WDTV live questions

Mr_Sukebe

Mr_Sukebe

Mr_Sukebe

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Chaps,
I know there's been a variety of threads ref the WDTV live, was hoping that I could summarise my questions into a single thread.

I couldn't help but notice that the WDTV is now very cheap, and appears to offer what I'm looking for, i.e.
- FLAC support upto 24/96
- Output via HDMI for audio (will be going into my AV system)
- Can be controlled by an Iphone/Ipad via an appropriate app
- Appears to allow random play across a whole music collection
- Can either stream from a PC or read directly from a USB HDD
I know it'll do a lot more, but if it can do the above, that's enough for me

Assuming the above to be correct, then can any owners comment on the usability when trying to play music and control it via say an Ipad?
 
In the absence of comments, ordered one. Worst case scenario, doesn't do the job and gets returned to a large online retailer.

Will comment on the success next week.
 
Should work ok. I use the the old model WDTV for to play video&music in my living room which I stream from my PC in the loft (via Powerline network). My issues so far have been more with some software quirks with the Win 7 MS Mediaplayer.
I hope it will work for you.
 
the wdtv should tick all the boxes for you..ive got two (livingroom/bedroom) and use an android app to control them, works great,connected using powerline adapters to pull movies off my nas and both also have usb HDD's connected until i get all my media in one place :p
 
Dogs>
Thanks, quick question for yourself. Do you need a TV/monitor to see what tracks you're accessing, or can you see that via your Android app?
 
Tv etc..although if you can access ie see the files with your tablet or phone you can stream/play them through the wdtv..hope that makes sense?..:confused:
 
The WDTV arrived today, so had a play during the day.

And the results...both good and frustrating.
The postiive bits:
- It does output audio quite happily via HDMI, thus allowing my Meridian HD621 to do it's little magic of jitter reduction, apodising and upsampling. The result is that it sounds bloody brilliant
- Happily runs against external USB drive
- If you're happy to control it via a TV screen, very cool and easy.

The negative bits:
- I don't have a TV in the lounge, only a projector, meaning that I've been hunting for an alternative method to deal with that
- Got XMBC installed on my PC and after "fiddling" for long enough to get frustrated got XMBC to run as a server for the WDTV
- Came back to play a couple of hours later and the two are now talking less than a teenage couple after a spat
- The WDTV app only replicates the controls of the WDTV, it does NOT display what is available (as already stated by Dogs in this thread)
- Couldn't get my Iphone to talk to XMBC to act as controller and push music to the WDTV

So for the dosh, have to keep it, just because it sounds so good.
For all that, it's clearly going to need further investigation to iron out the usability issues.
 
hi mate ive had a play with an app called ZAPPOTV and i can access the wdtv and then play TO it using my htc flyer. not sure about ipad etc. might be what youre after?? good luck!:D
 
Finally got some time to play some more.

Have now got to:
- Being able to control the WDTV live with the WDTV app on my phone
- Have got XMBCremote able to control and play music on my PC. My music is all sat within individual sub-folders by artist, then album, and it can happily drill into them
- Have got ZappoTV able to see both XBMC and my WDTV live and actually synchronise both

What I've not been able to do is either:
1. Get the WDTV to assume that it should simply play whatever XBMC is playing on my PC, thus allowing me to control track choice via XBMCremote, or
2. Get ZappoTV to see the folders and thus the albums and tracks within them, just comes up blank

Any ideas of either a fix for one or more of the above, or a completely different app that would solve this?
 
Would anyone mind measuring the unit size and posting the dims please ?
 
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Just ordered one of these over Christmas as my last er, temporary HTPC solution (that through my own laziness turned a little too permanent) was on the blink. For 70 odd quid it was worth a try even if I consigned it to the bedroom.

Was amazed at how small the thing is, just a little plastic box, a bit weird. Anyway, plug it in, starts up, probably have to press about 2 buttons and you're up and running. So far it's found my shared network folders and media (did lose it when I turned it off, took a while to find it again but hasn't done it since).

Has played all I've thrown at it with aplomb, very easy to use. My only gripe is the interface is pretty rubbish. I'm a big fan of fluid feeling things, so if that's what you're after steer very clear of this. I have all of my DVD covers with synopsis/cast etc, but it can take a little while to load them (not tried over a wired network or direct USB drive), so scanning through a folder of films isn't as quick as I'd like it to be. Would be nice to be able to blast through the cover art (my favourite interface, much nicer for home cinema) at speed.

Couple of odd little things like not letting you fast forward from a paused state (I think that's what it was, it doesn't all necessarily link up anyhow). And I had a single issue with fast forward with a 1080p source where the images it was showing me during the 16x fast forward weren't actually linked to the time I was in the film, so when I thought "Aha, that's where I was, play", I was actually 10 minutes ahead of that. Not had any issues with the sound loosing sync though, which is an issue I'd seen on a couple of sites.

Netflix also works fine, if again a little slow with the interface.

Basically, top of the line it aint. But then you can't really spend £70 and expect miracles. A solid little media streamer with plenty of remote options that's easy enough for your kids and missus to use, will play almost anything you can think to throw at it, and will fit in even the most jam packed of TV stands, I find very little to complain about.

Going to get a Raspberry Pi to play around with XBMC as a little project though, and if it turns out to bring the fluidity with the same no nonsense approach of the WDTV then I may look into a Pulse Box or similar.
 
Been using a PS3 for ages for watching media on the TV with but today it succumbed to the yellow light of death...

Have hooked up my raspberry pi with raspbmc on it, and that works pretty well. Don't have a remote but using an app to control it and so far plays everything well over the network. UI is reasonably fluid in raspbmc, I found openelec it was a little slow. However, the best thing is using the phone/tablet app to select what you want to watch.

Trying to decide what would be good to replace the PS3. WD live is one option. From this thread and others it seems it works very well but the UI is a bit poor.

Wondered if anyone has install the custom firmware on it and if that makes much improvement?
 
Have to admit to throwing in the towel. Failed again to get the chain of components to talk to each other. Hey, I only work in IT, must be thick.

So, back to a certain large online retailers it goes...
 
Really am on the edge of a fence when deciding whether to purchase one of these or not.

I am moving into a new flat in a week and at current have an old amd athon x2 with an ati Radeon 4350 for a htpc. It's not ideal as it's in a large case and although I am sure it will play media fine I have yet to purchase a new hard disk and psu for it.

So been wondering whether to get one of these or respec a new HTPC machine that I can use as a media server too. Just so many issues I've read about the WDTV that puts me off one.
 
I bought one off the same large online retailer yesterday as an upgrade to my WDTV which I bought back in 2009. Currently I use it to access network shares on my Windows 7 PC, but may try out XBMC.
 
Don't get me wrong guys, the WDTV worked brilliantly when:
- Controlled via the screen (e.g. a TV)
- Linked to either a USB HDD or my PC

Problem was that I simply never managed to get it running such that I could see what music track I was picking next without using a TV/monitor.

For ref, just found out that whilst the AppleTV "resamples" all audio to 48khz, that this is only via the Optical SPDIF output. Apparently it'll happily output the correct rate via HDMI, which is how it will be used in my system. So, as soon as my refund has been achieved, will be buying an AppleTV.
 
Further update, apparently that "view" that the AppleTV wouldn't downsample on HDMI is incorrect. It downsamples all audio to 48khz, regardless of whether it's outputting via SPDIF or HDMI, meaning it's a big no no.

Next!
 
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