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[BartMan01]

So far I have had no luck getting anything to actually play on the WDTV using DLNA Media server.

I am using the default 'Generic DLNA' server with the following settings:
Audio:
Conversion: Convert unsupported formats
Encoder: MP3 high bandwidth

Video:
Support video content checked
Conversion: Always convert (network to this location not up to 1080p streaming)
Encoder: MPEG2/DVD stream (figure I would start simple on the transcoding and then build from there)

Tried playing several audio and video files and all I can get is either a perpetual spinning blue circle or the message that the content is unsupported.  WDTV plays back files fine when browsing to the network share and playing files directly.

What am I doing wrong, or what should I look for?

[JimH]

There was a fix for WD in the last build or two.  What are you running?

[BartMan01]

Sorry, should have mentioned that I was running 16.0.123.

[BartMan01]

Deleted the existing 'Generic' server and added a new 'Generic' one and titled it 'WTDV'.  Set everything to do not convert, and flac, mp3, m4v, and mkv files played.

Flipped it to 'always convert' MP3 high bandwidth;MPEG2/DVD stream and then it got weird.
At first it seemed to be working.  Played a FLAC file and it worked.  Played an MP4 and and MKV and they worked.  Then played a BluRay .bdmv item and it gave a 'content not supported error'.  Then I tried browsing for another file to test and it randomly started playing a video while I was flipping through the list.  Nothing could stop it - not trying to start another video, not powering the WDTV off/on, not starting and exiting Netflix, nothing.  Came upstairs to see what MC was doing and it had 4 ffmpeg processes running taking 100% of the CPU cycles.

[BartMan01]

Was having better luck pushing content to the device, but still not 100% effective or reliable.  I was unable to stream any BluRay content to the device.  I was able to stream DVD content but with no way to move between chapters.  Then all of a sudden it stopped working all together with the message that it was unable to control the device.  Rebooted Windows, restarted the WDTV box but now I can't get anything to push to the device.  Tried repeatedly and either I got the 'unable to control device' error or MC just crashes.

When it was working, I tried different convert settings.  Nothing worked except for the MPEG2/DVD stream for video.  The rest either just did nothing or resulted in the 'try again later' message.  Looked around and I don't see any documentation of what the different presets mean/do, or any way to tweak or control them. 

I also don't see any way to set rules or control what content is 'seen' by/for the device, or to set what formats are 'supported'.  I do see the overall playlist controls, but not a way to set that per device so that only the stuff the device can play is even available to choose from.

[BartMan01]

Well after two days of messing with this, here are my current questions. I have decided to try using MoCA networking to that location since it does have a cable run and MoCA should resolve the performance issues I have had trying to get wireless networking or power-line networking to that location:

1)  Is anyone getting the WDTV to work reliably with MC16, and if so what firmware are you running?

2)  Is it currently possible to stream BluRay rips using MC16?  While the WDTV can handle the content (will play it repackaged to MKV) it can't handle the .mpls playlists natively.

3)  Is there any documentation on the different transcoding/conversion options?  Are they configurable at all?

4)  Is it possible to get chapter marks with streaming DVDs (tried both .iso and tsfolder methods)?  Wife really likes to jump to specific chapters of favorite movies.

[bob]

Well after two days of messing with this, here are my current questions. I have decided to try using MoCA networking to that location since it does have a cable run and MoCA should resolve the performance issues I have had trying to get wireless networking or power-line networking to that location:

1)  Is anyone getting the WDTV to work reliably with MC16, and if so what firmware are you running?
2)  Is it currently possible to stream BluRay rips using MC16?  While the WDTV can handle the content (will play it repackaged to MKV) it can't handle the .mpls playlists natively.

It seems to run fine here with our test unit and stock software. (model WDAAN0000NBK version 1.05.04_V) Just tested a .mkv push to the WD and HDMI out. The stock software seems to play many different video formats so I generally turn off conversion.

3)  Is there any documentation on the different transcoding/conversion options?  Are they configurable at all?

In general, transcoding for DLNA devices is best done with mpeg2 conversion since they are required to support that. The mpeg2/DVD or mpeg2/DVD Pal settings are usually best. Some devices can't handle DVD video bitrates so you might have to tweak that.
Currently the presets are in the ffmpeg.xml file in APPDATA.

4)  Is it possible to get chapter marks with streaming DVDs (tried both .iso and tsfolder methods)?  Wife really likes to jump to specific chapters of favorite movies.

I'm not sure how the WD deals with chapter marks. I'd be interested in more info if you have some.

[horse]

I run Blu Ray rips done by MakeMKV to the WD TV Live Plus without a problem, last time I checked. which was few weeks ago as it lives in the garage.
That was also on whatever the latest firmware was WD pushed.

The only option I have checked on the config screen is DLNA.

Video is set to supported with No Conversion as all my mkv's and AVI's seem to play just fine. SD to 1080P HD

I do have Audio set to convert always to MP3 High Bandwidth, but that is because my library is WAV and I enabled tagging support and for some reason, WD TV is the only device I have ever used that incorrectly plays the music and the tag information, so I get a burst of static at the end of each song as it trys to play the embedded albumn art. Every other client correctly reads the length was the RIFF headers and skips the tagging info.

If I get a chance over the weekend I'll double check again with MC16 build 128 that just installed.