Topic: Western Digital Media Player supports FLAC files

[live2496]

I kind of want to get one of these, and just noticed that they play FLAC files too.

http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=572&language=en

Convenient too. Just hook up a USB drive with files on it and start playback using the remote.

Does anyone here have one?

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

I've been thinking about picking one of these up to plug my USB drive into to watch downloaded TV shows.

FLAC playback might be enough for me to buy it.

I just wish it had a network interface so I could send files from my desktop to it.

I wonder if you could just use a network drive and hook the drive up to the WDTV via USB.

[MattD]

Though it says use with a My Passport drive, it later says to add more drives via USB, so I'm guessing it will work with any USB drive. I wonder what the library/playlist interface looks like. It's $120 from Amazon.

The big minus, and the reason I wouldn't get one right now: no digital out. It's possible to split the HDMI into video + digital audio using something like this: http://www.gefen.com/kvm/dproduct.jsp?prod_id=3939

There's also this, but I can't quite figure out if that's what I'd want. http://www.supermediastore.com/apogee-hdmi-4x1-hifi-switcher-spdif-coax-audio-out-v1-3-full-hd-1080p.html?WT.mc_id=shoppingELTEL-010-0159&utm_source=pcsite&utm_medium=campaign&utm_term=EL-010-0159&utm_campaign=cp_elt_shopping#description

Anyone found a less expensive solution to getting digital audio out of an HDMI signal? A simple active cable would be best.

[JasonSobel]

The big minus, and the reason I wouldn't get one right now: no digital out. It's possible to split the HDMI into video + digital audio using something like this: http://www.gefen.com/kvm/dproduct.jsp?prod_id=3939

it looks to me like it's got an optical output.  my question is - does it support 24/96 FLAC playback via the optical output?

edit to add:
after searching around a bit more, it definitely has an optical output.  and I just sent an email to WD asking about 24/96 playback.

[Wiggler]

My understanding is that jitter has been a problem with audio via hdmi.
This is the reason high end audio manufactures have not embraced hdmi at this time.
If you Google hdmi audio jitter you will find information on the problems associated with audio over hdmi.

[live2496]

The pinouts on hdmi are encoded, so no SPDIF is readily available. So it would take a box/chip to decode it.
http://pinouts.ru/Video/hdmi_pinout.shtml

Thanks for the tip on the jitter. Though that's not a showstopper for me. I would use it like an Apple TV. Though it if plays FLAC files thats a bonus.

[MattD]

I didn't catch the Toslink - good eye, Jason. I found the manual their site and am reading through it. It appears to support playlists.

In the appendix, there's a note under the VIDEO section (pg 71 of the PDF, labeled as 68 in the manual) that states: "2. Audio sample rate must be: 8000, 11025, 12000, 16000, 22050, 24000, 32000, 44100, 48000 "

I can't tell if that applies to FLAC audio or not. Please let us know about 24/96 support! If that works and now that I see the optical out, I'd get one of these over an HTPC - a little more plug-and-play and I doubt I could come close to building something for $120.

[live2496]

Under Features and Functions...

Audio/Video Interface
• HDMI interface for digital audio and high-definition video
• Composite interface (RCA, yellow/white/red) for analog AV connection
• Toslink (optical) audio for high-fidelity digital audio
• Autosource function enables the HD media player to detect and switch to a new
interface connection. For example, the HD media player automatically switches to
HD mode when it is connected through an HDMI cable.
• Video output resolution includes 480i (using the composite interface), or 480p,
576p, 720i, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p (available when using the HDMI interface)
• Stereo or multi-channel digital surround audio output

[JasonSobel]

In the appendix, there's a note under the VIDEO section (pg 71 of the PDF, labeled as 68 in the manual) that states: "2. Audio sample rate must be: 8000, 11025, 12000, 16000, 22050, 24000, 32000, 44100, 48000 "

I can't tell if that applies to FLAC audio or not. Please let us know about 24/96 support!

good catch.  I saw the PDF manual online too, but I missed that footnote about the audio sample rate.  While it is technically under the "video" section, my guess is that it applies to all audio, including FLAC.  Though, I still haven't heard back from WD.  I'll post here to confirm one way or the other after I hear back.

[MattD]

From here:

I wasn't able to find anything anywhere as to whether or not the WD TV could handle FLAC files with a 24-bit, 48KHz audio resolution. I fired up a couple of test recordings that I have and it didn't blink. I'm pretty amazed since this was only recently corrected on the PCH.

That's a good start, though I can't tell if the poster was using the onboard DAC or the optical out. Does anyone on this board work at a Best Buy type of place and could test one of these units?

[live2496]

I ordered one on Thursday, so when it comes in I will test some flac files and let you know here.

[JasonSobel]

Wonderful.  In addition to the 24/96 test, please share any other thoughts that you might have with us, after you get to use it for a bit.

[JasonSobel]

while I wasn't sure what kind of answer I was expecting from WD, I sure as hell wasn't expecting "we don't know"...

Dear Jason,

Thank you for contacting Western Digital Customer Service and Support.

We don't have any info on what type of sampling rates the WDTV supports with FLAC audio. When the WDTV outputs audio over SPDIF, it is PCM when unencrypted. The WDTV can operate drives that only use USB power (just like Passport). WDTV only reads metadata on MP3 and MP4 from what I've seen.

Answer Title: List of compatible media file types for the WD TV HD Media Player.
Answer Link: http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2698&p_created=1224519847

Answer Title: What files are supported for conversion of the Arcsoft MediaConverter software bundled with the WD TV HD Media Player?
Answer Link: http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2728&p_created=1225489450

Answer Title: How to find information about WDTV media files.
Answer Link: http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2745&p_created=1227650629


Sincerely,
Paul B.
Western Digital Service and Support
http://support.wdc.com

edit to add:  my response to WD

Paul,

Thank you for your response, though I must say, I am very disappointed with the response. As you can well imagine, when a potential customer asks a specific question about one of your products, the quick "we don't know what sampling rates are supported" appears to be indicative of very poor customer service/support.

Since the S/PDIF format does not allow for any other type of output other than unencrypted PCM data, that is just basic knowledge that I had assumed we were all working from.

However, since I submitted my original question, I found the following "note" on page 68, under the VIDEO portion of the appendix:

"2. Audio sample rate must be: 8000, 11025, 12000, 16000, 22050, 24000, 32000, 44100, 48000"

That note would suggest that a sampling rate of 96kHz (96000) is NOT supported, but the manual is not clear if those sampling rates only apply to video playback or if they apply to both video AND 2-channel audio playback (i.e. FLAC files).

So, my original question remains, how does the WD TV handle 24 bit / 96 kHz FLAC files? Does it just not play them? Does it resample the audio on-the-fly to 48 kHz (as some other consumer devices do)? Or does it output the full, unaltered 24 bit / 96 kHz PCM data stream?

And please, if you do not know the answer, please find the answer before responding. Someone at Western Digital HAS to know.

Thanks,
Jason Sobel

[live2496]

Got the WD Media Player. I setup four files on a USB flash drive, 16/44 flac, 16/44 wav, 24/96 flac and 24/96 wav.
 
The WD Media Player plays them all. Both through the analog outputs and the digital output. 

I used PDAudio and Live2496 set to auto-detect the sampling rate while recording from the digital output.

The 44.1kHz files were played at 44.1kHz. When the 96kHz files were played, the digital output switched to 48kHz. This indicates that some resampling is being done. Perhaps it has a DSP chip onboard (?)

It's great that it plays the 96kHz files. It raises the question, though about whether or not it is resampling always. ie. when playing 44.1kHz does it resample? or actually bypass the DSP?

Next I would like to try different USB devices, like a USB hard drive and a SD card in a card reader to see what it will do.

Also, I found out from reading that it does support Dolby Digital (AC-3). But this is a pass-thru and apparently only in stereo. This seems to disagree with my previous post about features.

[MattD]

How do you like the UI?