[norliss]

Wow, these threads get some posts don't they?!

Long-time readers may remember me posting back here in the early part of the year: I couldn't get the WDTV Live to see my NAS, no matter what I did. I soon gave up on it as a local content streamer and used it purely for Netflix/Vudu although that experience was less than ideal because of the need to login again every time I tried to use it

When a firmware update came along, I was pleased that it cured the Netflix issue. I made another attempt to connect to my NAS and although I seemed to get one stage further, it still wouldn't do what was required.

A couple of weeks ago, I applied the latest firmware and much to my surprise and pleasure, it not only saw my NAS but allowed me to add shares and began cataloguing my media

So, my opinion of this unit now is considerably higher than it was for the first 5 months or so. Overall I think it's a nice piece of kit and is better in some ways than my Netgear NeoTV550 although not quite as good in others.

Without reading through all the previous posts, can anyone advise a better way to create metadata than what is built-in? By and large it did a good job, but it has got confused on a few TV series and I can't seem to find any way to correct the metadata on anything other than a per-file basis which is way too laborious for me!

[planthead]

Without reading through all the previous posts, can anyone advise a better way to create metadata than what is built-in? By and large it did a good job, but it has got confused on a few TV series and I can't seem to find any way to correct the metadata on anything other than a per-file basis which is way too laborious for me![/QUOTE]

WDTVHubGen - Adds Metadata, thumbnails and subtitles to WDTV Live Hubs

[zAndy1]

I see amazon are selling this for £63 today, billy bargain
Tried streaming some 1080p stuff last night and it started stuttering after 5 mins or so, it was weird because it sped up for a second then stopped then sped up again and stopped then sped up again and stopped etc, wasn't like the normal buffering. Looks like I might have to connect my HDD direct to it, might just buy a new one and connect that and copy across what I need to. If I connected a HDD direct to the WDTV could I still use thumbgen to scrape the movie sheets etc or can you only do that when the folder is on the pc that thumbgen is on?

[norliss]

Originally Posted by planthead

WDTVHubGen - Adds Metadata, thumbnails and subtitles to WDTV Live Hubs

Thanks, Planthead. I'll give that a whirl.

[TechyMike]

Originally Posted by zAndy1

I see amazon are selling this for £63 today, billy bargain
Tried streaming some 1080p stuff last night and it started stuttering after 5 mins or so, it was weird because it sped up for a second then stopped then sped up again and stopped then sped up again and stopped etc, wasn't like the normal buffering. Looks like I might have to connect my HDD direct to it, might just buy a new one and connect that and copy across what I need to. If I connected a HDD direct to the WDTV could I still use thumbgen to scrape the movie sheets etc or can you only do that when the folder is on the pc that thumbgen is on?

Thumbgen can see networked drives so long as you run thumbgen NOT in administrator mode.

I have gone through file by file using thumbgen, often adding my own notes and pictures. I have created genre folders for my movies and I need to move them into the correct ones. You can do that using the move command in wdtvlive option menu.

I have watched a few films without hitch streaming from my NAS. So far so good. Mind you I had problems with my media turned on, it would take ages to update when I had made changes to movie scripts. Switching my media off has improved it no end.

Here are some pics of my set up using the black mamba theme:

[TechyMike]

more pics:

[zAndy1]

Ok, I've connected my USB HDD direct to the SMP due to problems streaming over my home plugs, still getting the problem where it shows all the folders on the HDD in e.g. the videos section , why on earth can't you select which folders to show, seems daft to me. Also you can't use the media library method of restricting the folders it shows because you can only add specific folders to the media library if they're on a network share, again seems an illogical restriction. Anyone know of a way around these daft limitations?

[Andy Clark]

Originally Posted by zAndy1

Ok, I've connected my USB HDD direct to the SMP due to problems streaming over my home plugs, still getting the problem where it shows all the folders on the HDD in e.g. the videos section , why on earth can't you select which folders to show, seems daft to me. Also you can't use the media library method of restricting the folders it shows because you can only add specific folders to the media library if they're on a network share, again seems an illogical restriction. Anyone know of a way around these daft limitations?

What happens if you press the green button and change the view to folders?

[blakey0]

So unfortunately after a couple of weeks of intense frustration I have admitted defeat and the WDTV Live has gone back.

I thought my need was relatively simple, in that I just wanted it to stream video from my NAS while displaying the correct artwork and data. In practice it was able to read from the NAS, but the artwork took an unreasonable amount of time to appear (and wasn't cached so it loaded it every single time) and the video playback was erratic and the whole experience just slow. I have no need for the other video options like Netflix etc so it's back to the drawing board.

It really does seem as though I need something with more grunt to manage the artwork and allow fast scrolling through my movie and TV show collection. I just get the feeling that a sub £100 box won't replicate the experience of my main HTPC without massive compromise.

[billy2]

Originally Posted by TechyMike

Thumbgen can see networked drives so long as you run thumbgen NOT in administrator mode.

I have gone through file by file using thumbgen, often adding my own notes and pictures. I have created genre folders for my movies and I need to move them into the correct ones. You can do that using the move command in wdtvlive option menu.

I have watched a few films without hitch streaming from my NAS. So far so good. Mind you I had problems with my media turned on, it would take ages to update when I had made changes to movie scripts. Switching my media off has improved it no end.

Here are some pics of my set up using the black mamba theme:

IS THERE a stap by stap in setting up thumbgen ??? every time i have tred i cant get it to work

[zAndy1]

Originally Posted by Andy Clark

What happens if you press the green button and change the view to folders?

You see every folder on the HDD , perhaps it's just an issue at the moment because this is a HDD I've been using for storage on my PC as well as for storing media I want to play on the SMP. If I just had 4 folders on the HDD i.e. music, photos, movies, tv shows then perhaps there wouldn't be so much of an issue but it seems barmy to me that you can selectively add folders on a network share to the media library but you can't do the same when the HDD is connected locally. In the photos section I can see all the jpgs and other crap associated with the music files , there just doesn't seem to be a way of saying for the photos option look in this folder on the HDD and only show that folder in folder view, in the movies section only look in this folder and only show that folder in folder view etc, it seems simple to me so why can't you do it?

[dave111]

zAndy1 - not sure if this will help - but if you rename a folder to start with a fullstop it won't show up on the wdtv.

[planthead]

Originally Posted by billy2

IS THERE a stap by stap in setting up thumbgen ??? every time i have tred i cant get it to work

There are loads of guides for thumbgen,, but you don't really need it on this device.

[billy2]

Originally Posted by planthead

There are loads of guides for thumbgen,, but you don't really need it on this device.

hi m8 is that i dont need thumbgen on my device or i dont need a guide ????

cheers

[planthead]

Originally Posted by billy2

hi m8 is that i dont need thumbgen on my device or i dont need a guide ????

cheers

You don't need to use it on this device, the smp creates its own metadata, poster views, and can be customised using custom themes,, I am using this at the moment,, Surreal Media Center 2.2 SMP Theme [Update] - Western Digital Community

Many folks like this BLACK MAMBA V1.5 (Theme Update April 27th 2012) - Western Digital Community

which has a thumbgen manual

or this ALASKA RESURFACE 7/3/12 - Western Digital Community

[AfxTwn]

Which one is better between this and the Sony SMP-N200? They're both similarly priced and do similar things although I understand that the WD can stream more types of video whereas the Sony can stream some but require others to be on a USB drive.

I'm looking to get one to stream videos from my PC (mainly MP4 and some AVCHD from my digital cmaera) to my TV via my home WiFi network.

Also can you just connect these to your PC/WiFi relatively easy for streaming or would people recommend using a DLNA server like Serviio?

Thanks for the help. I'm looking to get one this weekend.

[Tboggie]

Go for the WDTV as it should be able to handle your MP4 & AVCHD files. I would suggest you set up a shared folder (where all your files will be located) on your pc and point the wdtv to the location. The player should be able to stream your movies via wifi but if you later decide to start streaming larger files, you will have either set up a wired connection from your wdtv to the network or pick up a pair of homeplugs

[AfxTwn]

Thanks a lot Tboggie, I think I'll go with the WDTV then. When you say larger files, what do you mean, in terms of size or length? The files I play are only around 20-30 mins max (about 180-220MB) so would they be ok for WiFi streaming?

[zAndy1]

It's not the file size that matters really its the resolution and bitrate. 1080p usually struggles over wifi but 720p should be ok as long as you've got a half decent wifi connection. I can't stream 1080p stuff reliably over 200mbps home plugs but 720p stuff is fine

[Tboggie]

Originally Posted by AfxTwn

Thanks a lot Tboggie, I think I'll go with the WDTV then. When you say larger files, what do you mean, in terms of size or length? The files I play are only around 20-30 mins max (about 180-220MB) so would they be ok for WiFi streaming?

That should be fine

[AfxTwn]

Oh well for the MP4 files I think they're all 720x404 resolution and have varying bitrates but don't exceed 1200kbps for the total bitrate. I have a Virgin Media Super Hub and up to 100meg internet connection so I'm hoping my WiFi connection should be pretty good in my house. The hub and my PC are in the upstairs back bedroom and my TV is in the downstairs front living room but my Wii and iPod Touch both seem to connect fine to it around the house.

I'm going to get a WDTV this weekend so I'll have a look in the classifieds here and on eBay etc and see if I can pick up a bargain.

Thanks very much for all the help.

[Donnacha]

I'm trying to upload a custom theme (alaska resurface) following the guide from Part 2 of this thread, but in the WDTV Browser GUI it just hangs with "Please Wait" once I click Submit.

Does the WDTV SMP need to be on or is Standby OK?

Any ideas?

[zAndy1]

Originally Posted by Donnacha

I'm trying to upload a custom theme (alaska resurface) following the guide from Part 2 of this thread, but in the WDTV Browser GUI it just hangs with "Please Wait" once I click Submit.

Does the WDTV SMP need to be on or is Standby OK?

Any ideas?

Not sure whether it has to be on but I'd think so, if you're using Internet explorer try using google chrome instead, what you describe is a known issue using IE

Cheers
Andy

[mattyduk]

Yes. Had the same issue with IE. chrome worked fine

On a side note, tried the Black Mamba theme and

1) I lost the ability to bring up the dashboard

2) I can't see any info on my films - cast, synopsis.

Anybody else have this ?

[zAndy1]

Nope, black mamba working fine on mine. If you look at the folder where your movies are do you have a _sheet.jpg file and an XML file for each movie. Did you use Thumbgen to generate the movie sheets etc as per the Thumbgen guide DeViciious provides?

[Donnacha]

Originally Posted by zAndy1

Not sure whether it has to be on but I'd think so, if you're using Internet explorer try using google chrome instead, what you describe is a known issue using IE

Cheers
Andy

Thanks - not used Chrome before so will try it. I also tried to apply a theme from the Online User Database (WDTV Legacy) but that just hung as well with the "Please Wait" on the player itself ! I read a few similar issues on the WTDV forums and some suggest that it may be a hardware issue .....hope not!

So far after a few days with the device I'm pleased that it plays almost all my files, but I find it frustratingly slow loading up covers etc. time and time again over wireless. I also find it frustrating that when you select "music" or video, you still have to navigate to the appropritae folder if using Network Share. Media Library is just a litte better!

As a user experience its not a patch on my old Xbox running XBMC, just a shame that can't handle HD !

[mattyduk]

Originally Posted by zAndy1

Nope, black mamba working fine on mine. If you look at the folder where your movies are do you have a _sheet.jpg file and an XML file for each movie. Did you use Thumbgen to generate the movie sheets etc as per the Thumbgen guide DeViciious provides?

I thought it would use the same info display as per my default theme which works fine.

Does your quick access dashboard work with black mamba ?

[planthead]

Originally Posted by Donnacha

Thanks - not used Chrome before so will try it. I also tried to apply a theme from the Online User Database (WDTV Legacy) but that just hung as well with the "Please Wait" on the player itself ! I read a few similar issues on the WTDV forums and some suggest that it may be a hardware issue .....hope not!

So far after a few days with the device I'm pleased that it plays almost all my files, but I find it frustratingly slow loading up covers etc. time and time again over wireless. I also find it frustrating that when you select "music" or video, you still have to navigate to the appropritae folder if using Network Share. Media Library is just a litte better!

As a user experience its not a patch on my old Xbox running XBMC, just a shame that can't handle HD !

You cant beat an old xbox running xbmc, I live in hope!!

[philipb]

I set up my new WDTV today and have a major problem. It can't handle high bit rate files.

I have HD DVDs ripped as mkvs and BluRays ripped as iso's. For all of them playback sometimes (not always) starts OK but soon begins to stutter with audio dropouts. Anything at 16Mbps or above floors it. Files are played back from a network share over a wired network. I have selected Linux shares in the setup menu and the QNAP 410 is seen OK.

The same files are fine on a Mede8er but I did have problems on an old PCH A200.

I've searced these threads for an answer but no luck. Is the WD just not man enough for these bitrates?

Any help would be appreciated.

[djstu_d]

hey.

new firmware update has been released....

Version 1.10.13:
Resolved Issues:
• Supports .aifc file types.
• Resolved Deezer not available in all supported countries.
• Resolved clear media library does a rescan issue.
• Resolved media library not scanning at set intervals issue.
• Resolved several issues with media library scanning on NAS storage.
• Resolved TV show filter sorting issues for season folders.
• Resolved unable to display .jfi, .jfif,, .jif, and some .jpe photo files.
• Resolved FLV CODEC audio sync issue.
• Resolved unable to play ADPMC CODECS with the .WAV or .WAVE containers.
• Resolved playback issues with videos transcoded with Handbrake version 0.9.6.
• Resolved issue OGM playback missing audio or video stream.
• Resolved ID3 tag data not used for get content info in music.
• Resolved Spotify View Biography missing album cover issue.
• Resolved Spotify issue device UI will freeze when browsing artists with 100 or more albums.
• Resolved VUDU issue pressing options during video playback exits to home screen.
• Resolved VUDU issue video playback with composite video output reboots device.
• Resolved German translation issues.
• Resolved YouTube Leanback login credentials not saved after reboot or restarting.
• Resolved several general user interface and translation issues.
General Info:
• Note: Yota service discontinued operation as of July 1, 2012 due to the current situation in the Russian
music market.
• Note: YouTube Leanback will require login after firmware upgrade.