Is the only difference mpg2 playback besides the looks and the remotes? Will the Play remote work on the Live or Hub? Why won’t it play mpg2?
It also only connects to a network via dlna and not network shares.
It has no ‘get content info’.
It has the same remote commands however its smaller and some buttons are missing.
Either the chip does not support mpeg2 or WD decided not to.
WDTV Play
Supports MKV ( H.264, x.264, AVC, MPEG4, VC-1)
MPEG-2 (aka H.222/H.262 as defined by the ITU)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG-2
It’s a “License Issue” not a chip support issue.
Don’t worry, WDTV Play will/should playback MPEG-2 after December 31, 2015 when the License expires.
http://www.mpegla.com/main/programs/M2/Pages/Agreement.aspx
But by then, H.265 (HEVC) will be the video codec industry standard.
(and we will all have to upgrade our media players) don’tya love “progress” 
Out of interest. Why do you believe its a license issue plus what information have got on the Play chip?
So $20 more for the Live is a better deal. I got the Live because it plays everything including stuff on my network. A lot of my video is mpeg2 and I’m not ready to convert it all. Love the Live. Looking to get another one for the kids.
richUK wrote:
Out of interest. Why do you believe its a license issue plus what information have got on the Play chip?
All MediaTek ARM SoCs support MPEG2.
JoeySmyth is correct, it is a license issue.
Also, the biggest differenc between the Lives and Play is that the Play is mainly meant for Online streaming as where the Lives are more of a Media Centers (focused on your local media & online streaming).
The Play will play local media, but that is not what it is specifically designed for.
The Play isn’t a Sigma-based player. The Play is a MediaTek based player.
TonyPh12345 wrote:
The Play isn’t a Sigma-based player. The Play is a MediaTek based player.
Yes, I was in the middle of editing my post when you posted, been a long day already.
Anyway the Play has a MediaTek ARM MT8653, and these chips support MPEG-2.
EDIT: If you have any questions about it supporting MPEG-2, the Play uses the same SoC as the Netgear Neo TV Max, which does support MPEG2.
i have already write in another thread speaking about mpeg-2 support.
I was told that there was no hope this support has been add to play… at this point it’s only license because i thinks the chip on play i thinks can decript a mpeg2 whitout problems.
Otherwise WD TV Play have the firmware based on OGL and source has been released and it’s not cripter like old "WD TV " series… :mantongue:
Again out of interest, how do you know that it has a MediaTek ARM MT8653 in the Play. Has anybody taken one apart? I am genuinely interested.
Again I would also say that if the chip does support mpeg2 then without any confirmation from WD it can only be said that the licencing may be a factor.
My point still being that unless the Play was sold cheaper ($50 or so), the Live is a much better value. I got my Live for $80 on sale at BestBuy and am very happy with it.
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Peet424 wrote:
My point still being that unless the Play was sold cheaper ($50 or so), the Live is a much better value. I got my Live for $80 on sale at BestBuy and am very happy with it.
I understand and at least you can start playing your DVD / mpeg2 now instead of waiting for some possible update in the future.
richUK wrote:
Again out of interest, how do you know that it has a MediaTek ARM MT8653 in the Play. Has anybody taken one apart? I am genuinely interested.
Because I know, and that’s all I’m saying about that.
Again I would also say that if the chip does support mpeg2 then without any confirmation from WD it can only be said that the licencing may be a factor.
There is no need for WD confirmation, as I stated it is the same SoC as the Neo Max which does support MPEG-2, ergo, it IS a licensing issue, not a “factor”.
Tinwarble wrote:
richUK wrote:
Again out of interest, how do you know that it has a MediaTek ARM MT8653 in the Play. Has anybody taken one apart? I am genuinely interested.
Because I know, and that’s all I’m saying about that.
Again I would also say that if the chip does support mpeg2 then without any confirmation from WD it can only be said that the licencing may be a factor.
There is no need for WD confirmation, as I stated it is the same SoC as the Neo Max which does support MPEG-2, ergo, it IS a licensing issue, not a “factor”.
What I am trying to say is that WD may have made an decision to not support meg2 without it being anything to do with licencing. Of course it may be that you already know that information in the same way you know about the chip!!
The TV Play is a lowest-cost budget model, whereas the Live is not. Pay less; get less. Not rocket science. Want more; pay more. All that needs to be said about any “comparison” of the two.
Also, know the differences before buying, so if you buy a TV Play, you won’t be disappointed later, as many apparently are.
mike27oct wrote:
The TV Play is a lowest-cost budget model, whereas the Live is not. Pay less; get less. Not rocket science. Want more; pay more. All that needs to be said about any “comparison” of the two.
Also, know the differences before buying, so if you buy a TV Play, you won’t be disappointed later, as many apparently are.
Hey you need seriously to calm down… Live series it’s only a obsolete player with obsolete hardware i thinks only because it’s been a 2011 product line.
The Play series it’s a 2013 product and if it’s a lowest-cost budget model it’s only because WD want to it’s a lowest-cost model… mpeg2 it’s not support only because WD don’t want to support… i thinks this is the truth.
*EDIT*
And trust me… i have try some Mp4/mkv (picked from internet on P2P) played without problems on my Play… other member have a Live player series say to me have serious problems when played some file like artefact and other similar problems.
Otherwise without any trouble…
I thinks the scope of this thread it’s only to know the REAL difference between Play and Live series:
Ok the Play cost about 70€ (in italy) a Live gen 3 about 100€… serves spend an extra of 30€ only for mpeg2 support ??
Another… a WD Live… it’s wifi b/g/n 4 example ???
70€ for a Play… low-cost product ??? It’s wrong!! This is not a low-cost product… 4 example this is it’s a low cost product:
https://beta.vodafone.it/tvsolution/
Low-cost… only 30€… this is a low-cost product… 70€ is an average price…
You are splitting hairs. The TV Play is WD’s lowest-cost media player product! Not the same to compare with other brands.
There are more differences than mpeg2 support. I am not going to go over all of them – they are descrbed in info on each product’s page here at WD. The Play also does not support network shares like the upper-end WD, and to lots of people that is a big deal.
That Vodafone box is a poor comparison. It’s subsidized by Vodafone. If I’m reading the page correctly (and that assumes the Italian to English translation is accurate), non-Vodafone customers cannot buy it.
The additional major features supported by the WDTV Live:
- Support for MPEG2
- Support for full DVD
- Support for DTS (The Live can decode it, the Play can only pass through.)
- Support for NFS and Samba network shares (Samba is available in BOTH directions, client and server mode)
- Media Library for content aggragation across multiple sources (USB, Network Shares from multiple servers, etc.)
** Adds SEARCH / Sort / Filtering / etc.
- Custom Themes, which opens the door to custom movie sheets
- Content Information Display in Gallery View.
There’s a lot more than that, that’s just highlighting what I can quickly recall that is SIGNIFICANTLY different.
The Live and Play, btw, both support b/g/n wireless. No difference there.
DjDiabolik wrote:
Live series it’s only a obsolete player with obsolete hardware i thinks only because it’s been a 2011 product line.
Yeah, right.
