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#1 ·
#1,155 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by moolala /forum/post/21489729


well...(sadly)...I can report that the "no sound and then freezes" prob still exists for a great many mp4 files with 6ch AAC audio...and to reiterate all of them played fine on all prior generation models (but never on the SMP)


RAPHAEL...if you're lurking at all, can you please comment on the following:


there is an open problem on the WDC community site "Bad Stutter with certain mkv & mp4 (avc codec & aac audio)" that has STATUS listed as INVESTIGATING since about 12th of December.....HOWEVER, when you actually read the problem that was reported, there are likely TWO different probs that user is indicating. The first he wrote about relates specifically to this mp4/AAC issue I have been crying about...but then he goes on to also detail prob with stuttering and delays, etc with MKV files.


So....have you actually created separate investigations at your end and if not, which one are you actually working on and if it isn't the mp4/AAC issue, do I need to submit further history in order to get that reprioritized or what ??


thx...moo


I have to add....I'm quite surprised how limited the impact seems to be with this issue within the larger community here (unless people know it's under investigation and have just stopped talking about it)....I'm really tempted to dismantle setup and relocate to another TV to see if there's some kind of funky handshake thing happening with HDMI (I had problem at cottage rental earlier in summer where almost none of my proven files would play and would freeze and lock up the box (a Live) and by swapping back to COMPONENT cables, the thing ran absolutely fine !!) Anyhow...still frustrated, especially since they were all perfect earlier and we've now had 2-3 firmware upgrades and still no luck.


If this is more widespread than it appears to be, please comment...thanks

Honestly, I don't think you see more people complaining about 6 channel AAC problems because not many people use 6 channel AAC in MKV or MP4 containers. I've been encoding MP4 movies using Handbrake for some time and I include a AC3 surround audio track in addition to a 2 ch AAC track. I can get 2 channel audio from any device including my phone, but I have the AC3 surround track on other devices if I need it. I didn't use 6 channel AAC because I didn't have anything that would play it.


Tim
 
#1,156 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tesla1856 /forum/post/21490533


To troubleshoot:


Place problem files on local USB storage (connected directly to SMP). The results of this test are most important. If they play, continue ...


Remove (Bridge Mode) Linksys Router. Connect SMP to Uverse router with a wire. Run a long cable through the house (for testing) if that is easier than moving TV-and-SMP to Uverse router.


I question the need for Linksys Bridge. I'm guess you have other non-Wifi capable devices near the SMP. Maybe the router has better reception? However, aren't they all sharing a single WiFi link? Are they low-bandwidth or you only use one at a time? Anyway, removing it might tell you something.

I have a receiver and a BD player that needed a wired connection, thus the Linksys. And I guess I was a little tired/frustrated last night - I meant it's acting as a switch, not a bridge. The UVerse is plugged into one of the LAN ports as are the other devices (WDTV included).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tesla1856 /forum/post/21490542


You are using the Linksys router as a WiFi Bridge or a dumb wired switch?

Dumb wired switch.

Quote:
Originally Posted by techflaws /forum/post/21491024


You mean via SMB it stutters? For me it's the other way round, SMB works fine, DLNA is unbearable.

Yes: The same file stutters via SMB and plays fine via DLNA.


I'll give the other tips (local storage, eliminating the Linksys, bypassing the UVerse box) later today if time permits.


Thanks!

-Brett.
 
#1,157 ·
I did some testing, and it's caused by the fact that I'm using the UVerse DVR as an ethernet connection between the main router and the Linksys. My guess is that there's just not enough bandwith between the UVerse devices. They're run using regular coax, not Cat5. Another clue that didn't occur to me until today was that my wife was trying to watch a show on the 2nd TV and she said it was stutterng. I believe the stuttering coincided with me trying to stream content to the SMP.


I ran a long cable from the router in the den directly to the SMP and it played fine. I then reintroduced the Linksys (Router -> Linksys -> SMP) and it still worked.


Looks like I need to run some more cable....


Thanks for the help,

-Brett.
 
#1,158 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Timh /forum/post/21491317


Has the scraping feature for NAS being fixed yet?

If not, is there a newbie guide so I can manually add the scraping feature to my movies on my NAS?


Thanks

Works good with latest firmware. You just need to add your network share to media library then you can get info using options to add meta data for movies. It hasn't worked so well for me on TV shows but I used an XML fetcher program that worked great but it's a manual process - just google

"xml fetcher wdtv" and it's the first link
 
#1,159 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by TimA /forum/post/21491381


Honestly, I don't think you see more people complaining about 6 channel AAC problems because not many people use 6 channel AAC in MKV or MP4 containers. I've been encoding MP4 movies using Handbrake for some time and I include a AC3 surround audio track in addition to a 2 ch AAC track. I can get 2 channel audio from any device including my phone, but I have the AC3 surround track on other devices if I need it. I didn't use 6 channel AAC because I didn't have anything that would play it.


Tim

Tim...let's just say that unless we're encoding them ourselves, there is still pretty high percentage out there. I am with you though, I do not understand why they are being encoded like that in the first place...obviously most AV receivers can't handle so must be geared primarily for computer playback and I guess output filesize is smaller than encoding with AC3...pain in the ass though !! Ironically, we finally get feature on the box to tell it our receiver doesn't support 6ch AAC and now I can't get the files to play...if WD could do softer landing when it gets an error it wouldn't be so bad, but I can't (easily)see audio format prior to hitting play and if it screws up, I have to reboot, compile media library.


OTHER:

- for some people who have been confused about not getting metadata OK when movie file title/year are plainly evident, I noticed that WD submits the text string from "Title" field from the mediainfo if it is present, so...if encoder screwed it up customizing, then it won't match (you can retype for content lookup though)...personally WD should stick to using the file name since easier for us to amend/manage....are we able to edit that Title some way ??


- I also see now that if WD pulled incorrent metadata for a flick and you erase and do new/revised content lookup, you can match OK, get synopsis, backdrops, etc... but it often (always ?) seems to retain the orig bad cover and does not replace with new proper one...not sure if this is relatively new issue or not.


I'd report on WD site but such a mess over there and probably have their hands full anyway already.
 
#1,160 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by drewkemp /forum/post/21494862


Works good with latest firmware. You just need to add your network share to media library then you can get info using options to add meta data for movies. It hasn't worked so well for me on TV shows but I used an XML fetcher program that worked great but it's a manual process - just google

"xml fetcher wdtv" and it's the first link

drewkemp

How does the Movie art and info look now.

I have seen images where the Art is in a white box that doesn't look too good.

But I have also seen some other images where someone has made a change to how they are displayed (no white box).

Great Link

Is it possible to show movie art like the below image?


Thanks

Tim

 
#1,162 ·
I am starting to outgrow my existing methods for connecting and managing size of my library...and not quite in the mood to be making a career out of trying to fine tune wireless solution to my satisfaction. I want to lear more about multi-bay enclosures with and without RAID and NAS units...I understand bits and pieces, but what I mainly don't understand presently is how SMP will treat them when physically connected.


I am wondering though whether we can connect them directly to the Live SMP...eg USB? I understand (a little bit) about RAID options but I don't know if that's something configured in the box itself or installed on the PC...and in that case how SMP would treat any attachment...if I was to have discrete hot swappable drives in same enclosure can SMP player handle that ? If so are they still going to show as separate drive folders in a gallery view or will they be combined ? (don't think I'd want to use the ALL filter on player because I lose all my personal group folders don't I ?)


Alternatively, still no HUB support even with the SMP ?


What are some of the more reliable wired solutions you guys are using once your libraries start to get substantial in size ??


If I look at some kind of NAS...(which I understand even less)...am I close to being correct that I could connect it directly to the SMP (ethernet or USB?) and ensure smooth playback ?? Would I only need to deal with wireless for less demanding requests like authorizing the drive shares ? Could it still be hot swappable and let me write drives from toaster and reinsert in NAS (instead of writing wirelessly to it in the NAS) ? I don't understand in this scenario whether the NAS would be considered network share...or local media ?!?!


Are you guys maintaining mirrored backups (or RAID ?) ...surely you're not just gambling you won't experience physical prob with a drive when we're talking drives that are increasingly 2TB in size (a lot of files !!)


Anxious to do something, I can't just can't keep weeding out the crummier ones and archiving big batches of movies too.


thanks !!
 
#1,163 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Timh /forum/post/21495351


drewkemp

How does the Movie art and info look now.

I have seen images where the Art is in a white box that doesn't look too good.

But I have also seen some other images where someone has made a change to how they are displayed (no white box).

Great Link

Is it possible to show movie art like the below image?


Thanks

Tim

Yes it looks similar to that and once you have the backdrops it uses those as the background image when you highlight the movie which is pretty slick looking. You need to change the view up at the top so it's not the default thumbnail view in order to get the view that Dansyacht posted a picture of.
 
#1,164 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by moolala /forum/post/21499012


If I look at some kind of NAS...

Hey moolala, I use a Synology DS212 NAS and I would highly recommend it or go with a bigger DS411 if you need the space and can afford it. They have a great read/write speed on most of their models (ie. 50MBs read/100MBs write). The one bottle neck I had with high bitrate movies was the SMP only has a 100Mbs network connection, the live hub has 1Gb. You can get 300Mbps+ over wireless but it's not as reliable/constant. I run a hybrid RAID 1 so it's mirrored and 1 drive is hot swappable. If you get a 4 bay NAS and run RAID 5 you can utilize the space of 3 drives with 1 being fault tolerant. You still run the risk of 2 drives failing at the same time and having to rebuild your array but it's only media right. You might want to check out this site - http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/nas/nas-reviews
 
#1,165 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by moolala /forum/post/21499012


I am starting to outgrow my existing methods for connecting and managing size of my library...

For a little more than a multiplexed drive enclosure you can get a NAS. Street price of this one is only $200.

http://www.synology.com/products/pro...DS212j&lang=us


Use external drives on the Synology USB2 ports to backup the internals. They have a business model with USB3.


Anyway, you really need an eSata port (or I suppose USB3) for a multiplexed drive enclosure. However, according to the reviews I have read, they are troublesome (even on real computers).


And yes ... I backup everything ... media, whole computers (partition images), data ... everything.


Or, use a real machine (with favorite OS) and call it a "file server". Or, build a DIY raid box, or Windows Home Server 2011, or Windows SBSE, etc.
 
#1,167 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tesla1856 /forum/post/21499481


For a little more than a multiplexed drive enclosure you can get a NAS. Street price of this one is only $200.

http://www.synology.com/products/pro...DS212j&lang=us


Use external drives on the Synology USB2 ports to backup the internals. They have a business model with USB3.


Anyway, you really need an eSata port (or I suppose USB3) for a multiplexed drive enclosure. However, according to the reviews I have read, they are troublesome (even on real computers).


And yes ... I backup everything ... media, whole computers (partition images), data ... everything.


Or, use a real machine (with favorite OS) and call it a "file server". Or, build a DIY raid box, or Windows Home Server 2011, or Windows SBSE, etc.

thanks guys.


so...USB1 is connected to SMP in your setup...and you write movies wirelessly to the NAS ? Does this 2-bay NAS you use show as two separate folders/drives on the SMP (gallery view)...or does RAID come into play here somewhere ?
 
#1,168 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by moolala /forum/post/21500255


thanks guys.


so...USB1 is connected to SMP in your setup...and you write movies wirelessly to the NAS ? Does this 2-bay NAS you use show as two separate folders/drives on the SMP (gallery view)...or does RAID come into play here somewhere ?

In my case I have a Live Hub connected with Cat 6 ethernet and the SMP is connected over wifi. The NAS is connected to my Asus N56U router using Cat 6 cable as well. You basically setup shares on the NAS (or you can set it up as a media server but this is a waste of time if you ask me) then on the SMP and Hub I have the network shares added to my Media Library. With the latest firmware you can retrieve meta data (info, folder art, backdrops, etc) when the network share is added to your media library. When you setup RAID it appears to be one drive or an array so you will never see both drives. I'd recommend this setup, works great for me!
 
#1,169 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by moolala /forum/post/21500255


thanks guys.


so...USB1 is connected to SMP in your setup

No, you just put the NAS on the wired network. Like Drewkemp says (but even the SMP should be wired if possible). Create your wired network with a Gigabit ethernet switch in the middle if possible.


The USB2 ports on the NAS are there to connect more "dumb" USB HDDs (because you can't fit any more inside). Download the PDF manual to see all the setup options.


If you go back in this thread a couple of pages, we talked about home networking.
 
#1,170 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by drewkemp /forum/post/21499372


Yes it looks similar to that and once you have the backdrops it uses those as the background image when you highlight the movie which is pretty slick looking. You need to change the view up at the top so it's not the default thumbnail view in order to get the view that Dansyacht posted a picture of.

I was able to get it looking like that previously but i must have changed my settings somewhere.


I thought i lost it because i went from accessing from a usb connected External hard drive to what i am doing now via streaming from my desktop.


So my question is what setting do i change to to see the Avatar synopsis etc? is it in the top right of the screen or do i go into settings for video off the main menu?
 
#1,171 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tesla1856 /forum/post/21501634


No, you just put the NAS on the wired network. Like Drewkemp says (but even the SMP should be wired if possible). Create your wired network with a Gigabit ethernet switch in the middle if possible.


The USB2 ports on the NAS are there to connect more "dumb" USB HDDs (because you can't fit any more inside). Download the PDF manual to see all the setup options.


If you go back in this thread a couple of pages, we talked about home networking.

OK...I'll read up a little more and read earlier posts again in more depth...meanwhile, thank you both for time and comments.


Upon reading Drew's setup though, I'm concerned that in one instance (his Live Hub) that I need to be able to run ethernet cable from router to my SMP (which I can't easily do)...or in the case of his SMP, would have to use wireless which I prefer not to do....that was why I initially was envisioning straight multi-bay enclosure.


Since my initial earlier post, I came across this blurb that uses an ICY DOCK unit with a WDTV...it's a setup that could work easily enough for me (ideally I'd prefer to not have to be using proprietory trays if possible)...anyhow I'll read more about the potential benefits re NAS unit...thx again


http://www.icydock.com/icy_tip/559_5..._solution.html
 
#1,172 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by moolala /forum/post/21502311


OK...I'll read up a little more and read earlier posts again in more depth...meanwhile, thank you both for time and comments.


Upon reading Drew's setup though, I'm concerned that in one instance (his Live Hub) that I need to be able to run ethernet cable from router to my SMP (which I can't easily do)...or in the case of his SMP, would have to use wireless which I prefer not to do....that was why I initially was envisioning straight multi-bay enclosure.


Since my initial earlier post, I came across this blurb that uses an ICY DOCK unit with a WDTV...it's a setup that could work easily enough for me (ideally I'd prefer to not have to be using proprietory trays if possible)...anyhow I'll read more about the potential benefits re NAS unit...thx again


http://www.icydock.com/icy_tip/559_5..._solution.html

Yes, if you had a LiveHub, you would want it connected by hard-wire for performance reasons.


The SMP should be connected by hard-wire for increased performance.


It appears the IcyDock is just a fancy external USB multi-HDD unit. For one, it only connects to the SMP by USB2 (all the SMP supports) so it will be kinda slow.


Another dis-advantage is that the SMP would then be central location for storing your files (basically, you are turning it into a LiveHub ... but with slower file access). Not so bad if you only have the one SMP, but what if you get another SMP, or want to play the files from another device on the network. I'm pretty sure it would be better to store the files on a NAS or more centralized and administrate-able location.


And while a think a $200 Synology is better, look a the new WD Live PCS drives. At first, they look like normal USB HDDs ... but they are really small NAS units ... and appear to have dropped the USB interface all together.


Maybe this explaination will help ... Your media is on the actual HDD disc drives. If you put those discs in a "dumb" USB-HDD enclosure ... you need an intelligent device (SMP, PC, whatever) to use them. However, if you put those same discs inside a NAS ... it works as a standalone unit.
 
#1,173 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tesla1856 /forum/post/21502470


Yes, if you had a LiveHub, you would want it connected by hard-wire for performance reasons.


The SMP should be connected by hard-wire for increased performance.


It appears the IcyDock is just a fancy external USB multi-HDD unit. For one, it only connects to the SMP by USB2 (all the SMP supports) so it will be kinda slow.


Another dis-advantage is that the SMP would then be central location for storing your files (basically, you are turning it into a LiveHub ... but with slower file access). Not so bad if you only have the one SMP, but what if you get another SMP, or want to play the files from another device on the network. I'm pretty sure it would be better to store the files on a NAS or more centralized and administrate-able location.


And while a think a $200 Synology is better, look a the new WD Live PCS drives. At first, they look like normal USB HDDs ... but they are really small NAS units ... and appear to have dropped the USB interface all together.


Maybe this explaination will help ... Your media is on the actual HDD disc drives. If you put those discs in a "dumb" USB-HDD enclosure ... you need an intelligent device (SMP, PC, whatever) to use them. However, if you put those same discs inside a NAS ... it works as a standalone unit.

just so we're on the same page...when you mention about the USB 2.0 connection being slower...what is the concern there, it's more than adequate for playback, are you referring to navigation, searches, backdrop displays, etc being more fluid if it were accessed some other way...or what did you mean ??


I'm a little worried too that the SMP would treat multi-bay enclosure with discrete drives just like a hub and not support...is that possible as well.


If I can't run cables to the SMP, I'll see how my wife feels about me relocating my office, router, etc into the livingroom near the couch...haha.


Seriously...I'll take long hard look at what it might take to run some cabling (there are other benefits over and above this)...and I do already have multiple WDTV's throughout, so yes, would be nice to access centrally located, as opposed to maintaining so many external drives on an ongoing basis.


thx...
 
#1,174 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by moolala /forum/post/21502890


I'm a little worried too that the SMP would treat multi-bay enclosure with discrete drives just like a hub and not support...is that possible as well.

The SMP supports USB hubs, so this kind of issue is less likely for enclosures. That is, of course, meaning that it *IS* acting like a standard USB hub.
 
#1,175 ·
Correct me if I'm wrong but the SMP is only 100Mbps and the Live Hub is 1Gbps on the wired connection. WD doesn't really say in their documentation, just that it has RJ45 ethernet connection and wifi. I did some digging though and it looks like the SMP is only 100Mbps on the wired connection and my router has lights to indicate the connection speed and showed 100Mbps with the SMP and full Gbps for the Live Hub. Another issue I ran into with wifi on the SMP is that it doesn't recognize the 5Ghz band on my router, when I called support they said my router wasn't supported and they sent a list of like 10 routers that were all 5 yrs old that they do support. It was a bit of a bummer because I had the 5Ghz band set to N only to avoid interference and 5Ghz is generally better performance. However, the only performance issue I've had with using wifi on the SMP is 1 or 2 1080P movies with 20+Mbps bitrate and DTS audio (20GB+ files) would start stuttering a couple times then pausing and resuming would correct it. So depending on what type of media you are watching using the SMP over wifi could be an option if you can't run wires easily like in my situation upstairs.


If you get a USB hard drive you can connect it to the SMP and map it as a network drive on your PC for easy file copying to avoid having to disconnect/reconnect the drive all the time.
 
#1,177 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by maritimer555 /forum/post/21501837


So my question is what setting do i change to to see the Avatar synopsis etc? is it in the top right of the screen or do i go into settings for video off the main menu?

Just click "change view" in the top right a few times until you have that screen. Or you can go to Setup > Video Settings then change the Browser Display setting to Gallery View. If you don't have the meta data already (ie. synopsis and backdrops) you will have to highlight the movie title, press options on the controller then Get Info.
 
#1,178 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by WDFan1970 /forum/post/21502968


Yes, the SMP is 10/100, and the Hub is 10/100/1000, but both actually have comparable networking performance. The Hub's 1-Gig interface really is purely a marketing tactic.


And yes, the 802.11n Built-in interface is 2.4 GHz only.

I still had it stutter on the SMP a couple times with a wired connection but have yet to have an issue with the Live Hub using the same files as a test. Seems odd that they would have comparable networking performance if one is 1000mbps and one is 100mbps... I'm guessing those performance tests are bottlenecked somewhere else.. file size, disk speed, router throughput, etc.
 
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