Why I ditched my Jailbroken Apple TV for a WDTV Live

[angelsguardian]

I'm new to this so no expert but now running the following.

Late 2006 iMac acting as iTunes server which is also a desktop for wife's studies. This is connected by cat6 to a TP Link gigabit LAN 450Mbps 5ghz wireless N router. That provides the wireless for 2 ATV3's, a late 2010 Macbook and a mid 2012 Macbook Pro. This can provide video/music/photos to the ATV's, allow the Macbook to browse and the Macbook Pro to browse/download /convert all at the same time with perfect speed and convenience unless the MBP is doing some serious downloading in which case the initial ATV buffer is a bit longer. This is in a reasonable size house with thick stone walls.
The iMac cost £300 and the replacement network bits and pieces about £60 within the last 2 weeks. Pretty good value I think for the infrastructure which is also very simple to keep running so far. The only addition in the near future will be a WD Studio Firewire 800 drive for the iMac to move the iTunes library onto.

[WannaGoMac]

Originally Posted by aced411

Plex works great for me on Roku 2. Plays all of our movies and shows encoded for ATV perfectly (and without tanscoding). We switched around 4 months ago and have had nothing but a solid reliable experience, unlike Apple TV. Just miss the slick Netflix UI.

If you don't do much with it plex on Roku is fine -- more advance use it is full of bugs. For example, I had endless problems with 1080p videos to play well, choppiness/artifacts in xvid videos, and 5.1 surround was completely busted (Plex and Roku people pointing fingers at each other). Additionally, there was a bug if I went to TV (or movies, can't remember which) and tried to change the transcode setting on a specific video it crashed the Plex app back to the Roku menu.

[gcmexico]

I've done all the media server stuff...best is having plex server running on IMAC, have the plex app on iPhone or iPad, and airplay to any Apple TV, I have tons of 1080p movies, not one problem doing it this way... no need for mac mini, roku or jailbraking

need iPhone 4 or 4S, Ipad 2 or new one, and bunch of Apple TV 2's or 3'...cheap and to the point

[mikepro]

Originally Posted by djrobsd

That's a great plan, I thought about doing that myself. My Samsung TV actually has a 3rd party Plex app that I got, but it requires the Plex server to be running on my MacBook Pro. I thought it would be nice to run Plex on my NAS, and then I did the research and found that to do the trans coding of the video you need a NAS that has a newer dual core CPU, like these ones here:

http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-ReadyN.../dp/B004AM61Y8

http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-ReadyN...adynas+ultra+2

FYI, I think if you are using the Samsung App, it won't have to transcode much. Most things play with DirectPlay, as the Samsung TV scales and decodes many formats.

The Ultra 2, 4, and 6 plus from NetGear have a dual core Intel CPU. I suspect a few other companies are making ones with dual core now that could handle either Plex or XBMC server running on them natively.

Anyone else have good suggestions for NAS that can run Plex without having to have it on a media center PC or server?

FYI, I think if you are using the Samsung Plex app, it won't have to transcode much. I think most stuff plays with Directplay, as the Samsung TV decodes and scales most video. I recall reading that on the Samsung Plex dev forum...

[aced411]

Originally Posted by WannaGoMac

If you don't do much with it plex on Roku is fine -- more advance use it is full of bugs. For example, I had endless problems with 1080p videos to play well, choppiness/artifacts in xvid videos, and 5.1 surround was completely busted (Plex and Roku people pointing fingers at each other). Additionally, there was a bug if I went to TV (or movies, can't remember which) and tried to change the transcode setting on a specific video it crashed the Plex app back to the Roku menu.

The crashing issue has been fixed...as a matter of fact there was a sizable update released (2.2) that took care of a lot of issues. The issue with 1080p is simply a bitrate constraint on the roku. ATV wins there I can agree.

[WannaGoMac]

Originally Posted by aced411

The crashing issue has been fixed...as a matter of fact there was a sizable update released (2.2) that took care of a lot of issues. The issue with 1080p is simply a bitrate constraint on the roku. ATV wins there I can agree.

Good to hear. I figured in about 5 months of bug fix releases Plex on Roku would be stable, but I didn't have the patience to wait it out with my return period fast expiring. I really rather have an Apple TV if I get rid of the HTPC anyway, and that's just a jailbreak away

[Che Castro]

I have both

I only use the wd tv live for "MKV" purposes , i think you know what im talking about

But thats rare nowadays, i mostly stream AirPlay to my apple tv

The wd tv plays everything you can throw at it, but that interface is horrible


I use my apple tv more even thou is not jailbroken yet ,thats why i bought

-xbmc

[hipnetic]

Originally Posted by androiphone

something like the Sapphire edge HD3 or a Zotac Zbox might be a better solution if you are mainly looking to run Windows, add a few TV tuners and you have your DVR and USB3 HDDs for more storage (which you can then share on the network), you could even put an SSD as the internal drive for blistering speed opening apps.

I don't want to derail this thread, but I've already got a SiliconDust HDHomeRun Prime and a refurb HP Tower running Windows 7 Media Center. I've also got a couple of older Acer Revo ION nettops; one of which I'm actively using on the receiving end to play full bitrate Blu-ray rips (running Windows 7 and XBMC). I did try to use the Revo with Windows 7 Media Center but found it to be too sluggish to navigate around the GUI (I suspect that the problem was due to Microsoft overlaying a translucent GUI on top of the live TV video).

Given the relatively low-powered CPU of this Sapphire box, I'd be worried that it might feel a bit sluggish, too. And from what I quickly found in an online search, it seems like once you get the necessary components installed into it, it wouldn't be much different price-wise than a Mac Mini.

Regarding my last question about the 24Hz issue with the Mac Mini, I still need to do some more research on this, but from what little I've read online, it sounds like this might be an OS X issue, so running Windows 7 with the latest Intel 3000 drivers might resolve it. FWIW, I bought a Windows 7 family pack a while back, and I think I still have at least one key left, so the cost of adding Windows 7 to a bare-bones box or Mac Mini is a non-issue for me.

[sim667]

Originally Posted by maturola

You can build your own NAS or HTPC, with enough power to playblack those 1080p mkvs for less than a MacMini, those AMD E-350 motherboards are perfect for that, about 8W of power.

This is the one i got running at the office, with 4TB of storage.

Ive never full built things like that myself, only soundsystems....

is it difficult? You didnt use a guide or anything did you I could look at?

Thats for the suggestion

[Tekkster]

Originally Posted by sim667

Ive never full built things like that myself, only soundsystems....

is it difficult? You didnt use a guide or anything did you I could look at?

Thats for the suggestion

Here are some NAS software choices:
http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/reports/7153/1

Here are some how-to's
http://www.pcworld.com/article/24197...ge_system.html

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscente...n_nas_box.html

http://www.extremetech.com/computing...with-freenas-8

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/sto...ild-a-nas-box/

http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/...Own-NAS-Device

http://gigabytedaily.blogspot.com/20...-gigabyte.html

[maturola]

Originally Posted by sim667

Ive never full built things like that myself, only soundsystems....

is it difficult? You didnt use a guide or anything did you I could look at?

Thats for the suggestion

No it is not difficult at all, it may take a bit of time, but if you are like me, that is like playing with Legos, it is a lot of fun.

there are a lot of the Guide, videos, and How Tos on the Net, you can come back and ask any question if you encounter any issues.

in a nutshell, you get all the components, you put them together..you install the OS, you install te software you need (NAS software, MEdia Software like Plex, XMBC, Boxee, etc). Put a sexy chick as the Background..and you are done. (pretty much).

[sim667]

Originally Posted by maturola

No it is not difficult at all, it may take a bit of time, but if you are like me, that is like playing with Legos, it is a lot of fun.

there are a lot of the Guide, videos, and How Tos on the Net, you can come back and ask any question if you encounter any issues.

in a nutshell, you get all the components, you put them together..you install the OS, you install te software you need (NAS software, MEdia Software like Plex, XMBC, Boxee, etc). Put a sexy chick as the Background..and you are done. (pretty much).

Wicked thanks.

This could resolve my time machine dilemma and media storage dilemma in one foul swoop

[jpmoneystar]

Im amazed at the comments here. I have the ATV2 and find that it works great. I can watch anything and everything I want. I use a few addons to do it. I am using: Navi X, Veehd, Project Free Tv, SuperTv, WatchSeries, Free Cable, Canada On Demand, Internet Archive, Classic Cinema, IceFilms, Multi Documentary Streams. Navi X has tons of options. If its not working for you maybe you need to add a few bucks to your internet plan and speed it up. In Canada you can get 195 GBs and 25mps download which you dont need 25mps. Also, theres the option of getting a wind mobile hotspot for $30 a month plan for unlimited. If your having trouble buffering, you need a faster connection
I dont use cable service anylonger and a movies package here is $20 or more, depending how many channels you want. Then theres the cable cost for the basic channels and depending on the packs you get can run you $70 then $20 for movies will end up over $100 with taxes. You can get live tv channels on Live Tv repo and Navi x (every hbo) or On Demand option with other repos. Cut the cable off and invest a third of the $100 to your internet that you already have, and you can have movies, Tv shows, news and sports. Im not into sports other than the NHL Toronto Maple Leafs games now and then. Navi x and Sport Devil Repo can fix that or theres other on demand sports channels. I personally dont care if the game is live or not. Theres always Nhl.com or Mlb subscriptions that you can order and youll still save money, but I have streamed any game i wanted to see which you find a good stream online and addon for streaming.
One user here had a good idea. Invest in a MacMini, thats what I did. I had bought a Mac Mini and an ATV2 at the same time not knowing that XBMC can be used Mac. Mac Mini is a great entertainment system and excellent computer. I bought a wireless keyboard and mouse and hooked it up to and use a 50" tv as a monitor too. You can hook up your speakers and amp to have a theatre experience at home. I also use my ATV2 remoted on the mac mini. And use Mac Apps or Games.
You can then install XBMC, Plex, Boxee, iTunes and whatever else. Im sure if anything else comes out, it will eventually come on mac.
My Tv plays 1080 & 720 so ATV2 works great. Once the ATV3 gets jailbroken, it will most likely be hacked to play Appstore/iPhone apps soon.
My suggestion is to spend $599.99 on a i5 MacMini New or go on kijiji or craigslist and buy one used for $450. Im not sure about the older MacMini but i believe they will be the same just a different processor and osx which the osx for macs is very affordable $40 or so. An older Mac Mini will cost $300. Make sure on the specs and if you can load at least Snow Leopard or Lion.
I hope this helps. I am very pleased in my purchase of the Mac Mini and ATV2 and with someone else in the house theres one for each of us.
If your on a tight budget you cant go wrong with the ATV2, youll save money. I would recommend the Mac Mini and add XBMC, Plex and Boxee, search for streaming sites for sports if you cant find what you want or subscribe, and Hulu for those in the
U.S or Japan. And for Hulu outside these countries, you can find a good ip address proxy or pay 3-4$ for a good one and get Hulu on XBMC. $60-$70 internet and $3-4 proxy and you can have the best cable service with anything you want to watch, plus your highspeed internet. 5gbs a day is 150 a month. some movies ive watched are 500mb for 1.5-2hr movie and tv shows are less. Youtube is low too.

[jpmoneystar]

Why WDTV? Can XBMC be used on it? I read that it basically plays from usb or external hard drive. You have to download or purchase all the media correct? I have had no dissappointments with ATV2 or MacMini. I see no purpose for this product. You can use a laptop with cable to tv and you have a better setup. Ive become a mac fan and for many years Ive enjoyed not having to worry about registry errors, virus', maleware or spyware or crashing. Not a issue ever on mac. The best entertainment system is the MacMini and worth every cent. You can get rid of your desktop pc and use the money buying a macmini. The only thing I dont like about the Atv2 is no usb. But is it really necessary if its running good? Plexbmc works great on atv2 so you can get all your media from there. isnt there vnc on atv2? The main issue is not the ATV its the internet connection being used.When I bought the atv2 and macmini, I sold whatever I had that was collecting dust. No point in having something if you dont use it. Those items turned into a great entertainment system. Get the current model and you wont be sorry. WDTV seems useless to me personally. How much is it anyways? ATV 3 has been jailbroken, they just need to find a way to deliver the files easily like the usual method of a click here and one there. ETA should be very soon since it was jailbroken in May. Maybe the longer it takes could mean that theres more options and ability. Who knows what can be done with it. Whats great is the price and if I decide to buy an atv3 i can sell the atv2 for a little more than i payed. Theres always a demand for apple products. For anyone waiting to decide on this type of product, i suggest waiting to see how the atv3 turns out, unless you buy a macmini. Im sure that appstore apps will be on the atv3

[JoeBlow74]

Originally Posted by djrobsd

Don't get me wrong, I will still use my AppleTV when I want to do AirPlay Mirroring, but if you're someone who downloads movies and TV shows from sites other then Apple's over-priced iTunes mess, even with a Jailbroken Apple TV you will not always be happy.

Lately, pretty much every movie I've downloaded constantly says "buffering" or won't play on XBMC on my jailbroken 1st gen AppleTV. Forget 1080p, those don't work, but even the 720p movies I download have issues... It used to work really well, but these days it just doesn't work, so that's why I finally decided to go with a WDTV Live.

Hands down, the WDTV live runs circles around the Apple TV. So far, it has played every single file I've thrown at it. It has a remote app for the iPad/iPhone just like the Apple Remote. It has a LOT more options for online services, including Spotify and FacebooK! AND it has 2 USB ports on it so I can plug a memory stick or an external drive in on the fly and play whatever I want to play from it.

It even plays files off my NetGear ReadyNAS Duo just perfectly. A 2 hour movie only rebuffered once on my 802.11n Wifi network. If I didn't live in apartment building with 30 other wireless routers, it probably would never have to rebuffer.

So, if you're having issues playing back files, or just tired of constantly having to tinker with your AppleTV to get stuff to play back, and you're not one of those Apple brainwashed people who has to buy everything in iTunes, I'd STRONGLY recommend you look at the WDTV Live for $99 bucks as an alternative to AppleTV. Don't get me wrong, I'll still use my AppleTV for Airplay mirroring, but as a go to device to play all my media, it totally sucks.

Well, there is your problem right in front of you. You are using WIFI. Jesus, no wonder your Apple TV kept buffering. With all those 30 WIFI signals around you, I am shocked you could even surf the internet. Hook a CAT6 up to it and your problem will be solved.

[aixporter]

Surprising, WD's newest Lives are really nice! The interface though reminds me more and more of aTV rip off.

[fhall1]

Originally Posted by jpmoneystar

Why WDTV? Can XBMC be used on it? I read that it basically plays from usb or external hard drive. You have to download or purchase all the media correct?

No - you can't use XBMC on a WD
You can also stream to a WD from a NAS drive or your PC/Mac
It also has support for Netflix, Hulu, Blockbuster etc

[shanezam203]

Originally Posted by djrobsd

Don't get me wrong, I will still use my AppleTV when I want to do AirPlay Mirroring, but if you're someone who downloads movies and TV shows from sites other then Apple's over-priced iTunes mess, even with a Jailbroken Apple TV you will not always be happy.

Lately, pretty much every movie I've downloaded constantly says "buffering" or won't play on XBMC on my jailbroken 1st gen AppleTV. Forget 1080p, those don't work, but even the 720p movies I download have issues... It used to work really well, but these days it just doesn't work, so that's why I finally decided to go with a WDTV Live.

Hands down, the WDTV live runs circles around the Apple TV. So far, it has played every single file I've thrown at it. It has a remote app for the iPad/iPhone just like the Apple Remote. It has a LOT more options for online services, including Spotify and FacebooK! AND it has 2 USB ports on it so I can plug a memory stick or an external drive in on the fly and play whatever I want to play from it.

It even plays files off my NetGear ReadyNAS Duo just perfectly. A 2 hour movie only rebuffered once on my 802.11n Wifi network. If I didn't live in apartment building with 30 other wireless routers, it probably would never have to rebuffer.

So, if you're having issues playing back files, or just tired of constantly having to tinker with your AppleTV to get stuff to play back, and you're not one of those Apple brainwashed people who has to buy everything in iTunes, I'd STRONGLY recommend you look at the WDTV Live for $99 bucks as an alternative to AppleTV. Don't get me wrong, I'll still use my AppleTV for Airplay mirroring, but as a go to device to play all my media, it totally sucks.

Saw one of these for the 1st time last night and I thought it was real impressive. So I understand, the WD Live is plugged into a router/ network cable and then a shared drive on all computers on the network correct? Also with a WD Media Player it can stream media to an HD TV?

Can I use the WD TV as just a storage drive (independent) of my Mac and then stream the media to other computers + TV's as long as I have a Western Digital media player on the TV?

[penter]

if you're downloading movies from "other sources" i'm assuming you'll be able to find out how to download fire Core's aTV flash (black, in my case).
their media player is like xbmc, but better, since it uses the aTV's native interface.
mkv's don't play, but xbmc do the trick really nicely.
then again, you're using the 1st gen aTV, idk how any of this really applies here...

[rci2950]

I only bought the apple tv because of the name. I didn't research first. Now that I know its been handicapped all this time and there was a whole other world of net tv. My apple TV has been unplugged and cold for the last few days. It will likely be migrated to a storage bin in my basement. Then in a few more years to the garbage bin to be plowed into a landfill where it belongs with the seagull crap.

[Switchback666]

Why not just stream icefilms over xbmc ? better yet get a cheap mac mini and use it like a media center, fantastic experience.

[WannaGoMac]

Originally Posted by heisenberg123

You should be able to change the view my friends wd tv looks almost the same as plex, cover art all the details and background images that change

Originally Posted by djrobsd

I like the Roku boxes, but they don't have any USB ports so no hooking external drives up - a deal breaker for me.

----------



Yes, ditto that, the WDTV does load all the cover art and descriptions from various online databases - you just have to configure it first, and it does take a while if you have a large drive full of stuff... But then again so did XBMC and Plex.

I am considering the WDTV Live Plus to replace my HTPC. Just so I am sure, does the WDTV automatically identify my TV shows and movies, then download from the internet the cover art and show information for viewing?

Thanks!

[here2rock]

Originally Posted by gcmexico

I've done all the media server stuff...best is having plex server running on IMAC, have the plex app on iPhone or iPad, and airplay to any Apple TV, I have tons of 1080p movies, not one problem doing it this way... no need for mac mini, roku or jailbraking

need iPhone 4 or 4S, Ipad 2 or new one, and bunch of Apple TV 2's or 3'...cheap and to the point

The problem with approach is that you still need to leave a computer running.

It does not resolve energy issues. This is where WD comes handy. You connect a drive to you router and you are done. Throw any format at it and it will play it.

I still prefer the interface on ATV 3 more than the WD, it is a lot more responsive. There is a lot less lag than WD interface. The remote on ATV 3 is a lot simpler but better built than the cheap quality remote offered by WD. You can skip and search a lot faster on ATV than WD offering. It is more polished experience from Apple as usual.

I run them both side by side because they both add value to my entertainment system. I love the Airplay from iPad to my Apple TV, normally YouTube videos. WD can play almost any format. I can not do with one without the other. They are cheap so buy them both!