Hi Everyone am new to this forum and a new owner two days of the WDTV Live Unit and 1TB usb linked WD Elements drive. I have set the two units up on a copper wired RG45/ HomePlug Mbps network and it works brilliantly. Have downloaded photographs, video content and sound files through this network and played them back. I also have it hard wired into the internet via a NetGear router.
My question is a little stupid I fear but here goes.
How do you record ordinary TV programmes to this set up or do you need some kind of a transitional bridge i.e. PVR unit or computer that can encode the TV programmes into identifiable files for transfer to the WDTV Live unit or can you do this direct from Freeview box?
Sorry for the ramble but am I missing something simple here?
Thanks in advance.
Best Regards
Redleather
The only stupid question is the one not asked.
I’ve been toying around with this very subject as of late and have come up with my solution.
I’m running Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE) and recently added a Hauppauge HVR-2250 TV Tuner card to record HD shows from an Over The Air (OTA) broadcast. Basically I am ‘capturing’ an HD OTA broadcast for later viewing on a TiVo HD, via the MC on XBOX 360, or on the WD TV.
The main issue I came across is the file types being produced and what is viewable on what.
The TV tuner card captures in a native “.ts” file, which needs to be converted for viewing on TiVo and MCE. MCE records in a “.dvr-ms” file, which needs to be converted for TiVo, but plays just fine in the MCE and on the XBox 360.
After spending some real quality time attempting to convert the “.ts” file, I tried to play in the WD TV without converting it…it played flawlessly.
Now I am simply recording TV as a native “.ts” file, transferring that file to the WD TV (I have the older one so no network connection), and am watching TV like a pro. Be aware that a sinle 60 minute program in HD is about 5.78 GB.
I hope this answers your question; yes in order to watch TV on your WD TV Media Player, you do need to have an intermediate step of recording or ‘capturing’ the program.
I don’t have satellite or cable, however I believe this will work for them as well.
Happy recording!
BTW, I forgot to mention this previously:
If you will be streaming directly from your PC to the WD TV (or XBox 360), I had to upgrade to a ‘gigabit’ network. The 10 Base T 10/100 NIC and hub (switch) couldn’t keep up with the HD programming. Upgraded the NIC and switch to a 10/100/1000 and everything is flowing fantastically!
Enjoy!
