*Official* WD TV Live Hub Thread - Page 11

Does anyone know if it's easy to create and use playlists (music) with this unit? Also, how is the organization and navigation of a locally networked (if that even makes sense) music library?

video_ts folder

I just have the one video/concert converted from .ts using XtoDVD3 standalone dvd file.

The video_ts folder contains several several files, but the live hub lists just the .VOB files within the video_ts folder. Selecting anyone one of the .VOB files starts the video from the beginning.

I am still thrilled with my new toy. Yes, it ain't perfect, but it has exceeded my expectations.

Anyone know how to refresh the items mounted on my other NAS drives. My WDTV Live Hub doesn't recognize when there are new files there, or if I have moved files to a different location (in this case, to the WDTV Live Hub)?

Refreshing the whole thing (e.g. mounting a different NAS, then coming back to it will probably work) but that took a long time the first time I did it (many seasons of LOTS of TV shows). Do I have an alternative that anyone has noticed?

And while I am on this topic, is there a way to access my NAS drives without always having to navigate down from the root? I am able to do this, but it doesn't work so well when my wife tries it....

Refreshing NAS Drive Folders on the wdtv hub

Likely not the best way but I did figured out that I could refresh my NAS drive/folders by going to System -> device Restart. When the hub restarted it went about refreshing/updating the media library. It takes awhile but at least it gets refreshed.

If there is a better way I would love to know about it.

Can this new WD player have watch folders so that if media is added to them then the GUI gets updated? Can those folders be on a NAS and can a watch schedule be set ( every 5 minutes or 10 minutes or whatever ...) ?

Does the iTunes server also serve videos, photos, etc... ?

Thanks...philip

IMHO, if u have live or live plus and external hard drive big ones is kind of dumb blond for twice $$$

new firmware

http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/update...dfwdtv_livehub

Hmm ... are you saying that you can't set up folders which are watched and updated when media is added to them? That is, folders on your NAS.

philip

I had IOmega Director in mind, though list price is $170/$240 for 1TB/2TB units, there have been deals on the unit for much lower. Recently the 2TB unit was on Amazon Gold Lightening deal for $199. Once can also hook up 1/2 TB with Brite-View BV-5005 1080p that streams and downloads torrents too for $50. Netflix is nice but bluray players, gaming consoles and TVs all do that. All we really need is a good media player/streamer with some storage at an attractive price point. The extra bells and whistles are good if added at minimal price hike. Overlapping products like LG BD590 250GB HD $200 with built in wireless streamer/player do have a market but in this economy people tend to pay more attention to price and core functionality.

Of course I do like WD Hub a lot and have my deal alerts turned ON for it as can't pay what early adopters are paying for this

Does anyone have a video or screenshots of the Hub with the Media Gallery in action showing all the movie database meta data, synopsis, coverart, and fanart?

I researched all similar products. the Iomega sucks, read the reviews on Amazon. I wish there was an alternative because I don't have much money these days, but sometimes paying more is just worth it. Money is an investment really. And this player really seems to be the only decent player with internal storage. The Fusion HD also is great, it has internal SATA support, but it's 200 minus a hard drive.

If you need something like this and don't want to pay 200, you should wait a little while. I'm sure the price will go down.

If using shared folders from a NAS and new stuff is added then one must recompile the media library in order to access this content. The manual does not mention an automatic setting for this to happen. I am not sure what happens if I select "no media library".

Manual:

---- snip ----
Media Library Compilation...

Media Library Compilation refers to the process of scanning and consolidating the media contents of the media center, network attached storage, or an attached USB device into one comprehensive database so that you can easily browse and locate media files based on certain metadata information (e.g., video files are categorized based on title or release date).

Sync Content From A Network Shared Folder...

Allows you to setup a sync process to a shared folder on your network. Any new content added to the new folder automatically syncs to the media center's internal drive.
--------------

It does sound like the new firmware addressed the lack of refreshing NAS drives. I will try it out this evening...

I am especially interested in this feature, as I migrate stuff from other places onto the WDTV Live Hub.

mzaur:
No, NAS is NETWORK attached, not USB attached. The point of the Gig interface is: Streaming FROM network sources, Streaming LOCAL content TO network destinations, Internet access, etc.

goblue: Playlists aren't "Created" with this unit, but it does work with playlists you create elsewhere. Now, you can create "FAVORITES," and play those, but that's not quite the same thing.

yhz.yrm: If you turn OFF media library, then all you have access to is the raw files. None of the enhanced metadata features will be available.

I'm hoping someone that owns the Media Hub can tell me if what I want to do can be done before I buy.

Presently, I have ripped my SD DVD collection to a 1TB WD My Passbook Essential external HDD. I have created various folders by genre and inside each genre folder is an individual movie folder so named. Inside each of these individual movie folders is a single .mpeg file of the movie, not mutiple .vobs and a single .jpeg containing the cover art which includes movie synopsis. I created these .jpegs using Photoshop.

I connect this WD external HDD to my PS3 via USB. This works fine except the .jpegs only showup in the PS3's picture section and the .mpegs in the movie section. There's no way that I know of to link the .jpeg to the .mpeg movie file. In essence my movie cover art is merely a fancy picture index.

What I want to be able to do is view the cover art and be able to start the movie by clicking on the picture. I don't want to have to go to a seperate folder to access the movie like I'm doing now.

My intention is to transfer all my content the way it is to the 1TB internal drive of the Media Hub. Connect the Media Hub via ethernet to my wireless router and access its content via my PS3 media server ability or through my LG BD570 which also has this ability. I don't want to connect the Media Hub to my PC.

Can this be done?
TIA,
Erock

this might have been asked & answered, but can I put a USB HDD into the WD Hub? If so, will that HDD's contents appear on the network under the NAS contents, just like the WD's internal HDD does?

Yes you are correct. Attached drives to the wdtv live hub wil appear on your network. I am using Ethernet and I have my WD passport HDD attached to my wdtv live hub. I can see both drives (internal and passport) from my PC on my network. I can write to either drive or play content from these drives on my PC.

How do I know what my current firmware version is?

Soon after I purchased the unit (October 22nd) and hooked it up, the New Firmware link displayed and I choose to update over my network connection (Etherbnet). I see the firmaware update listed on wdc is dated October 26th

Thanks.

Erock, yes, it will do that. You can have it display ALL FILES, which will display all MPEGS WITHOUT folders, or you can have it display by folder. Either way, it will include the thumbnail image in the UI.

yhz.hrm: Go to the SETTINGS menu and select ABOUT MOCHI. It'll give you the version number.

You're running 2.02.16 if you just did the update.

No joy. It looks like my machine had already updated itself to the latest and greatest. I noted that it did so when I first connected an Ethernet cable to it, but had assumed that it had happened before the big new release of 2.02.16. But no, that is what it has.

And it definitely does not keep up with my NAS changes. Does not detect when a folder has been removed, and does not detect when new stuff has been added to the folder. Even after a failure, it doesn't refresh the sub-tree. No joy. :-(

I bought the WD HD Plus on Thursday only to realize today there was the HUB so I went out and bought that as well, planning on returning the Plus.
I have about 400 DVD's ripped to my server in VIDEO_TS\\*.vob(s) format. Unless I am missing something it doesn't appear to have the ability to dvd menu support. So if I click on the first vob in the folder it usually is just the DVD menu screen which I can't control, I have to skip to the next file. Also means when that file is done i have to skip to the next file, and so on. I can press play on the VIDEO_TS folder (NOT AT THE ROOT FOLDER NAME) and it appears it will play files back to back BUT, there is a 5 second pause while it switches between each vob... What am I missing here?

Wondering if heat output is an issue. I own the WDTV live and when the unit is plugged in but not running it still puts out a decent amount of heat. I talked my girlfriends family into buying the newer wdtv live plus unit and as far as i can tell it puts out no heat when not running and very little when it is. Does this new hub unit putout more heat considering the internal drive? sorry if this is a stupid question.

Epayne11,

Try it with the hub, the live needs the beta firmware to do DVD menus for now.

from the hub manual:

DVD Navigation
In most cases, when the contents of an entire DVD have been successfully saved
and stored in the media center’s internal drive or on an attached USB hard drive or a
networked hard drive connected to the media center, you will experience the same
DVD menu navigation functionality using the buttons on the media center remote as
you would using a DVD remote for a DVD player connected to a television.
Important: For DVD navigation to work, the VOB files must be placed in a
folder named VIDEO_TS.
Note: Video files such as AVI, MP4, MKV, and MT2S are "single track" video files that do not provide
DVD navigation features.

can some one tabulate diff between live, live with beta, live with brad, live plus, live plus with beta(?). live plus hub??

Observation with 1080p THX DTS HD - MA video clip .m2ts play back Amazing Life (Lossless).

There is a 5 to7 second delay before the sound kicks in when the video clip is played from the network via Ethernet. Video plays then I see the box with subtitles off/DTSMA.

If I play the extact same file from the internal drive there is no delay at all, sound starts with the video.

I like the wdtv live hub interface and i am not a big fan of the Boxee interface but ... I am still on the fence deciding between the two. There are other but not in my "neck of the woods".

I turned off Media Library and I seem to be able to access my newtwork folders and their content much faster than when Media Library is on.

i thought it plays core dts not lossless from dts hd

I have the audio pass through to my a/v receiver and the a/v receiver decodes the digital signal.

Dolby TrueHd (blue light lights up on the receiver), Dolby 7.1, DTs all fine. even DTS HD-MA plays fine although receiver indicates DTS surround.

I am no expert far from it, these are just my observations.

That's what zoro said, it will play the core dts, not pass thru dts-hd, thats why the blue does not light up when you are playing dts-hd track.

Something is wrong with your rips. Are the .IFO files present?

I turned off Media Library and it refreshes my NAS folders more often, like on every folder access or after playing a file.

--Dave