I have searched the forums and have yet to find an alternative.
I have two WDTV live boxes. One is the 1st gen the other is the 2nd gen. I wanted to use plex and I have setup my HP Microserver with Plex on it. I have a bazillion Movies and TV shows (exaggeration) on my server. and plex delivers them just fine thank you very much.
BUT
If I access my servers plex web page from a windows computer, it looks AWSOME! And the WDTV live will never be able to do that, it just cannot render it all. the cover art does not show up well, the info is spotty etc.
So what hardware player "Set Top Box" will let me play all my movies and TV shows while having the great look with all the movie info and cover art?
I know that the WD plays everything, which is why I got it.
I would like a recomendation please. I just want to replace WD's with something that looks nicer but can still play/stream all my local content.
In case this helps my Movie and TV formats vary but most are either older DIVX / XVID Avi files or H264 / X264 MKV or MP4 files.
I have searched the forums and have yet to find an alternative.
I have two WDTV live boxes. One is the 1st gen the other is the 2nd gen. I wanted to use plex and I have setup my HP Microserver with Plex on it. I have a bazillion Movies and TV shows (exaggeration) on my server. and plex delivers them just fine thank you very much.
BUT
If I access my servers plex web page from a windows computer, it looks AWSOME! And the WDTV live will never be able to do that, it just cannot render it all. the cover art does not show up well, the info is spotty etc.
So what hardware player "Set Top Box" will let me play all my movies and TV shows while having the great look with all the movie info and cover art?
I know that the WD plays everything, which is why I got it.
I would like a recomendation please. I just want to replace WD's with something that looks nicer but can still play/stream all my local content.
In case this helps my Movie and TV formats vary but most are either older DIVX / XVID Avi files or H264 / X264 MKV or MP4 files.
Hi, ujcdv. Welcome to the Plex forums. You've posted this in the wrong forum section, but no biggie...
The WDTV boxes are great but you're right in that they do not have a Plex app but utilize DLNA. There are many advantages to using an actual Plex app... I won't go into them as I'm sure you're able to figure out what you're missing out on just by reading around on plex.tv.
If you have a look at the Plex Players forum you'll see the sub forums for the most common player options. There are others, but these are the major supported platforms. Chances are you may already have a box that supports the Plex app. If not a STB then a computer hooked up to the TV also works great. One of the really awesome things about Plex is just how many platforms it is now available on.
Every box/player/app/option has it's own advantages, disadvantages, design, and users with strong opinions one way or another so the answer to your question is a bit subjective. I'd recommend you have a read through some of the forums and gain an idea of what you may want to invest your money in.
Assuming you don't already have a compatible device... My strong recommendation is a Roku 3. It's inexpensive, very fast, plays everything and completely hassle free.
**I should also note that in addition to the apps listed in the before mentioned forums, Plex is now available as a beta on the Vizio TV, XBox One and XBox 360. A Plex Pass is required to access it on these devices.
I realise from David’s answer that this may not be the right forum but, as a continuation of this thread, I hope nobody will object.
Extending the subject, are there any plans for a Plex app for the WDTV Live in future?
I have one of these boxes connected to a second “dumb” TV in the house and, whilst the DLNA works OK and connects to my PMS, it obviously lacks the functionality and sheer visual brilliance of a proper Plex app. Any chance that this might be on somebody’s “to do” list?
To answer your question, I highly doubt it. I searched and searched on here, and other places asking if anybody was going to develop for the WDTV Live. Even though there is a SDK out for it, nobody is going to develop for that old platform. I have two of them, and they are great as they play everything. And like you, the DLNA part works fine, but looks horrible. For UPNP access, I would rather use Universal Media Server. Or just connect to the shares manually.
Hi, ujcdv, and thanks for taking the trouble to respond. I think you're correct about the possibility of a Plex app for the WDTV Live - it's just too old a platform. Looks like you've made a very comprehensive job of customising your Minix Neo box, however - the results look very good.
Given that I'm really only using my WDTV as a DLNA link for a seldom-used secondary "dumb" TV, I think I'll stick with my current set-up. It works fine for what is required and I'm fortunate in that Plex works well on my main screen, a Samsung smart TV. Thanks, however, for the advice and good luck with your Minix.
