WD TV Live Gen3
Part number: WDBGXT0000NBK
Firmware Version: 1.16.13 (When I first noticed the problem a few days ago)
Firmware Version: 2.03.20 (Problem still present after firmware upgrade today)
WD TV Live is Ethernet attached and has a USB attached HDD
WD TV
Firmware Version: 1.03.07
Part Number: WDBPUF0000NBK
WD TV is Wi-fi attached and has a USB stick attached
VLC for iOS
Version: 2.7.7(277.2) All Along the Watchtower
iPad 4
Model: MD511X/A
iOS: 9.3.1 (13E238)
iOS: 9.3.2 (13F69)
iPhone 5
iOS: 9.3.1
When using VLC for iOS iPad & iPhone via SMB (Samba share) and I select Network >
Local Network > HDD Videos - it crashes the WD TV Live and causes
it to reboot.
I have reported the issue to VLC, they responded by saying “Obviously WD TV Live bug”
I have updated this post. Both WD TV & WD TV Live Gen3 crash when VLC for iOS(iPad & iPhone) attempts a connection and without attempting a connection.
Use another app than this one, it is a piece of junk as I have discovered. Don’t you have any other apps on your iPad you can use? I do! The bug is with the VLC iOS app!
Regardless of what you might think of VLC iOS app, the WD TV Live unit should not crash.
I don’t know how you are able to say “The bug is with the VLC iOS app!”. Are you a WD TV Live developer?
There is a a critical issue here that is easily reproducible, so I would think it should be easy to fix.
I will begin this reply by saying I like VLC for Windows, it works great on my PC. On my iPad is a different story. A few years ago VLC stopped supporting the audio format AAC and none of my mp4/m4v videos made with Handbrake have playable audio, so VLC for iOS is worthless, although the video’s audio works on the PC player find.
I guess I hurt your feelings when I said it was worthless – are you a VLC developer?
I don’t know how you are able to say “The bug is with the VLC iOS app!”.
The same way VLC could say to you, “Obviously WD TV Live bug”. It’s their opinion, although my comment is not an opinion, it is based upon my experience.
the WD TV Live unit should not crash.
It seems it will if VLC for iOS causes it.
So, bottom line, I do not, nor can not use VLC on my iPad or Phone with success. So I use something that works on my iPad and that I can access videos from my network devices that I know will work…
Too many people bust into a forum and start blaming the product the forum represents ,when in fact, it is not the product that is at fault, it is the other app, program, their network, etc. that is to blame. This is your first time at this forum, be a little more humble and lest feisty. People will be more inclined to offer help to you here.
I was not insulted, it is something I have come to expect.
The problem is every site has a few one eyed individuals who are unwilling to see issues for what they are and get all defensive as soon as a problem is raised.
If accessing the WD TV Live from VLC for iOS caused VLC or IOS to crash. Would that be the fault of the WD TV Live?
While there may well be issues with VLC, that does not exonerate the weakness in WD TV Live code.
The bottom line is, regardless of what VLC or any other app does the WD TV Live code should be robust enough not to crash just because you select device from the app.
Have you discovered that the WDTV (even though I and many others like the product and use it often) is DEAD. WD has not made a new one in a few years. It is history, and no company is going to spend a lot of time or money fixing something that has been discontinued.
Anyway, I thought you initially wanted to play your videos stored the WDTV drive on your iPad. I only told you how to do it – use an app other than VLC. That is all I have to say. I really don’t consider it a problem at all that VLC and WDTV do not play well together, because there are other ways to skin a cat and watch movies on an iPad from WDTV.
Maybe I misunderstood your issue wrong: Are you wanting to play videos using VLC on iPad TO your WDTV?.
Are you the Product Manager for WD TV?
You are not helpful. I understand there is more than one way to skin a cat. However the purpose of my post is to hopefully have the problem fixed and not for you to trivialize the problem and sweep it under the carpet.
Using the iPad with VLC for iOS, I am wanting to access(via SMB) and play videos stored on the WD TV Live HDD(usb attached).
Does any other app crash your WDTV? If not, I think it is caused by VLC. All I have to say on this. Good luck, and if you really want it fixed, the forum is not the place; contact WD Support and submit a support request. Adios.
Does VLC for iOS crash any other device? NO.
VLC for iOS connects via SMB to Windows 7 and OS X.
The only thing that is crashing is the WD TV Live.
As I said before, regardless of any issues VLC for iOS might have the WD TV Live code should be robust enough not to crash.
Update:
Since my last post I conducted the following tests.
-
Yesterday: I confirmed that the VLC for iOS on iPhone was also crashing the WD TV Live SMP in exactly the same manner as the VLC for iOS on iPad. Just by attempting to connect via SMB to the WD TV Live SMP for the simple purpose of browsing folders/files.
-
Today: On the WD TV Live SMP, I turned Windows Shares(SMB) OFF and Turned Mac Shares(AFP) ON.
I then opened VLC for iOS on iPad and without attempting a connection to the WD TV Live SMP, the WD TV Live SMP crashed and rebooted. Note, with Windows Shares(SMB) off VLC could not discover the WD TV Live SMP, but the WD TV Live SMP still crashed.
If VLC for iOS is completely closed(not running in the background of iOS) the WD TV Live SMP doesn’t crash.
- Today: On the WD TV Live SMP, I turned Windows Shares(SMB) OFF and Mac Shares(AFP) OFF.
I then opened VLC for iOS on iPad and again without attempting a connection to the WD TV Live SMP, the WD TV SMP crashed and rebooted. Yes the WD TV Live crashes with Network Shares(SMB & AFP) OFF.
If VLC for iOS is completely closed(not running in the background of iOS) the WD TV Live SMP doesn’t crash.
Yesterday I tested a WD TV
Firmware Version: 1.03.07
Part Number: WDBPUF0000NBK
It crashed in exactly the same manner as the WD TV Live SMP when attempting a connection via VLC for iOS(iPad).
Given the WD TV & WD TV Live share the same hardware and much of the same code I suspect the WD TV would also crash when performing the other tests I have performed on the older WD TV Live.
I discovered another issue with VLC for iOS and the WD TV Live
SMP. This time it is VLC for iOS automatically turning ON the WD TV Live SMP.
Steps to reproduce the problem
- Turn off the WD TV Live SMP using the remote
- Start VLC for iOS (in this case it was an iPad)
- Select Network > Local Network <–– this starts VLC network discovery
- At 3 mins the WD TV Live SMP turns its self on, then after some time crashes → Reboots → Crashes → Reboots……
I discovered this issue by chance as I was using VLC for iOS to access files on a PC and saw the WD TV Live SMP power light come on.
As with the other issues, I suspect this problem also applies to the WD TV and I can confirm this in a couple of days when I test the WD TV.
