Network Device Hangups
Do files with copyright or anti-copy protection contain code that hangs up network media devices?
From perusal of numerous internet support forums, I conclude I am one of many with a home network who experiences the scenario of “it was working, now it does not; what did I do?” After some series of actions, operation is restored, for a while.
I have a simple home network based on a Cisco DPC3825 gateway (integrated modem and router), a desktop running Windows7 x64, wireless connection to a remote laptop and remote printer, and Ethernet to a new Western Digital TVLive! media device connected to home theatre. It was all working. I was set to show a few camera club members one unit of an excellent new photo instruction course I had bought and downloaded from “TheGreatCourses”. The videos ran fine on the networked computers. Before guests arrived, I confirmed my network to the home theatre worked on various files…no problem. However, when I commenced my demo, the TV showed all file thumbnails and titles, showed live internet and all my photo (JPEG) files, but neither music nor video for any of my computer files would play. I resorted to wireless laptop to HDMI to TV, with audio only from the laptop.
My troubleshooting story would take too much time, as I analyzed every component and recommended “fix” over a couple of weeks, and periodically thought I had solved the issue. Every time I ran through the various options of use, some action would terminate start of all music and videos. As a step to isolate the computer and network possibilities from the WD TV Live!, I copied one music file and one photo lesson file to a USB thumbdrive and plugged it in to the media box. Music played, video did not, then music would play no more! Then I used Cyberlink PowerDirector 10 to re-“produce” the lesson as a separate JPEG file on the USB drive. It worked, but only after a separate intermediate step to use the manual “reset” button on the media device to restore start of any music or video file.
The system now continues to work as advertised on all my photo, music and video files, including all 24 “re-produced” units of the photography lessons, but I can terminate this by trying to open any one of the original photo course files, after which no video or music file can be started until the media box is “reset”.
I had experienced similar periodic difficulties for several years with my original Diamond Media HD box, which was what I replaced with the WD TVLive! unit. As many others have done, I returned my WD device for a free replacement unit. This third unit exhibited the same frustrating behavior. As I see it, thousands of frustrated people are condemning network hardware, clogging up support portals, and paying computer support services for temporary “fixes”, without finding the root cause. Until such causes are proven and communicated, trial-and-error “fixes” will likely only create new problems without a permanent cure.
