CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

**AnalogRocks**

Hey guys. We're thinking of ditching cable at the GF's house as Comcast is sucking harder and harder all the time.

We have the major networks OTA ATSC but would like some on demand.

I was looking at the ROKU boxes but seems the have a QC issue. I've seen posts that say they last a few days out of warranty. They also want a credit card on file for possible "future purchases" Rolling Eyes

I need a box that has free stuff and the ability to stream pay services like Netflix. I need composite video and L+R audio out as well as HDMI. How are the Western Digital boxes? Any other manufacture I should look at?

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 11:15 pm Post subject:

Calling a Bueller? Bueller?

zaphod · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 2002 Location: Cloverdale

I picked up a WDTV live over Christmas but haven't cracked the box yet. It looked to be the best option for me WRT online stuff and my local server.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 11:47 pm Post subject:

zaphod · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 2002 Location: Cloverdale

Yep. Mostly music. I have a squeezebox but they are discontinued and use a proprietary protocol/server software.

I decided to use DLNA after a good experience a work setting up a server there. I can stream to iPhones or the oppo when I get that.

The wdtv live can use the DLNA server or stream netflix/YouTube and so on directly. Will let me throw "wheels on the bus" up on the tv for the kids.

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

A lot of cheap bluray players offer all these options now. This is the route I have taken since transcoding on the fly is a real headache. A lot of blurays will play most file formats, USB port, stream online services and are also Wifi. I have bought a bunch already (used where drives do not work) and have been testing. So far so good.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:07 am Post subject:

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 3:29 am Post subject:

zaphod · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 2002 Location: Cloverdale

when i pull the box open i'll try to remember to hook up the composite for a quick test for you. but i still have a computer rebuild going on at home.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 1:23 am Post subject:

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 2:57 am Post subject:

Hey Zap' any time to look at this yet?

zaphod · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 2002 Location: Cloverdale

i hooked up the wdtv last weekend to my upstairs system, but it it really flaking out over wireless. the wireless in my house is sporadic, i think it's interference, sometimes switching channels helps but i have a bridge that would alos need to be switched.

i'm going to take the wdtv down to the basement and plug it into the same switch as the media server and then run composite to my old sony 27" CRT down there. that will let me know if wired will solve the server/client issue I am having and also get you some feed back on the composite image. i'm going to try to do that tomorrow - today was Christmas lights coming down....

zaphod · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 2002 Location: Cloverdale

hooked the wdtv up to my sony 27" CRT this afternoon (yay kid's wagon!!) and gave the wdtv a go.

overall, it was okay. nothing great to be expected at 27" of 480 sitting 2 feet away, but i saw some vertical jitter on pictures that i learned to ignore. not a great picture for sure, but livable i suppose.

the other reason for bringing the wdtv to the basement where the sony lives was to test it out on a wired connextion -- MUCH better. no comparison at all.

what exactly were you looking to find out?

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 5:10 am Post subject:

Just wondered how the 480i picture looked. Is all banded to hell? How bad is the jitter? How would you rate this as compared to an OTA tuner box picture wise?

zaphod · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 2002 Location: Cloverdale

i'd say it was a bit worse. i saw some banding and the jitter was anoying until my brain dismissed it, and then only until i noticed it again.

i wouldn't be happy with it long term.

however the HDMI output is crisp and good....

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 4:40 pm Post subject:

zaphod · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 2002 Location: Cloverdale

no problem, anytime.