I own two older generation WDTV Live Plus machines. I have at least 4 x 2TB external HDD that have media on them. Most of which is backed up movies, 95% MKV file format movies.
This is what I want to do… I want to be able to view any of my movies and or songs (on other drives) via any device in any room. I dont want the redundancy of duplicating the data to multiple rooms. Im guessing NAS is the way to do this, but I have never done this. With me already owning 4-6 external hdds and owning NO standalone NAS equipment, I would assume that it would best if I set up my desktop that I don’t use anymore to run something like FreeNAS. Can’t I use the external HDDs in that environment? Is this the best scenario for me to view any of my media in any room with the least amount of lag?
I read briefly through setting up FreeNAS on a pc. Im not a Linux guy by no means but I am a programmer by profession of about 15 years so Im tech savvy.
Im planning on a fully wired network.
Just looking for someone to point me in the right direction since I really don’t know which way is the correct way to do what I want. Im not against spending some money but don’t want to scrap everything I have and go on a shopping spree. If you can help me please include any valid reading sources, etc that would be in my best interest.
Thanks in advance.
Please let me know if I need to provide any more info.
Im not really a *nix guru, but I try. I tried in the few minutes I had available to me last night to get freeNAS running. I got it on a usb, booted it and I think I was having network trouble because I was able to get to the web interface for a brief moment and then it started reporting that it couldn’t contact some website ( think this was a ping for a live connection ).
I have multiple routers on my network so that complicates it a bit and a few of the pieces of equipment (hubs and routers) I have laying around I think have a bad port here and there, so really need to get some new equipment and get rid of my junk. Im constantly fighting it. I have modem goes to one router which goes to another part of the house to another router. At least once last night I think I had conflicting networks.
All that aside, back to my original question… NAS or something similar is the way to go for media netwok then?
I’ve read a good bit of delima about windows shares vs nas… to me it seems to be a no brainer. I want my stuff available on the network and I would like my WDTV Live to show my box art still if thats possible.
Its not that I dont want to use windows. I have just read bad reviews about it. To be honest, I dont have a working HDD (internal) in my desktop pc, but the rest of the equipment is very nice. My drive recently died and I have been using my laptop so much anyway.
So when I saw you could use flash for freeNAS I thought that was a good match for my scenario. Im not so cheap that I wont buy another drive though. Yes you gave 4 great options. With all the equipment I already have … mainly the external HDDs and an unused but nice desktop pc, an option based around the pc seems best. So I guess my follow up question is do you have any personal reviews of windows shares vs something like freeNAS…
It seems to me that setting up the WD Live Plus w/attached drive(s) to be shared on a network is the most direct and simple way to go. I have two, 2TB drives plugged into my Live Plus, and no PC needs to be on to control sharing media to other devices; e.g. the iPhone and iPads in the house.
We use the FIle Browser (FB) app for Pad and Phone to directly access the media player drives on the WD with the iThings. FB (and iThings) cannot play every type of media file, but they do play mp3 and mp4 files. Our PCs connected to the network can also access these drives and play most any media type (e.g. ISO files). Even a second Live Plus connected to another TV can access the drives on the first Live Plus. I presume if I attached a drive or two to the second Live Plus that the first Live Plus could access them.
mike27oct you are saying that if I have multiple wdtv lives which i do already that if I put them on the same network, which i dont currently have the one in my bedroom connected to a network cable, that I would be able to see the content directly connected to wdtv in living room on my wdtv in the bedroom.
I know that sounds crazy that I havent tried that but I dont have a line in my bedroom so that would be why it hasnt been attempted. Under what option on the wdtv would one drive see the other.
Also keep in mind I have the older style WDTV Live Pluses, ones without spotify and without built in wireless.
And yes, I would love to be able to control my media from my tablets through the various apps that are out there.
I would like to choose play this movie on this tv and it play whether its attached or not. Thats my ultimate goal.
Whether than can be achieved without doing NAS or similar was my original question.
Yes, the SMP can handle it. As a matter of fact I use my HUB as a server and the SMP has a better processor than the HUB.
Also, the SMP will allow you to use a powerd USB Hub so you can use that and plug multiple drives into the USB Hub and use it as your server.
You should also be able to play to multiple devices (for SD movies) at the same time depending on your network. I can stream to at least 2 devices with out any issues, but like I said this dependent on the bandwidth your network can handle.
mike27oct you are saying that if I have multiple wdtv lives which i do already that if I put them on the same network, which i dont currently have the one in my bedroom connected to a network cable, that I would be able to see the content directly connected to wdtv in living room on my wdtv in the bedroom.
>>> YEP, that’s what I am saying.
I know that sounds crazy that I havent tried that but I dont have a line in my bedroom so that would be why it hasnt been attempted. Under what option on the wdtv would one drive see the other.
>>> The two WDs can see one another via Network Shares
Also keep in mind I have the older style WDTV Live Pluses, ones without spotify and without built in wireless.
>>> Those are the models I have, too.
And yes, I would love to be able to control my media from my tablets through the various apps that are out there.
I would like to choose play this movie on this tv and it play whether its attached or not. Thats my ultimate goal.
I set up the second Live Plus about a month ago when we retired the old CRT TV in the bedroom for a new HD model. My house is entirely wired for internet, but where the bedroom TV is located there is no network connection. Fortunately, it is near the wireless router, so I needed a wireless adapter for the Plus, and one that would connect at wireless-n with the new gigabit n-router. My successful “adventure” with the wireless adapter is described here: http://community.wdc.com/t5/WD-TV-Live-Firmware-Networking/Add-another-wireless-USB-adapter-to-the-approved-list/m-p/491700/highlight/true#M16254
Also, I learned at this forum to give the second WD a different name so as not to confuse the network and myself. Since the default name of the units is WDTVLIVEPLUS, I just added a 2 at the end of the name on the second player, and all is cool. I recommend you turn off the first WD from the network, and plug the second one into the first’s power and network wires and set it up wired; then, once successfully set up, disconnect the network cable, plug the wireless adapter into the Plus ,and set it up wirelessly. When all is done, take the second unit to the bedroom, (hook the first one back up to the network, etc) and when you plug the second one in at the bedroom, it will all work fine and with no conflicts. This is how it worked for me.
