New Firmware Release - Version 2.03.24 for the WD TV Live Hub (12/30/10)

Thanks all for the links for the downgrade. Lesson learned, I will download and install new firmware from a USB and save all of the prior firmware versions.:wink: I rolled back and everything seems to be fine so far. WD still needs to make available prior firmware versions on the support site. I hate to rely on Google search to locate a prior firmware version; WD needs to take care of that and support their product properly!!

Mediamaster wrote:

Thanks all for the links for the downgrade. Lesson learned, I will download and install new firmware from a USB and save all of the prior firmware versions.:wink: I rolled back and everything seems to be fine so far. WD still needs to make available prior firmware versions on the support site. I hate to rely on Google search to locate a prior firmware version; WD needs to take care of that and support their product properly!!

You mean like here

http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=5860

I attempted to flash the firmware last night.  Woke up this morning and it was still stuck on the 0% indicator bar of the flash process.  I attempted to reset the unit and now its stuck on the WD TV Live Hub splash/boot screen and just hangs there.  Anyone with any ideas.

I laugh at the support desks just roll back the firmware since I can not even get my unit to boot all the way their rollback firmware instructions are not very helpful.

thanks if anyone can help me I would appreciate it.  I have emailed WD but I expect it might be a week before they get back to me.

There have been reports of not being able to get the HUB to flash the firmware.  I do have a suggestion, but as I haven’t had this problem I can’t say that this will work for the HUB, but is the method for “Cold boot” flashing the firmware for one of my other media player, which is basically updating the firmware without having to use the UI.  So if you can’t get the HUB to boot &  basically have a brick, then you may want to try this since you don’t have anything to lose & this doesn’t involve cracking open the case & voiding the warranty.

First, download the firmware, then extract it to a USB thumbdrive format as FAT32.  Open the .ver file and change the version # to one higher than the one you already have & then save it & safley uplug it from your PC.  Go to the HUB and unplug the power cord, then plug the thumbdrive in.  Press & hold the rest button, while holding the rest button plug in the power cord.  Once the HUB powers on you can release the rest button.  Now, cross your fingers & pray that the HUB goes into update mode.

As I said, this is the “Cold boot” flashing method for another of my media players, & may not work on the HUB, but since WD doesn’t have any documentaiton on “Cold boot” flashing the firmware (that I could find), this may be worth a shot.

giving it a shot, got nothing to lose like you said.  Wish I would not have upgraded the firmware since everything seemed to be working but as I had not hooked it up to my TV yet I figured what to I have to lose might as well upgrade the firmware to that latest version before I disconnect from my computer and hook up to the TV.

Ok past the boot up WD screen and its accessing the USB drive and going to the firmware updating page but the progress bar is still stuck at 0%.  It appears that the unit just does not want to be upgraded at all.  I will try this method with the rolled back firmware version later and see what happens.  

thanks for the quick response and suggestion.

Just curious, did it go into update mode without having to use the UI?

yes when I left it last night it was stuck on the updating firmware page at 0%, today I unplugged it and attempted to reset and thats when it got stuck on the WD TV live hub boot up splash screen.  When I tried using a flash drive and holding the reset and then plugging in it booted up,  got to the splash boot up screen the White WD logo on the front flashed a couple of times the light on the USB drive lit up and then it went to the updating firmware page and that is where it is right now stuck at 0%.

WD light on front is solid white and the light on the usb drive is solid as well (aka its not thinking as my kids say).

I am going to attempt again but this time using the old firmware and not the new one that was released on the 30th.

Ok, good to know, I started to attempt it just for my own knowledge, but didn’t want to brick my working unit.  So it’s good to know that, that puts it into update mode.

Anyway, I just wanted to make sure that you knew to put the firmware (the .bin, .fff & .ver files) on the root of the thumbdrive & not to have them in any folders.  The reason I say that is because having them in folders can make the HUB act the way you described, not that it is what you have done. 

The only thing on the thumb drive are the three files.  Trying the older firmware right now.

darn same thing.  I am beginning to wonder if the problem is I copied the firmware files to the WD hard drive plus had them on the hard drive.  Thus this whole problem is my fault.  Does anyone know if there is a way to access the drive and delete files off of it without opening it up?

Right now I am pretty frustrated with myself for doing the firmware upgrade and wished I would not have.

Yeah, you don’t want to copy the firmware to the internal HDD. 

You can try to do the “Cold boot” flash without the thumbdrive if you copied the firmware files to the root of the HDD.  You might get lucky & it might update that way.

great…it did not feel like the right thing to do but one of the instructions I was operating off of (I believe the online pdf manual) it talked about copying the files to the drive.

when I do not have a flash drive plugged in it hangs on the WD TV Live Hub splash screen with a flash drive plugged in with the firmware it hangs on the updating firmware progress progress bar at 0%.

great day:cry:

Ok I have tried everything.  Sure wish there was a way to just format and start over without shipping the unit back to WD.  Everything worked prior to the firmware upgrade when I had it connected to my 2nd monitor in my computer room.  Wish I would have just left well enough alone and just plugged my unit into my entertainment center upstairs and used it.

I bought directly from WD so do not have the option of driving to Best Buy and exchanging.

Yep, sounds like it may be RMA time.:angry:

That’s why I like to by my stuff locally, $199 at WD is the same a $199 at BB, but that 3 weeks to 6 months return time for WD versus a couple hours drive to BB sure makes a difference.:wink:

Best Buy did not have stock when I ordered mine and I have had bad experiences with them in the past and thus did not want purchase from them again.

Seriously 3 weeks to 6 months for a replacement…arrrgggghhhh.  Maybe I should have just bought the apple TV or Boxee unit?

Yeah, a lot of people have had bad experiences with BB, but really if you look at it, a lot of people have had bad experiences with just about every company there is.  It’s just one of those cases of, you’re a dam if you do you’re a dam if you don’t, things, if you know what I mean.   Just do what I do when your in that situation, raise cain, call their customer service & tell them that you are going to report them to the BBB & then if they still don’t resolve the issue, go on the BBB website & report your bad experience. But that’s just me.  And you could have ordered online, then returned it to the store it you had to, I know that they still had them in stock up to Chirstmas.

Anyway, I don’t really know just how long it will take to get one RMA’d (the 6 months was probably an exaduration), but I would say that it would take at least a week, maybe 6 at the most.   It really depends though, I think someone a few days ago posted that they had called WD about a replacement & WD said that they were out of stock.  ???

As for getting the Apple TV, I wouldn’t just because you are limited to 720P.   I did think about getting the Boxee, but then they went & changed the UI right after the first boxes were shipped & there has been a lot of people that have been unhappy with it.  I can tell you that from owning a Seagate Freeagent Theater + for over a year, and then researching a lot before getting the HUB, that no matter what you get there maybe some problems with it, it just seems to be the nature of the beast.

McBadger wrote:

Best Buy did not have stock when I ordered mine and I have had bad experiences with them in the past and thus did not want purchase from them again.

 

Seriously 3 weeks to 6 months for a replacement…arrrgggghhhh.  Maybe I should have just bought the apple TV or Boxee unit?

 

 

Just go buy a new one from Best Buy and (swap it) and  return the broken one back to Best Buy. A win win situation. No waiting for WD to repair your old one.

hscotty55 wrote:


McBadger wrote:

Best Buy did not have stock when I ordered mine and I have had bad experiences with them in the past and thus did not want purchase from them again.

 

Seriously 3 weeks to 6 months for a replacement…arrrgggghhhh.  Maybe I should have just bought the apple TV or Boxee unit?

 

 


Just go buy a new one from Best Buy and (swap it) and  return the broken one back to Best Buy. A win win situation. No waiting for WD to repair your old one.

    • *NOT a good idea to encourage someone to commit fraud…

Maybe WD will actually call me back and give me a solution quickly.  All I know is that I am not going to upgrade to the latest firmware for several months afterwards of it coming out, because they have a problem.