Random doesn't seem random any more

Community Archives WD TV Live Firmware
41

Thanks for confirming Guy.

I am wondering what everyone is doing as a workaround. Now that support for 3TB drives is here I could switch to the built in media library instead of using a music server. What’s the quality of the user experience like that way?

I know this bug is probably low priority but not sure how you can advertise DLNA capability when you cannot shuffle through files on any DLNA media server.

42

horizons1 wrote:
I know this bug is probably low priority but not sure how you can advertise DLNA capability when you cannot shuffle through files on any DLNA media server.

Don’t know how you connect randomized shuffle playing with DLNA. Nothing in DLNA says a media player has to support shuffle.

1 Like
43

I knew someone would say that. What is the point of saying you have a DLNA compatible device if the device does not behave properly when connected to a DLNA server? WD has recently updated their knowledge base on DLNA to state the Live and Live Plus will connect to DLNA servers but WD cannot troubleshoot issues. This, IMHO, is a cop-out since the issue we are discussing here worked fine for versions through 1.03. Twonky and Tversity didn’t change, WD did.

44

The point is the WDTV Live is a certified DLNA device. It does not have to support random play from a DLNA server.

WD have said there is a problem with random play and they are trying to fix it. Got nothing to do with DLNA.

45

Hopefully the bug is fixed quick now. As I’m having this random play bug since 1.04. I still use 1.03.49 (that’s the only working ‘work around’ I know)

1.05.04 Doesn’t fix the problem.

I suppose it isn’t that big of a problem, if you know it worked fine till 1.03.49.

46

Thanks for confirming, PSV, I will stick with 1.03.49.

47

I still hope the problem is fixed quick. I want to use the features build in since version 4 and 5.

48

Any progress from WD on this bug?

I have to say I was hoping for a quicker resolution than this…

I would imagine that a correctly functioning random play facility is a pretty important part of the WDTV Live for many users. 

So please can we have an update on progress?

Many Thanks. 

49

SplittingDistan wrote:

I would imagine that a correctly functioning random play facility is a pretty important part of the WDTV Live for many users.

I can only agree.

For example, randoly showing all my digital photos from 2010 (about 1066) will cause it to alternate between the same 3 events, even though one of them only has 14 shots. Only once all 14 were shown, it will pick something else. :frowning:

50

I’m with the above. This needs sorting ASAP. I am currently using the older firmware where shuffle gives a reasonable enough impression of being random.  Come on WD, this is not an advanced function - it works well enough in your older firmware!

51

This is a wild guess of mine: Maybe all those new internet features might need more memory within the firmware, so maybe the random routines got replaced by smaller code? Hence, no fix to be expected?

Any one here with technical knowledge about these device that can comment on this?

On the other hande, the newer firmare also reintroduced other bugs (e.g. keyboard is often failing again, which was fixed at some point), so maybe their revisioning software got some versions mixed up, and nobody noticed yet?

(Guesses, guesses - but what else can we do without any information, save brewing up our own rumors? :wink: )

52

This issue has been fixed in firmware that’s currently in testing.

1 Like
53

Guy_K,

Thanks for that - good news indeed!

Hopefully it won’t be too long before it’s released.

And thanks for taking the time and trouble to respond - it is apriciated.

Kevin.

54

And suddenly, all is well again. :smileyvery-happy: Thanks for the info!

55

STurtle wrote:

This is a wild guess of mine: Maybe all those new internet features might need more memory within the firmware, so maybe the random routines got replaced by smaller code? Hence, no fix to be expected?

 

Any one here with technical knowledge about these device that can comment on this?

Even though Guy has repeated his “this is fixed in testing” reply, I think I can still take a stab at that. :wink:

As far as I can tell, WD isn’t out of space… yet… but the available room isn’t infinite either.

The WDLXTV custom firmwares from B-Rad will never be based on v1.04 or higher and be flashable… B-Rad and his programming team has apparently run out of room for all their additions.  The flashable versions of WDLXTV can now only be based on 1.02.x and 1.03.x firmwares.  That doesn’t mean there can’t be 1.04.x-based versions, but it’s trickier… you have to flash with one of the 1.02- or 1.03-based versions, and then the 1.04 (and higher) -based custom firmware is then loaded after boot, from a USB thumb drive.

So, on the one hand, I wouldn’t expect WD to be needing to scrounge a byte here and a byte there just yet – they still have space for their code… but on the other hand, it’s fairly obvious that WD can’t possibly add every suggestion in the “Ideas” section and in various “what features would you like to see?” threads.  The old question used to be “if B-rad can do it…”.  Now that B-Rad can’t do it, obviously neither can WD, even if WD didn’t have product differentiation between the Live/Live+ and the Live Hub to take into consideration.  I wouldn’t hold my breath on “movie sheets” or many of the other requests/ideas.:wink:

56

interesting, RoofingGuy. If this will, indeed, be fixed in the next version I am faced with a conundrum: give up all the cool bits of the custom firmware I have gotten used to while waiting for WD to fix the bug or stay on wdlxtv and never benefit from anything new WD does. That, of course, assumes I don’t want to live with non-flasheD builds.

I have really been enjoying browsing by ISO library via linksheets. It is quite elegant.

I guess the only thing to do is try the official build when it is released and decide then. In any case, I am pleased to see WD isnstill working on updates. I feared the end was near.

57

No mention of a fix in 1.06.16, plus at least three complaints of Tversity issues.  In a holding pattern here, still on custom fw.

58

This fix made it into the Live Hub update but not the Live Plus update. It’s still being worked on for the Live and Live Plus.

59

OK Guy, thanks for the response.

60

Come On: I started this thread longer than a year ago!!! (12-04-2010) 

We now have update v6 and still, NOT fixed this issue!!!