*Official* WD TV Live Streaming Media Player Thread - Page 11

I am new to the WD live streamer, and have been using the XBOX 360 for my netflix viewing. I thought I would try the WD live box, but I am finding the video quality less than I have on the XBOX. I am not sure if this is a WD live issue, or a netflix issue. Has any one else been able to verify the video streaming quality of netflix over the wd live streamer?

I have found when I have to correct a movie lookup problem, it will find the correct movie information but will not add the dvd cover to the viewing area until after I do a box reset, then all of the movies are corrected at that time. It finds all the info but does not display the DVD box image. Interesting!

I have some shows in avi format with mpeg4 (xvid) video and mp3 (mpeg) audio. Over the network (wireless) they are jumpy and the sound doesn't work, but through usb on the same player they work fine. Any suggestions? I have everything streaming over the network, I just stuck some shows on a usb flash drive to try out. I know it isn't a speed problem, because I can flawlessly play 1080p video in other formats.

I've watched a few things on Netflix and it's looked great to me and certainly comparable to hooking my laptop up to the tv. I don't have an xbox though, so I can't say anything about that directly. Are you watching via wifi or a wired connection? That might have an effect. Also, if the unit is cataloging your media library for the first time, that could be an issue as well.

Yes, this is the thread about the new player. You're not asking about the old player in the new player thread, are you?


It works on both players in file mode for me. Even if forced subs don't come on automatically (which is different to default subs) you can still cycle to select them in file mode.


First time I here about this. My bug list e.g. refers to ignored default stream settings.


Yes, also PGS/SUP.

Hello, (sorry for my bad english), yesterday arrive the new toy to my home.
I have the previous wd tv (gen 1 and live). The first impressions after install two new firmwares downloaded through network are very good...

The image quality with the autoframe activate is excellent, a little bit better than the wd tv live.

The sound quality too, is a bit better than the live. I think that the output volume level is too much high. watching a movie at one point the subwoofer will get stuck with a deafening buzz and had to turn down the volume of amplifier which was not very high.

The best thing is undoubtedly the user interface and the detection of covers and information films as shown on the screen.

I've only encountered a problem connecting the wd tv streaming live with cable to the router does not find my pc and my shared folders. I have connected the pc (with windows xp) and shared the My Documents folder with cable to the router. With the previous wd tv live simply plug it in and I could already see the shared content from my computer. And I have other media players that I have never had trouble seeing my computer and my shared folders. In network settings I do connection test and everything is fine. I make the network configuration in automatic mode and all the parameters are fine. but when I try to access samba tells me I can not find any devices or pc. Someone can tell me I'm doing wrong or what should I do?
thanks

I should have said I do a restart rather than a reset. It seems only to happen on movies I have to get info on.

I have also tested Netflixs on the RoKu with the same results as the WD live. The Xbox looks like HD but the other 2 look more grainy. I think this might be either a setting or a Netflix issue.

He might be, there are too many players now with almost identical names that its totally confusing (unless you live and breathe this stuff).

I'm not sure if this is the one I have or not

Granted, the naming scheme is almost as bad as Intel's for their current processors but it's not too difficult when you look at this page:

- WDTV (original device)
- WDTV 2nd gen (same features, chipset borrowed from LIVE)
- WDTV Mini (no full HD?)
- WDTV Live (includes network)
- WDTV Live Plus (includes Netflix)
- WDTV Live Hub (includes harddrive)
- WDTV Live Streaming (includes Wifi)

Also, there's a screenshot of the device on the first page of this thread


The LIVE-S needs to be in the same network group.

techflaws-
Yes, I was asking if the new player exhibited the same issues as the original Live.
Also, I completely understand the difference between default and forced subs, so the comment about turning subs on while in "file" mode doesn't really work too well with forced subs now does it???

Yes. The DC adaptor is dual voltage (110/220).

I have to correct myself after further testing: no, it does not. In file mode the original LIVE shows no subs at all, the LIVE-S shows the entire sub instead of only the forced items (even in the little previe window).


Agreed, the point of forced subs is to come one automatically. You made it sound as if you'd lose forced subs completely. Besides, pretty much any player I've tested so far overrules the authoring setting anyway. So you definitely need to zoom in?

+1. it's good to know someone on the "inside" is listening to us.

i only have 2 items on my wishlist for the live-s at the moment:
(1) fix the media info scraping feature for NAS; and
(2) fix the Dashboard shortcuts to allow for NAS (and not just usb-connected storage). all my media files are on NAS.


that's good to know. i noticed the user manual does not state support for PGS subtitles. typo on WD's part?


as techflaws pointed out, the wdtv live-s needs to be in the same network group as your shared folders. out of the box, the live-s defaults to the "WORKGROUP" network group. if your pc/notebook/shared folders are not on this same "WORKGROUP", the live-s won't detect it.

if your current pc/notebook/shared folders are on a different network group, then go into the live-s settings -> network and type in the correct network group. after that, the live-s should detect your shared folders.

i had the same problem as you initially. My QNAP NAS defaults to the "NAS" network group, so the live-s couldnt detect it initially. funny thing is that the previous wdtv live didnt have this problem detecting my NAS. then again, it also didnt have a settings page to configure the network group. somehow, the older wdtv-live makes it more user friendly and just "plug and play". maybe WD can look into this to make it easier for the less IT-savvy folks like myself.

[quote=terranova;21136962


as techflaws pointed out, the wdtv live-s needs to be in the same network group as your shared folders. out of the box, the live-s defaults to the "WORKGROUP" network group. if your pc/notebook/shared folders are not on this same "WORKGROUP", the live-s won't detect it.

if your current pc/notebook/shared folders are on a different network group, then go into the live-s settings -> network and type in the correct network group. after that, the live-s should detect your shared folders.

i had the same problem as you initially. My QNAP NAS defaults to the "NAS" network group, so the live-s couldnt detect it initially. funny thing is that the previous wdtv live didnt have this problem detecting my NAS. then again, it also didnt have a settings page to configure the network group. somehow, the older wdtv-live makes it more user friendly and just "plug and play". maybe WD can look into this to make it easier for the less IT-savvy folks like myself. [/QUOTE]

Thanks, when arrive to my home i try it. Is possible that it is the problem. When i connect another media player (woxter-3200) and go to shared folder on the pc the final estructure is "grupo de trabajo" that is the spanish traslation of "workgroup". Is there any way to see the exact name of the network group on the pc and change it?

Thanks.

What it comes down to is I have a lot of non-anamorphic DVDs that when I go to watch I won't necessary remember if it has any type of subs. So I would need to know it doesn't have any for sure so I can choose file mode and zoom it in properly. Of course then if it does have default subs I could just choose the correct track. But, if it has forced subs that use the main track, I'm stuck with a smaller picture that I can't zoom in. Compound the issue with the wife not wanting to deal with this and problems arise Hope that makes sense.

I guess this must be harder to implement than just allowing the user to zoom a picture...

So no one else has had any problems playing avi's over a network? I'd like to know if I have a defective unit so I can bring it back. So far I've noticed it isn't all avi's, just xvid/mp3, and they work over usb.

Also, I have been having problems with my usb drive. I have a 2tb drive that I was going to use with it, and the WDTV is causing errors on the drive and I lose data. I think it is happening when the unit shuts off and it spins down the drive. Maybe it doing it correctly? I would appreciate some feedback, I'm still within the time I can return the unit. Other than these issues I think it has worked out great. So far it's the best netflix player I've tried.

As a very satisfied Live+ user, I've been waiting on the sidelines with regards to the new Live-S. Yesterday I had a crown fitted on a lower molar -- it was not a pleasant experience -- and afterwards I felt compelled to buy a new toy as a distraction. So, I picked up a Live-S at Best-Buy on the way home. I have the Live-S setup side-by-side with the Live+ for direct comparison. I got to play with it for a few hours last night so this is not any kind of review but rather my first impressions comparing it to the Live+.

Unfortunately, my first impressions of the Live-S are not favorable.

Setup was almost completely simple. I made the connection to my network (wired) and ran HDMI between the Live-S and a 1080p display before applying the power. The Live-S came up in it's startup screens, automatically configured itself for display and network and proceeded to guide me through the two firmware updates. At the end it was all ready to go -- if you were using attached local storage. But I use NAS and, as has been mentioned, the Live-S needs to have the workgroup name set up. I took the opportunity to go through all the settings menus and didn't see anything that I needed to change, except for the workgroup name.

Now we come to the interface, or UI. It is definitely much prettier than the minimalist UI of the Live+ but it comes at a huge price. All that eye-candy makes it dreadfully slow. Scrolling across the menu selection bar at the bottom of the screen is torture. Each icon is selected then takes a half second to "pop" up. You can't do multiple button presses to move over several icons at a time -- you have to do one at a time -- slowly, slowly, slowly. And what's with the double button pushes for selecting an item in a list. First you button-push to select the item and then you do a second button-push to click through the check box? Geeze, that's lame. Comparing the Live-S to the Live+ is truly a tortoise and hare situation; the Live+ beats it hands down. Future Live-S firmware has got to speed this up or at least provide a minimalist theme with less eye-candy that is faster. I move back and forth between the Video and File icons to select media and they are not next to each other.

Now we come to the real issue I have with the Live-S which may cause me to return it. It chokes on high bitrate BD rips. Here's the simple configuration I have set up:

2X(Linksys DNS-321 4TB NAS units) --> Netgear GS-108 (GigE) <-- WD Live-S & Live+

I have a pair of NAS units, one for DVD and one for BD, plugged into a GS108 10/100/1000 switch along with the Live-S and my Live+ so this is as direct as you are going to get. My BD rips are all BD.m2ts files.

The test is very simple. Using SMB shares I drill into my NAS to play the two highest bitrate titles I have -- Avatar.m2ts and Startrek 2009.m2ts; both around 40Mbps. When I do it with the Live+ they play just fine. When I do it with the Live-S they choke immediately and stutter the video with no sound from about 3 sec into the title -- the Live-S completely chokes on high bitrate titles, even worse than my old Seagate FAT+. Again, the Live+ has no problems. Since the Live-S is based on a newer (presumably superior) chip this has to be a firmware issue. I did also try to play some lower bitrate BD.m2ts files that were in the low to mid 20's Mbps and these played perfectly on the Live-S using SMB shares. So it's not a systemic problem with BD.m2ts, just the high bitrate ones.

My NAS for BluRay is also configured as a uPnP/DLNA server. If I drill into it using the Media Server source option in the Live-S -- so that I'm playing the BD.m2ts vis DLNA -- both Avatar.m2ts and Startrek 2009.m2ts play perfectly on the Live-S. This may not be a viable option for people who are going to use the media manager with all the fan-art etc. once that is fixed for the NAS because that will be using an SMB connection (if I understand it's function correctly). It will also be unacceptable for me when I move to a larger NAS that will contain a mix of DVD.iso and BD.m2ts.

I have a base rule of buying a media player for what it is at the time of purchase and not expecting more. If it wasn't for the fact that this is a WD product and I had a great experience with them frequently updating the firmware for the Live+, it would already be back in the box for return tonight. As it is, I'll hold onto it and continue playing with it at least until I near the end of the BB return period, but there is no way I would replace my Live+ box in the family media center with this unit as it stands now -- well not permanently, but I will probably do so this weekend for further testing.

Kelson: You're not far off-base.

However, one thing I don't see happening is your description of the main-menu navigation behavior. I can hit RIGHT or LEFT three or four times, and the intermediate steps scroll by briskly. On rare occasions, the next-to-last item pops up and then scrolls one more time.. But most of the time, I can do a cycle through the whole menu in less than 3 seconds.

That's with my HARMONY ONE remote. Using the SMP's included remote is more reliable... probably due to the Harmony's key-to-key delay setting.

But certainly, if I just hold the LEFT / RIGHT buttons, the scrolling is brisk, reliable, and predictable, and nothing "pops up," the items just whiz by until I stop.

I have had a few issues with BD m2ts rips, as well; This issue was reported to WD, and they escalated it to engineering, and they told me they were aware of the problem.

I suspect it's a minor issue in the SMB networking drivers and will likely be fixed pretty quickly.

Also, you say you like to move between VIDEO and FILE menus frequently. I do this, too.. VIDEO goes to my NAS, and FILEs goes to my PlayOn server.

I just defined HotKeys in the remote configuration of the SMP and press "1" to go to VIDEOs and "2" to go to FILES. These hotkeys work from MANY locations, not just from the main menu.

That's one thing I love about the SMP: that MOST of the remote buttons are now definable, not just the color buttons. I'm hoping WD adds additional FUNCTIONS other than the 7 or 8 that are selectable now.

I'm not sure what you mean about double-selections in LISTS. I've only seen that behavior in a few of the configuration screens, but where I have seen it, it's no different than the LIVE/LIVE+ behavior for the same functions. Can you give an example?

This one seems a step back in some ways, including 1080p/60 camcorder clips having a/v synch issues, and some BD rips stuttering (over SMB at least) like you said. The other issue is jukebox not yet supported for movies/TV on network shares, only USB.

OK, maybe it is the speed at which I'm pushing the buttons. I have a big thumb so I'm not that quick on the trigger. I'm using the Live-S remote, haven't tried programming the Harmony yet. I will try to duplicate your experience tonight with the Live-S remote and let you know either way. Thanks for the tip.

I have the Harmony 880 which is programmed for the Live+. What did you specify in the Harmony database for programming the Live-S.

Good to know I'm not alone and that WD is being responsive. It's comments like these that will cause me to hang onto the unit.

Yes, I just found that functionality in the setup menu at the end of my nightly play-time. I did a quick programming of keys 1 & 3 for File and Video but didn't have a chance to really get into the behavior so I didn't mention anything about it.

So, how are we going to implement that sort of remote button shortcut on the Harmony? Are those primary commands in the Harmony database for the Live-S or will we have to use Learning-mode on the Harmony and flash it from the Live-S remote.

Sure, an example would be when you change source. Menu over to File and drill; you come to a list for Network share, attached storage, Media Server -- select one and click the remote. Instead of going on it just removes the highlight and lights up the check box to the right. You then have to click again to get past it. If you select Network shares then the next screen that pops up makes you choose between SAMBA and NFS -- same deal, it takes a double click to get past that screen.

Yes, I agree. In it's current state it is a step back from the Live+ and I wouldn't consider swapping it into my media center. It will stay in the current test configuration. However, I must admit I am intrigued by the whole jukebox/dashboard thing -- even though I can't use it yet since I'm NAS-only. I may throw a spare external HDD onto the thing so I can play.

So far WD has a good track record with me, so I will probably hold onto this unit despite the current flaws. I feel confident they will fix the majors in a reasonable amount of time.

I'll be curious if anybody has gotten the Live-S to work with NFS shares. I set up an open NFS share on one of my NAS units but can't get the Live-S to recognize it. I go to the File menu and select Network share as a source then select NFS from the next screen. In the box that pops up is the host address of my NAS -- so far so good. But when I select it I get an error message that it is not accessible to the Live-S.

I tried to set up NFS on my mac and had the same problem. It would find the computer, but wouldn't connect. I would like to see this work as well. I have been having problems with avi's over the network, and it seems like it might be a samba issue as well. They will play over a media server and usb, but not samba. It is only avi's with mp3 audio. The ones I have with dolby audio and the same video play fine. I wonder what it is about standard def. video and mp3 audio that gives the network problems?

@colton and @ jakmal (page 5)

I have found a video with static/grain that slows down the wdtv. It's the newsreel footage from The Incredibles. The rest of the movie is fine, but that sequence stutters and the sound disappears.

Does anyone know for sure if DTS-HD MA works in this media player?

I ask because one person posted in the user comments (in the link below) that it works for some ISO Blu-Ray files.

http://www.iboum.com/pr/wdtvlive11.php

I don't know how important it is to have that or not.

XP: right-click on My Computer > properties > Computer name
Win7: Start > right-click on Computer > properties.


Well, actually I still don't get the connection between zoom and subtitles. Why is zooming necessary on your system so you can't just watch those DVDs in DVD mode?


I agree that it's a complete waste of CPU power. The popping up and the animation of the icon takes way too long.


That's weird cause Avatar works for me over SMB (from PC not NAS) without any stuttering.

just to report in. the NFS share works on my setup: wdtv live-s + qnap nas ts-412, both on same network group called "NAS".

NFS enabled on the qnap settings, i go to live-s and select network shares, then nfs and my qnap's ip address is shown, i select it and click the green checkbox (yes, i agree with all that this is a redundant and unnecessary extra step - WD, hope you're listening to us - sorry i digress) and the shared folders show up on the live-s.

i didn't do any extra configuration out of the box except change the network group name from WORKGROUP to NAS. so i don't know why it's working for me and not for u guys. let me know if i can help.

edit - i should also point out that i configured my router such that my live-s and nas have fixed IP on my home network (i.e. not dynamic IP). not sure if that matters, but just for completeness sake.

edit 2 - maybe after adjusting any settings, u guys should just do a hard reboot of both your NAS/Mac and the live-s (i.e. unplug & replug, not on/off) and try again.

I dunno about that. I programmed my Harmony One using the LEARNING function when the HUB first was released last year. I don't know if Logitech has changed the database since then.