Continuously rebooting WD TV Live

I have a WD TV Live HD media player. It hadn’t been connected to the internet for quite a while and was running old firmware (something like v1.02?)

I connected it to the internet yesterday and checked for newer firmware. It found and installed v1.06.15. The firmware upgrade appeared to go OK, but on reboot the device couldn’t get a wired ethernet connection (automatically or even if I manually assigned an IP address). It also wouldn’t play MP4 files that I had played just yesterday under the old firmware. I rolled back to Firmware Ver. 1.02.21_V.

Now the device is stuck in a constant reboot loop. When I power it up, the WD logo appears, it starts loading the firmware, then it reboots again - and again, and again, and again … until i unplug the power.

I’ve attempted to install other versions of the firmware, but the device reboots before I can complete - or even start - a firmware upgrade.

A comment I saw on another thread implicated the HDMI interface so I connected the TV via the composite cable and nothing else connected - no external drive, no ethernet - just composite cable and power.

Same outcome with the composite cable. The WD logo comes up, the screen flickers a bit, then it displays “Loading…”, and a second or so later the power light on the device goes off and it reboots (and repeats this sequence until I give up and unplug the power).

I’ve also checked the power supply with a voltmeter and it looks OK.

So if I can’t get to a menu that let’s me upgrade or rollback the firmware, am I bricked?

Thanks in advance,

Paul

Have you tried disconnecting the USB drive? That’s what tends to cause the loop.

Have you tried disconnecting the USB drive? That’s what tends to cause the loop.

from original post:
“nothing else connected - no external drive, no ethernet - just composite cable and power.”

thanks for replying …

paul