Live hub FW, Dolby and connectivity Q's

WD Legacy Products WD TV Live Hub Discussions
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WDTV Live hub WDBACA0010BBK

FW:  3.12.13 (7/2013)

1.) There have been no FW updates post 2013 for this product.

As the support tells me this product has been disconitnued hence no updates.

Why sell the product still? What about the FW updates for people who have bought this product in the last 2 years and is still in warranty?

I ask this as the WD support has no answer.

2.) Live hub has no support for Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD MA

It seems WDTV Live supports it.

Even the KB suggests this (Any file which contains a Dolby TrueHD audio stream will not produce output for those Dolby True HD streams unless the device is set to HDMI or Optical Pass-Through and is connected to a receiver.)

So does it support TrueHD or not is confusing.

If tehre is a licensing issue, then how is it that the WDTV Live supports TrueHD and DTS-MA, but the Live hub does not?

Is there any third party FW for the Live hub that can support those 2 codecs.

3.) Seeing as my new receiver has the HDMI v1.4 with ARC spec, plus it supports 

Dolby Digital 5.1

Dolby Digital Plus

Dolby True HD

DTS Digital Surround

DTS-HD Master Audio

I am in a bit of a fix.

The receiver has just one HDMI port and so does the WDTV Live hub.

So how do I configure the whole thing for WDTV - HTS receiver - TV?

If I am to connect the HDMI from the WD to the receiver, I’ll have audio but no video to my TV set.

Sorry about making this my first post here.

I hope someone can help me out.

Thanks.

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satyanb wrote: The receiver has just one HDMI port and so does the WDTV Live hub.

That’s a bit odd ?  i googled “AV Receiver” … and all that have a HDMI Inputs also have a HDMI Ouput (which would go back to your TV)

If your’s doesent i guess the only way (my setup, Live Hub HDMI to TV > Live Hub Audio Optical Out to Audio Reciever)

Hope yours has an Optical Input ?

Could you share the Brand and Model Number information of the receiver ?

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Thanks for the quick response.

Philips HTB5520

It’s a blu-ray player with 5.1

That is how I had my previous config working.

WDTV to TV via HDMI and WDTV to receiver via optical

But as I read optical is not high bandwidth and hence doesn’t support TrueHD or DTS HD-MA and requires HDMI.

Have been looking into a HDMI splitter to make both work.

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But as I read optical is not high bandwidth and hence doesn’t support TrueHD or DTS HD-MA

WDTV Live Hub doesn’t support TrueHD (see wdc.custhelp link below) or DTS HD-MA either

I’ve got one or two movies that have DTS HD-MA … and they play fine via Opitcal (but you’ll only get the “Core” DTS track)

Not sure about TrueHD ,according to the cust help article it should “Pass through” via Optical  (but it’s probably the same deal with the Core track)

http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/9805/~/wd-tv-live-hub-is-unable-to-output-audio-when-a-file-contains-dolby-truehd-audio

also “old discussion” here as well

http://community.wd.com/t5/WD-TV-Live-Hub-Discussions/WD-TV-LIVE-HUB-Almost-Perfect/td-p/73048

found a user review at a different site which contains some TrueHD and DTS MA findings

(scroll down to “Transporter 2 (Full BR copy)” and “Conclusions”)

http://www.hifivision.com/media-streaming-players/15640-wdtv-live-hub-review.html

also, if you decide to purchase a HDMI splitter make sure you check refund/returns policy …

because there’s no guarantee that it will Work or Won’t. If it does work, these a chance it it will do the

same as your Optical connection.

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Core DTS track as in?? It’ll be downsampling it?

Which brings back to one of my questions, When the WDTV Live seems to support both formats, why not Hub?

If WD has a licensing issue as I read here on the community, does it only apply to the Hub and not the Live?

If that indeed is the case then why does not WD give the source code for the hub so that a custom FW can be built by B-Rad (wdlxtv)??

I mean the product has been discontinued right? So it shouldn’t be a problem

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When the WDTV Live seems to support both formats, why not Hub?

Because it’s a discontinued product   (you want more formats, buy the newer device)

If WD has a licensing issue as I read here on the community, does it only apply to the Hub and not the Live?

2 Different products with different licensing 

If that indeed is the case then why does not WD give the source code for the hub so that a custom FW can be built by B-Rad (wdlxtv)??

just because a product is discontinued … doesent mean they are gonna “open source”  proprietary code

kinda like asking Apple or Microsoft once they discontinue an OS or Device to make it “open source” … which ain’t gonna happen.

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Then it would be better if they stop selling a discontinued product.

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satyanb wrote:

Then it would be better if they stop selling a discontinued product.

Western Digital *have* stopped selling it    (they’ve also stopped selling the WDTV Live Streaming)

Check the Western Digital Store  (they only sell the current 2014 WDTV Media Player)

As for other Retailers, Sellers, Re-sellers … (eg. Amazon.com, Bestbuy, Ebay etc)  … just because the older devices do not meet your requirments, doesent mean they should stop selling surplus stock (which once sold out won’t be restocked) or other sellers, re-selling refurbished and recertified stock.

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No I am talking about the company and not retailers(online or offline) disposind off thier surplus stock.

I have dealt with various companies and official distributors over the years. there is one thing I have learnt is this practie that the company’s indulge in here in this country.

WD is not the first to do so and certainly won’t be the last.

Once a product is officially discontonued, the stock is dumped here. Let’s get rid off the remainig stock in a developing market.

From Mobo, PSU, Graphics card,  to even accessories like TV tuners and power banks, I have had these experiences.

In most cases(95%), I have got a refund and the other 5%, replacement with the latest model.

Now why would the company do this if they were not at fault?

In fact if I’m not mistaken, I have got a HDD replacement from WD with a newer model.

Since the company’s won’t stop this practice anytime soon, I think the products should come with a warning label informing that the product won’t be receiving any future updates.

Much like Android phones(2 years) and OS(XP, Vista and soon 7)

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Warning Labels about no Updates ?    what fantasy land do you live in ?

(just to remind you, the Old WDTV Live 2009 … got a Firmware Update back in 2013 … well after it was “discontinued” )

Hey look, just admit it …

you’ve purchased an Old Device (thought you were getting a bargain, i’ll bet) that doesn’t  meet your requirements and now you’re peeved that it doesent do want you want.  get over it.

almost like your Philips HTB5520 which doesn’t even have a HDMI Output …  which is pretty crappy, was there a “Warning Sticker” that said this won’t output HDMI video signal from external sources ?

if you’re worried about a device becoming obsolete, discontinued, no updates, no support etc … then i would recommend you don’t buy electronic gear ever again

Merry Christmas   :wink:

1 Like
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Admit what, that I ended up spending more on the hub than the live? Yeah you heard that right.

As for the HTB5520, just like I said before, IT IS A REPLACEMENT AS THE HTS3541 HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED BY THE COMPANY.
It just supports ARC via HDMI, not output via external sources, which I was made aware of before I accepted it.
Not buy electronics again. I think you forgot to read the part where I told you that COMPANY’S DUMP THEIR DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS IN MY COUNTRY.

Let me end this topic by saying what I already know, NEVER BUY WD PRODUCTS.

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are you talking about a philips product, and not western digital

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You should spend more on Hub becouse it comes with internal HDD. 

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@fender62 I am talking about WD and not Philips, but as Mr. JoeySmith seems to want more info, I have given it.

@foetus, Exactly what I have done. A product that I have ended up spending more money on than the Live, because of the HDD, is not receiving any FW updates and the Live, which was(and even now might be) cheaper continues to recieve FW updates.

As for pointing out about getting rid of the surplus stock and no warning, please do have a look at the below link. Posted by the company WITH A WARNING.

Amazon

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Live is also discontinued.

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I had two models available when I bought the Hub

WD TV Live

WD TV Live Hub

The hub being costlier due to the 1TB HDD

Check the FW updates last released on both the devices.

Both products were simultaneously made available in my area.

Had I known that the 2 products were launched a year apart, I would have gone in for the Live instead.

Now that I do know that a FW update is not going to come as the product is discontinued and the code cannot be made available to third party developers, I am looking for a new media player.

I got the answer. End of discussion.

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Live had one more update after Hub becouse previous one was total mess.

I say you are OK with Hub.

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Well for now, yes, I am OK with the hub.

1 Like