[mythtv-users] WDTV-live as a MythTV client?

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

The WDTV-Live would seem to be a very nice form-factor for a MythTV 
client (or even front-end):
  http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=735

- it is inexecpensive (I paid C$130)

- its firmware is Linux (+ proprietary stuff)

- 256M of RAM

- it has ethernet, USB host, composite, component, or HDMI out

- a remote control

- low power

Out of the box, it sees my MythTV box as a media server.  I can even
select a recording to play.  But it fails with the message:

	Unable to play the selected file.  Please refer to
	the user manual for a list of supported file
	formats

	[OK]

I also tried using Samba (once) and it didn't seem to work any better.

Has anyone else played with this?


My recordings are made by myth, using SD Hauppauge MPEG2 encoding
cards, without transcoding.

The manual, on page 158 lists supported formats.  Here's a bad ASCII
rendering.  I would ahve guessed that MPEG2 should have worked.

Filename extension            Codec                 Format/container

.AVI               Video:                       AVI
                     Xvid
                     AVC
                     MPEG1/2/4
                     WMV9
                     VC-1
                    Audio:
                     MPEG Audio
                     PCM
                     Dolby Digital
                     DTS
                                                mpeg ps
.MPG               Video:
                     MPEG1/2
.MPEG              Audio:
                     MPEG Audio
                     Dolby Digital
                     DTS
                     PCM
                                                MKV
.MKV               Video:
                     h.264
                     x.264
                     AVC
                     MPEG1/2/4
                     WMV9
                     VC-1
                   Audio:
                   MPEG Audio
                     PCM
                     Dolby Digital (passthrough
                   for more than 2 channels)
                     DTS (passthrough for more
                   than 2 channels)
                     AAC
.TS/.TP/.M2T       Video:                       TS
                     MPEG1/2/4
                     AVC
                     VC-1
                   Audio:
                     MPEG Audio
                     Dolby Digital
                     DTS
                                                                                    Quicktime
.MP4/.MOV                                    Video:
                                              MPEG4
                                              AVC
                                             Audio:
                                              AAC
                                              MPEG Audio
                                              Dolby Digital
.ASF/.DVR-MS/.WMV Video:  ASF
                                              MPEG2
                                              WMV9
                                              VC-1
                                             Audio:
                                              WMA
                                              Dolby Digital
                                                                                    VOB
.VOB                                         Video:
                                              MPEG1/2
                                             Audio:
                                              MPEG Audio
                                              Dolby Digital
                                              DTS
                                              PCM
.M2TS Video:  M2TS
                                              MPEG1/2/4
                                              AVC
                                              VC-1
                                             Audio:
                                              MPEG Audio
                                              Dolby Digital
                                              DTS
WMV9                                         VC-1

Video notes:
1. MPEG-2 MP at HL up to 1920x1080p24, 1920x1080i30, or 1280x720p60
resolution.
2. MPEG4.2 ASP at L5 Rectangular shape video decoding up to 1280x720p30
resolution, support for B Pictures, data partitioning and error
   resiliency. No support for global motion compensation (GMC).
3. WMV9/VC-1 MP at HL up to 1280x720p60 (<90% of the P-picture
macroblocks have 4 motioin vectors) or 1920x1080p24 resolution. Up
   to 1280x720p30 or 1920x1080i25 resolution if unconstrained 4MV
bitstream.
4. VC-1 AP at L3 up to 1920x1080i30 (<60% of the B-picture macroblocks
have 4 motion vectors), 1920x1080p24, or 1280x720p60
   resolution. Up to 1920x1080i25, 1920x1080p24, or 1280x720p60
resolution if unconstrained 4MV bitstream.
5. MPEG-4.10 (H.264) BP at L3 up to 720x480p30 or 720x576p25 resolution,
including FMO and ASO.
6. MPEG-4.10 (H.264) MP at L4.1 and HP at L4.1 up to 1920x1080p24,
1920x1080i30, or 1280x720p60 resolution (constrained to match
   BD and HD-DVD specifications), 180 Mbin/s maximum for CABAC
streams.