Just purchased WD TV Live. Played with color playback on first use, but now (2nd time using) unit plays only in black and white. I am using the composite video connection. I have not tried the HDMI as I am traveling and no tv available with HDMI or component video available. The only thing I did was unplug unit from tv without using eject button. Could this be the problem, or? Any help would be appreciated .
The eject button is only for use before unplugging a disk and has nothing to do with the TV. Check that you have plugged the lead into the correct socket on the WDTV (labelled AV OUT) and that the yellow video plug is connected correctly to the appropriate socket on the TV. Plug everything in with all devices off and then turn on WDTV and then TV. I have no idea if any of these will work as I use the composite output without any problem but its worth a try.
(I am thinking that you may have plugged the socket into the component socket instead of the AV OUT)
I have the same problem. First there is no problem, all the colors are there. But after playing a few minutes of HD videos (MP4, avc1, 1440x1080@29.970029, mp4a, stereo, 44.1 KHz), the interface goes black and white! I use the composite (PAL) output on a classic CRT TV. After switching the WD TV Live off then on, the interface is still black and white. The only way I found to get back colors is to reset the WD TV Live. After rebooting, my colors are back but my settings are gone. Then I want to watch my HD videos… and I lose the colors again 10 minutes later.
Firmware used:
-
1.01.12 (or 11, the default one when I bought it)
-
1.01.24 now, same issue
P/N: WDBAAP0000NBK-00
I use the default settings except:
-
Audio/Video, Aspect ratio: normal (not widescreen)
-
Video setting, Browser display: preview mode (not thumbnails).
In French, preview mode is not well translated (German translation instead of French).
-
Photo setting, Photo scaling: “Affichage plein écran” in French (position 2 in the list), in English it would be “Display in full screen” (position 3) but when I switch the language back to English, it is the second item in the list: “Fit to screen” => translation mistake?
-
Music setting, Browser display: list mode
-
System setting, language: French
-
System setting, screensaver delay: off
This is really annoying.
New test case:
-
reset the WD TV Live
-
switch on the WD TV Live, the interface is full of colors
-
modify some settings but not the aspect ratio
-
watch just 5 seconds of HD videos as defined above
-
go back to the main menu (Home press button)
-
go to Audio/Video setting, set Aspect ratio to normal instead of widescreen
-
the screen flashes some times (quite normal)
-
enjoy 1974 style with only black and white colors
Now the initial situation is the folllowing:
-
the WD TV Live displays only black and white, I will try to get my colors back.
-
set the output to HDMI, auto, auto instead of composite (I have a 4:3 CRT TV, only one composite input)
-
wait with no output
-
try to switch off several times, the white leds on the WD TV Live are still shining
-
go somewhere else, in your bedroom for example, do anything you want
-
go back to your living room where your WD TV Live is
-
It is switched off.
-
switch it on
-
The displayed colors are still black and white.
-
just select the settings item (first column)
-
press the right arrow to go to the second column, nothing else
-
the colors appear
-
I understand that the firmware has a major issue.
I’ve also tried to get my colors back by switching to composite NTSC (instead of PAL) and guess what. It seems to be far better in composite NTSC, no more back to the future in 1974. I think I will stay in this output mode.
I had this issue too upon first use and it was just a matter of switching some player setting from PAL to NTSC.
If you hold down the reset button on the side for longer than 10 seconds the Live switches from PAL to NTSC (and vice versa).
