WD TV HD Media Player

tipstir · 02-11-2009, 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbinck

Some of the dual connection drives will only work with one or the other connection. Are you saying these will allow access through both the LAN and USB ports access at the same time?

Correct.. Key feature of this NAS/USB it's Interface : 1 x Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000
1 x Hi-Speed USB 2.0 (TCP over USB – acts/appears as a Network drive)****

LaCie Ethernet Disk mini
Gigabit Ethernet & Hi-Speed USB 2.0
500GB

* NAS: Share files over Gigabit Ethernet
* Network storage for Windows®, Mac® & Linux
* USB 2.0 for private connection
* Simple setup – no drivers to install
* UPnP Streaming

**rbinck** · 02-11-2009, 08:54 AM

Yes, I knew the USB port could be used to add a drive, but that puts the port as a master. In reading the manual it appears it may work for the media player as long as there is a DHCP server on the LAN.

I've got one on the way.

tipstir · 02-11-2009, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbinck

Yes, I knew the USB port could be used to add a drive, but that puts the port as a master. In reading the manual it appears it may work for the media player as long as there is a DHCP server on the LAN.

I've got one on the way.

In theory is should work, but only with certain brands like the above. The buffalo is cheaper at $120 on Monster but works on the same technology.

WD TV HD should see the NAS shares network folders over TCP-USB then you could easy just transfer media to the NAS connected to the WD TV HD port 1 or port 2 for USB. But the NAS would have to be close by and have a available 10/100/1000 Ethernet cable or you could use WDS to NAS and to make the NAS go wireless. So where ever you use WD TV HD just have to have WDS to NAS with it. Or WDS = 100% Wireless Client Bridge also known as that. Or that we say in the IT business wireless drop connection. Making any wired device wireless.

**rbinck** · 02-11-2009, 05:04 PM

I will see when I get it. The manual indicates, as does your drawing, that the USB is used for a second drive when the LAN is connected, but it seems like if a computer could be connected to the USB like any other USB drive, it should work.

The Buffalo says they use a button to switch between the USB and LAN operation. The Buffalo ones I found were 500 GB, the LaCie one I'm getting is 1 TB.

tipstir · 02-12-2009, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbinck

I will see when I get it. The manual indicates, as does your drawing, that the USB is used for a second drive when the LAN is connected, but it seems like if a computer could be connected to the USB like any other USB drive, it should work.

The Buffalo says they use a button to switch between the USB and LAN operation. The Buffalo ones I found were 500 GB, the LaCie one I'm getting is 1 TB.

You are getting the 1TB what price did you find that for? On their site it's $269 seems pricey.

**rbinck** · 02-12-2009, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tipstir

You are getting the 1TB what price did you find that for? On their site it's $269 seems pricey.

$140 with shipping. Got it from an auction on eBay.

tipstir · 02-12-2009, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbinck

$140 with shipping. Got it from an auction on eBay.

Wow! Not bad deal.. ebay always saves the day..

**rbinck** · 02-17-2009, 12:57 PM

It turns out the LaCie the Ethernet Big Disk is not going to work with the WD media player. There are two USB ports, one is for connecting another drive as the illustration shows and the other is used to connect to a computer. The key is the computer port does not work like a normal USB disk and it requires a driver to be installed in the computer for access. Once installed the disk is accessed via the network software in the computer same as if it were hooked to a LAN port. Since the media player does not have the necessary driver, there is no joy.

The documentation and descriptions available online are definately not clear about the USB operation.

But on the other hand, I did get a 1 TB LAN drive for cheap!

tipstir · 02-17-2009, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbinck

It turns out the LaCie the Ethernet Big Disk is not going to work with the WD media player. There are two USB ports, one is for connecting another drive as the illustration shows and the other is used to connect to a computer. The key is the computer port does not work like a normal USB disk and it requires a driver to be installed in the computer for access. Once installed the disk is accessed via the network software in the computer same as if it were hooked to a LAN port. Since the media player does not have the necessary driver, there is no joy.

The documentation and descriptions available online are definately not clear about the USB operation.

But on the other hand, I did get a 1 TB LAN drive for cheap!

Yes you did! I just heard they say on other video forum that the 1TB LAN Drive doesn't support NTFS only FAT32. the Buffalo FlexNet does not support ntfs, checked the LaCie Big Disk, same deal... probably for the LaCie mini too... So it won't work for me because of that 4GB file size limit.

tipstir · 02-18-2009, 10:10 AM

Another way to do this is usb cable with two conections so you can plug the externaldrive to you laptop and still being connect with the wd. So you don't have to disconnect everytime.

Use the Wired or Wireless Laptop to WD Passport then connect the WD TV HD to the Laptop. This would solve a lot of issues get network shares to work.

**rbinck** · 02-18-2009, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tipstir

Yes you did! I just heard they say on other video forum that the 1TB LAN Drive doesn't support NTFS only FAT32. the Buffalo FlexNet does not support ntfs, checked the LaCie Big Disk, same deal... probably for the LaCie mini too... So it won't work for me because of that 4GB file size limit.

Don't believe everything you read on forums. The one I have supports NTFS only and will not support FAT32! I reformated the drive once I got it going and the NT was the only choice. Now the Buffalo info may be correct as I also read that if the Buffalo drive is reformatted to FAT32, the LAN share does not work. I'm probably not going to give the Buffalo a try anyway.

I have several 10 GB+ files on it already.

tipstir · 02-18-2009, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbinck

Don't believe everything you read on forums. The one I have supports NTFS only and will not support FAT32! I reformated the drive once I got it going and the NT was the only choice. Now the Buffalo info may be correct as I also read that if the Buffalo drive is reformatted to FAT32, the LAN share does not work. I'm probably not going to give the Buffalo a try anyway.

I have several 10 GB+ files on it already.

Mostly I don't read into much said online some or good stories though.. But you got your 1TB already great!

So you record from HPVR then to the PC transfer the files to 1TB. What about the dual connection USB one to your laptop the other to your WD TV HD and have the 1TB to the laptop. Without unhooking USB drive to and from to update media. Did you give that a try?

**rbinck** · 02-18-2009, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tipstir

Mostly I don't read into much said online some or good stories though.. But you got your 1TB already great!

So you record from HPVR then to the PC transfer the files to 1TB. What about the dual connection USB one to your laptop the other to your WD TV HD and have the 1TB to the laptop. Without unhooking USB drive to and from to update media. Did you give that a try?

As I said in post #53, the USB ports work in a predefined way. Neither USB port allows direct access to the disk drive like a normal USB hard drive. I know this is hard to believe that they would do that, but the computer port works identical to the LAN port, really! You have to install a driver in your computer and the only way to access the hard drive is to go through the network software. It does not have a drive letter unless you map one. You can set up a network place for the drive folder where your data is and you can assign it to a drive letter (mapped drive) same as any other computer drive on the network. There is no difference using the USB port for the computer than using the LAN port except for speed possibly.

The other port is for a slave USB drive. When you plug in a slave drive to this port, a share folder is created in the LAN disk for access. To the computers on the LAN, either through the LAN port or the USB port, the slave disk looks like a second shared folder. It gets a bit more involved if you assign multiple users, which I didn't need.

Point is attaching the WD media player to the USB port does not work because the MP does not have the software to find the drive on a LAN and selecting the shared folder to get to what would be the equlivalent to a root directory. The WD player only has software to search a drive starting from the root drive.

tipstir · 02-18-2009, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbinck

As I said in post #53, the USB ports work in a predefined way. Neither USB port allows direct access to the disk drive like a normal USB hard drive. I know this is hard to believe that they would do that, but the computer port works identical to the LAN port, really! You have to install a driver in your computer and the only way to access the hard drive is to go through the network software. It does not have a drive letter unless you map one. You can set up a network place for the drive folder where your data is and you can assign it to a drive letter (mapped drive) same as any other computer drive on the network. There is no difference using the USB port for the computer than using the LAN port except for speed possibly.

The other port is for a slave USB drive. When you plug in a slave drive to this port, a share folder is created in the LAN disk for access. To the computers on the LAN, either through the LAN port or the USB port, the slave disk looks like a second shared folder. It gets a bit more involved if you assign multiple users, which I didn't need.

Point is attaching the WD media player to the USB port does not work because the MP does not have the software to find the drive on a LAN and selecting the shared folder to get to what would be the equlivalent to a root directory. The WD player only has software to search a drive starting from the root drive.

Very limited then that would explain why my cousin reported the same thing you had said. Oh well I guess there was a reason to build this device this way. Limit your access to it and force you to use the way you have too.

**rbinck** · 02-18-2009, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tipstir

Very limited then that would explain why my cousin reported the same thing you had said. Oh well I guess there was a reason to build this device this way. Limit your access to it and force you to use the way you have too.

Yes, WD sells disks, not LANs!

02-11-2009, 08:54 AM	#47
rbinck Administrator Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Katy, Texas Posts: 12,336	Yes, I knew the USB port could be used to add a drive, but that puts the port as a master. In reading the manual it appears it may work for the media player as long as there is a DHCP server on the LAN. I've got one on the way. __________________ www.highdefinitionblog.com www.BlogOfHawaii.com

02-11-2009, 05:04 PM	#49
rbinck Administrator Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Katy, Texas Posts: 12,336	I will see when I get it. The manual indicates, as does your drawing, that the USB is used for a second drive when the LAN is connected, but it seems like if a computer could be connected to the USB like any other USB drive, it should work. The Buffalo says they use a button to switch between the USB and LAN operation. The Buffalo ones I found were 500 GB, the LaCie one I'm getting is 1 TB. __________________ www.highdefinitionblog.com www.BlogOfHawaii.com Last edited by rbinck; 02-11-2009 at 05:16 PM.

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02-17-2009, 12:57 PM	#53
rbinck Administrator Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Katy, Texas Posts: 12,336	It turns out the LaCie the Ethernet Big Disk is not going to work with the WD media player. There are two USB ports, one is for connecting another drive as the illustration shows and the other is used to connect to a computer. The key is the computer port does not work like a normal USB disk and it requires a driver to be installed in the computer for access. Once installed the disk is accessed via the network software in the computer same as if it were hooked to a LAN port. Since the media player does not have the necessary driver, there is no joy. The documentation and descriptions available online are definately not clear about the USB operation. But on the other hand, I did get a 1 TB LAN drive for cheap! __________________ www.highdefinitionblog.com www.BlogOfHawaii.com

02-18-2009, 10:10 AM	#55
tipstir Banned User Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 4,665	Another way to do this is usb cable with two conections so you can plug the externaldrive to you laptop and still being connect with the wd. So you don't have to disconnect everytime. Use the Wired or Wireless Laptop to WD Passport then connect the WD TV HD to the Laptop. This would solve a lot of issues get network shares to work.