Newbie Needing help

[skweezer]

Hi everyone, I just bought a WDTV. The only reason i bought this over other media players was becuase it seems to have really good community support.

I did some research and know that i want to install WDlxTV, And i want to have movie sheets and movie info and all that stuff.

The part im wanting help with is that there are few different softwares out which apparenlt do the same thing. Theres TViXiE, thumbGen. and a few others i think..

From what ive read, i think ThumbGen is the one to use. Although im not sure :S
And i have downloaded a template pack for it, but there are loads of different templates in it. STD, sheet, wall and stuff. So when im using this app. Do i generate all of these of just one ?

Please bear with me as im new to this, although im not a complete noob when it comes to computers and stuff. So shouldn't be to difficult to explain.

Thanks

[AyDee]

WDlxTV will just allow you to load apps and use dvd drives.To show movie sheets you'll need an app. Msheet is the preferred app and there are mods of it made to show sheets in different ways.

So first install WDlxTV then delete it from your thumb drive and place msheet or an msheet mod (like http://wdtvforum.com/main/index.php?topic=5075.0) on the thumb drive and have it in the WDTV at boot. There are several msheet mods around and the original is good as well.

For sheets I like Thumbgen and which sheets you use depend on which msheet you use and how it's configured.

Here's a guide that explains some of the basics: http://wdtvforum.com/main/index.php?topic=3697.0
It's a bit old now but still applies and gives a good idea how things work. Our community has really died down but there's plenty of good stuff here for the 1st-timer.

Hope that helps. If you have more questions ask here or in the appropriate thread.

[skweezer]

Thanks for the reply. Appreciate it greatly.
Coming from xbmc on the old xbox, and loved that, but now need something that can handle HD, h.264 and mkv,  and dont want to spend so much on a HTPC....Although i was so tempted, because of my love for xbmc. But i thought that this would be the next best thing.

Can't wait for it to arrive so i can get started.

[halfling85]

Hi,

If you have a Gen1 unit, take a look at my website, I have a bunch of easy-to-follow videos that show how to install custom firwmare, how to setup wireless networking, and how to install movie-sheets. I think you will find it pretty helpful!

Cheers,
Roman

http://romanstechhelp.blogspot.com/2010/09/buy-me-drink.html (this is a direct link to the first tutorial on installing B-Rad's firmware)

[skweezer]

Hi,

If you have a Gen1 unit, take a look at my website, I have a bunch of easy-to-follow videos that show how to install custom firwmare, how to setup wireless networking, and how to install movie-sheets. I think you will find it pretty helpful!

Cheers,
Roman

http://romanstechhelp.blogspot.com/2010/09/buy-me-drink.html (this is a direct link to the first tutorial on installing B-Rad's firmware)

yeah i went on there, but it says to use TVIXIE. not thumbgen and i dont think it mentions msheet.

thanks for the reply though

[skweezer]

Just for anyone reading this. It arrived today, and i have to say. i am not impressed.

Really slow UI, clunky. Seems about 10years old.
I knew that it wouldnt play dts, but it also doesnt play alot of my hd mkv files, becuase they have compression. So im going to have to remux them again.
And after remuxing them i cant skip through the film, becuase it says file doesnt support seek.
Also hate how i have to forward through the film and cant just skip to a specific time.

So i dont see any point in hacking it. Probably will just sell it and buy an small htcp and go back to xbmc.
Maybe im just spoilt, but i expected it more from it.

Thanks for your guys help though.

[VStrike]

Just for anyone reading this. It arrived today, and i have to say. i am not impressed.

Really slow UI, clunky. Seems about 10years old.
I knew that it wouldnt play dts, but it also doesnt play alot of my hd mkv files, becuase they have compression. So im going to have to remux them again.
And after remuxing them i cant skip through the film, becuase it says file doesnt support seek.
Also hate how i have to forward through the film and cant just skip to a specific time.

So i dont see any point in hacking it. Probably will just sell it and buy an small htcp and go back to xbmc.
Maybe im just spoilt, but i expected it more from it.

Thanks for your guys help though.

The WDTV Gen1 box is actually about 4 years old now. The box does play a very large amount of media files and the UI will look much better with a custom firmware or OSD running on it. If you are wanting something faster, better GUI, allows you to fastforward to a specific time, and also streams internet services. You might want to check out the new WDTV box called "WDTV Live Hub". The product that you just purchase is actually the first of what is now 4 generations of WDTV boxes.

[skweezer]

Just for anyone reading this. It arrived today, and i have to say. i am not impressed.

Really slow UI, clunky. Seems about 10years old.
I knew that it wouldnt play dts, but it also doesnt play alot of my hd mkv files, becuase they have compression. So im going to have to remux them again.
And after remuxing them i cant skip through the film, becuase it says file doesnt support seek.
Also hate how i have to forward through the film and cant just skip to a specific time.

So i dont see any point in hacking it. Probably will just sell it and buy an small htcp and go back to xbmc.
Maybe im just spoilt, but i expected it more from it.

Thanks for your guys help though.

The WDTV Gen1 box is actually about 4 years old now. The box does play a very large amount of media files and the UI will look much better with a custom firmware or OSD running on it. If you are wanting something faster, better GUI, allows you to fastforward to a specific time, and also streams internet services. You might want to check out the new WDTV box called "WDTV Live Hub". The product that you just purchase is actually the first of what is now 4 generations of WDTV boxes.

Yeah, but instead of getting a live hub, which cost £189, wouldn't it be better just to buy a acer revo for about the same price and put xbmc on it.
That way, it will pay everything, can use it for other stuff aswel (because it is a computer underneath).
The GUI will be a thousand times better, and more featured.

It gets constant updates unlike WD products who abandon their customers after a new model is released.

The reason i didnt buy an acer revo to begin with  was becuase i didnt want to have to spend more than £100. But it looks like in going to have to for anything half decent.

[VStrike]

If you are wanting to be able to use the device that you purchase to have a style such as xbmc, then I would go with the acer revo. I've owned all generations of the WDTV so far and the Hub is by far the best. Current themes are being worked on and modified that I would think that soon, the Hub will have the GUI of xbmc. This link http://community.wdc.com/t5/Themes/My-Aeon-ish-Home-Screen-Experiment-Info/td-p/171368 is a perfect example of how the Hub can begin to appear as though it's running xbmc. The speed is much faster and smoother than any of the previous WDTV's and movie information is displayed as well from xml files, so there is no need to create moviesheets. WD also seems to be adding apps onto the Hub as well, at this point there are 13 apps available. If your wanting a mediacenter with builtin storage and able to use a remote, then the Hub would be a good choice. Thats kind of my review of the Hub. But if you compare what you get for the price, then the Acer Revo might make more since to you.

[AyDee]

This link http://community.wdc.com/t5/Themes/My-Aeon-ish-Home-Screen-Experiment-Info/td-p/171368 is a perfect example of how the Hub can begin to appear as though it's running xbmc.

Some really great work by Cylent "JoeySmyth" there...