Can't get Services on WDTV LIve

Hi, I’ve just joined the forum, after buying a used WDTV Live media player a few days ago. It’s pretty old, I think, and out-dated, but all I wanted was to replace my even older WDTV media player, which recently stopped working. I just wanted to still be able to play media from a hard disk via USB. And this does work fine on the new one.

But the new one also has network and apps for Internet service, so I hoped as a bonus to be able to use these services, especially YouTube and BBC iPlayer. But they don’t work. The media player connects to my network fine, and all my computers access the Internet via the network. So I can’t see why the media player should have any problem accessing the Internet. In fact some radio streaming services do find some stations. But when I click YouTube I just get a blank screen, and BBC iPlayer just displays “This content seems not to be working”.

The online manual doesn’t mention any configuration needed. Is there something more I need to do to make these work?

YouTube and BBC iPlayer services constantly update with improvements, bug fixes and API changes

Devices like the WDTV need firmware updates to deal with these changes … now since the WDTV’s are discontinued devices which no longer receive updates (last one was 2016) then these online services will no longer work on the wdtv.

Also, service providers do end support for older devices . eg. BBC iPlayer dropped support for a lot of older devices back in 2018.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/help/troubleshooting/tv-games-consoles/closures_2018

as the wdtv gets older more and more services will cease to work.

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Hi Joey, thank you very much for your answer.

It looks as if I was unwise to buy something so old. I’m well within the Amazon seller’s return date, so I guess I’ll return it and look for something more recent. Actually there is surprisingly little on Amazon that has all I want (USB, wi-fi, and Internet apps). In fact I can only see something by Sidiwen, a make I’ve never heard of. But I’ll look into it further.

Thanks again for your help.

From a quick google search, it looks like an Android Amlogic S905X Box.

Again, this in an old box … Amlogic are up to S922X.

if you keep searching for “cheap” you’re gonna get “old”

Buying china Android boxes can be hit and miss,(they are all rebranded, Sidiwen is just a name) i have a COOLEME S905X, but i had to install Custom Firmware and use LibreELEC Kodi (booting from SD Card) to get the box functioning to my satisfaction.

A friend bought an Amlogic S905X box, but the COOLEME’s were sold out, so he bought a different “name” and it struggles to play 4K MP4, mine does not.

The BEST Media Player i own that is constantly updated and has USB, Wi-Fi and Internet Apps is my Raspberry Pi 3. Have had no issues with it at all :slight_smile: … am planning on upgrading to Raspberry Pi 4 later this year.

If you want a Media Player with the Best Support and Constantly kept up to date and under $100 … then i can’t recommend highly enough the Raspberry Pi 3. (RPi 4 is more expensive but has more features and power)

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Hi Joey, thanks again for your reply.

Looking up the Raspberry Pi on amazon.co.uk, it seems to come only as a kit, and to be advertised as a small computer for projects, not a TV box. Am I looking at the right thing?

But the S922X you mention might be what I want. On Amazon, I can see it’s another one made in China, and the make is shown as Beelink (rebranding again?). But it seems to do what I want (USB, wi-fi, and Android so Internet apps) and has a lot of good reviews. So I’m wondering now whether to go on Amazon and buy one of these.

The Raspberry Pi is a SBC (Single Board Computer) and can do MANY things … from Homebrew Projects, Desktop Applications, Retro Gaming and be used as a Media Player.

I have a Raspberry Pi 3 which i use as a Media Player and a Raspberry Pi 3B+ as a Retro Gaming device for my homemade Bartop Arcade Machine.

Now, for Android Devices as Media Players … i’m done with them. Way too much tinkering around to get them to do what they are supposed to do. (there’s always ‘something’ that doesn’t work right.)

Unless you go with Android devices like Nvidia Shield TV or Amazon Fire TV (which are on the expensive side) … then there’s no quality or firmware control when you buy a China Android box.

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Ow, same here…

I play YouTube this way today - Any way to play youtube on WDTV Live?