DVD and .iso files lagging like crazy

DVD and .iso files are lagging and pausing/stuttering like crazy.

I even tried a DVD  film I previously watched flawlessly, it stutters now.

  • I checked the defragmentation of the HD, the DVD movie in question is unfragmented.

  • I copied the DVD movie to a 2nd drive, it lags and stutters the same.

  • .mkv 1080p  files play fine over the network, so I don’t think I have a bandwidth issue

Oddly, the stutters seem in EXACTLY the same place.

Help!

Hi yoshi123 ,

Yes I have exactly the same problem.  I have been searching online everywhere for details of this problem or a solution but have found nothing so far.  The WD Forum mentions something similar about a lag between VOB Files but that is not the same as this issue. 

I bought several of the WD TV Live units for friends and family with one of the main reasons being to play our Hard Drive backed up DVD’s (in VIDEO_TS Folder) via the WD TV Live so it is very disappointing to have this issue as the specs for the WD TV Live clearly state that it plays VOB files.

I tried one suggestion on the WD Community Forum which was to convert to MP4 format. However that took forever for just one DVD.  It seemed to smooth out the jumps and skips and the stuttering but it was still noticeable, however it also created another issue where the sound/audio sounded like Darth Vader everytime someone talked.  

I would appreciate WD Tech Support investigating this issue and providing a resolution because the WD TV Live is otherwise a good product and I would hate to have to return all the units I bought due to this one advertised function not working as it should. 

Yes, this is a big problem - but before some of these firmware updates everything worked fine.

Is there a way to downgrade my firmware?

I’ve tried .iso files too and they are stuttery as well.

I am thinking this is a firmware issue as it worked prior to the last 2/3 firmware updates. 

Every ISO and VOB I tested played perfectly… Both wired and wireless…

Exact same issue here. The lag would occur at the same place. It stutters and loss of audio until a few seconds later. FF and RW seems to cure it a bit if you missed the audio.

Tonyph - can you post which firmware you have installed?

Live and Live Plus:  1.04.17

Live Hub:  2.03.24

A few poeple have reported this “Exact same place” issue related to some bad, or at least marginal, DVD rips…  here’s one thing you can try.

Copy a SINGLE VOB out of a “Bad” DVD set to its own folder.   If it’s an ISO, use a program like Virtual CloneDrive to open the ISO.

Play that one VOB on the WD.   Is the break-up, or lag point, at the beginning or end of that VOB?    If so, it’s an issue with how the DVD was authored, and the WD is struggling to get the next VOB.   If not, is the point where it lags a high bitrate issue, like lots of action on the screen?

The vast majority of my collection is DVD  (Almost 400 DVDs as of last week).  I haven’t noticed a single problem yet.

I’ll check my firmware and post back.

Seems at the same points…the network can move plenty of data as I watched a 1080p flawlessly today - AND it previously played a DVD movie perfectly, then 2 firmware updates later the same movie stutters.

I have 1.07v as you have.

I am going to do a firmware rollback to 1.03 and see if that fixes it.

Downgraded to 1.03 firmware - DVD works perfectly again.

Firmware downgrade link :

http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=5800