I have just joined WD community and would like to say hi to all the members.
I am seeking suggestion/advice and would appreciate your guidance in this regard.
I have been having issues with playing mkv files (movies) on my TV (Sony Bravia KDL46) and this is why i have decided to look for an alternative.
I came across WD TV Live media player & WD TV Live hub while i was looking for such devices.At the same time i also came across WD MYCloud and now i would like to set up a hub (central repository) where i can place all my files, docs, movies in a secured environment and i should be able to access these files wirelessely from any of my smart devices like phone, tablets and even via both of my tv sets.
I would first like to say that i am a newbie in the world of networking so i wouldn’t have much idea about it and that’s where i would like your advice and help.
My requirement is:
To be able to watch movies (in any format) on my TV
To have a central hub (Around 2TB) for storing all my files. (It would be good to password protect these files)
Should be able to access these files from any smart device including tv set upstairs wirelessly.
i.e i should be able to access & watch movies stored centrally using any of my television set.
Could you guys please guide me in the right direction and which devices should i buy to set up this?
Also i am confused between WD Tv live media player and WD TV Live Hub?? Which is better and what’s the difference? can i use WD TV Live hub to play all formats?
That’s not likely to happen with any of WD’s equipment (or most NASes for that matter.). All set top boxes / TVs have specific requirements/ file specifications. If your formats don’t match, they won’t play. Unless the storage / server has a transcoding media server which can translate files on-the-fly, it won’t work if the files don’t match the specs.
But if #1 is satisfied, and your WiFi network is good and fast, then the rest should be possible.
The Hub is pretty much the same as the Live, but has an internal HD and does NOT have built-in WiFi. The Hub is also very close to End-of-Support (if not already)… it hasn’t had a firmware update in quite a while. The Live doesn’t have the Media Server, WD Photos Server, and iTunes server like the Hub does, but that shouldn’t matter if you’re storing all your content on a WD NAS, since all of WD’s NASes have those services.
The Live, by contrast, still seems to be getting updates and new features.
With ANY media player, you need to familiarize yourself with the formats / files / capabilities supported before you buy (read the manuals and specifications).
Ok i got your point that i cannot watch all formats on all my TV’s wirelessly ( which i totally understand).
But i guess i didn’t put it properly as i forgot the fact that i can connect my WD TV Live to just one TV at a time !!
So is the following set up possible?
I would like to watch movies/photos/docs stored in say WD Cloud connected to WD Live TV media player which in turn is connected to my TV via HDMI ?
WD CLOUD —connected via usb–> WD Live TV media Player -------HDMI-------> TV ???
Could i do this ?
and
Could i access my WD Cloud wirelessly from my other smart devices?? including TV upstairs? ( i understand that i obviously cannot play all formats on my TV upstairs as it’s not connected to media player).
Could i buy another WD Live TV media player for tv upstairs? Will it then be possible to access movies on WD Cloud from TV (upstairs) and then play it on over there irrespective of the format ??
Realizing that most people cant deal with running cable through their walls, I would suggest some powerline adapters as speed is going to be one of the problems you face. Wifi is OK but you may get some stuttering with some files. Powerline adapters let you plug into your home’s already existing electrical system and utilize it for your network. Until recently I would have blown these things off. But I tried one more time, after failures from 3 other manufaturers, and had joy with a set of Rosewill adapters. Imagine being happy with a set that were only 28.00 vs 50.00 that I spent on the others that didnt work for me.
Thanks flhthemi, it’s an intresting option. However i am not sure about them as they say that Powerline Adaptors do not work in properties wired with 3-Phase power / older electrical wiring and i don’t know what kind of connection do i have in my house.
How do they work by the way? are they connected to the router via ethernet? and how does a device (for instance a laptop) gets the fast speed connection? i mean how are they connected to the device which is not in the same room?
Also, as you said that Cloud doesnt connect via USB … wont it affect the streaming on my TV as it would be over wifi?
Wouldn’t it be slow as i would be accessing it from WD TV Live using wifi and not a wired connection like a USB?
If yes, then it might not be what i am after, i was initially planning to get an external hard drive to store my data which would stay connected to WD TV Live (via USB). But then i thought CLOUD could be a better option for a similar budget.
Also, as you said that Cloud doesnt connect via USB … wont it affect the streaming on my TV as it would be over wifi?
Wouldn’t it be slow as i would be accessing it from WD TV Live using wifi and not a wired connection like a USB?
If yes, then it might not be what i am after, i was initially planning to get an external hard drive to store my data which would stay connected to WD TV Live (via USB). But then i thought CLOUD could be a better option for a similar budget.
The unfortunate answer to all of this is “It depends.” If you have a rock-solid WiFi network with little interference and strong signal, you’ll probably be good for most video. Maybe not High Bitrate video (like full HD Bluray rips).
Unfortunately, it’s impossible for anyone “on the outside” to predict what your network will bear.
Thanks flhthemi, it’s an intresting option. However i am not sure about them as they say that Powerline Adaptors do not work in properties wired with 3-Phase power / older electrical wiring and i don’t know what kind of connection do i have in my house.
How do they work by the way? are they connected to the router via ethernet? and how does a device (for instance a laptop) gets the fast speed connection? i mean how are they connected to the device which is not in the same room?
I’m in the U.S. (have no idea where you are). My house was built in 2004. I have both arc-fault and ground-fault circuit breakers to deal with. NONE of the brands I tried from Linksys, Netgear or WD could deal with one of the devices on an ar-fault circuit and the other on a regular breaker. The Rosewill units are NOT having any trouble at all!
The way it works is you plug one into the electrical outlet near your router and from the router to the device you use a cat5 cable. You plug the other unit into a nearby outlet for your Hub, TV or whatever (maybe even a 5 port network switch so you can add other networking devices to it like your TV, Hub, game machine) and connect the Hub to the device with another cat5 cable. You are now utilizing the wires in your electrical system in place of cat5.
As I said, mine are working great and they are the only brand I would suggest to anyone as they are working well for ME.
HERE is the set I wish I had bought as they claim 10/100/1000 speeds! (Take a look at the Downloads for the pdf Manual)
You can buy them at a lot of places on the internet…search for a good price from a reliable seller that will accept a return in the event you’re not satisfied. But, if the 500’s are as solid as the 200’s I have, I’ll bet a lot of people will be happy!
Thanks KAD. So when you say “wired” do you mean connecting my computer via ethernet to the modem and doing the same with MyCLOud (which obviously will already be connected to the modem?)
For what it’s worth, I have a set-up similar to what you are contemplating. I have a WD My Book Live Duo 8TB personal cloud connected directly to my router. I also have the WD TV Live Hub in my media room, connected to my network through the Ethernet output. My house was built two years ago and I had everything pre-wired for a distributed AV setup. I try to make sure all of my equipment is connected by ethernet to the network and I have two Gigabit router switches to accommodate this. The only time I use wireless connection is with smartphones and tablets. Watching over wired connections is no problem at all. I can tell you from experience that you probably need to have pretty recent network gear to stream 1080P wirelessly on your network. For this to work for me I had to upgrade the router to at least a Gigabit router and my tablets/phones all operate on Wireless N or Wireless AC standard. I haven’t tested doing multiple devices streaming simultaneously, but I doubt it would work. On the other hand, regular DVD (480P) video and music or photos stream just fine.
I like the personal cloud and the ability to access it from any of my equipment on the network and from my phones/tablets. I also enjoy accessing everything remotely, off network, through my phones and tablets. One problem that I’ve run into though, is that I still cannot stream 1080P video remotely (off network) over 4G or most wifi networks I can connect to - they just don’t have the bandwidth for it.
