got a WD this week and updated to latest firmware (as of 3/17).
I was able activate the device with Netflix. Intsant Q loads fine, but when I play the video, WD seems to get stuck with blank screen.
Here is what happens when I play :
- first shows empty progress bar
- then the screen goes blank
- then it show partially filled progress bar
- fickers again, then a blank screen.
It stays on the blank screen for very long time. During this time, pressing “Back” button takes me back to the movie page.
I have already tried disconnecting power and restarting etc.
Any one seen this?
It can happen if there’s a problem negotiating HDMI HDCP between your WD and your TV or AVR…
Try using the COMPONENT cables as a test.
Thanks. will try that once get home in the evening.
I am surprised HDMI negotiation works for rest of WD functionality. Does Netflix video trigger new negotiation? I am curious to know… i would have (naively) thought it negotiates just once at the beginning.
Yes, the Netflix stream has DRM… it’s a protected stream. It has to send a different HDMI stream than the regular WDTV output.
Essentially:
“hello… I’m about to send you an encrypted stream… can you decode it?”
“yes”
“ok, start decoding”
Component output worked.
The TV is from 2005. this is the first time I am seeing an HDMI issue with any device/computer with this TV. I am able to play same Neflix stream over HDMI from a laptop.
I am suspecting it might be related to immature implementation of Netflix on the devide. Even on component output, before starting the video, it completely cuts off signal to TV for a few seconds, then shows the progress bar again, only after that the video starts. Not a good experence for users and equally importantly points to some hacky patch to get Netflix working. I hope WD fixes it. If any devs want to look into this issue, please let me know, I don’t mind running some debug build.
raghuwd wrote:
I am suspecting it might be related to immature implementation of Netflix on the devide. Even on component output, before starting the video, it completely cuts off signal to TV for a few seconds, then shows the progress bar again, only after that the video starts. Not a good experence for users and equally importantly points to some hacky patch to get Netflix working.
I would suspect more that you have the new auto-negotiation of video frame-rate enabled. In which case you will always see this behaviour while your TV and the WDTV the choose correct frame rate.
Could be wrong, but that is what it seems to me.
parnott100 wrote:
I would suspect more that you have the new auto-negotiation of video frame-rate enabled. In which case you will always see this behaviour while your TV and the WDTV the choose correct frame rate.> Could be wrong, but that is what it seems to me.
I didn’t know there is such an option. will try disabling that. I wouldn’t mind fixed frame rate for everything.
That implies flickering should occur only component (for switing to 480P). But exact same flicker occurs on both HDMI and component.
If HDMI encryption is the main issue, other devices should not be able to play Netflix over HDMI on this TV. It tried Tivo HD in living room with the same TV and it plays very well (and no flicker either). Let me know if you want me to try a Roku. I could borrow from a friend.
It still looks like WD Live Plus issue.
That’s because TiVo uses HDCP full time.
raghuwd wrote:
That implies flickering should occur only component (for switing to 480P). But exact same flicker occurs on both HDMI and component.
If HDMI encryption is the main issue, other devices should not be able to play Netflix over HDMI on this TV. It tried Tivo HD in living room with the same TV and it plays very well (and no flicker either). Let me know if you want me to try a Roku. I could borrow from a friend.
It still looks like WD Live Plus issue.
Thanks Tony.
Probably WD Live should do that too. It might simplify so many things. Probably most other consumer devices including Roku do the same. Ever for TVs where Netflix works, it would be free of annoying flicker.
Thanks Tony. I am learning a lot. I will do another test to connect HDMI when Netflix movies already playing… since there is no ‘transition’ I should ideally see video on TV (not that this is practical solution).
I would imagine only a miniscule percentage of people would actually use splittes. I do use an HDMI switcher, which works fine. This sure is a strange design choise by WD engineers.
“Should we add a feature to do HDCP only when absolutely necessary?”
“are there any drawbacks?”
“yes, WD will be less compatible, and even when it works, users see annoying flicker during the transition.”
“Oh, who needs the feature?”
“may be 0.002%.”
“should we do this even though it has a negative effect for ALL the users?”
“yes. we should. ‘working well’ is secondary to ‘sort of works’.”
“Why not make this an option for those 0.002% of the users?”
“Nah… too many options is bad” [but bad user exp and bugs are ok?]
jokes aside, I hope WD recognizes this as an issue and makes it an option. For now “Always use HDCP” could be off by default.
