I purchased my WD MyBook Live Duo for using it as a UPnP server to stream music. Guess how disappointed I was when I discovered that the server cannot handle international characters in the metadata of my flac files. 20 years ago I wouldn’t be surprised, but it’s 2013.
I spent a couple of hours creating test files with different metadata in order of figure out what the problem exactly is. Most time I spent waiting for the database to rebuild, and it’s actually hard to say when it has completed, since the status message on the dashboard is not accurate.
Anyway, today I installed the Twonky media server on my unit, best spent money ever (about 20 USD). It took me five minutes and the Twonky server not only reads international characters but is also much faster in rebuilding the database and serving the client (short response times when scrolling through list of albums or tracks). In addition it handles cover artwork.
My conclusion: either buy another NAS if you want to use it to stream music, or install the Twonky media server.
I can’t seem to get the DLNA server in MyBookLiveDuo to work properly with .MKV files. I can load the files into the drive, and play them back on other computers in my little network, but my Oppo Blu-Ray player can’t see them on the WD drive.
No problem with .mp4 files, but those are not lossless, so are a poor second choice.
I have been in contact with Oppo and with WD tech support. Oppo assures me that the player can read and play .MKV files via a local network, and I have evidence from forums that this is the case…therefore the problem is the “Access DLNA” server in the WD MyBookLiveDuo.
CAn you please tell me how to install the Twonky Media Server on the WD drive, and how to disable the preinstalled Access DLNA Media server (if it is necessary to do so)? I would be very grateful. Thanks. Jack
My conclusion: either buy another NAS if you want to use it to stream music, or install the Twonky media server.
Actually, I’m pretty sure the MBLD came with Twonky already installed. Only it was version 5.x which comparatively sucked. I upgraded to Mini-DLNA to save the 20 bucks for 7.x and all worked fine from then on (with DLNA still being the crutch it is, of course).
bearr48 wrote:
I have been in contact with Oppo and with WD tech support. Oppo assures me that the player can read and play .MKV files via a local network
While you’re at it, just ask them when they gonna support (native) embedded PGS subs in MKVs. From what I read on the forums, Oppo still can’t do this, not even from local sources.
CAn you please tell me how to install the Twonky Media Server on the WD drive, and how to disable the preinstalled Access DLNA Media server (if it is necessary to do so)? I would be very grateful. Thanks. Jack
It’s pretty straightforward, some UNIX/Linux knowledge helps but is not essential.
I don’t think you have to stop DNLA media server, but I did that via the Dashboard. I also switched off automatic firmware updates in order to have control over what’s happening. Typcially, firmware updates will not destroy the changes you do when installing Twonky, but I’d rather check what a firmware update is about before installing it.
@Techflaws: Not sure whether Twonky 5 is installed, from what I understand from the forum it’s only shipped with the MBL, not the Duo. However, I found traces of twonky when installing Twonky 7 but didn’t bother. Twonky 7 costs about 5% of what I paid for the MBLD, it’s definitively worth the money. Shame on WD advertizing it as a UPnP server, which it hardly is.
