3 WD TV live units on a domain migrating to a Synology DS413 for more space

WD Legacy Products WD TV Live Streaming
1

Let me start out telling you what this is about.

I have Three WDTV Live units and a Domain setup that has a 1.5 gb HDD that has hit capacity. Since its at capacity I went full gusto and I bought a Synology DS413. I created a raid 5 on a 4 drive 3 GB drive setup and I ended up with a little over 8TB (was at 2TB and litearlly chocking for space before)

Here is how I had it prior.

A Single My Media link on the WD TV Live to the Media folder on the server.

Media\My Movies Folder\movies and folders under this

Media\Wifes Movies Folder\movies and folders under this

Media\Kids Movies Folder\movies and folders under this

Media\Family Pictures Folder\Seperated by year and then month

Media\My Music Folder\music and folders under this

Media\Wifes Music Folder\music and folders under this

Media\Kids Music Folder\music and folders under this

Media\TV Shows Folder\Listed by show and then sufolders under this.

Here is where I had some cons. -

  1. Slideshows also showed me music album art if i started it from the Media root.

2) If I lost the link and something messed up in the My Media library on the WDTV Live and i had to redo the link it would have to rescan EVERYTHIGN taking hours.

  1. I notice the icons and descriptions have a good 30 second or so lag the more I add to the library.

  

What I want to know if f there is any easy way to set up the My Media Library wit this new one that would be better than how I had it before.

DS413 does have an option to setup a DLNA server and has a built in Photo/Video/Music folder.

So I guess I am asking if I setup DLNA on my DS4123 And I then setup

Video\My Movies Folder

VideoMedia\Wifes Movies Folder

Video\Kids Movies Folder

Photo\Family Pictures Folder\Seperated by year and then month

Music\My Music Folder

Music\Wifes Music Folder

Music\Kids Music Folder

Video\TV Shows Folder

And then I set up 3 links ot the My Media Libary being DS413\Photo,DS413\Music,DS413\Video

Would this be the best setup to get rid of the cons of 1 and 2 on my cons list. Also does anyone know how to deal with 3 on the cons list?

Another question I have is the My Media Library absolutely required to have the icon view with the description of the videos? This part is the view I love the most but since the My Medial Library seems to flake out on me once every few weeks and I have to delete all the .wd_tv folders and rebuild the whole thing it becomes repetivtive.

Just wanted to find out some general answers to how to best setup this thing as its building the raid array and doing the consistancy check. 

2

 Don’t use My Media Library. Research the themes in the forum, download one and give it a try. Setting up a theme isn’t that difficult and worth the effort compared to using MML.

   Load the Media server program that comes with the DS413. You don’t have to make any links. You want to map the Synology in your PC so it can see and write to it without using the Synology Assistant… I’m running 3 DS212J’s and have 4 SMP’s. I’m using the CoCo theme created by forum member Tinwarble.

Make folders like you have listed and add your movies to them. Add an image to the folder, name it folder and that will be the cover for that folder.

Video\My Movies Folder

VideoMedia\Wifes Movies Folder

Video\Kids Movies Folder

Photo\Family Pictures Folder\Seperated by year and then month

Music\My Music Folder

Music\Wifes Music Folder

Music\Kids Music Folder

Video\TV Shows Folder

3

I like how the media library handles movies, but hate the way it handles music.  The problems you mention are maddening – one cannot separate one’s media into types – so family photos and album covers are mixed together.  And it won’t actually rescan when you want it to and rescans forever when you don’t want it to.

On the other hand, the Synology Media Server interface is also rather primitive.  Better for music and bad for videos.

Here’s what I did:  I separated the interfaces for the three basic media categories.  I use the Synology Media Server for music.  I also use a phone app to play music from the Synology NAS through the WD Live.  I put selected photos on a USB stick plugged into the WD Live.  And I use the WD Live media library to display a share - the automatically generated videos directory on the NAS –  containing videos on the NAS. 

It’s a bit bizarre but it works.  It’s too bad the WD Live software **bleep** so bad.

4

Thanks guys.

I already have the DS413 mapped to my PCs so data transfer to it won’t be bad. In fact I have my server moving the 1.4TB of data over right now and even though its doing the scan its still transferring at a fast rate.

I am giving my DS413 two thumbs up on speed and on sound. its dead quiet i have it in my office and can’t hear it at all but really could have it in the living room with how quiet this thing is.

I didn’t realize if you theme the WD TV Lives you can essentally get rid of the My Media Library function. I’ll have to play around with that.

Looks like what I am intending to do is almost the right path just going to have to play around with it for my liking. I am in agreement with the WD Live software being so horrid can’t stand killing these directories every couple weeks to get it all working again.