With every FW version I had the same problems accessing Windows shares (W7 & XP). It works, then it didnt work. With “it didnt work” i mean nothing visible, also no machines. All machines visible and shares accessable after reboot or not visible. After 1 hour or after 3 days suddenly access is possible. So the whole 2 years i didnt recognize a system in it., only that this problems are not connected with MS security updates…
I suppose for many people this is not a new story, but yesterday i found a stable workaround for my system (2x connected USB drives and a network with 3x W7 machines in workgroup). If I boot the WDlive with only one USB device connected to USB1 I have access to my network shares every time and direct! The second drive at USB2 works also if I start it after the system is up. Not very comfortable but the first time that i know a way to access also recources in my network.
After having several units, both live and live plus, inadvertainly upgraded to the 1.06.34 FW, I was left with paperweights. The units could only play a single file before becoming non-functional and requiring a hard-reset (power disconnect). My personal favorite of the wierd behavior was the continued playback in the background, even when the unit was turned off. Having given up on WD to fix the issue, I recently began purchasing new boxes from a competitor.
With nothing left to loose with my 3 bricked boxes, I tried this beta and I was pleasantly surpised. The issues with playback over the network have apparently been resolved. The menu sluggishness is gone and the files play cleanly without freezing or error. I can even pause/FF/rewind without playback errors now. Works great with both .avi, .mp4 and .mkv.
Unfoturnatly, I will never again have trust in WD or your products. Despite others have some success downgrade the FW and getting it to function again, I was not so lucky. I had 3 rock solid boxes for several years but after the upgrade to 1.06.34, nothing was the same again. I tried every FW I could find, official, beta and homebrew, but nothing was able to restore the functionality until now. Seems to me that there is something internal that got updated and it wouldn’t allow a downgrade, regardless of the FW or version number in the files. Unfortunatly, too little, too late.
So far so good - I installed the Beta on my device last night & it all worked. I must admit that I did purchase my unit as a media player & don’t bother with the net apps as I would rather use my laptop for such things & use my television to watch films & TV programs.
I am using two units - one of which has a 2TB WD Elements drive attached, I am also using WIN7 folder shares & a Win8 laptop to manage all the files.
One other thing - following a firmware release over a year ago I did mention that my bathroom tap had started leaking, alas this release hasn’t affected the tap in any way.
After initial power-up, unit is able to play any media files, locally or via network (media server or network share). However, after playback competition of the first video file, regardless of the format (avi,mp4, mkv), video playback fails for every file until factory reset or power unplugged (spinning blue ring indefinitly).
For the initial file I have tried both network playback and local usb playback of avi, mp4 and mkv files. Regardless of the initial file, all subsequent playback fails and I get the indefinite spinning blue ring.
Finally had a chance to install this today. I was coming from my rock solid 1.02.21 - which I have been running for years now. Updated via USB and it went fine.
Matter of fact everything was fine. Tried all the online apps, music, photos and of course movies…with no issues thus far.
I did - like many - lose my network shares (actually all devices “out there” on the network) that was easily fixed by simply letting Network Setup run automatically again. Then the shares showed up.
I have no complaints thus far - and will continue to test this in the next few days.
Well, maybe “flash” is not the correct word. I mean that it takes too long to scan (maybe “scan” isn’t the correct word either) all media I have in my USB drive everytime I turn on the player.
I love the new beta, guys. Nearly everything is working perfectly, but YouTube Leanback doesn’t fit right on my 4:3 NTSC TV (via composite). There appears to be no overscan compensation for the interface; the sides are missing (cropped off by the bezel of the CRT).
I’m glad somebody mentioned the initial scanning issue. I’ve always wondered why it is necessary. Can’t the folders be read only when I navigate to them? When I turn on the set, I always have to wait 3 minutes before I can open files from both drives. (NTFS)
This release seems to mostly work for me, but it still has an annoying delay every time a file is selected to start playing. (This delay is so long, that the preview feature in the file selection is almost pointless, as it doesn’t start playing until you’ve gone away, or selected something else.)
For me it takes about 5 seconds of segmented circle icon, then 5 seconds sitting at 0:00 before it starts playing.
This is a lot better than the minutes long delays on the previous ill-fated 1.06.34 firmware, but still unacceptably long to me. 1.06.15 has no delay for me, so I’ll be sticking with that, unless the final release of this new firmware has this fixed.
I mostly play files from SMB shares, but the delay was still present with a local USB HDD directly connected to the WDTV Live.
I thought maybe this release was scanning the files for better seeking or something, but the delay is just as long on very short (under 100MB) files, as it is on >10GB files.
If this delay can be fixed (fingers crossed, since it wasn’t present on previous firmwares), then this release seems good.
Is anyone else having trouble with their network? Since 1.06.38 I can’t find my MyBookLiveDuo’s shares anymore despite the Live getting assigned an IP and being available on the network. When I switch to the Live SMP, the shares are visible immediately.
Is anyone else having trouble with their network? Since 1.06.38 I can’t find my MyBookLiveDuo’s shares anymore despite the Live getting assigned an IP and being available on the network. When I switch to the Live SMP, the shares are visible immediately.
No problems for me yet, finds my PC and NAS shares fine everytime it’s turned on.
This release seems to mostly work for me, but it still has an annoying delay every time a file is selected to start playing. (This delay is so long, that the preview feature in the file selection is almost pointless, as it doesn’t start playing until you’ve gone away, or selected something else.)
The delay of 10 seconds to read any file is bit annoying.
Especially when you play mp3 files in shuffle mode, there is long gap between the two tracks.
Hope this will be taken care of in the final version.
Please try changing the wallpaper to give the device a new look.
I watched old and new movies from my collection, family videos and photos. Navigating between two usb hdd and changing directories was faster than ever. ( Last one was 1.06.15) . From stop to starting a 720p material took 9-10 secs.
On my wired network, finding my pc and other WD (1.06.15 not updated) was instant. Watching 1080p and 720p material over the network was uninterrupted.
I couldn’t check hifi and surround capabilities yet (connected to other wd).
Thanks to WD. (Sorry for my English, it is not my native language.)
