WDTV Live Streaming => WDTV Live: playback stutters on ALL files

Community Archives WD TV Live Firmware
1

Okay,

I was wondering if anybody else run into this issue and may give me some advice.

First things first: my setup.

I use a WDTV Live Streaming with several USB drives as kind of a Samba file server for all my media files.

I can access the files from several places over my network with many different devices like my 2 PC’s and other media players from Dvico and Syabas, even rather old ones like the Popcorn Hour A110. Works just fine as it should, even with high bitrate video content.

BUT there is one player that pertinaciously refuses to play along with this setup, and that’s my WDTV Live. :frowning:

Okay, here is what happens: WDTV Live sees the WDTV Live Streaming and it’s shares over the network. I can access and browse all folders on the WDTV Live Streaming and start playback of any kind of file. However, playback just works for a couple of seconds then playback freezes for a couple of seconds. Then it continues again for a couple of seconds, freezes again, and so on and so on…

I tried any firmware for the WDTV Live, even the latest 1.6.43. No use, they all act the same. I changed my network hardware, tried different switches etc. All no use.

And here is where it gets kinda awkward: Whenever I stream data from or to the WDTV Live Streaming from any of my other media players or my PC’s AT THE SAME TIME I try to play a file with the WDTV Live from the WDTV Live Streaming, guess what? The WDTV Live plays the files just fine. Without any stutters or hiccups.

If I stop the simultaneous streaming from the Live streaming to any other device on the network it just takes a couple of seconds and the WDTV Live starts stuttering again.

In short: WDTV Live plays files from the WDTV Live Streaming just fine as long as there is any other kind of data streaming from the WDTV Live Streaming to any other device on the network in progress. Otherwise playback heavily stutters, no matter what kind of media.

I have no idea what’s causing this, but it’s kind of frustrating to see that two devices from the same brand will not work together correctly while all other devices get along just fine.

I would appreciate any hints or suggestions on this. Thank you. :slight_smile:

2

Hhmh, I’d say the SMP is not powerful enough to be a proper streaming server, but ok. Have you made sure that both devices are not named WDTVLIVE but have different names like LIVE and SMP? Routers can become confused by two devices on the network with the same name.

3

Hello,

thanks for your reply. Yes, both players have different network names. I think the WDTV Live Streaming is more than capable for this task. Like I said, all other players work fine with it. And if it wasn’t powerful enough it would not explain why WDTV Live works fine IF another device is accessing the ‘streaming server’ at the same time.