post/21730362


This new firmware does a geo check when updating. If you run it through a VPN connected to a UK server it will install the UK firmware and have BBC iplayer in it but of course you lose Netflix etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WDFan1970 /forum/post/21731674


The firmware is identical across all regions. The GeoLocation check only determines which icons to show in the SERVICES screen on bootup.

That is what I meant. Before it just used to check the version model number, this firmware does a Geo check. It would not be surprising if in a future firmware it does both.
 
#1,417 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by msgohan /forum/post/21431940


The WD TV Live's 1080p Netflix resolution is a little worse than on the Roku 2 or PS3, because it crops 1 pixel each from two sides of the image, then resizes to fill.


[...]


I've described the steps to see the cropping on the Issues site . If you also see the problem, upvotes would be appreciated.

This has been fixed. So far the most recent firmware update has been good to me.
 
#1,418 ·
i have a question regarding this old post. what if one were to purchase a 2nd wireless router, say something like the new Asus RT-N66U (dual band, 3 radios) and set it up in conjunction with an existing router. use one of the two like an AP and connect ONLY the SMP and any other N clients to it? then connect all other B/G clients to the 2nd router's SSID. does this eliminate any of the issues associated with older wireless clients acting as boat anchors? or does it not matter simply due to proximity and RF? my powerline adapters work about 70% of the time and i'm trying to figure out another solution. they're just simply not reliable in my home. unfortunately i am unable to run a cat5e home run back to the wiring closet and the only data connection in the bedroom is unfortunately behind the bed. any advice is appreciated.

Quote:
Originally Posted by WDFan1970 /forum/post/21418933


When 40 MHz channels are used in 802.11n at 2.4GHz, 82% of the legal spectrum is allocated to that "One" channel. That means there's an 82% likelihood that your neighbors will be interfering with you...whether they're using 40MHz or 20MHz.


So basically, if YOU are using 40MHz channels, and your neighbors have WiFi of *ANY* sort in the 2.4GHz band, 82% chance they will interfere with yours.


2.4 GHz has only THREE channels that are considered "Non Overlapping." In reality, there is a LITTLE overlap. The channels are 1, 6, and 11.


Channel 1 overlaps with channels 1 thru 3.

Channel 6 overlaps with channels 4 thru 8.

Channel 11 overlaps with channels 9 thru 13.


If you use 40 MHz channels, then Channel 5 overlaps with channels 1 thru 7, and channel 9 overlaps with channels 3 thru 11. See? No matter WHICH channel you use, they overlap the others with an 82% likelihood.


This is based on United States frequency allocation. Other "regulatory domains" have different results.


So basically, 40 MHz channels are a HUGELY TERRIBLE thing to do in a "Shared" space. Only if you live out in the forest, or roughly 500 feet from the nearest neighbor, will you EVER get a clean spectrum. And if your city has Municipal Wifi: It's ALL OVER.


If your boxes do NOT have an Auto channel-width, then you are far better off using 20 MHz channels.


If you are using *ANY* 802.11b/g devices, you're better off leaving your max throughput set to 54Mbit / second, because there's VERY LITTLE advantage to having 802.11n in "Mixed Mode" with other devices.


All of these things I'm describing are generally called "Coexistence Problems." And it's a major limitation of WiFi. But it's NECESSARY to guarantee interoperability with older devices. The presence of so much as ONE 802.11b client in an 802.11b/g network slows performance dramatically. The presence of ONE 802.11 b or g device in a 802.11n network severely limits performance.


It's just the way it is.


Read the "Backward Compatibility" section of this wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/802.11n


to see more.


That's why WD stresses in the user manual: "The recommended setting on Wireless N routers is 802.11n-only..." because they know that "Mixed Mode" destroys high-throughput WiFi capabilities.
 
#1,419 ·
disregard. i think i found an outlet that is providing a stable 80Mbps+ connection now with the pair of powerline av adapters. time will tell. still interested in that new Asus RT-N66U for my primary though.
 
#1,420 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by billymac /forum/post/21760382


disregard. i think i found an outlet that is providing a stable 80Mbps+ connection now with the pair of powerline av adapters. time will tell. still interested in that new Asus RT-N66U for my primary though.

Im interested on that router as well. Im trying to get a second router to make my wirelesssignal stronger and have more outlets for othee devices.
 
#1,421 ·
Love my WDTV! It's been error-free since I brought it last year.


I did have a question though:


Is there a way to hide or move XML/metathumb files that are auto generated? All of my videos are at the root of the WDTV. Is there a way to:


A) Ask WDTV to move these files to a separate folder?


B) Hide these files from Windows 7's explorer so that it happens automatically?
 
#1,422 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by GusGus748s /forum/post/21760643


Im interested on that router as well. Im trying to get a second router to make my wirelesssignal stronger and have more outlets for othee devices.

it looks like a decent router and like that it's dual band simultaneous. i want it if for nothing more than to get my older G clients on their own band or SSID. i'm also curious if the "smartbeam" technology actually works, or if it's marketing flub. likely the latter.


lou, i'm curious on your post as well, hopefully someone will chime in. i'm doubtful that it is possible though without moving them to their own folder outside of the share/media library, which only means you'd just have to navigate to them through the shares menu versus the video/media library buttons.
 
#1,423 ·
billymac & GusGus 748s,


The problem with just getting another router, even a great one like the Asus that you mention, is that your wireless signal streaming will only be as fast as your weakest link. Although the WD SMP supports wireless N, it is only in the 2.4GHz range (single band radio). It is a VERY crowded chunk of spectrum and as such, would not see the throughput benefit of the Asus dual-band router that supports the better 5GHz spectrum. If your original router supported wireless N at 5GHz, then you could bridge the Asus and hardware the WD SMP to the Asus and get the better wireless performance. It looks however that you (billymac) are solving your transmission issues with your powerline adapter though so this may be moot.



Regarding the placement of xml/metadata files imposed by the WD Live as inquired by lou99, I too (or third) would like to know if this is possible. When I ran XBMC on a different box, I loved how it stored all that metadata/art info in a separate folder, keeping the folder(s) with the actual media clean and organized the way I wanted it. Perhaps if not currently possible, would be a good candidate for suggestion into future firmware .
 
#1,424 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ive /forum/post/21760935


billymac & GusGus 748s,


The problem with just getting another router, even a great one like the Asus that you mention, is that your wireless signal streaming will only be as fast as your weakest link. Although the WD SMP supports wireless N, it is only in the 2.4GHz range (single band radio). It is a VERY crowded chunk of spectrum and as such, would not see the throughput benefit of the Asus dual-band router that supports the better 5GHz spectrum. If your original router supported wireless N at 5GHz, then you could bridge the Asus and hardware the WD SMP to the Asus and get the better wireless performance. It looks however that you (billymac) are solving your transmission issues with your powerline adapter though so this may be moot.



Regarding the placement of xml/metadata files imposed by the WD Live as inquired by lou99, I too (or third) would like to know if this is possible. When I ran XBMC on a different box, I loved how it stored all that metadata/art info in a separate folder, keeping the folder(s) with the actual media clean and organized the way I wanted it. Perhaps if not currently possible, would be a good candidate for suggestion into future firmware .

thanks, but am i wrong to think that if put all my legacy wifi clients on the current 2.4GHz single band router on a seperate SSID and channel and all my 5GHz capable clients on the new ASUS at 5GHz that I eliminate the boat anchor issue? i have no need now to stream to the SMP via wi-fi since the powerline issue appears to be resolved and is stable. i did quite a bit of reading yesterday and unless i'm missing something, as long as i keep the asus at 5GHZ only, the netgear at 2.4 and use two different SSID's and channels 5GHz bandwith should work as intended. right?


we're loving the SMP here. there are still a few bugs, but now that the bandwith issue appears to be resolved, i'm a happy camper.
 
#1,425 ·
That's correct - the more devices you get off of the 2.4GHz band, the lighter that "boat anchor" will be if you use the 2nd router in 5GHz mode only.


I suppose my comments were a bit broad and I just wanted to make clear to others that getting a 5GHz-capable router will not change the 2.4GHz channel contraints and limitation of the WD Live SMP in wireless mode (again, not a problem for you anymore).
 
#1,427 ·
I'm trying to understand this whole 802.11b/g/n thing. There's my situation:


I currently have a Verizon FIOS router that is 801.11b/g only. Pretty useless for WIFIing to the SMP. I am using power line adapters for connections but due to old house wiring syndrome have been getting less that optimal results.


I'm thinking about getting a cheap 2.4ghz router to stream to the SMP. I can get a refurbished router for $25 from Mediabridge . It doesn't have an 802.11n only mode. Am I correct in assuming that as long as I only use it with the SMP or other 11n clients that I will get the full N speed? That is what its manual seems to say. Am I missing anything?


Right now I'm hitting a brick wall when trying to stream HD movie files larger than about 4GB. I'm hoping to improve that without having to wire my house.


Dan
 
#1,428 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by MaidenUSA /forum/post/21731936


Thanks for the reassurance that it should work. I played around with it a bit more and the problem was a bit simpler than this. I had password protected sharing set to "on" and I needed to set up a guest on the shared folders. I still can't get Playon to work though. I have a few months to figure that one out since I only use it for ESPN3 during college football season.

I've had this box for a few years.


the folder sharing functions have always been lousy.


It worked flawlessly for the first year - and then every other firmware update it would stop. and I would run to the WD forums, spend a few hours trying one of a dozen different supposed fixes, sometimes getting it to work again.


It's happened so often I've simply given up and stream using tversity, which is not as ideal. But it means future hours of my life I won't waste trying to get this thing to work properly.


I'm ecstatic for those that don't have issues. I wish I was one of you.



It's quite frustrating.
 
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