Thank you Bill, as you can imagine, we would have loved a little more meat on that bone, but thank you for throwing us the bone all the same. Would it get you in trouble if you told us who we might contact in upper management, CEO, or PR department who might, (once they are aware of this greef so many are having) open up better communications with the firmware R&D department and yourself? Ofcourse you couldn’t post that information here for every nimrod who has a remote with dead batteries, but maybe to Ibrahim or myself via email. ???
Details on this are hard to find, even on Seagate’s page. Has it even been release yet?
Edit:
Ah, here it is… “will be available in early June 2010”. http://winarco.com/freeagent-goflex-tv-hd-media-player/
I’m more than likely going to just build a box using a Mini ITX motherboard with an Intel Atom D510 cpu and Nvidia Ion2 graphics when they start showing up. I’ll throw a copy of Boxee on it which seems to have less bugs, more functionality, and pretty active development. I’m also going to get a few usb game controllers ( http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=sega+usb+gray&_sacat=0&_odkw=sega+saturn+usb&_osacat=0&bkBtn=&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313) and throw an emulator or two on there so I can play old school Nintendo and Sega games. I still need to find a good remote for it but there seem to be some decent ones out there. Yes, I’ll pay quite a bit more for my setup (~ $200 to $300) than I would if I were to buy another Media Player but I’ll be able to do anything I want with it…like torrents, games (I’ve even heard World of Warcraft and spore would run on this), file serving, e-mail, web surfing, movies, music, and I won’t have the problem of “well, the movie plays fine on my PC so why doesn’t it work on this player”. In the future, I may add TV recording but that’s not a big deal to me. But the point is, it’ll be much more functional and expandable.
Hi everybody,
I haven´t gone through all posts, so maybe I will be repeating something mentioned already. For me I have found acceptable solution after 2 hours of browsing. mp4 (H264) videos with ACC are playable without audio delays in playback or forward/rewind when converted to .m2ts. I have used tsmuxed 1.10.6. to do that. I have only 3 H264 videos, but with all mentioned error:
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hiccups (sound is distorted from time to time, not played for millisecond, after that everything is ok, till another one…), but still watchable
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cannot forward/rewind without lost of synchronised audio/video
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in two or my three videos sound is played with delays or sooner during regular playback (from beggining without forwading)
This solution will keep your audio and video unchanged (not loosing quality) and is very quick (2 minutes or less). But here is but 
I have tested only three files, so I will appreciate if someone could do more. And there is still hiccup problem (sound gone for millisecond, aproximately every two minutes throughout whole playback). Converting audio from 4.1 or 5.1 to 2.0 wouldn´t help to avoid hiccups. But I haven´t tried all of software futures yet. Maybe there are other m2ts or TS converter which could do it and solve this last thing.
Probably developers of WD HD TV could use something from this when decide issue new firmware, if ever.
TsMuxeR 1.10.6
I just want to share my experince with the WDTV (Gen2 with latest firmware).
My car broke down a couple of months ago, so to be able to pay for the repairs I had to sell my HD tv, so now I have my WDTV connected through a composite cable to an old TV. I have also connected the WDTV to my Pioneer surroundsystem through an optic cable. I have also tried to play a few Mp4 files, and I noticed the poor performance, but I have never had any problems with AVI and MKV files. And since most files I… ehh… “find”… on the web are in MKV format (only download Blu-Ray ripps) the WDTV works great for me.
When I ripp movies, (I only ripp old DVD’s) I use the program MakeMKV, it makes a copy of the DVD (the same size as the original file) but takes away menus etc. , you can choose wich audio track and subtitle track you want to use, and the rest will be taken away from the finished MKV file. There is also a lot of other programs that can help you to convert one format to another, but like I said, since most movies are in MKV format there is no need for converting since the WDTV plays the MKV files without problems. If you are having soundproblems with MKV movies, try to use an optic cable and connect it to your surroundsystem or stereo, maybe it helps (I heard somewhere that the optic cable is the only way to go, if you want DTS, but I don’t know if that’s true).
So my tip to you guys is that you should try to avoid the Mp4 movies and only use the ones in MKV format, atleast until the day when Western Digital learns how to make a mediaplayer that works 100%.
Blueqx wrote:
… So my tip to you guys is that you should try to avoid the Mp4 movies and only use the ones in MKV format, atleast until the day when Western Digital learns how to make a mediaplayer that works 100%.
eh, thanks for sharing your experience but I like most people complaining on this list bought the WD HD because they said that it would play Mp4 and other formats, I personally have 300+ Mp4. Although work-arounds are fine if you have time and no other solution (like your using hardware that dates back a few years etc) this equipment is new and these guys arren’t doing anything to remedy these issues despite having received our money (6 months without firmware release!).
EV
Yes, I know that some of you guys have a huge archive of Mp4 movies that you can’t play on the WDTV, and I understand your problem. I think that the only solution for you is to buy another mediaplayer, sell your WDTV to someone who doesn’t need the support for Mp4 files, because Western Digital will probably never fix this Mp4 “bug”.
But if you’re fine with watching MKV movies, then the WDTV does a great job. I have never had any video or audio problems, except when I’ve tried to play Mp4 movies.
So if you have recently bought a WDTV, use an optical cable for sound and only download MKV movies, then hopefully there shouldn’t be any problems, and if it still doesn’t work - buy something else, because Western Digital won’t help you.
It sounds like the only audio/video sync issues people are having is with mp4s. I’ve had that issue with most, if not all of my mp4s but I’ve also experience the problem with some of my avi, mkv, and even iso. Is anyone else having issues with files other than mp4s?
Hi nijaju.
Do you often have problems with AVI & MKV files, I mean is there a problem with only a few or almost everyone you try? I have only had a problem with one MKV file (audio sync), and I have about 400+ MKV movies on my HDD.
My MKV files are encoded with different programs, some of them have DTS, some don’t.
50% are in 720p, and the rest in 1080p and they all play fine. And if there was a sync or video problem, then I should have noticed since I make swedish subtitles for many american/english movies (the sync have to be perfect).
My main source for movies is the website that has a pirateship as a logo, and like I said there has only been 1 “bad” movie out of 400+.
If you use the WDTV-Gen2 with the latest firmware, then I could give you a short list over movies that play fine on my WDTV.
The problem is in using a certain codec for audio if I’m not mistaken. Some MKV’s still use this codec which means they have the same problem as MP4’s. I think. For .avi’s, I don’t know.
I don’t know either.
Since all MKV files I download works great, I don’t even look which audio codec that have been used.
Maybe the one file that didn’t worked for me had this “bad” codec (this happend when I started to download movies), but since all my 400+ movies that I have downloaded the last year works fine, that must mean that the rippers don’t use that codec anymore?
Or maybe Western Digital made somekind of mistake when they made my WDTV, so it’s the only one that works like it should 
Blueqx wrote:
Hi nijaju.
Do you often have problems with AVI & MKV files, I mean is there a problem with only a few or almost everyone you try?
I have problems with pretty much all mp4s I’ve tried with sound off by as much as 5 seconds so I don’t even go there anymore. I’ve only had a few avi and mkv files with sync issues so they’re not that big of a deal either. What I was looking for was a file format that was guaranteed to work. Guaranteed as in, if it works on my computer, or my DVD player, it works on my WD TV. I thought ISO was the answer but then I hit one that had some minor sync issues. I’ve only watched it once so I don’t know if it was a one time thing (not that I can think of any reason it would be except that the WDTV is what it is…) but it’s possible. I’ll try it again and see. What I’m looking for is the same quality as if I were to put my DVD in a player and play it that way, with the convenience of not having to deal with discs, or movie trailors, or FBI warning, or antipiracy ads, or all of the other ■■■■ that I can’t skip trhough.
What I’m looking for is the same quality as if I were to put my DVD in a player and play it that way, with the convenience of not having to deal with discs, or movie trailors, or FBI warning, or antipiracy ads, or all of the other ■■■■ that I can’t skip trhough.
Maybe you have already tried the program MakeMKV?
I have ripped many DVD’s, and it works great.
You can select to just ripp the movie (no trailers or FBI warnings etc.) and choose which audio track and subtitle you want.The finished MKV file is quite big, often 4-6GB, but it’s 100% DVD quality, and it’s an easy program to use and you don’t get any sync problems.
Also Magic DVD Ripper is a great program, if MakeMKV can’t crack the DVD’s encryption then I use Magic to both crack the encryption and to make a copy of the DVD. Magic creates a folder on the HDD with the TS_audio and TS_video (the video file plays great on WDTV), then I use MakeMKV to make it into a MKV file (only because I want all my movies to be in that format).
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- If you only ripp DVD’s and don’t download any movies, then maybe Magic is the right program for you. When you copy the movie you choose the option to only copy the main movie (you can also choose to copy the movie with menus etc.) and you also choose the option to join any splitted VOB files to a single VOB (necessary if you want to play it on the WDTV without any problems). Like MakeMKV you can choose which audio track and subtitle you want to use, or don’t use. The result is a 4-6GB VOB file (Mp2) that should work perfectly on your WDTV. - -
Use the program MKVtoolnix to convert your Mp4 files (if you still have any left) to MKV, I have used the program many times but I haven’t tried it with Mp4 files, but it should work. If I remember correctly, you can use the MKVtoolnix to change the audio settings (ACC/SBR something… my memory is a blur), that should fix the audio sync.
I know that it’s a lot of work just to get the **bleep** movies to play, but it’s better than not being able to watch anything.
And I still don’t understand where you guys get all the Mp4 files from, I download 5-10 Blu-Ray ripps every week and I never see any Mp4 movies, only MKV’s. All the best seeded movies on Pirate*** Shutter Island, Avatar, Sherlock Holmes, The Wolfman, Alice in Wonderland and The Book of Eli etc. they are all in MKV format.
Well, I hope that I have given you some usefull information, good luck
I have the WD HD TV Gen 2, The original firmware that came with the player would not play mp4 files without constant video stutter and audio sync issues so i updated to 1.01.77 this resolved the video stutter for the most part but i still experience audio sync issues and video stutter every minute or so when playing mp4 (h264) files , i have tested loads of video files all with different hard drives different formatted hard drives, different encodings subtitles bitrates audio codecs frame rates sizes you name it—> and the long and short of it is… only mp4 files cause the problem. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE update the firmware to fix this bug i have been waiting since december 2009 and still nothing. I have also spent months searching forums and blogs trying for a soultion or even trying brads custom firmware but this dosnt adress this issue. I am not alone in this complaint the internet is riddled of people in the same boat frustrated with WD’s lack of response and support for this fairly new product. Please your help would be greatly aprreciated even if its just an idea of if there looking to update the firmware or a rough idea of when it may be released, i cant hang on forever , PC world where i bought the device are happy for me to reurn the product and refund my money even 4 months after purchase
Cheers in advance
i have 300 + mp4 movies , is it smarter to throw the player in the dumpster and buy another one ? not from wd offcourse cause i don`t think my computer store will take the player back after 3 months …
grtz
I thought I might share my experiences with MP4 (H264) with 7.1 AAC. I rip my blu-ray to HDD and use TsRemux to take out the largest M2TS file. After that I use a program called Ripbot which takes the M2TS with the HD audio and converts it to a MP4 with AAC 7.1. I have never had a problem playing the MP4 on my WDTV. I just did this last night to ZombieLand and watched it over the WDTV. You don’t have to use TsRemux as RipBot can pull the M2TS out by itself, but sometimes if you don’t Ripbot will give you a Directshow error notice. I have about 30 different blu-rays I have done this to and all still play great. Sunday my wife watched the MP4 version of New Moon I made a while ago. I never have experienced any of the stuttering or audio issues that others have experienced so maybe I am doing something different. Ripbot also can export out as MKV however I never have used this function before.
There is a new Live box and a new firmware for the old Live box. I hope so now will be a new firmware for the G2 box.
ROFL…WD gets more boxes out than they do firmware. Imagine that…
http://wdc.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=832
And, the Live Plus has Netflix…but I think I’d rather spend my money on a roku since I already have a buggy WD TV and don’t need another one. You think they could/would fix their bugs before coming out with a new box.
2 weeks later and no response to my questions from WD tech support or any of the moderators on this forum, I am utterly dissapointed with WD for not adressing the fastforward audio sync bug as well as the mp4 audio stutter bug after 6 months of feature requests bug fixs and complaints, I wish i could speak with the ceo of WD and explain that there are so many people who are so annoyed and feel cheated out of there time and money buying a product that dosnt do what is says on the tin. please if any of the moderators on this forum have any influence of weight to our concerns please pass these over to the people hihger up to get things moving or at least just a response to say yes we are aware and a firmware will be release …
I have the WD TV gen2 and for the first few months had trouble with my video files going out of sync. It now works flawlessly.
Basically the first thing to realise is the WDTV has a problem with the MP4 container file, so sorry guys thats a no go. Others are having sync issues with MKV/etc and are blaming codec support.
For me I rip all my DVDs using Nero Recode using this method.
Open Nero Recode
Click Recode to Nero Digital
Import DVD (Wait a minute or two)
Make sure Profile Category is set to Nero Digital and profile to Nero Digital AVC.
Now click the Audio tab and make sure the right soundtrack is selected (It usually is) and change the format from ACC to AC3 copy from souce.
Choose your size file (I usually have a 2500 for the average dvd rip)
Clck Next
Change Destination to a Hard Drive Folder
Burn
After its converted (Roughly an hour) download MKVmerge GUI, Open and add your newly created MP4 file from neroand click Remux at the bottom. 30 seconds later your have a WDTV fully functioning file. No Skipping, No Dropouts and No Sync Issues.
I appreciate that most people here want WD to take action and fix their support, but for those that are a little bit more proactive this is the best way to rip your media.
