I'm Returning my WD TV Live Thanks To All The Bugs in Recent Firmware!

My daughter wants a mediaplayer in her bedroom so she can watch  movies from our NAS.

I don’t want her to watch TV all the time.

So I gave her  the WDTV Live…now everybody wins.

She’s got her mediaplayer, and I prefend her from watching TV all the time  ;-)

(buying a HDI Dune next week, and never going near a WD-product again)

I’ve had nothing but problems since day one with my SMP. My SMP constantly loses the connection to my external WD Essential 1TB HDD (back & front USB port). This is the first WD product I’d like to throw against the wall. I won’t bother updating to 1.07.18 because it doesn’t fix any of the issues I have. I seriously hope that the next major firmware update will be released soon and will finally fix the annoying HDD disconnection bug.

What really, really pi**es me off is that WD refuses to address our problems and to commit to dates when they want to resolve them. How hard can it be and how much trust could they gain by doing so?

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Steggl wrote:
What really, really pi**es me off is that WD refuses to address our problems and to commit to dates when they want to resolve them. How hard can it be and how much trust could they gain by doing so?

First of all, if you read the above posts, you’d see that a WD Staff member does actually address some of these specific problems.   But more than anything, it’s not that we refuse to address something.  It’s that until we know that there is a real issue, we don’t always know what to address. 

Secondly, we can’t commit to dates, because there is too much involved in the process of addressing these issues.  We have to be able to reproduce them, then identify the cause, then find a solution, then test to make sure that it works and doesn’t break something else.  As I’ve said in other posts, that can take a month, or more. 

Furthermore, we are constantly running into the issue of users, who are posting the problems, not responding back to us when we ask for more information.  You can’t really expect us to fix an issue if we can’t get enough information to even reproduce the problem.  

It’s kind of a Catch 22 situation.  We can’t expect people to keep a product if it’s not working for them, but we may need more information as to why they’re even having the problem.  And if they return the device right away, then we’re pretty much done with getting anywhere with that issue.  I can count at least a dozen times this has happened over the last month where users either returned the product, or simply never responded back to us, when we needed more information. 

However, we are working on ways around this even as I speak.   So, as we go along, there should be improvements in the process.  

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The thing is that I bought this device to watch things I have on a USB HDD. As it does not allows me to do that - keeps freezing for HD content after a minute, or 10 seconds or ten minutes - I read and wrote to this forum, then started to play with FW downgrades…then I installed back my older (not WD) mediaplayer. Packed neatly back the WD player and put it under the bed. I might try to sell it, or I might keep it (maybe you will come up with a working software once).

But I need a working device so I will go with the old one for now, and will not keep testing yours for a month or months for sure.

I had two media player devices before I bought this one. Both cases I could give feedbacks on the forums and wait for upgrades to solve problems. The difference is that their basic functionality was there, they were upgrading to solve minor bugs or make enhancements.

Maybe I’m just a unique customer with such a strange setup (a TV, a 2TB USB3 external HDD and the player) that noone else has. Maybe not.

kutyamutya wrote:

The thing is that I bought this device to watch things I have on a USB HDD. As it does not allows me to do that - keeps freezing for HD content after a minute, or 10 seconds or ten minutes - I read and wrote to this forum, then started to play with FW downgrades…then I installed back my older (not WD) mediaplayer. Packed neatly back the WD player and put it under the bed. I might try to sell it, or I might keep it (maybe you will come up with a working software once).

But I need a working device so I will go with the old one for now, and will not keep testing yours for a month or months for sure.

I had two media player devices before I bought this one. Both cases I could give feedbacks on the forums and wait for upgrades to solve problems. The difference is that their basic functionality was there, they were upgrading to solve minor bugs or make enhancements.

Maybe I’m just a unique customer with such a strange setup (a TV, a 2TB USB3 external HDD and the player) that noone else has. Maybe not.

 

what were the file types of the video’s you are trying to play?

it could be a bad encode. it happens some times.

Ripcord83 wrote:


kutyamutya wrote:

The thing is that I bought this device to watch things I have on a USB HDD. As it does not allows me to do that - keeps freezing for HD content after a minute, or 10 seconds or ten minutes - I read and wrote to this forum, then started to play with FW downgrades…then I installed back my older (not WD) mediaplayer. Packed neatly back the WD player and put it under the bed. I might try to sell it, or I might keep it (maybe you will come up with a working software once).

But I need a working device so I will go with the old one for now, and will not keep testing yours for a month or months for sure.

I had two media player devices before I bought this one. Both cases I could give feedbacks on the forums and wait for upgrades to solve problems. The difference is that their basic functionality was there, they were upgrading to solve minor bugs or make enhancements.

Maybe I’m just a unique customer with such a strange setup (a TV, a 2TB USB3 external HDD and the player) that noone else has. Maybe not.

 


what were the file types of the video’s you are trying to play?

 

it could be a bad encode. it happens some times.

It appears to be something to do with his 2TB USB3 drive. He has another 320GB USB2  which works OK.

They were all MKV files (720p) and all FLV files (720p as well). And no, it was not based on encoding. The device just hates my HDD (2TB USB3). Tried the same files from my 320 GB USB2 HDD and they work perfectly from there.

The last time I watched a film that freeze at around 7 minutes then rebooted, played more 5 minutes and freeze and I rebooted. Then I copied the file using the WD player from the 2TB HDD to the 320 GB one and watched the film from there without any problem.

Although, I would not deny that it could still be encode problems. Maybe the device hates when you have USB3 with specific encoded files? Anything can happen.

I have the exact same problem with the WD SMP. HDD WD 750GB USB 3.0 (WDBPCK7500ABK-EESN). Connecting the drive to the rear USB port  picture freezes and after a while WD TV Live tells me something like that the USB drive is disconnected.
This happens  when watching large files 1080p .
I tried firmware - 1.04.12  , 1.05.18 ,1.07.15 with resetting to factory defaults.No results.
WD SMP (WD WDBGXT0000NBK-EESN, P/N:WDBGXT0000NBK-01)
The issue is described here.:

http://community.wdc.com/t5/WD-TV-Live-Streaming-Issue/SMP-refuses-to-play-1080p-files-from-the-HDD-USB-3-0-connected/idc-p/385741#M1900

The difference is that I experience it in the front USB as well. Although the rear one almost allways dies ater seconds, while the front one can keep working sometimes for 5 or 10 minutes long.

kutyamutya wrote:

The difference is that I experience it in the front USB as well. Although the rear one almost allways dies ater seconds, while the front one can keep working sometimes for 5 or 10 minutes long.

it could be a bad connection in the port. are you able to try and exchange it for another one?

only reason I ask is I have a combo of using a 1TB USB3 drive & a 3TB UBS2 drive on the rear ports and have no issues, I also tested them on my second SMP and all is well.

WD also sends out replacement units (although referbed) so that is also an option.

Ripcord83 wrote:

only reason I ask is I have a combo of using a 1TB USB3 drive & a 3TB UBS2 drive on the rear ports and have no issues, I also tested them on my second SMP and all is well.

What is your model number SMP? There is a 01 at the end of the numbers? I have P/N:WDBGXT0000NBK-01

oldman777 wrote:

Ripcord83 wrote:

only reason I ask is I have a combo of using a 1TB USB3 drive & a 3TB UBS2 drive on the rear ports and have no issues, I also tested them on my second SMP and all is well.

 

What is your model number SMP? There is a 01 at the end of the numbers? I have P/N:WDBGXT0000NBK-01

SMP #1 P/N: WDBHG70000NBK-00 purchased day one of release at BestBuy (currently on FW 1.07.18)
SMP #2 P/N: WDBHG70000NBK-00 purchased about 10-20 days later at same BestBuy (currently on FW 1.07.15)

the above P/N is a North America model and the first one released.

anything ending in -01 is a newer revision (but what’s newer is unknown)

I’ve had no issues with either USB port with USB2/3, never had a video freeze (regardless of the bitrate/container) & I stream 1080p & 720p daily from my NAS with no network problems (wireless).

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oldman777 wrote:

Ripcord83 wrote:

only reason I ask is I have a combo of using a 1TB USB3 drive & a 3TB UBS2 drive on the rear ports and have no issues, I also tested them on my second SMP and all is well.

What is your model number SMP? There is a 01 at the end of the numbers? I have P/N:WDBGXT0000NBK-01


SMP #1 P/N: WDBHG70000NBK-00 purchased day one of release at BestBuy (currently on FW 1.07.18)
SMP #2 P/N: WDBHG70000NBK-00 purchased about 10-20 days later at same BestBuy (currently on FW 1.07.15)

the above P/N is a North America model and the first one released.

anything ending in -01 is a newer revision (but what’s newer is unknown)

I’ve had no issues with either USB port with USB2/3, never had a video freeze (regardless of the bitrate/container) & I stream 1080p & 720p daily from my NAS with no network problems (wireless).


I think is this problem with the rear USB port only with European versions of the SMP rev. 01 (P/N: WDBGXT0000NBK-01)

Bill_S wrote:> * * *

It’s kind of a Catch 22 situation.  We can’t expect people to keep a product if it’s not working for them, but we may need more information as to why they’re even having the problem.  And if they return the device right away, then we’re pretty much done with getting anywhere with that issue.  I can count at least a dozen times this has happened over the last month where users either returned the product, or simply never responded back to us, when we needed more information. 

 

However, we are working on ways around this even as I speak.   So, as we go along, there should be improvements in the process.  

I did not return the product and i ready to give you any amount of information I don’t see what anyone wants this information . SMP have a problem with the rear USB port European versions of the SMP rev. 01 (P/N: WDBGXT0000NBK-01)
My issue reporting begins 3 weeks ago
http://community.wdc.com/t5/WD-TV-Live-Streaming-Issue/SMP-refuses-to-play-1080p-files-from-the-HDD-USB-3-0-connected/idi-p/377519
And swedish guy begins january 2012
http://community.wdc.com/t5/WD-TV-Live-Streaming-Issue/Loses-connection-to-USB-HDD/idc-p/368213#M1577
Maybe it’s time to begin an investigation?
PS : Sorry for my bad english.

oldman777

When I said that about needing more information, I was referring to when we contact you to ask for it.  Nevertheless, I’ve escalated this issue to make sure that we are investigating it.  If they need more info, they will contact you. 

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Bill_S wrote:

oldman777

 

When I said that about needing more information, I was referring to when we contact you to ask for it.  Nevertheless, I’ve escalated this issue to make sure that we are investigating it.  If they need more info, they will contact you. 

Good Morning
During this period  I have conducted my own investigation
http://community.wdc.com/t5/WD-TV-Live-Streaming-Discussions/Intention-to-finalize-a-rear-USB-port-issue-drives-USB-3-0/m-p/392589/highlight/true#M7913
and found out, that all those customers, who purchased  SMP during the period from December 2011 to the present day, are unable to use the external HDDs USB3.0 plugged to the rear port. And this occurs independently from the country of purchase.
A new firmware is going to be released next  week
http://community.wdc.com/t5/WD-TV-Live-Streaming-Issue/Random-loss-of-NetFlix-credentials/idc-p/400055/highlight/true#M2311
and I do suspect, that the last two months have been concentrated around the troubleshooting of NETFLIX.
I do understand the priority of this task,  as  many customers purchased the player for these particular  purposes.
I personally am not interested in NETFLIX. I purchased  this player  just for one purpose: to  watch movies from the USB3.0 WD external hard drive.
Plenty of questions have been accumulated and I think that number of customers with other unresolved issues is no less than number of customers concerned about the NETFLIX.
Maybe it would be expedient to conduct troubleshooting by turns?  To fix NETFLIX in one firmware; and to fix all other - less priority, from the view of WD issues  in another firmware ?

Purchased 4 weeks ago, upgraded to most recent firmware on receipt, restarts on scrolling through files if there are more then 650 in the list (refer to thread http://community.wdc.com/t5/WD-TV-Live-Streaming-Issue/System-restarts-when-paging-through-files/idc-p/392647#M2087)..)

I understand things take time, but effectively is was ill on arrival and nothing has changed.

What we require is a tentative date for the next firmware roll that should fix the issue. If this can not be supplied then I have no choice to return it while I still can (limited returnj interval at Costco).

Thanks!

zoxman wrote:

Purchased 4 weeks ago, upgraded to most recent firmware on receipt, restarts on scrolling through files if there are more then 650 in the list (refer to thread http://community.wdc.com/t5/WD-TV-Live-Streaming-Issue/System-restarts-when-paging-through-files/idc-p/392647#M2087)..)

I understand things take time, but effectively is was ill on arrival and nothing has changed.

What we require is a tentative date for the next firmware roll that should fix the issue. If this can not be supplied then I have no choice to return it while I still can (limited returnj interval at Costco).

Thanks!

 

    • *> * * *
      zoxman wrote:

Purchased 4 weeks ago, upgraded to most recent firmware on receipt, restarts on scrolling through files if there are more then 650 in the list (refer to thread http://community.wdc.com/t5/WD-TV-Live-Streaming-Issue/System-restarts-when-paging-through-files/idc-p/392647#M2087)..)

I understand things take time, but effectively is was ill on arrival and nothing has changed.

What we require is a tentative date for the next firmware roll that should fix the issue. If this can not be supplied then I have no choice to return it while I still can (limited returnj interval at Costco).

Thanks!

 

The firmware release should happen very soon.  Unfortunatly, I can’t give a date, but if that is a problem, then of course we understand.

Yay! I did it. I do not have this thing anymore. Good bye to all on this forum and good luck waiting for new and better (or worse?) firmwares.