I tried first to copy a file or two over the network, but found it was dreadfully slow and just wouldn’t do, at least not for the first full load of my files. The first thing I noticed, after plugging in my 2TB external drive, was that the Hub would not play files directly from the external drive. It proceeded to copy all the files again to the internal Hub drive. This saddened me for two reasons. For one, I couldn’t have 3TB of media files directly attached to the Hub, only 1TB. And two, I would have to wait even longer now before I could actually test the device.

The first thing that happened after all of my files were transfered was of course “Compiling media library…”. I knew this would probably take a while since these devices don’t have much processing power, I put a hell of a lot on it, and it was the first time the database was generated. I waited hours for it to complete. After it did not, I went to bed and found it still working on the compilation in the morning. I figured something must be wrong and rebooted it. After a couple of hours after that, it finally completed. I thought that was a bit extreme, but I trudged on. After using the Hub for a few months now, I’ve noticed that it doesn’t get much better. Even now I am recompiling the library from scratch, since for some unknown reason, after a recent firmware upgrade, it shows only forty-some movies out of my collection of around 400 on the Hub’s internal drive.

The next thing I wanted to do, looking at a grid of lifeless video file icons, was download content info and cover art for all of my movies. Sadly, I couldn’t do this for all of my movies at once. I expected at least this much however, since I had a similar experience with another media center software (though I eventually found a script to automate the process in that case). Options, Get Content Info, Up & Down arrows and/or a lot of manual editing of titles to select the correct entry, OK, OK again, wait for media library compilation and GUI update for anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes… Multiplied by over 350 titles. It took a while. And then… My next point…

Suddenly, all of my movies are listed in a ridiculous and unexpected manner. All of the movies that start with the word “The” (which are named at the file level with a following “, The”) are now listed in the T’s. Aren’t these things supposed to be an upgrade to the movie watching experience and they can’t even sort titles correctly. This is a problem with a lot of systems though, so I’ll just rename the file title back… WTF? There’s no rename option. Eventually, I was able to find an unsupported method of working around this issue. After downloading content info for all of my movies I copied the cover art and content info XML files to my computer, removed all the movies from the media library and then moved the associated files back to the Hub. So, now all my movies are in the proper order according to my file naming scheme, they all have cover art and content info, but none of them are in the media library database. So what. I don’t use the search feature anyway, because I don’t have a wireless keyboard for it, and manual entry with the remote is painful. However, I’m thinking this may have something to do with why the Hub is showing only a subset of my movies now. Now every time I get content info on a new movie I get a compiling notification and it only shows a small subset of my movies for a little while, sometimes none at all, with a painful message telling me there are no movies in the folder. All of this turns a simple cover search for a few new movies from seconds to hours.

Probably the only other great thing about this device (besides the great wallpapers) is that it does in fact play almost any video file I can throw at it. The quality of the playback is pretty good too. Honestly, if this wasn’t the case, I would’ve taken the device directly back to where I got it and shoved it up their collective “Best” asses.

At least they must have gotten the music player right. What could be simpler? Nope. I couldn’t figure out how to play an entire folder as there was no option for doing so in the options menu. I figured out that you could just press the play button on the folder. However, if you want to play a folder that contains other folders with the actual files in it (e.g. Artist > Album > Song) you are rejected with a message that reads “There is no media in the current folder.” OK, whatever, I can just add a playlist under each Artist to play everything they have.

Let’s mix it up a bit; add some more music to my playlist. Hmmm, I can’t add artists or even albums to the play queue, only individual songs, one at a time. I spent a good amount of time adding songs to my playlist (might as well get comfortable to keep playing with this thing). I found the queue slowing down as I added more and more music to it. Even at just three pages of music in the queue, it slowed to a crawl. What seemed like hours later: finally got as much of a good playlist as I’m willing to wait for. OK, let’s randomize it now… Nope, missing that feature too. Really?

OK, maybe there is something simpler than a music player; a photo gallery. In fact, I don’t have too much bad-mouthing about the gallery if only because there is only a small set of features that I expect or really need, but I’ll give it a whack anyway. Same as in the music player, I found no way to play a slide-show of an entire folder. Luckily, same as in the music player, I figured out I could just press play with the folder selected. However, not the same as in the music player, I could press play on a folder to play all of the sub-folders inside. How about playing a slide-show of more than just one folder? This might seem like too much to ask, but I only got the idea because I noticed you could add a photo to the queue. Well, no way to add a folder to the queue, just individual images, so even selecting multiple folders doesn’t help. No prob, I’ll just go into each folder, select all, and add to queue. What’s this “Select Page?” No “Select All?” Oh well.

And one more thing I noticed while under the gallery. You never get to set a specific folder as the “Movies” or “Photos” folder. The Hub just searches the entire drive for any files of that type. So, if there are media files of type “Photo” in the “Music” folder (such as album art) the “Music” folder shows up under the gallery. I wish there was a way to hide these folders under certain activities, or better yet, just set a specific folder or folders that pertain to each activity (i.e. Photos, Videos, Music). I feel like I’m putting these files in folders for no reason at all.

There are a few interesting services to use, but I don’t use them much except for the odd YouTube search. As I said before manually typing anything using the remote can be painful, and I don’t have a keyboard for it. So, the only issue I have with services isn’t really an issue with the services so much as an issue with the “openness” of the underlying system: The only way to get anything working with this POS might require you use another, custom firmware. Unfortunately, even though much of the system is released under open source license, flashing to a 3rd party firmware permanently removes the ability of using some or all of the of these services. I’m reluctant to try flashing it with the 3rd part firmware as I’m not sure it would provide fix for any of my issues.

I also don’t have much to say about the games that are included in the newest firmware at the time of this writing. Mostly, because I think the idea is pretty dumb, but also because I think the games suck. I have an X-Box 360. Now I wish they’d add a new feature to hide or uninstall the never to be used games activity.

The WD TV Live Hub comes with only one interface theme. Though at the very least, you could make your own or download one… from your computer, not the Hub. The manual lies on this subject “There are several themes available in the User Interface Themes page and available for download at http://www.wdtvlive.com/theme.” The correct address is http://www.wdtvlive.com/themes first of all. There is only one theme on the system as of this writing, and the corrected link above only speaks of how to make your own theme, not where to download any new ones they’ve made, or even users’ sad attempts at theming. Thankfully, the link “WD TV Forums” on the page leads to a plethora of users bitching about their own Hubs.

The slide-show screen saver is a good alternative to the default WD logo, but if you have it on random in the settings, you are also putting every slide-show into random mode.

The network setup was pretty easy.

I spent probably a good hour of searching through the system and the manuals in utter disbelief at some of the features that were missing in the Hub. All in all, it was, in my opinion, the worst purchase of the day, and perhaps my life. This device is utter crap and I would recommend that if someone pays you to take theirs away, you run from it.

Install

Installed Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx. Created 2gb swap partition, 12gb root partition, and the rest went /home.

Network

All network devices worked fine right out of the box. Manually setup a connection to my wireless (I prefer a static IP) using Network Manager applet. Selected “Available to all users” to avoid keyring dialogs. Connected.

Update

I ran:

$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get upgrade

Restart required.

Audio

Audio worked out of the box too.

Video

Video worked out of the box, but I went ahead and installed the proprietary drivers from ATI.
$ mkdir ~/driver
$ sudo sh ati-driver-installer-10-3-x86.x86_64.run --extract ~/driver
$ cd ~/driver/
$ sudo ./ati-installer.sh -- --buildpkg Ubuntu/karmic
$ cd ~/
$ sudo apt-get install dkms
$ sudo dpkg -i *.deb
$ sudo aticonfig --initial=dual-head --screen-layout=right --overlay-on=1

Restarted…

$ sudo amdcccle

I then changed to “Multi-display desktop (with display 2)” in CCC and restarted again.

$ fglrxinfo
display: :0.0 screen: 0
OpenGL vendor string: ATI Technologies Inc.
OpenGL renderer string: ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT
OpenGL version string: 3.3.10834 Compatibility Profile Context

Other

Installed the following software with no problems:
$ sudo wget --output-document=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/$(lsb_release -cs).list && sudo apt-get --quiet update && sudo apt-get --yes --quiet --allow-unauthenticated install medibuntu-keyring && sudo apt-get --quiet update
$ sudo apt-get install libdvdcss2
$ sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras
$ sudo apt-get install gnome-do
$ sudo apt-get install xchat-gnome
$ sudo apt-get install filezilla
$ sudo apt-get install openssh-server
$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:stebbins/handbrake-releases && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install handbrake-gtk
$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mozillateam/firefox-stable && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install firefox ubufox

LAMP

I’m a web developer and designer, so I gotta have my LAMP stack.
$ sudo apt-get install apache2
$ sudo apt-get install php5 libapache2-mod-php5
$ sudo apt-get install mysql-server

My www projects directory is located on an external NTFS drive. So, I had to make some changes in fstab to load my external drive with the correct permissions.
$ sudo umount /media/FreeAgent\ Drive/
$ sudo mkdir /media/FreeAgent\ Drive/
$ sudo blkid
/dev/sdf1: UUID="7ED05D74D05D341D" LABEL="FreeAgent Drive" TYPE="ntfs"
$ gksudo gedit /etc/fstab
Added to /etc/fstab
# Adds external drive with read/write permissions (\040 escapes space)
UUID=2020202020202020 /media/FreeAgent\040Drive ntfs defaults 0 0
Then:
$ sudo mount -a
$ sudo rm -R /var/www
$ sudo ln -s /media/FreeAgent\ Drive/Projects/www /var
$ sudo apache2ctl -k restart

I used to be a child, even to a child
Seldom ever seen by the larger of the race
They excluded me from everything and anything
Talked behind my back, and told me lies to my face

I’ll never understand it
How they seemed to take for granted
The innocence and Love that I had
And everything that made them mad
Made them want to treat me bad
But made me want to be a better dad

I used to be a child, then I grew up
Now I’m a screw-up
And I don’t like to do much
But if I don’t go through this phase
You know my mind’s going to waste
It just means that I can taste
The bitterness that’s filling this place

A bastard of hate and mistake
Others are caught in my wake
I can’t leave my life up to fate
I don’t want to have to wait
Everyone sees the warning signs
But no-one seems to act in time
It’s time that I made a stand
I’m now prepared to be a man

Now everything I’ve ever wanted is coming to life
I’m having a son with my beautiful wife
I don’t want to be what I constantly see
Greasy
Greedy
Feed me
Free me

But now I recognize the laws
Money talks and bullshit walks
So lick your lips and wipe your claws
The moral of the story is
Now listen close and live by this
I used to be a child, but now I’ve dropped my childish ways

Why am I special, Why am I sad
Isn’t it expected; Everything I do should be bad
Why am I special, Why am I real
Why should anyone give a fuck what I feel
Why am I special, Why should I regret
Meeting all the hate and resentment I’ve met

Why am I special, Why shouldn’t they degrade me
They bitch and they moan, but they can’t even face me
Why am I special, Why should I have spoke
When I’m not as important as a light and a smoke
Why am I special, Why am I the red herring
Why can’t I just jump like the rest of these lemmings

Why am I special, Why should I cry
I’ll just let them eat me alive, and then die
But I’m tired of explaining myself to the world
I’m about to break out with my new flag unfurled
It’ll stand for a justice and liberty of the mind
Regardless of any inconsistencies they may find

Because I’ve got a son and my lady to live for
And I won’t let that falter for some coward and his whore
And why should I have to listen to their shit
What… They’ll get mad… Throw me out.. Throw a fit
And why should I give the others a chance
Only thing between them and up my ass, is my pants

All of this hassle is making me sick
I’m about to break out, and they can all suck my dick
They’ll all miss out on the love I contain
And I’ll casually point to the wounds I’ve sustained
I don’t have to deal with their bullshit and lies
They won’t put me down, I’ll end up on the rise

Why am I special, Why shouldn’t I die
Because of my wife, and my kid, and the gleam in my eye

Deep beneath my taught, burned skin
I reek of evil, wretched sin
Beating is the morning sun
That knows the wicked truth within

I’d thoughts of Love, I’d thoughts of pride
Now only thoughts of suicide
Burning is the rising sun
That knows the secrets that I hide

Not a cloud that I can see
This star exposed your fantasy
Beating is the evening sun
That knows of harsh reality

Found a new soul to begin?
Wet your lips and dig on in
Beating is the setting sun
‘Til another woeful day’s begun

Little Tommy Littlefield
Who hides behind the cyan shield
Clings to fleshy walls inside
The symbol of his mother’s pride

Longer, longer, as it seems
On and on, the oil steams
“Is it over, is it done”
“Have I finally gained a son?”
Rambling on the father goes
Pacing through the lobby rows

Through the double doors we see
That underneath the canopy
Tommy surely did concede
Through the struggle he was freed
And as he slowly gained his sight
Tommy saw the silver light

My sphere withdrawing
From further winds, portraying the truth
But in truth, untrue and unknowing
A world within worlds
Ever changing
Ever confusing
Always contradictory

When and will the earth crack in half
And share it’s mysteries of mind-blowing proportion?
And at the final days
When one, many, or all of us
Must shed our misconceptions
And relieve the stubbornness
Which of us will keep the faith?

I turn the dial, fetch my log
Feed the kittens, feed the dog
Cast the work upon my chair
Deep inhale the morning air
Read the words I once had laid
Now awake, my silence paid

Off I go, Off I hike
O’er hill, past the dike
On my way to knowledge hall
Ever long, Ever tall

Find a place, A Poem Place
A smile breaks across my face
Is it true? I read of you?
Can I share my story too?
A Poem Place I found for me
I wish to be poetic as thee

Its cold and its dark
I have nothing to say
It seems to get harder with each passing day
Explosions and murder
Black crows in flight
My daily injection of bitter delight

Deeper into the corner I crawl
Harder and harder, the rain seems to fall
Never again, I think I shall see
The sparkling child that I used to be
My bruises have healed, but my vengeance is green
In two weeks, and four days, I’ll be only sixteen

]]> http://subone.org/blog/2010/09/wince-at-the-moon/feed/ 0 http://subone.org/blog/2010/09/the-mechanical-bird/ http://subone.org/blog/2010/09/the-mechanical-bird/#comments Sat, 25 Sep 2010 19:07:49 +0000 SubOne http://subone.org/blog/?p=203 I wrote this while thinking about my home on the shore and a new life I could have outside of it. Seems a bit “jazz poetry reading” in retrospect.

Dare I open the door to the masses of Velcro tourists
Seeking only to scorn the venomous Black Widows
That hide and feast in my innards?

In darkness, loud
Death merely hides
Behind fluffy white clouds
And bright blue skies

Trapped beneath the sands of my home land
Waiting for disease to set in for the night
Conjuring dirty words
To scare the creators of this strange facade
From entering my hobbit hole
Cold, tranquil, home

I’ve reached the limits of my vine grabbing radius
Sinking deeper into a seemingly endless, five mile eternity

Hope
My wounds don’t heal
But rather seal with infinite complexity
Leaving no scab or scar behind
Deeper wounds beneath
Waiting to be resurrected by weakness and insecurity
Lurk unseen by my now naked eye

All that I’ve lost and feared
Drains into what’s left of this ill fated world
As angels carry me upon their bosom
To uncharted lives of kings and gods
Life now surely mapped out for me
As happy as fairy tales end

But where, oh where, will the Black Widows sleep?

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