WD TV "High Definition Multimedia Adapter" - Part 1

YellowSphere · 05-11-2008, 8:14 AM

Just read about this over at HCC.com.

Looks like a decent bit of kit, much more functional than the USB ports on DVD players that I've seen. Support for MKV files is very interesting too, as well as the expected price.

Can find it on Western Digital's site here.

willo · 05-11-2008, 8:23 AM

Saw this yesterday on Engadget. Looks an interesting bit of kit and should be fairly cheap, hopefully it won't be too long before it come out here. Here's a review of it:

New WD Media Player Reviewed

YellowSphere · 05-11-2008, 10:52 AM

Ooh, thanks for that review. Looks like it has a few drawbacks, but well worth the money. I've been interested in things like this for a while, but I've always been put off by the fact that I probably wouldn't use them that often and so don't want to spend much money. This looks like it'll do a good, although not perfect job, for playing the occasional video or JPEG slideshow on.

robtek70 · 05-11-2008, 2:18 PM

Does anybody know if the USB port will support an external USB DVD drive. I have a lot of movie files, of various types, saved on dvd and would like to be able to play them with this player. I already have an iStar, which does the job very well, but need something for my bedroom.

Trune · 05-11-2008, 10:24 PM

This looks great.... just what ive been waiting for.

only draw back for me is lack of network port, does anyone know if NAS drives with usb ports can be on NAS and USB simultaniously?

DeathFromAbove · 06-11-2008, 12:08 PM

This looks really interesting, but the following comment on the WD specification page is a little worrying:

- An audio receiver is required for surround sound output. AAC/Dolby Digital decodes in 2 channel output only

Does this indicate a lack of 5.1 (or higher) via HDMi or optical?

DeathFromAbove · 06-11-2008, 12:15 PM

Oops, looks like the answer lies within:

MaddHat.com » Blog Archive » New WD Media Player Reviewed, Stripped Naked

robtek70 · 06-11-2008, 2:29 PM

Just placed a pre order for one at Play.com, available from 17th Nov.

james7604 · 06-11-2008, 2:51 PM

I've got a PCH on the way, I would probably have preordered one otherwise.

energy80s · 06-11-2008, 8:29 PM

This thing sounds really interesting, and only costs 80 quid. The BIG drawback is the lack of an ethernet port. Is there any way (or any gadget) that would let you connect a LAN to the USB port and allow you to browse media from a network server using Samba shares??

Trune · 06-11-2008, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeathFromAbove

This looks really interesting, but the following comment on the WD specification page is a little worrying:

- An audio receiver is required for surround sound output. AAC/Dolby Digital decodes in 2 channel output only

Does this indicate a lack of 5.1 (or higher) via HDMi or optical?

Can you explain what you mean here? and what conclusion you came too?

Trune · 06-11-2008, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by energy80s

This thing sounds really interesting, and only costs 80 quid. The BIG drawback is the lack of an ethernet port. Is there any way (or any gadget) that would let you connect a LAN to the USB port and allow you to browse media from a network server using Samba shares??

I very much doubt it... it would require drivers to install a usb - network adapter.

So you would need a USB drive.

However, i was hoping that i could get a NAS with a USB port, and use the network port and usb port at the same time, can anyone confirm if this works on most devices?

YellowSphere · 07-11-2008, 9:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trune

Can you explain what you mean here? and what conclusion you came too?

The documentation is stating that, whilst the box can decode DD, it can only output as two channel PCM. This is always what happens if you try to send PCM via optical. Presumably, they just didn't want to implement it via HDMI, and that's fine, because the optical output will still bitstream Dolby and DTS to a receiver to be decoded there into proper 5.1. Sorted.

I would also assume that it doesn't bitstream via HDMI, so you'd need to connect it by optical for surround sound no matter what, like a Sky HD box. I could be proved wrong here, but I doubt it...

DeathFromAbove · 07-11-2008, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trune

Can you explain what you mean here? and what conclusion you came too?

No probs pal...

I was worried that the 'AAC/Dolby Digital decodes in 2 channel output only' statement suggested 5.1 soundtracks (ie. DD and DTS) were reduced to 2.0. But the MaddHat reviewer got Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 through his amp from the WD HD TV.

I'm looking forward to seeing a couple of forum-user reviews, as this sounds ideal for my needs!

willo · 07-11-2008, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trune

I very much doubt it... it would require drivers to install a usb - network adapter.

So you would need a USB drive.

However, i was hoping that i could get a NAS with a USB port, and use the network port and usb port at the same time, can anyone confirm if this works on most devices?

Just a thought but it could be possible to hook up a My Book (the NAS one) via usb to the WD TV and then attach the My Book to your network. Can’t see why it wouldn’t work unless the My Book cannot do both.

RandomGuy · 07-11-2008, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeathFromAbove

I'm looking forward to seeing a couple of forum-user reviews, as this sounds ideal for my needs!

I too, would love to hear some user opinions about this, because I am SO close to buying one...

KyleS1 · 07-11-2008, 12:26 PM

Me too. Looks like an ideal step between my philips 5980 and a PCH. While the popcorn hour is great, it is expensive and does a lot more than I would need. This look perfect. Only thing I am concerned about, as other are, is the lack of ethernet port. Will see what people say about using the My Book NAS drives via USB and Ethernet.

sapkan · 08-11-2008, 5:13 AM

which HDMI version is it? Does it pass the new audio codecs?

YellowSphere · 08-11-2008, 8:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sapkan

which HDMI version is it? Does it pass the new audio codecs?

Highly doubt it, but I really wouldn't expect it too. If you want lossless audio, buy the Blu-Ray......

Patient · 08-11-2008, 9:41 AM

If this had an ethernet connection it would be ideal - anyone know of a device the same as this but with ethernet?

energy80s · 08-11-2008, 12:45 PM

Would something like this work???

USB 2.0 Ethernet Adaptor > Maplin

Patient · 08-11-2008, 3:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by energy80s

Would something like this work???

USB 2.0 Ethernet Adaptor > Maplin

Not sure - is USB fast enough to stream HD content?

Patient · 08-11-2008, 4:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robtek70

Just placed a pre order for one at Play.com, available from 17th Nov.

I can't find this on play.com - could you post a link please.

energy80s · 08-11-2008, 4:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patient

Not sure - is USB fast enough to stream HD content?

Well, USB2 certainly is (it's nearly 5 times faster than standard ethernet) but whether the WD player would recognise the information as it would be coming from an IP address rather than a hard drive file system is the problem.

Why the hell WD didn't stick an ethernet port on this device I'll never know. Without it, it severly limits its potential (and therefore WD's potential to make money!).

robtek70 · 08-11-2008, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patient

I can't find this on play.com - could you post a link please.

Here's the link for you asked for.
Play.com (UK) : Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player : Computing - Free Delivery

Patient · 09-11-2008, 6:15 AM

Thnaks robtek70

How do you plan to access your media with this? Copy it to a portable HDD or something more sophisticated?

Stephen Neal · 09-11-2008, 12:00 PM

Unless WD have included USB Ethernet adaptor and USB Wifi adaptor drivers then using a USB Ethernet or USB WiFi dongle won't work. USB is just a data communications standard, what data is carried over it and whether a device can cope with it is entirely dependent on the driver support.

You know how when you buy some USB devices you have to install drivers on your PC or Mac? Same is true of other devices. Why don't you have to install drivers for all devices? Because your OS has some common ones built in.

The WD has USB Mass Storage drivers built in - so will read files from USB Hard Drives, USB Flash drives and some USB connected camcorders and digital cameras - because these all use the USB Mass Storage standard.

IF the WD is running Linux or a similar embedded OS, and IF this can be reached by the end user and modified (as it can be on the PCH) then driver support for other devices MIGHT be possible. (The PCH has had support for things like the HD Homerun Ethernet TV tuner added for instance - allowing TV viewing on it without a PC)

robtek70 · 09-11-2008, 7:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patient

Thnaks robtek70

How do you plan to access your media with this? Copy it to a portable HDD or something more sophisticated?

I have most of my video, music, pictures etc stored on external USB drives so will be using these most of the time. For other files I have on my computer I will simply be copying them to either one of my external hard drives or a pen drive.

erdie · 10-11-2008, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by energy80s

Well, USB2 certainly is (it's nearly 5 times faster than standard ethernet) but whether the WD player would recognise the information as it would be coming from an IP address rather than a hard drive file system is the problem.

Why the hell WD didn't stick an ethernet port on this device I'll never know. Without it, it severly limits its potential (and therefore WD's potential to make money!).

I have seen this question asked on a few forums and the answer seems to be that WD are in the business of selling hard drives and this bit of kit is a perfect companion to portable/external hd's that WD just happen to make and sell.

erdie · 10-11-2008, 11:38 AM

This is just the thing I have been looking for. I have had a tvix for a couple of years, but it doesn't play hd formats and I lot of stuff is being released as mkv's. The last few weeks I have been looking at new media players and the tvix 6500 at £300 was a bit too dear, as is things like the pch and other media tanks (although they are a tiny bit cheaper than the tvix), they also do a lot of stuff I don't want or need. Most of my video files are kept on a couple of external hard drives so it will be easy for me to connect them up, and if I get any new files I is pretty easy to plug the external drives into my laptop and put on new files. I am not really interested in streaming stuff from my pc, I wonder if a lot of people are? and it also means you have got to have your pc on all the time.
I only found out about this just over an hour ago and but I am going to order one this afternoon.