WD TV plus - seeking perfection; audio to XLR and video to projector WXGA (1024 x 768 pixels)

WD Legacy Products WD TV Live & Live Plus
1

Hello!

Some super serious questions, that an expert can clear up for me regarding perfect resolution for a project. All feedback would be appreciated. 

Audio

I am using 4 XLR powered active speakers (all amped). This means balanced Audio. 

The audio from the WDTV is native digital. The image is HDMI (no audio from projector) to projector via DVI.

Questions

  1. What is the best way to analog audio output in quality (do I need to change settings in the WDTV plus player for this)? The old WDTV had red and white RCA out, what is the best method now with the plus?

  2. Is there a way to digital out from the SPIDF to the XLR? 

  3. To get unbalanced (WDTV PLUS) to balanced is there a preferred method?

VIDEO

I am exporting a video in FINAL CUT PRO X via compressor so I can convert to any format. 

What are the ideal native settings in WDTV? (frames per second, etc)

What is the best audio/video compression for most lossless possible. The original footage is PROres 422 and AAC audio. 

Any help would be seriously appreciated…

2

  1.  The LIve Plus has identical audio connection options to the WDTV HDs.

  2.  Possibly; you’d probably need to check around audiophile websites.

  3.  The only way I know of to go from unbalanced to balanced signal is via a “direct box.”   

You don’t want lossless video at WD’s native resolutions.   A 1-hour 1920x1080p24 video would take 10s of terrabytes of storage.

3

Thanks for your reply. 

  1. Ah, I thought the WDTV had RCA (red and white) and the WDTV plus had a 3.1 output (is this the same?)

  2. Will check.

  3. Oh,

I do want lossless, the video is only 4 mins looped over  hours of exhibition. 

Any ideas?

4

No, the Live and Live Plus do not have the 3 RCA jacks that the WDTV HD did, but it has a mini-jack and a supplied cable… the cable fans out to the same 3 RCA lines… composite video (yellow), left audio (white) and right audio (red).

The only way to get more than 2 channels of audio (from a multi-channel source, obviously) is to bitstream over optical or HDMI to a capable decoder.