Hello!
I have a WD TV Live HD Media Player with the latest firmware (1.06.43_V) and I’ve been struggling to set up DD+ digital pass-through via HDMI on it. I have seemingly exhausted every option using either auto or manual setup for digital pass-through, but there’s just no audio on the TV. Every other audio format works (AAC, DD, DTS, FLAC etc), but not DD+. The HDMI cable I use is v2.0. If I plug the media directly in the TV via USB then there is audio, so it obviously supports it.
Am I missing something? Has anyone been able to set it up correctly?
Hi creasy,
You should try contacting WD’s Technical Support about this for live assistance and troubleshooting
To Contact WD for Technical Support
http://support.wdc.com/support/case.aspx?lang=en
The link below will allow you to call support
Create a Support Case
Create a support case with our world-class service and support team.
Hello James,
My WD TV has been out of warranty for a few years now and it is also discontinued. Is WD still providing end user support for it?
feel free to call WD’s Technical Support.
OK, I opened a new case.
Thanks.
did you resolve this issue? having same problem!
No. Support told me WD TV Live does not support DD+ after all, despite what’s in the manual and specs.
ok, thanks for replying - if I do any good with a hack fix, I’ll let you know
What’s this hack fix?
Support is correct. WDTV only supports Dolby Digital (which is AC3)
There’s nothing in the user manual saying anywhere or anything about DD+ (which is E-AC3)
Page 160: http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/uploads/WesternDigital/PDFs/User%20Manual.pdf
makes no difference. Your WDTV 2nd Gen only supports HDMI1.3
you can’t plug a WDTV into a TV via USB … so, i’m assuming you’re plugging a USB Flash Drive with Media on it into your TV. And you’re hearing audio …
All that’s confirming is your TV Supports It … but your WDTV still doesn’t.
2 Solutions …
-
Convert the E-AC3 to AC3 … plenty of free video encoders can do this without re-encoding the Video, only the Audio (select Video:Copy)
-
Use a Media Server eg. PLEX which can transcode the audio “on-the-fly” and stream it via the WDTV
Check page 152 of the manual. It supposedly sends DD+ via digital pass through to a receiver. You can turn it on in player settings.
I never said I plugged WDTV into a TV via USB… I verified that the TV supports DD+ and tried sending it via digital pass through over HDMI, which according to the manual should work. But support confirmed that it does not.
I was not looking for transcoding solutions… I wanted to make DD+ digital pass through work and let the TV handle it.
well … you’re not gonna have any luck then. are you ?
if your TV support DD+ playback from a USB Stick … then that’s what you’ll have to use and forget about using a WDTV Media Player.
and/or buy a new Media Player that does support DD+
my Raspberry Pi 3 and 4K Android Amlogic S905X Box (Both Running Kodi OS)
Both on them Support 5.1 DD+ (E-AC3) Audio Playback via a TV or Amplifier or AV Reciever.
One of the MANY reasons i no longer use WDTV Media Players.
Unfortunately, none of the players are fully satisfactory. Kodi has a number of issues, too. For example, it can’t play VC-1 videos properly, while WDTV can. So, it’s either transcoding or running several players to play the different formats, complicating the situation. The only problem I have with WDTV is the DD+ issue, so I’d be happy if it could somehow be fixed.
That’s a hardware issue (depends on whether the device supports hardware decoding of VC-1)… not a Kodi Software Issue
My Raspberry Pi 3 with Kodi plays VC-1 … 100% Perfectly 
(i bought the $2 VC-1 Codec Licence key to allow hardware decoding) and also plays DD+ too
Amlogic S905X running LibreELEC (Kodi) … handles VC-1 without any issues as well.
can’t be. WDTV’s are Dead … no longer made, or firmware supported.
Let’s just stay on topic. I neither asked nor expected you to fix it. Obviously, DD+ pass through was intended to work, but for some reason (licensing?) it doesn’t. So, I’m fine with a hack fix, too, as stixman suggested above.
why do you say that ? … it says nowhere in the WDTV Manuals that it’s supported and even WDTV Support told you it’s not. Sounds like you’re in denial and simply don’t want to accept facts.
lol ‘hackfix’ … stixman’s post was very informative providing a solution.
i’ve given you a couple of solutions (re-encode/transcode etc), but of course you ignored those and want some other ‘mythical magical hackfix’
Anyways, good luck … bye
No disrespect, but you seem to be having ADHD or something, preventing you from thoroughly reading what others write. I’ll try to make a more detailed description for you, so please pay close attention this time. On page 152 of the WDTV Live manual (Appendix), under Audio codec, Dolby Digital Plus** is listed. The ** note says: 2+channel signal is sent via digital pass through to a receiver. Moreover, If you go into audio settings of WDTV Live, under digital pass through via HDMI, you can manually set it up for DD+:
Hence, it was obviously supposed to work, but it doesn’t.
I didn’t ignore your solutions, I clearly told you I’m not interested in them. Otherwise I would have given a title like ‘WDTV Live is dead, please suggest replacements’ to this topic…
i’m looking at the User Manual and i can’t see anything like that on Page 152 
please post the Link to the PDF User Manual … thanks
It’s a misprint … the User Manual is Incorrect
Even the User Manual for the 2014 WD TV Media Player is Incorrect as well.
WD TV Live HD Media Player Audio Spec Sheet … Note: Missing Standard “Dolby Digital” Audio Codec.
WD TV Media Player (released 2014) … Note: Includes both “Dolby Digital” and “Dolby Digital Plus” Audio Codec … but states via the " ** "next to Dolby Digital … that only 2 Channel is passed through … which is Incorrect (DD is fully 5.1 Supported)
Last Suggestion … try setting tthe Audio Output from the WDTV to “Stereo” instead of “HDMI Pass-through”
If you get sound then, playing Dolby Digital Plus content … then that means the WDTV is decoding it to 2 Channel Stereo … If no sound via “HDMI Pass-through” then that means you reciever or tv is not capable of DD+ passthrough.
If you get no sound at all … then consider the User Manual as a 100% Incorrect Misprint regarding DD+.
Encounted similar problems with my WD TV Live Hub years ago with 5.1 AAC
2 Channel AAC worked fine via “Pass-through”
but 5.1 Channel AAC … No Sound at all.
Had to go change the Audio Output on the WD TV Live Hub to “Stereo” to get 5.1 AAC Audio to work.
