WD TV Live Firmware Version 103.22 Pre-release Update (6/9/10)

davidjmurray wrote:

When watching any Revision 3 video via MediaFly the video runs faster than the audio. This problem is with all Revision 3 shows that I have watched. This has been documented before in other forums, therefore it may be an revision 3 issue with their coding workflow.

 

It has also been reported that the early versions of the firmware played them fine.

I have persevered with the DVD menu option (although I agree with another contributor who suggested that in 2010 such a feature is pretty much passe anyway). For what it is worth I find that it only works on mediashares & not on the same folders when they are accessed via media servers (in my case this is a DLINK-DNS323 server via TwonkyServer v4.0).  This is the same limitation I see with .srt subtitles saved with .avi files and admittedly may be a limitation of TwonkyServer. I am just posting here in case it saves another WDTVLIVE user wasting as much time as I have getting it to work  :slight_smile:

Mediafly is an interesting feature, although I find that many of the SD feeds stutter while others HD feeds play quite smoothely. Frankly I suspect this is a limitation of mediafly as many of the same files don’t play well when accessed directly from my PC. My ASDL2 connections plays other soures of HD video (vimeo, google) very well and I suspect that this is a limitation of mediafly. Honestly I don’t think that their servers are up to the job and WDTV may need to look for another internet media partner that is.

I also find that the WDTVLIVE native menus do not transition as smoothely as previously; there is a perceptable hesitation scrolling through menu options that was never apparent previously.  On balance some marks must go to WD for trying but I would have to be convinced that the release version of this firmware was much more feature-rich / bug-free before bothering again.

TonyPh12345,

Yes,  the TiVo series 2 is not High Def. I did not say that it was.

So, the problem still exists. The image is super narrow, compared to a standard 4:3 image.

I use kmttg (version v0p7l)  to transfer and decode video files from the series 2 TiVo. Then I pass the video file through VideoReDo qfix automatically. I may or may not edit the file later with VideoReDo to remove adverts manually. VideoReDo displays the video as a 4:3 aspect image. VideoReDo does not affect the narrow aspect image, as the problem existed before I started using VideoReDo.

The medisinfo text output is:

Format                           : MPEG-PS
File size                        : 1.56 GiB
Duration                         : 1h 0mn
Overall bit rate                 : 3 731 Kbps

Video
ID                               : 224 (0xE0)
Format                           : MPEG Video
Format version                   : Version 2
Format profile                   : Main@Main
Format settings, BVOP            : Yes
Format settings, Matrix          : Default
Duration                         : 1h 0mn
Bit rate mode                    : Variable
Bit rate                         : 3 391 Kbps
Nominal bit rate                 : 9 000 Kbps
Width                            : 480 pixels
Height                           : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio             : 0.889
Frame rate                       : 29.970 fps
Standard                         : NTSC
Resolution                       : 8 bits
Colorimetry                      : 4:2:0
Scan type                        : Interlaced
Scan order                       : Top Field First
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)               : 0.491
Stream size                      : 1.42 GiB (91%)

Audio
ID                               : 192 (0xC0)
Format                           : MPEG Audio
Format version                   : Version 1
Format profile                   : Layer 2
Duration                         : 1h 0mn
Bit rate mode                    : Constant
Bit rate                         : 192 Kbps
Channel(s)                       : 2 channels
Sampling rate                    : 48.0 KHz
Video delay                      : 3ms
Stream size                      : 82.4 MiB (5%)

Text
ID                               : 224 (0xE0)-608-1
Format                           : EIA-608
Muxing mode                      : MPEG Video / EIA-708
Muxing mode, more info           : Muxed in Video #1
Stream size                      : 0.00 Byte (0%)

As you can see, the video Wiidth and Height is 480x480 with a Display aspect ratio of 0.889.

Interestingly, VLC version 1.1.0 plays this video correctly at 4:3 aspect. The previous version of VLC (whatever that was before version 1.1.0) also played the video as a narrow aspect. I assume that aspect ratio is the 0.889.

I used mkvmerge version GUI v4.0.1 to remux the video file. Here is the mediainfo output after mkvmerge:

Format                           : Matroska
File size                        : 1.55 GiB
Duration                         : 1h 0mn
Overall bit rate                 : 3 703 Kbps
Encoded date                     : UTC 2010-07-10 15:48:03
Writing application              : mkvmerge v4.1.1 (‘Bouncin’ Back’) built on Jul  3 2010 22:54:08
Writing library                  : libebml v1.0.0 + libmatroska v1.0.0

Video
ID                               : 1
Format                           : MPEG Video
Format version                   : Version 2
Format profile                   : Main@Main
Format settings, BVOP            : Yes
Format settings, Matrix          : Default
Codec ID                         : V_MPEG2
Codec ID/Info                    : MPEG 1 or 2 Video
Duration                         : 59mn 57s
Bit rate mode                    : Variable
Bit rate                         : 3 438 Kbps
Nominal bit rate                 : 9 000 Kbps
Width                            : 480 pixels
Height                           : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio             : 4:3
Original display aspect ratio    : 0.889
Frame rate                       : 29.970 fps
Standard                         : NTSC
Resolution                       : 8 bits
Colorimetry                      : 4:2:0
Scan type                        : Interlaced
Scan order                       : Top Field First
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)               : 0.498
Stream size                      : 1.44 GiB (93%)

Audio
ID                               : 2
Format                           : MPEG Audio
Format version                   : Version 1
Format profile                   : Layer 2
Codec ID                         : A_MPEG/L2
Codec ID/Hint                    : MP2
Duration                         : 1h 0mn
Bit rate mode                    : Constant
Bit rate                         : 192 Kbps
Channel(s)                       : 2 channels
Sampling rate                    : 48.0 KHz
Stream size                      : 82.4 MiB (5%)

Now the video width and height are 480x480 and a display aspect ratio of 4:3. The 0.889 is now listed as the ‘original display aspect ratio’

As I said in my original posting, the TiVo just displays the video full screen, so I assume that the display aspect ratio within the video is just ignored and the screen aspect ratio (from the setup/config info) is used instead.

The TiVo, VLC, and mkvmerge know that it is a 4:3 aspect ratio video. The WD TV Live does not. As the WD TV Live also knows the screen aspect ratio, it would be nice if there was an option to just scale everything to that display aspect ratio like the TiVo does. Just an option, not a default, as I don’t want the wrath of the purests cast apon me.

Cheers,

Yeah, that’s interesting.   I am actually of the opinion that the WDTV is actually doing what it’s been TOLD to do.  Present a 480x480 video with an apect ratio of 0.889.  

There’s NOTHING in the MPEG-PS original to tell it to do otherwise.   

I don’t know much about MKVMerge, but apparently it’s applying a default or something to cause it to change the Aspect Ratio flags like that; I don’t know what it’s keying on to “Assume” it’s 4:3 as the original has no such indication.

I think there’s some ideas posted in the “Ideas Lab” that gets at what you’re talking about; options to change the aspect ratio per stream (stretch / zooms, etc…)  Go search in there and see, and if you find one, vote for it.

Sorry I wasn’t more help!

davidjmurray wrote:

When watching any Revision 3 video via MediaFly the video runs faster than the audio. This problem is with all Revision 3 shows that I have watched. This has been documented before in other forums, therefore it may be an revision 3 issue with their coding workflow.

 

I noticed this problem with only a few Revision 3 videos via MediaFly . Most notably, a week ago the first episodes of GeekBeat.tv were exhibiting this behavior. Today (Sunday) I observed the behavior (repeated 3x) on the first of two links to the most recent epsode or GeekBeat.tv, but not the other. Over the WDTVLive there is no differentiation provided as to whether the two links have different formatting. They both appear to play in widescreen 1280x720P on my TV.

After clicking the episodes link, all other epidodes appeared to play normally.

Similar to my observations last week with respect to video, today I observed music to continue playing when the unit was “turned off” via the Power button while content was active. Unlike when the unit froze if shutoff (put to sleep) while a video was playing, I was able to restart the unit via the power button. It did take longer than usual to power up, as if recovering from a crash.

Anyone else experience this phenomena of content persisting after the unit is shut off?

just got a WDTVlive, where can i post feature suggestions?

  • wake on lan capability → i have my server in standby mode, and whenever a clients needs something from it, they send a WOL command, = SAVE OF ENERGY and money.

  • sleeptimer → make it possible to set a timer 15,30,1h,1.5h,2h so that the unit shutdown in case you fall asleep. or do you guys leave it on always???

Could someone please point me the link to this beta firmware?  It’s not available here: http://download.wdc.com/wdtv/wdtvlive_1.03.22.zip.

Thanks

Try here:

http://wdtvhd.com/index.php?act=idx

Firmware WDTV Live 1.03.22 (beta)

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GBQQMAGX

Thanks guys.  Got it from 4shared. 

i bought this device to watch movies stored in my server,

now i find out i cant “sort by date” unless they are inside an usb??? because of Media Library Compilation

is this going to be fix?

am i doing something wrong?

can it be done?

please, i feel i just wasted 120euros !!!

Can this beta firmware be used on a Live Plus unit?  Is there another forum specifically for the Live Plus?

Is this going to be fixed?

Unknown.

Am I doing something wrong?

Nope…  That’s the current behavior.

can it be done?

Nope.  Not yet.

i feel I just wasted 120euros !!!

Why?   Because it doesn’t sort by date?

Morbeas wrote:

Can this beta firmware be used on a Live Plus unit?  Is there another forum specifically for the Live Plus?

NO.    The beta firmware is only for use on the LIVE.

No, this forum is for both the Live and Live+.

ok, maybe not wasted 120euros.

but imagine if you have a very big collection of movies, if a new movie is added to the collection how can i spot it?

i would like to see it on top of the list, or in a “recent” section. but right know i have to go through all the collection and identify it manually???

please help me out. !! especially since it was a present for my dad and i know its impossible he identifies new movies without something like sort by date.

please

Sorry…  Your only choices are to use direct USB, as Network Shares doesn’t do that.  You might also be able to use a Media Server, if the server offers that function…

<< Can this beta firmware be used on a Live Plus unit?  >>

Likely. The boxes are 99.9% identical and the firmware does contain Netflix.

hardon wrote:

<< Can this beta firmware be used on a Live Plus unit?  >>

 

Likely. The boxes are 99.9% identical and the firmware does contain Netflix.

I wouldn’t try it, though (and it may probably reject to perform the update, but I wouldn’t count on it).

Cocovanna

Cocovanna wrote:


hardon wrote:

<< Can this beta firmware be used on a Live Plus unit?  >>

 

Likely. The boxes are 99.9% identical and the firmware does contain Netflix.


I wouldn’t try it, though (and it may probably reject to perform the update, but I wouldn’t count on it).

 

Cocovanna

Even if the firmware was 99.9% identical there is 0.1% which is not. This means that the firmwares are not compatible.

Guys, for you to know, we’ve release another beta firmware for the WD TV Live.  I am freezing this thread.

http://community.wdc.com/t5/Firmware/WD-TV-Live-Firmware-Version-103-35-Pre-releas-e-Update-7-14-10/td-p/33132