WDTV Live (non Plus)

[stiltman]

B-Rad has updated his homebrew to flashable now.
Still no confirmation for hub support though.

[T-Fish]

I just ordered one from Provantage. $116US plus shipping, etc. The LAN setup sounds interesting. If I could avoid booting my HTPC everytime I want to watch a video on my projector, that would be a big bonus.

Newegg has the Western Digital WD TV Live Media Player (Generation 2 of the WD TV) for $109.99 after Coupon Code: EMCHDD10C (Exp 10/16). $1.99 Shipping.

the cheapest i've found around here is $165 (and newegg doesn't ship overseas) bah!

[MJA]

right now amazon is selling it for $119 with free shipping,but u have to wait close to a month to get it

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002KKFP9Y/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

[stiltman]

right now amazon is selling it for $119 with free shipping,but u have to wait close to a month to get it

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002KKFP9Y/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

WOW, 1-2 months wait!
I didn't think it was that popular

[MJA]

I got the wireless adapter(airlink101) ,and I'm still waitig for the player

[redwudz]

I tried a cheap Edimax USB 'N' adapter and it works fine, though it's not on their list. It sets up easier with the WD box than it did with my laptop. But I have it hooked to the wired LAN now. I had a problem with it dropping the wired LAN connection after 5 minutes. Just a problem with the settings. Works fine now.

I also ordered a Optical>Coaxial adapter from MonoPrice to convert the audio format so I can use my 5 input coaxial audio switcher instead of changing the surround amp inputs all the time. About $12US.

It does output optical audio at the same time as HDMI.

[T-Fish]

right now amazon is selling it for $119 with free shipping,but u have to wait close to a month to get it

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002KKFP9Y/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

that only ships to the U.S. for free.
last time i bought something from amazon, i paid $3.50 for the dvd and $15 for the shipping

[MJA]

what about amazon uk ?

[jman98]

what about amazon uk ?

Normally that would be a great suggestion, but if I remember correctly Amazon.uk has a policy of shipping electronics only to the UK and Ireland. They won't even ship electronics to continental Europe. They will, however, ship DVDs and books anywhere.

[MJA]

what kind of union is this ?

[stiltman]

B-Rad has updated his homebrew to flashable now.
Still no confirmation for hub support though.

Looks like the latest vesion can use USB Hubs, but only under folder view.
Bummer, I just usually use all video to access videos

[yonidass]

Does anyone know if the new player supports multiple audio tracks in MP4 containers? I know that it does with MKVs, but the first generation doesn't support that in MP4s, at least not yet.

Thanks

[jagabo]

Does anyone know if the new player supports multiple audio tracks in MP4 containers?

Yes, it does. At least some. I have an MP4 file with Xvid video and two MP3 tracks. I can switch between them.

MP4 support is not as good as MKV support though. Some h.264 videos aren't smooth (like playing 12 fps instead of 24 fps) in MP4 but play fine after remuxing to MKV.

[yonidass]

Thanks for the info jagabo. Good to know in case I upgrade, though it would be nice if they could include this support in the first generation player.

[Delta2]

Hi,

WDTV Live doesn't have any fan inside, right ?

[jagabo]

No fan. Idle power consumption (including wall wart): 4 watts. Playing 1080p60 from a 8 GB thumb drive: 8 watts.

[Wink Dinkerson]

I was glad to see that Amazon, finally states Nov 18 availability, and no longer the 1-2 months wait. I ordered mine last night, and shows a Nov 12 ship date. I had the 1st gen WD TV, but returned, when it didn't support VOB files. I have a WD 1TB drive loaded and ready to use, as well as, gigabit wired home for streaming.

Now I am looking for a quality HDMI switch, since my 3 (or 4) year old Sony XBR only has 2 HDMI connections, but that is for another thread.

[redwudz]

I just updated to a 5 input HDMI switch from Monoprice and it works great. The LED operations may confuse you at first, but it does a good job of switching the inputs. http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=...seq=1&format=2

They also have other models with less inputs. I added some HDMI cables (6' purple for $1.92US ) and a optical>coaxial adapter for the WD Live to work with my coaxial audio switcher. I already had a HDMI splitter on the output of the HDMI switch so I can view with my projector or my LCD monitor. My projector is on the end of a 45 foot HDMI run and it all works with no problems.

The WD Live has been working great. So much easier to use than the Philips 5990 for external drives.

[Wink Dinkerson]

Thank you for the response, that is the switch that I have been looking at. I discovered monoprice, while looking for ethernet cables, and I have been pleased with their products, price, and shipping. Glad to read another positive about their 5x1 switch, I read on their site that it can be synchronized with the Harmony remotes, which I have the 880. I will be purchasing in the morning.

[MJA]

stiltman,
is there a way to access facebook?

btw. I bought mine from bestbuy for $119 + $20 off $100 using paypal .final price after tax is $109.

[stiltman]

stiltman,
is there a way to access facebook?.

Not that I know of with the OEM firmware
I haven't heard anyone ask about Facebook as a video site.

[stiltman]

http://twitter.com/WDTVLive

Thought WD TV Live couldn't get any better? You're wrong! In a few days we'll be releasing an update so check back for details

http://wdtvforum.com/main/index.php?topic=2645.msg21367#msg21367

Focus is mainly bug fixes - a few minor enhancements. We have some big releases planned around the end / beginning of the year.

-ScottWD

[misterbill]

Update for the WDTV LIVE.

http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/updates/?family=wdfwdtv_live

[MJA]

I checked for updates ,but nothing came up on the player.

btw.If I try to force the player to play .MOV .The WDTV2 will stop playing any format until I unplug it from the back.even clips from youtube will not play.

[jagabo]

I checked for updates ,but nothing came up on the player.

I tried that too. No luck. But if you go to the web site, download the file, and follow the instructions you'll get the update.

[redwudz]

I had to DL and install from a USB drive also.

[edong]

What are the pros and cons of buying either this WDTV Live or PC with HDMI port? I'll be more interested in the quality arguments. Thanks.

[redwudz]

A PC should be able to play just about any format, with the right programs installed. You can also install a HDTV tuner to access video from cable or a satellite. But the cost is $500 - $1000 or more.

The WDTV can play quite a few formats. It also has some internet access and can also access video over a LAN from other computers on your system, including a wireless LAN. It does have HDMI and digital audio output. It also can use USB drives for extended video storage. If your primary intent is to play video, it's one option to a full HTPC computer. I think it's a great addition to a system for simple video access. If you have a surround sound amp and a viewing system, LCD, Plasma, or projector, it's a good alternative to a PC. It doesn't replace a PC, but the cost is about $120US.

EDIT: To address quality issues. Not many. A PC gives you more playback adjustments, depending on the player. But I see no real quality differences playing back a HD MKV video and audio from the WDTV compared to my HTPC. I send the HDMI out to a projector with a 12' screen and the audio goes to my audio surround sound amplifier.

[misterbill]

Update for the WDTV LIVE.

http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/updates/?family=wdfwdtv_live

This is the new Firmware for the player. It looks like it takes care of a bunch of minor glitches. It also closes the hole for being able to play 1080p over component cables. If that is of concern, you might not want to update.

I have played MOV files from my camera with no problems.

[MJA]

Update for the WDTV LIVE.

http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/updates/?family=wdfwdtv_live

This is the new Firmware for the player. It looks like it takes care of a bunch of minor glitches. It also closes the hole for being able to play 1080p over component cables. If that is of concern, you might not want to update.

I have played MOV files from my camera with no problems.

can you play.MOV from a flash/hd?