HD Networked Media Tank (NMT)

@MBR - Any info/news about WDTV handling HD Audio with firmware updates or is a new model on the way that will do it? I'm just holding on for something that will do HD Audio too.

No update on it moserw. When I was in US I spoke to Scott who is the Manager. 2 things was discussed:

1. Firmware update can be expected for processing DTS and Dolby. No commitment though. But I am positive about it.

2. He said they haven't decided if they would do TrueHD on the existing one or like Popcorn release a new model.
 
WD TV is not a NMT. It is not feature rich as NMT players. I have heard the video playback is not great as compared to NMT players. But I need to test it myself to agree to this though. Not yet got my hand on one!

For me, the most important feature lacking in WDTV is the support for external USB DVD ROM. I have my 500+ HD MKV movies on DVDs. So this is a must for me. NMT players have full support for ext DVD ROMS.

The HDMI output in WDTV is v1.2 and NOT v1.3 as in NMT players. So if you have AVR which can process HD audio thru HDMI input, then you beware.

The price is attractive. I have noticed that Binary World has listed 2 WDTV models. WD TV WDAVP00BP & WD TV WDAVN00. BP model being approx Rs. 700 more expensive. Wonder what is the difference?
 
WD TV is not a NMT. It is not feature rich as NMT players. I have heard the video playback is not great as compared to NMT players. But I need to test it myself to agree to this though. Not yet got my hand on one!

For me, the most important feature lacking in WDTV is the support for external USB DVD ROM. I have my 500+ HD MKV movies on DVDs. So this is a must for me. NMT players have full support for ext DVD ROMS.

The HDMI output in WDTV is v1.2 and NOT v1.3 as in NMT players. So if you have AVR which can process HD audio thru HDMI input, then you beware.

The price is attractive. I have noticed that Binary World has listed 2 WDTV models. WD TV WDAVP00BP & WD TV WDAVN00. BP model being approx Rs. 700 more expensive. Wonder what is the difference?

reju, u r correct in saying WD is not a NMT. It was never made to be a NMT so obviously it wont.

There is a hacked firmware tha supports External DVDs but I wont look at it until and unless one is adventurous. Also, I doubt WD will release that as a firmware update bcos they want people to hook Hard Drive so they can sell more. By giving DVD connection it might restrict that so might be a marketing crap from them.

Sorry, I misquoted, i wanted to say its not 1.3 and replied 1.3. It passes Dolby and DTS but not TreuHD.

Definitely, WD TV is not the best out there, but in VFM it is the BEST. The product is good or bad based on your need. You need TrueHD, Networking etc Popcorn is the best. You want a good media player which can play HD and are content with DTS and Dolby (bcos u have an HTiB or HTS), WD is the best answer at 5k (7k india price)

I think N00 is US model and BP is EU version. Bcos when i google I see BP is listed by EU sites and WD TV US site lists only N00.
 
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reju, u r correct in saying WD is not a NMT. It was never made to be a NMT so obviously it wont.

There is a hacked firmware tha supports External DVDs but I wont look at it until and unless one is adventurous. Also, I doubt WD will release that as a firmware update bcos they want people to hook Hard Drive so they can sell more. By giving DVD connection it might restrict that so might be a marketing crap from them.

Sorry, I misquoted, i wanted to say its not 1.3 and replied 1.3. It passes Dolby and DTS but not TreuHD.

Definitely, WD TV is not the best out there, but in VFM it is the BEST. The product is good or bad based on your need. You need TrueHD, Networking etc Popcorn is the best. You want a good media player which can play HD and are content with DTS and Dolby (bcos u have an HTiB or HTS), WD is the best answer at 5k (7k india price)

I think N00 is US model and BP is EU version. Bcos when i google I see BP is listed by EU sites and WD TV US site lists only N00.

Yeah that is what I think. The N in the model number may stand for NTSC and the P may stand for PAL, the formats used in their respective countries I think !
 
One more Firmware for WD TV (caution: this is not the official one :
B-RAD WDLXTV - enhanced WDTV firmware


WDLXTV is a souped up unofficial firmware for the Western Digital WDTV. It is based off of the 1.01.02 firmware, but with many extra features. Similar to my dvdmod firmware, this is a permanent flash, just like an official upgrade. This firmware is an option for those whos hardware is stable with Zoranders ext3-boot, or those who dont do much firmware programming to take advantage of ext3-boot. Once again, ext3-boot is for (sorta) pros and testers whereas WDLXTV is for everyday use.

Features included in WDLXTV:

* external dvd drive capability with cd-manager-0.7
* ext2 & ext3 filesystem support
* ext2 & ext3 hotplugging
* mounting of WDTV Optware package (if available) at boot
* mounting of app bin packs (if available) at boot
* mounting of OSD overlay (if available) at boot
* limited USB Ethernet support (if your ethernet adapter works in ext3-boot it should work here)
* IP via DHCP (by default, configurable)
* Telnet server
* pure-ftp server
* configurable to automount NFS shares


To flash this firmware:

* Place it on a memory stick along with wdtv.ver and insert it into your WDTV.
* When asked if you want to upgrade your firmware, say yes.
* The WDTV will reboot and after several minutes the whole flashing process will complete and reboot again.
* Upon successful flash you will see WDLXTV in the about screen of system settings.
* The firmware no longer needs to be on anything attached to the wdtv.

Without a usb ethernet cable connected the firmware will appear no different than dvdmod, but if you attach a supported usb ethernet adapter the possibilities grow. You can telnet in and configure an NFS share to automount if available at boot. There is no Samba or exported file shares, these took up too much precious space and can easily be assembled into an app.bin pack. There is a pure-ftp server running though should you need to transfer to the WDTV. There is also the ability to load the Optware for WDTV package that I assembled and have access to many additional programs instantly. If there is an opt.bin located on any boot device it will be mounted in /opt and all internal configuration will be adjusted. Optware provides only additional functionality, the WDTV will act completely self sufficient without it. In addition special app.bin packs, if located on any boot device will be loaded. Currently there is one that comes with lighttpd, an http server, along with php and a gui to configure settings on the WDTV.

In addition if there are any app.bin packs, containing self sufficient application packages, on a boot drive they will be loaded similarly to Optware. There is a good Webserver release that allows you to configure internal settings on the WDTV from a web gui. It is highly recommended. Just like app.bin packs, OSD overlays are possible as wellthis is for future development. If you find you dont like the firmware you can downgrade to an official version using instructions found at the wdtv firmware hacking wiki.

You are highly suggested to download core-extras.app.bin. It contains the fsck_hfs for HFS/HFS+ users, modules to support XFS and ReiserFS filesystems, and several other filesystem binaries that didnt fit in WDLXTV.

Notes/Limitations:

* DO NOT remove any drive containing opt.bin, osd.bin, or app.bin files as it will cause the system to become unstable
* Media Library MUST be ON.
* DVDs, NFS shares, and ext2/ext3 drives are only visible in Folder View.
* To see ext2/ext3/NFS/dvd mounts you must have an officially supported (fat, ntfs, hfs, hfs+) drive attached.
* net.config is a file to set custom network settings, it will override default settings inside the WDTV.
* net.mounts are where you can place NFS shares that you would like loaded at boot.
* more notes to come probably

Changelog:

0.2
* cleaned up init
* fixed hostname issues
* corrected passwd issue with /etc/shadow for ssh server
* added /root/.ssh/authorized_keys -> /conf/authorized_keys for passwordless ssh
* added fstab entries to remove annoying fsck message
* redid OSD overlay formatting, can selectively replace any OSD file via an app.bin pack (tutorial to come)
* app.bin packs can contain kernel modules & modules.dep now
* changed WDTV logo to Pennhaven's HD-X logo (thx!)
* changed background to Hardwood Night by =Oliuss on deviantART
* added pre-loading of core-extras.app.bin, for boot time xfs & reiserfs with hotplugging

0.1 - initial release

** WDLXTV-0.2 **
 
There is a hacked firmware tha supports External DVDs but I wont look at it until and unless one is adventurous. Also, I doubt WD will release that as a firmware update bcos they want people to hook Hard Drive so they can sell more. By giving DVD connection it might restrict that so might be a marketing crap from them.

Ahhh! This is good news. I didn't think this was possible!! I will do some research on this. I am sure the modded firmware will be updated by the modder, as and when WD comes with updated firmware.

I think N00 is US model and BP is EU version. Bcos when i google I see BP is listed by EU sites and WD TV US site lists only N00.
But then why should an Indian (BLR) retailer have both models and at that difference in price?

Definitely, WD TV is not the best out there, but in VFM it is the BEST. The product is good or bad based on your need. You need TrueHD, Networking etc Popcorn is the best. You want a good media player which can play HD and are content with DTS and Dolby (bcos u have an HTiB or HTS), WD is the best answer at 5k (7k india price)

Yes, I agree this is perfect for time being. Anyway this technology is fast changing and developing. It would be foolish to invest on expensive products as they have very short life cycle.
 
This is too good!

Make sure it does not void warranty, IMHO it will. I have enough friends who have an expensive brick that was an iPhone a while back but flashing did not work out as expected. Of course everything can be fixed, but why bother with the headache...
 
Make sure it does not void warranty, IMHO it will. I have enough friends who have an expensive brick that was an iPhone a while back but flashing did not work out as expected. Of course everything can be fixed, but why bother with the headache...

Yes, there is a risk of bricking it.

But it's safer to flash during warranty period. Even if it becomes a brick then WD will replace under warranty :)You need NOT say that you tried to flash with any 3rd party firmware. In fact you need NOT say you have done anything. Just say that it stopped working.

They have a wonderful service you know....doorstep pickup and drop;)
 
Make sure it does not void warranty, IMHO it will. I have enough friends who have an expensive brick that was an iPhone a while back but flashing did not work out as expected. Of course everything can be fixed, but why bother with the headache...

Is there any way to backup old firmware to retain warrenty?not only WD but even ipod.
I lost my chinese firmware(ipod) & its dead.
 
Is there any way to backup old firmware to retain warrenty?not only WD but even ipod.
I lost my chinese firmware(ipod) & its dead.

Its possible but not very easy and not recommended. Even flashing is risk based. Chinese are the best at least where hacking and updating firmware is concerned. They have entire forums/websites dedicated to the same. I've played a lot before with flashing mobile phones particularly Motorola which is quite famous once again with the Chinese. More than looking to backup the firmware it's easier to d/l new firmware with the s/w, programs that you want pre-installed and then uninstall the programs and s/w that you don't want. One inherent problem that I encountered with flashing/upgrading firmware is that it will not upgrade (rather downgrade) to an older version or a previous version. It will upgrade to a more new/latest firmware. If you want to flash an older firmware then you have to wipe the existing firmware and then flash with the older firmware. It's like you cannot install XP on a system that has Vista. You have to format and wipe the HDD free and do a fresh install of XP. Formatting a HDD is easy, but not so easy with a mobile phone or other h/w.
 
Great Find!! I will buy only if they ship through DHL/FedEx. Otherwise, it becomes very difficult to track.

It does not do anything more than WDTV. No HD Audio either. Also, way too expensive at 11K compared to the 7K or so WDTV is available for. Finally not even sure of the company though I think its this one HDMI world but why take chances on an unknown. WDTV looks way better.
 
It does not do anything more than WDTV. No HD Audio either. Also, way too expensive at 11K compared to the 7K or so WDTV is available for. Finally not even sure of the company though I think its this one HDMI world but why take chances on an unknown. WDTV looks way better.

Thats true man. I will go for reputed companies any day and with an Indian warranty. But this is the technology of the future . At one time DVD players will be passe and everything will be HDD based !
 
Thats true man. I will go for reputed companies any day and with an Indian warranty. But this is the technology of the future . At one time DVD players will be passe and everything will be HDD based !

CDs and CDP might be on the way out, but DVDs and DVDP will still take some time. The reasons being music can be sold online as its still under 700 MB per album at the max going by the Audio CD. A Blu-Ray movie will be from 25 GB to 50 GB and not really possible to d/l with our current b/w. Also, future alternatives/upgrades to Blu-Ray are already being developed with even more data than the 50 GB a Blu-Ray disc can hold. I don't see DVDP being replaced unless of course these HDD based NMTs start incorporating a DVD/Blu-Ray drive in them.
 
CDs and CDP might be on the way out, but DVDs and DVDP will still take some time. The reasons being music can be sold online as its still under 700 MB per album at the max going by the Audio CD. A Blu-Ray movie will be from 25 GB to 50 GB and not really possible to d/l with our current b/w. Also, future alternatives/upgrades to Blu-Ray are already being developed with even more data than the 50 GB a Blu-Ray disc can hold. I don't see DVDP being replaced unless of course these HDD based NMTs start incorporating a DVD/Blu-Ray drive in them.

Dude I was saying this keeping in mind how VHS was phased out slowly. They still sell dual players ( DVD + VHS) in the USA but they are expensive and their demand is low.

At the moment we have 2 mbps connections cheaply available via BSNL. In USA the standard is 8mbps unlimited.Going by USa standards If I Get full 8 MBPS then I can download around 2.8Gb in One hour . A 28GB would take max 10 hrs . As technology progresses bandwith will go up and they will become dirt cheap. Soon in India 8mbps will become standard. Tata Indicom has already started taking out plans for upto 4mbps and with a couple of hundred more you can get night unlimited ( 12 hrs) at 4mbps. In 12 hrs you can download 14 gb and in two days one full Blu ray movie !!!

No doubt there is still time before DVD's phase out. I think it will go the same way VHS went !

There are NMT's in the market with Blu Ray option available already.
 
Good find. But price is on higher side. There will be additional customs duty of approx 3k. So total 13.5k incl shipping & duties. Warranty maybe covered only in Hong Kong.

WD TV with modded firmware to read ext DVD drives is certainly a good bet.
It is selling at 7.8k all inclusive. One year warranty.


Agreed and especially after your experience with elektron I am hellbent on going for a reputed brand with a propoer ! year warranty. Now If i plan to buy a popocorn hour a-110 wont I face the same prob with warranty ? But i guess popocorn hour is a more reliable product and does not go bad easily. What say all ?
 
Agreed and especially after your experience with elektron I am hellbent on going for a reputed brand with a propoer ! year warranty. Now If i plan to buy a popocorn hour a-110 wont I face the same prob with warranty ? But i guess popocorn hour is a more reliable product and does not go bad easily. What say all ?

what happened to your elektron?
 
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