WD TV Live or fix the HTPC?

[norbs]

Gents, the old HTPC that has been kicking for a few years, has had a heart attack and XBMC no longer works on it. As much as I love it when it is working, it is a fucking arse pain when it stops. This is only the 2nd time it has failed me, so I can't complain. It has run for countless hours since having it. The first failure was my fault for trying to hack a NetFlix thing into it. This time I upgraded to Ubuntu 12.04 because someone told me it will be able to handle my large video library better. So really, both times it has stopped working, it has been due to me.

Does anyone have a Western Digital TV live box? if so, your thoughts?

Please don't tell me to get a Apple TV. I have spent too many hours converting fucking media for friends to even think about it.

One of Flinty's mates mentioned a Raspberry Pi alternative. Any thoughts there?

[w00dsy]

I have 2 of them and I hate them. They do a good job when they work but I have so many issues with them freezing half way through a show. I've tried different firmware and nothing seems to fix it. We've stopped using them now and resorted to copying the show onto a usb stick and plugging that into the tv. I should have just paid extra and got the Boxee.

[kwijibo]

I have one in the bedroom.. it's not bad but no where near as nice to use as XBMC. I have a portable HDD plugged into it, so generally transfer movies over to it if i want to watch a show before sleep. Works like a networked HDD in that case.

[wabbit]

I just think (still) nothing beats a Desktop OS for a HTPC, so that's my answer.

[norbs]

I just think (still) nothing beats a Desktop OS for a HTPC, so that's my answer.

Well last night we used VLC to play videos, but it is no where near as slick as XBMC and the remote doesnt work.

[wabbit]

Norbs, you might have misunderstood. I'm saying use a desktop OS with Plex/XBMC

And yeah VLC is for tech heads that love to show just how smart they are by making everything so fucking difficult haha.

[wobblysauce]

Still use PLEX on mine, Server Client system.

Never been a fan of XBMC, still a PLEX person myself.

[norbs]

Norbs, you might have misunderstood. I'm saying use a desktop OS with Plex/XBMC

And yeah VLC is for tech heads that love to show just how smart they are by making everything so fucking difficult haha.

Do you not count Ubuntu as an OS?

I might have to look into a Win/XBMC solution if they have got the GPU thing sorted. Getting to old to fuck around with repositories and apt-get these days

[AstrO]

I just think (still) nothing beats a Desktop OS for a HTPC, so that's my answer.

Agreed, although it can take some time to get one working well.

I'm currently running (note that it's also a gaming machine, great for console style games):

• Windows 8 Pro x64 + Media Centre
• AMD Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition (output to HDMI with Audio)
• AMD FX-6300
• 16GB RAM
• Blu-ray Drive
• 2 x Dual Digital Tuners
• SSD Boot Drive (Samsung 830) + a bunch of other hard disk drives
• SilverStone LC17 Case (black)
• Microsoft Media Centre Remote + IR Receiver
• Xbox Wireless Gaming Receiver
• Shark007's Windows 8 Codecs + 64bit add-on (+ set to output raw audio streams for the AV receiver to decode) - http://shark007.net/win8codecs.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
• AnyDVD HD
• PowerDVD (with the Media Centre add-on + set to output raw audio streams for the AV receiver to decode)
• My Media Center + Windows Phone App - http://cetoncorp.com/blog/welcome-to-my-media-center/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
• My Channel Logos - http://www.mychannellogos.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
• + some hacks / work arounds...
  • Time shifting black screen fix - http://www.bettacomputers.com.au/blog/w ... f-live-tv/
  • Running the display @ 50Hz (fixes crashes)
  • Running the systems audio (HDMI) output as 2 channels, instead of 5.1 / 7.1 (fix crashes)

[wabbit]

Fuck sake Astro :P haha.

Norbs, desktop OS = Linux, Mac or Windows. It's really because of the crazy amount of customisation available (settings and hardware) and that media formats change, even within a standardised format. You'll see some .mkv movies play find on a WDTV (or similar product) but then the next .mkv movie will have some weird problem. So big OSes have always had the best codecs and timely updates too.

[norbs]

Fuck sake Astro :P haha.

Norbs, desktop OS = Linux, Mac or Windows. It's really because of the crazy amount of customisation available (settings and hardware) and that media formats change, even within a standardised format. You'll see some .mkv movies play find on a WDTV (or similar product) but then the next .mkv movie will have some weird problem. So big OSes have always had the best codecs and timely updates too.

Yeah, like I said, this was probably my fault for touching something that was working.

I grabbed a XBMCbuntu image and threw it on a USB stick. It fucking flies. So there is just one of those pain in the arse conflicts somewhere on the hard disk version that I can't find. And these days when it is a LIBc error or something, i dont have will power to dig around for hours trying to fix it.

[Duke]

norbs have to agree with others here, MS Windowz with XBMC mate. It's a sinch to setup & hasn't failed me - yet!!!
XBMC has all the encoders so I have not had a single file not play since using it.
So I say to you it's time to move on, get off the small fry's & play with the big boys.

I think I have mentioned before I have set up my HTPC to be close to automated for TV shows;
uT has RSS feeds setuo for all my regular TV shows downloads from TD.
uT moves completed torrents to a TV folder which SCRU monitors. Once unpacked SCRU places them into a completed folder.
The last bit can be automated also but I leave it as a manual step so I can check everything is correct & works.
Grab The Renamer to have the files renamed & moved into your XBMC library.
Then set XBMC to perform a library update on start-up. I know there is a way to to this outside of the application & without starting XBMC if you have it loaded all the time.

[norbs]

norbs have to agree with others here, MS Windowz with XBMC mate. It's a sinch to setup & hasn't failed me - yet!!!
XBMC has all the encoders so I have not had a single file not play since using it.
So I say to you it's time to move on, get off the small fry's & play with the big boys.

I think I have mentioned before I have set up my HTPC to be close to automated for TV shows;
uT has RSS feeds set of all my regular TV shows downloads from TD.
uT moves completed torrents to a TV folder which SCRU monitors. Once unpacked SCRU places them into a completed folder.
The last bit can be automated also but I leave it as a manual step so I can check everything is correct & works.
Grab The Renamer to have the files renamed & moved into your XBMC library.
Then set XBMC to perform a library update on start-up. I know there is a way to to this outside of the application & without starting XBMC if you have it loaded all the time.

Considering how long ago I set mine up, playing with the sheep wasn't important. That and the fact that when I did set it up, Windows couldn't use the GPU. So yeah, I could have waited 2 years, or do it with the gear I had. Big boys indeed.

That, and the fact that I have seen it on the brother in laws machine and don't like the way it seems to have a tanty every time Windows does an update. I know it is probably a set up issue, but just goes to prove you can have issues with any OS. None are perfect, and I say that as someone who uses Win, OS X and Linux more than most people (guys like Astro and the uber-nerds aside)

Just out of curiosity Duke, does your system use the GPU or CPU for video?

[Duke]

GPU via HDMI.
It's only a HP N40L system, hasn't got the CPU grunt for direct video.

[Hazelb]

Had a WDTV box for several years..had ZERO issues with it...works a treat and does all its work connected WIFI to a networked drive...

[richo]

I have two WD Live Tv units and i run Serviio (on a dedicated server pc) and have no issues until the file size hits over 1.5GB , they work perfectly wired in the main Tv room and in the bedroom wirelessly.

Great little gadgets

[NeilPearson]

I have a WDTV which i put this on, it gave me the options to run the movie sheets alot better. the wdtv unit only has a memory of 35mb for custom themes and when you start putting in the movie sheets you run out of room after about 30 movies or so.

[norbs]

Kudos to http://www.mwave.com.au" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ordered a SSD yesterday at 1PM and it just arrived in the mail now.

[J.D.]

Kudos to http://www.mwave.com.au" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ordered a SSD yesterday at 1PM and it just arrived in the mail now.

Wish I'd seen that last week. I just put a standard 250GB Samsung 840 in mine for $175. I could have had the EVO for another $14.