Metathumb / xml / backdrops

WD Legacy Products WD TV Live Streaming
1

I quite like the idea of seeing the DVD cover, description etc, but the way is which it is being done is not clever at all. Whoever it was that thought of this method needs a few lessons in common sense logic!!

When I press the “Get Content” and then select the right DVD title, my WDC unit creates a ‘backdrop’ folder, a metathumb and a xml file. I’ve no problem with that at all, other than the fact it clutters up the HDD.

However, the script in the XML script doesn’t use the backdrop images it downloaded and put into the backdrop folder, instead it downloads the images over the Internet - every time :angry:

My questions are;

  1. What is the point of downloading backdrop images to the unit and storing them if it isn’t going to use them?!

  2. Is there a way of forcing the unit to use the backdrop images stored locally without having to manually edit 100’s of xml scripts.

and finally…

  1. Does anyone know if WDC have any plans to change this very stupid way of handing these files?

Thanks.

2

Hantsman wrote:

However, the script in the XML script doesn’t use the backdrop images it downloaded and put into the backdrop folder, instead it downloads the images over the Internet - every time :angry:

 

How do you know images are redownloaded every time, have you watched your network traffic?  XML files are not scripts/programs.  The program that does display backdrops can very easily check if they have already been downloaded and use those local files rather than redownloading them.  Trivial logic.  Here is a test I suggest you try: disconnect yourself from the Internet and see if the already downloaded backdrops still get displayed.  (Hint: they do!)

3

I’m not exactly sure what is in the metathumb files (obviously thumbnail images and metadata, but metadata is vague), but they should be created as dotfiles so they are hidden on most operating systems. My WD streamer is not the only device accessing my video share, and browsing all of the extra files is a royal pain. Is there any place where this can be voted on as an enhancement request?

4

metathumb files are just jpgs under a different name.

I’ve got other devices, too, and they completely ignore “metathumb” files as they’re not a registered filetype.

But yes, there’s a place where ideas can be added / voted, here:

http://community.wd.com/t5/WD-TV-Live-Streaming-Ideas/idb-p/streaming_ideas