3 WDTV Live Streaming Media boxes, identical setup, same firmware, yet they behave differently

First let me describe the problem, then I’ll detail the difference in the boxes :-

I use these boxes in a home network, at the core of which is a Windows Home Server 2011. All devices are on a Gigabit Ethernet, all connected with Cat6 cable. The server has my collection of DVDs, BluRays, and AVI’s. DVD’s have all been ripped using CloneDVD2 to directory structures (rather than .ISO’s). The BluRays have been ripped using AnyDVDHD to BDMV directory structures. The boxes are setup to use a Media Library.

When I select Videos on the Main screen, I see the correct list of Media Shares on all 3 boxes, but at the top right of the screen, one box is different than the other 2. Two of the boxes show 4 icons, one green, one red, one yellow, and one blue. The other box only shows 3 icons, the green one is missing. (before you ask, pressing the green button is ignored on this box :-))

On selecting “BluRays” (one of my shares) all three boxes show the list of my BluRay movies, with each movie as a folder. On two of the boxes, if I select one these movie folders and press play, the correct movie starts to play. On the ‘different’ box, if I select a movie and press play, I get the message “There is no media in the current folder”. On this box, I have to go down until the STREAM folder (below BDMV) is selcted before being able to press play. At any folder level prior to that I get the “No media” message. Needless to say this confuses the **bleep** out of my wife!

All boxes are running 1.11.14 firmware. There was a point in previous firmwares when all boxes behaved the same, but it was before 1.10.13 ( and predated Slingbox support, so I dont want to go back there).

The boxes all have the same P/N WDBHG70000BK-01, but have different DCM’s - the one that doesn’t work is NAAAEA, the other two have NAAAFA and NAAAIA as their DCM’s

As far as I can tell, everything else about the boxes is the same, they are identically configured, same firmware, and I have run the exhaustive test of interchanging them in all permutations, just to eliminate network topology issues, and the same box behaves differently no matter where I connect it.

Anyone have any ideas what to do next?? or what might cause this??

Have to say, I love these little boxes and at the same time have learned to thotoughly didlike and mistrust WD as a company.

The ones that don’t have the green button are not set to My Media Library as the content source (Selected via the red button).

That also explains the difference in playback behavior.

Brilliant, can’t believe I missed that. Thanx muchly.

To the original poster,

please can you tell me how to get this setup myself.

All my WDTV live are on cat 6 cables and I have a central hub/router and a 2tb NAS.

I want to store my DVD’s as you do but the NAS does not appear in the menus when I try and add videos.

I have no experience with networks and learned what little I know recently by being the one to install my own so that I can use my WDTV and sling player in every room.

My main computer is a MAC BTW

Any ideas?

djaylulu wrote:

To the original poster,

please can you tell me how to get this setup myself.

All my WDTV live are on cat 6 cables and I have a central hub/router and a 2tb NAS.

I want to store my DVD’s as you do but the NAS does not appear in the menus when I try and add videos.

I have no experience with networks and learned what little I know recently by being the one to install my own so that I can use my WDTV and sling player in every room.

My main computer is a MAC BTW

 

Any ideas?

Make sure your NAS is set to allow WINDOWS file sharing.  (Since you’re a MAC user, it wouldn’t have been necessary before.)    Part of the Windows Sharing configuration will be a “Workgroup” name.   Make sure it matches the WD’s workgroup name, which, quite simply defaults to ‘WORKGROUP’.

Thank you,

where is this sharing option located? Is it by logging into the device by IP?

djaylulu wrote:

Thank you,

where is this sharing option located? Is it by logging into the device by IP?

Every NAS is different.   You’ll need to consult its documentation.

Which box will allow me to plug in my Seagate external hard drive (USB) with all my AVI, MKV, H.264 video file and play them on my Panasonic Smart TV.

Irishbaron

I assume you tried just plugging it into the TV?