I have the SMP unit and have no problems at all playing media over my network share. The auto metadata function does not currently operate with this configuration, I am however led to believe there is a fix for this in the next firmware update. My query is as follows;
When I plugged in a 500GB passport to the SMP containing various MKV files the unit automatically downloaded the relevant metadata relating to each file. What I noticed is that when in gallery view some thumbnails were not being displayed. I rescanned to check whether the unit had a problem with multiple file names but found this was not the problem. When I accessed the hard drive via a PC I saw that the thumbnail data or metathumb had been downloaded correctly adding to the mystery of why some of the thumnails were not displaying when others were. Despite my best efforts i cannot get it to gdisplay the missing thumbnails. Is it a problem with the thumbnail size maybe/ There no issue with the backdrop info or XML data. only the metathumb. Can anyone explain this?
I’m having this problem as well on my WD Live Hub. No way to have some thumbnails shown. Instead the black/green folder image is shown. The ‘backdrop’ info does work, but the main image not. So the only solution is to wait for a next firmware release?
Same problem here. I have the latest firmware and no matter what I do, the thumbnails for some movies won’t load. It doesn’t seem to be related to the file name in your network share. For example, if I get content info for the file faster.mkv but I manually search for the metadata of a different movie (how to train your dragon) even if I see a preview of the movie info and the correct thumbnail, when I select the green checkmark, it seems to freeze for maybe 10 seconds and then I’m back in the the gallery view, the movie info and backdrops are there but not the thumbnail.
I’ve looked at the xml file and everything seems in order. I did not have this problem when plugging in my USB drive to the SMP, which contained the exact same movies and folder structure.
One thing I’ve noticed as well: if I do a manual get content info and it freezes for 10 seconds after selecting the green check mark, I know for sure that the thumbnail for that movie won’t appear.
What I did to try to fix it:
Delete all xml, metathumb, backdrop and .wdtv related files found in my network share
- Reset my smp to all factory settings
Removed my network share from my media library
cleared media library
restarted device
turned off automatic metadata management
reloaded my network share in the media library
let it compile the library
tried to manually get content info for the same mkv file
Same problem.
I’ll replug my USB drive tonight (which contains the same movies and folder structure) and see if it will do the same thing…
I have updated the firmware for the SMP to the latest version and the unit now displays the relevant metadate on my network share. The thumbnail issue also seems to be resolved.
After doing some testing tonight, I have noticed that the metathumb file for the problematic movies gets downloaded to my network share but its size is 0 KB. What I did then was to open the xml file associated with that movie and get the URL of the thumbnail file found in the xml, download the image but save it as the corresponding movie metathumb file. After restarting the SMP, I could see the thumbnails. After comparing the size of the manually downloaded metathumb file to those that were downloaded automatically (and that are displaying OK) I have noticed that the problematic metathumb files I was forced to retrieve myself were all above 30KB in size, where the OK ones were all below 30 KB. Therefore, it seems any thumbnail found on TMDB.org over 30 KB will not download properly. The thumbail I was having issues with (over 30KB) are for: How to train your dragon, Ice Age 2 and 3, Madagascar, Shrek and Kung Fu Panda
I have this problem with the current firmware version and it all started with the firmware version before that.
I noticed that only the thumbnails of the ‘VIDEO_TS’ movies were not shown. The thumbnails of .ISO and .MKV movies, for example, were shown correctly.
The only way to have an image shown, is to place an image called VTS_01_1.jpg or VTS_01_1.metathumb (the first VTS VOB file) in the VIDEO_TS folder. So, if the below is in the VIDEO_TS folder:
VIDEO_TS.BUP
VIDEO_TS.IFO
VIDEO_TS.VOB
VTS_01_0.BUP
VTS_01_0.IFO
VTS_01_1.VOB
VTS_01_2.VOB
etc…
then paste and name your thumbnail image VTS_01_1.jpg or VTS_01_1.metathumb
VIDEO_TS.BUP
VIDEO_TS.IFO
VIDEO_TS.VOB
VTS_01_0.BUP
VTS_01_0.IFO
VTS_01_1.jpg
VTS_01_1.VOB
VTS_01_2.VOB
etc…
Now, pull out the power cable of your WD Live Hub and put it back in. The WD Live Hub starts up. Now the thumbnail images should show correctly.
A lot of manual work though if there are a lot of ‘VIDEO_TS’ movies and this definitely looks like a bug. Hope this will be fixed in the next firmware.
I have this problem with the current firmware version and it all started with the firmware version before that.
A lot of manual work though if there are a lot of ‘VIDEO_TS’ movies and this definitely looks like a bug. Hope this will be fixed in the next firmware.
I’ve been seeing the same thing, Video_TS folder structure and the thumbs do not show. I found if I turn off the media compiler, they all show if they had been previously downloaded.
I like the WDTV box, does what I want, but there are so many times that you have to tweak this, edit that, etc… that it is not a product for the masses. This box needs to get to the point where any noob non-programmer can plug it in and make it work out of the box, as expected.
It seems there are fewer problems using ISO files, so after a bit of testing, I’ll be converting my entire library to ISO format from video_ts format.
It seems there are fewer problems using ISO files, so after a bit of testing, I’ll be converting my entire library to ISO format from video_ts format.
I’m a convert. Thumbs for movies in ISO format work perfectly with or without Media Library turned on (assuming thumbs were already downloaded). The Media Library seems to work better as a whole, and is better about capturing metadata for more vids. The vids play fine, no issues. Stll get hesitation when playing back ISO files from a Win 7 share over WiFi, but I don’t use that anyway.
It’s going to be a long process, but I think it will be worth it in the long run. Any new vids will be ripped to ISO format directly.
