Network Share Thumbnail Caching Crashes

I have been using the WDTV Live HD Media Player for a long time now. I have my Media files (mostly .avi and .mp4)  in a folder on my Buffalo 1TB Network Harddrive. I use the Network Share option to access my movies. I have them seperated into 3 categories: Kids Movies, Movies, and TV Shows. I have a duplicate file folder structure in a different folder of my harddrive with all my thumbnails backed up. When the power goes out or I have to unplug my WDTV Live for whatever reason, I simply copy the thumbnails from the back up folders into the Media folders and restart my WDTV LIve. I then scroll through all my movies, updating (and caching) the thumbnails for each movie and each category folder. Movies are named movie.avi and movie.jpg, folder thumbnails are named Folder.jpg. All my thumbnails were created by myself in Paint Shop Pro 10, they are 120x180 pixels, and they are .jpg. After updating (and cahing) the thumbnails, I simply delete the thumbnails for the movies and folders from the Media folder, that way each movie and folder shows a nice thumbnail for each movie and there are no image files left behind.

I have attempted to update my firmware after 1.01.24 everytime a new firmware is released. Only problem is when I am updating (and caching) my thumbnails, the WDTV Live crashes and locks up. Recently, I attempted to upgrade to the latest 1.03.49_V firmware. _ Immediately I noticed that the thumbnails’ color and detail was improved markedly _ . I love this and I want this. I also like the Mediafly access. Unfortunately I have the same problem. Thumbnail updating always locks up the WDTV Live. Any yet again I have to revert back to the 1.01.24 firmware. I have read that over 300 movies in one folder is the reason I have this problem. I am going to attempt further categorize my Movies so as to avoid this issue and utilize the latest firmware.

_ Western Digital, PLEASE FIX THE NETWORK SHARE THUMBNAIL ISSUE!!! _

It would be very simple to try out the splitting of your movies before rolling back to see if this does cure the problem. In fact I would have tried before posting.

you know…i just wish that WD would really really try and fix this bug…

everyones media collection is growing by the day…sooner or later, more and more people are going to encounter this bug that will depreciate their satisfaction of the wd tv live…

if i were wd…id stop coding new features and focus on fixing bugs…but yes i understand that if wd doesnt add features that are available on competitor products (eg DVD nav) then theyd lose sales but cmon…lets fix the basic bugs that prevents one from using the wd tv live as it was designed to be…

FuGGer wrote:

you know…i just wish that WD would really really try and fix this bug…

 

everyones media collection is growing by the day…sooner or later, more and more people are going to encounter this bug that will depreciate their satisfaction of the wd tv live…

 

 

 

if i were wd…id stop coding new features and focus on fixing bugs…but yes i understand that if wd doesnt add features that are available on competitor products (eg DVD nav) then theyd lose sales but cmon…lets fix the basic bugs that prevents one from using the wd tv live as it was designed to be…

 

 

I’ll strongly second that!  And I’m sure countless other people will as well!  A few months back, I was considering buying 2 more WDTV lives.  However, as the number of annoying bugs grows, and there are no firmware changes to address any of them, I really wonder if WD has any intention of fixing them.  So I’m now checking out the competition.  New features are great, but if the old ones don’t work, you’ll lose repeat business. 

Well, I split my Movies folder into A-M and N-Z, each with less thank 300 files. This worked initially, meaning, I was able to scroll through the movies in thumbnail mode and update the thumbnails for each file without the WDTV LIve locking up. As usual, after caching (I thought), I turned off my WDTV Live (not unplugged), and deleted the .jpg thumbnail files from my Media folders. Then turning the WDTV Live back on to verify the thumbnails without the .jpg thumbnails in the network folders, I find that none of the movie thumbnails were cached properly. I am rolling back, screw the new features.

The new version seems to have a much better cache control, when updating thumbs. Unfortunately for you it breaks your method. Have you considered using playlists instead?

Cocovanna

shawnmcdonald wrote:

Well, I split my Movies folder into A-M and N-Z, each with less thank 300 files. This worked initially, meaning, I was able to scroll through the movies in thumbnail mode and update the thumbnails for each file without the WDTV LIve locking up. As usual, after caching (I thought), I turned off my WDTV Live (not unplugged), and deleted the .jpg thumbnail files from my Media folders. Then turning the WDTV Live back on to verify the thumbnails without the .jpg thumbnails in the network folders, I find that none of the movie thumbnails were cached properly. I am rolling back, screw the new features.

i dont understand why youre deleting the .jpg thumbnail files?

with the 1.04.10 f/w my thumbnail problems are solved…works great now.