Western Digital Media Player is much better than expected!

[Mark42]

Re: Western Digital Media Player is much better than expected!

Does the WD unit support DLNA?

If you are not familiar with DLNA it's a new standard to make file sharing across a network seamless. If you have a DLNA compatible storage device, any compatible player will automatically have access to them. Also new phones are DLNA compatible so you can send HD video to your tv wirelessly from your phone. Your phone in this case acts like a remote control. I'm dumbing it down a bit but you get the idea.

Any upgrades I make to my home network in the near future will be compatible.

I do believe it is DLNA compatible.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Western Digital Media Player is much better than expected!

How do you select which firmware you can utilize? Also then how and why would you use a wireless keyboard? Hook up a wireless usb and the unit recognizes it? Since it isn't like google tv and you are limited to just the apps, are you using the keyboard for Youtube? I saw there is a Blockbuster app that appeared with my last firmware update. Given the limited/b and c grade movie selection on Netflix, I wonder what Blockbuster is like.

WD has all past firmware versions available. Download the version you want into a thumb drive, plug it into the USB port, and reboot.

WD also gives the firmware code out in a form that can be modified to make your own customized firmware. I'm not into doing that, but it is an option. Also, there are a few WHS forums where the WD player is popular and they are always moding it.

Regarding the wireless keyboard, it comes in handy when you want to type in text in the search boxes. Such as searching for a file on a particular PC or server share, or searching the youtube app for a video you want. A lot quicker than using the on screen keyboard and having to point and click on the keys using the remote to type out a search string. Wireless keyboards will just plug into one of the two available USB ports and work without loading software/firmware.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Western Digital Media Player is much better than expected!

I too had a little trouble getting the network server shares to work properly. The manual was not clear that a specific user account needed to be set up on the server for the WD player. Once I realized that, made the change, everything worked as it should.

This past weekend, my brother could not get my WD player to work with his MAC formatted WD "book" portable drive. I was pretty sure it would work with MAC systems, but I didn't find anything specific about MAC in the owners manual. So this is still up in the air.

I also figured out how to shorten and jump between media types, IE video and music. But it is not very elegant.

I also wish that when I select Video, and all the server shares display, the music files will display the album art, like it does when I select Music, then look at the music share. Its like when you select Video, it treats all server shares like they were video folders, even though some are music, photo or something else.

Regardless, it is working as it was designed, and it is a simple device.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Western Digital Media Player is much better than expected!

I was super pleased that my Lenovo remote keyboard http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Multimedia-Remote-with-Keyboard/dp/B0036VO67I worked with the WD box. Made entering my account info and what not much faster.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Western Digital Media Player is much better than expected!

I was super pleased that my Lenovo remote keyboard http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Multimedia-Remote-with-Keyboard/dp/B0036VO67I worked with the WD box. Made entering my account info and what not much faster.

I added this remote to my wish list. I can see one in my future! LOL!

Thanks for posting the link.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Western Digital Media Player is much better than expected!

Keep watching Mark, they go on sale for $30something from time to time.