I’m having problems streaming videos (mp4, h.264) to the Play from a network drive via DLNA, all with ethernet. The playback gets choppy from time to time, and always at the same points in the videos. The problems seem to be related to spikes in bitrate, because reencoding the files to have a lower average bitrate resolves the choppyness. The videos have DVD resolution.
The same files play wonderfully through a USB drive connected to the Play.
I know there are several variables here, but can one say in general that my 100 Mbps network is too slow? I’ve tried wifi as well, and it was neither better nor worse.
I’ve tried streaming from the same drive to an Android tablet over Wifi, and it worked out just fine, but can this have something to do with each device’s buffering ability?
It’s updated to the latest firmware via auto update.
BTW, my router is an old WRT54GL, which uses B and G network. WD’s list of compatible devices states that a G router may be problematic and that an N router is recommended.
But can this affect a wired setup using the router’s switch?
Thanks for the reply. I’d suspect too that it’s something about the files that the Play doesn’t like, but I find it strange that the same files play perfectly via a locally connected USB drive.
The videos are h.264 m4v’s made using handbrake’s default settings.
I’ll get a gigabit switch and see if that helps. I actually just went out and bought one that turned out to be defective… bad luck, haha!
Reencoding works, but the video library is approx. 200 films (digitizing my DVD collection) and the encoding is about 10 mins per file, so it would be a 30+ hour project.
Having the films on a dedicated USB drive is of course a good option and the most stable setup, but it kills the convenience of having them stored on a NAS.
Another possibility is that the buffering settings between your server and the Play aren’t working well with the WRT54G switch.
If you can log into your device (server) and look at the TCP retransmits, that’d be a good indicator.
If there’s lots of retransmits during those peak bitrates, it could be that the switch internal to the 54G is losing packets leading to choppy streams.
Time for a new dual-band N Router. I moth-balled my WRT54G for a N router a few months ago. A gigabit switch will not help the 54G, but it does a gigabit router if wired. I got the Asus RT-N66U. and all works well for me on either 2.4G or 5G bands.
@TonyPh12345: Thanks for the advice. This stuff is just outside of my range of knowledge, so I really appreciate your help!
If the ping isn’t indicative of a problem, it’s alright. And you’re right, the first one was the longest.
I also checked the bandwidth, the problematic parts peaked at ~11.5 Mbps. Shouldn’t really be a problem, as I’m getting file transfer speeds of 11-12 MB/s over the network.
The Seagate doesn’t have any way to check for tcp retransmits through its browser based interface. I logged into its linux shell through ssh, but I haven’t found out a way to check for it there, if it’s possible.
I also tried to give the NAS and WDTV highest priority with QoS, which helped a little, but the stuttering was still too annoying.
@mike27oct: You may be right, and the old guy is probably ripe for retirement anyway. Although I have exactly the same stuttering using my Tablet Z’s throw feature, which I think is interfacing directly with the WDTV independently from the router.
Another possibility is of course that the WDTV is faulty, in which case I’ll exchange it for a new one; maybe I’ll even upgrade to a WDTV Live.
I’ll try testing out a new router first, it won’t be the first time that switching out my router solves connectivity issues.
@mike27oct: You may be right, and the old guy is probably ripe for retirement anyway. Although I have exactly the same stuttering using my Tablet Z’s throw feature, which I think is interfacing directly with the WDTV independently from the router.
Actually, the tablet and the WDTV communicate via the network, (not directly with one another) and your wireless G is only 54gbps – ok for web browsing and lo-fi video – not OK for streaming HD video in home network and from internet; e.g. YouTube. My N router is around 350gbps on the 5G band. Big diff for streaming.
Anyone wanting to stream to/from tablets and other wireless devices really needs a N router - preferably a dual-band at the highest speeds (e.g. speeds of Asus RT-N66U) If streaming from Internet, a very high bandwidth from ISP is good, too. (I have over 50Mbps download speed from Comcast.) A gigabit wired network is also preferred. All this enables me to stream most everything perfectly; be it wired or wireless.
Of course, if one gets a top notch router, they also need a top notch modem (and usually not the one the ISP provides). I purchased a DOCSIS 3 Motorola Surfboard modem – its faster and necessary for internet service over 20-25Mbps.
OK, so I went out and got the ASUS N66U, but the video is just as choppy as before. No improvement whatsoever.
Streaming from the Seagate to My Tablet Z or my PC is buttery smooth, although it was that with the previous router as well. The router is awesome though, so I’m keeping it anyway! My file transfer speed over wired network has tripled, and that’s pretty nice.
Thanks so much for the help, guys, but after all this trial and error I think my WDTV Play must be faulty, at least its networking interface. And if I have to jump through anymore hoops now to make it work, then it’s not worth the hassle.
And although the videos themselves streamed perfectly over USB, the subtitles dropped out constantly (that was going to be another thread). Only 1/3 of the subs remained, which again is no issue on the other devices I have tried at home.
I’ll return this unit and get a different media player, but the big question for me is how big a step up the WD TV Live SMP is (the Hub isn’t for sale here in Norway). I can deal with an sometimes slow interface as long as the videos stream fine and the subs don’t drop out.
I don’t know, the Play has left a bad taste in my mouth. The Live SMP isn’t that much more expensive, so will the general experience be any better?
Congrats on the new Asus router. You are already seeing a big diff with it.
I’m not real sure what all has been mentioned here, but I am thinking that if the WD Play is running via wireless, and it is too far from the router, then it is getting a weaker signal than other devices you have. If you have a signal strength indicator on the Play or you take a laptop near the Play (so you can see the strength of the wireless signal) you might get some insight to the problem.
Example, I was playing a HD home video on my iPad the other night and I have three wireless signals I can select to connect to (2.4 G and 5G from Asus, and a 5G signal from my WD RangeExtender) The video started stuttering, stalling etc. I noticed I was on a signal that was not the strongest one where I was located, so I switched to one that was. Problem disappeared. Distance matters when it comes to wireless.
The router was a foot away from the Play, so it had a pretty strong signal. I mostly used a wired connection, since the router was that close.
But in the end, I got tired and returned it at the store. They have a 30 day return, no questions asked policy, though I told them I had trouble with the streaming and subtitles. They ordered a Live SMP for me, so we’ll see how that goes when it arrives at the store.
Thanks for all the help and great response, TonyPh12345 and mike27oct, although I couldn’t solve the problem.
I think you will be happier with the SMP. You seem like the kind of guy who would appreciate a more robust media player. Good luck with the new one, and come on back here for tips if you need them.
Got the Live SMP today, and had five minutes testing it before running off to work. Tried one of the “problematic” files, and it played perfectly over Wifi using network share.
The interface itself is more snappy, and having the choice between DLNA and network shared files is great.
