detection of a network HDD by Twonky Server

[samos29]

Hi,

before asking my question, here is my situation :
- I have a WD-TV live ditecly connected on my HI-FI system. A HDD is plugged on the WD-TV live (on the USB slot). This WD-TV live is connected to my Network Router with a RJ45 cable.
- On my PC, the WD HDD is connected as a network drive, throw le WD-TV. So I can see and manipulate (add, play, delete,...) all the files directly on my PC.

My objective is to use my google phone as a remote to play those files on my HI-FI system.

In Twonky Server, when I add directories placed on the PC (or on a HDD directly connected on the PC), all works great. But when I add the HDD connected on the WD-TV, nothing happens : there are no files in the librairy.

So, here are my questions :
- is it impossible to make it work ?
- if it's possible, my have I to do ? what's the problem ?

Thank you very much for your answer.

[parnott]

Are you running Twonky as a service or in a user session (i.e. started when you login)?

If you are running Twonky as a service then it knows nothing about mapped drives. Mapped drives only exist in the context of a user session.

[samos29]

Thank you form your answer Parnott,

How can I use it in a user session context ?

If you could give me links about that, it would be terrific


Thank you

[PeeBee]

Try linking to the HDD on the Sharing page by its network address but make sure you use the IP address in the Content Locations box not the domain i.e. use \\192.168.2.123\my_hdd instead of \\wd_TV_network_name\my_hdd - that works for me.

The IP address will be that for your WD TV Live and the HDD should appear as a share to it. A HDD attached to my NAS appears as \\<<ip-address-of-nas>>\usb_disk1

PB

[parnott]

You could try what PeeBee says, but now that I think about it a bit more I think you are going about things the wrong way.

Here is what will happen-
1) Twonky running on your PC will catalog the media on the disk attached to the WDTV (assuming you can get this to work)
2) Google phone will browse the network for Digital Media Servers (e.g. Twonky) and Digital Media Renderers (e.g. WDTV)
3) On your Google phone you choose a file found on Twonky (running on your PC, but the file is actually on a disk connected to the WDTV) to push to the WDTV and play it.
4) The WDTV will ask Twonky (on your PC) to start streaming the file. Twonky (on your PC) will start reading the file from the HDD attached to the WDTV then turn around and stream the file back to the WDTV so it can play the file. Not very efficient.

I think you need to attach the HDD to your PC. Eliminates issues trying to scan and catalog network drives, eliminates the unnecessary round trips when playing a file (i.e. WDTV->PC->WDTV->PC->WDTV), also a lot less stress on the WDTV.

[Briain]

EDIT You do not need to do the below in a WD TV Live Hub box as the USB drive appears automatically; see a four posts down from this one:

Bri
------

Hi

If you look at the Twonky configuration web page by entering the below into your browser

http://your.wd.ip.address:9000/config

You will see a link to 'sharing'. Click on that and you will see where you can set the paths to the media. The problem is that when you click the 'browse' button, the top level (ie where you can start browsing from) is the media folder on the internal drive. You can change where Twonky's 'start' directory is defined and by opening it up to the entire WD box, this will permit you to set a path to the USB drive (and another to restore the path to it's internal media folder).

If you first type the below into your web browser:

http://your.wd.ip.address:9000/rpc/get_all (note the underscore between get and all)

It will return a page of settings, and one of these is contentbase= (I forget what the WD box is set to, but the name after the = is the top level folder on the WD box where it starts from when you click 'browse' in Twonky config sharing).

Take a note of that folder name so you can put it back to normal if required. Then set it to =/ (there's a link at the bottom of this post where you can find out how to do this) then restart Twonky, and when you now hit the browse button, you should be able to see a lis of folders (including the one noted above). You can then set one path to that original folder (to pick up stuff on the WD box as before) and you should hopefully be able to browse the second path to the attached USB drive (might take some hunting until you find the correct folder). There will likely be a lot of directories visible when you click browse (including the Linux files) but hopefully you should be able to find the one where the USB drive has been mounted.

Do remember to set these two media paths (as described above) after changing the contentbase location or Twonky will end up scanning all the system files as well as the media!

I've typed info on how to set this parameter (on a ReadyNAS) here

I'll be able to check this for you (and let you know if I can see the USB, and if so, where it is) but all my USB drives are off-site at the moment, so it will likely not be until much later today..

Bri

[samos29]

Thank you for all your answers.
@parnott : your solution looks more efficient. But all my medias (music, films and photos) are on my HDD plugged on my phone. I just want use my phone as remote controller for the music. For my videos and photos, i use the WD-TV remote diretcly on my TV. So, when I watch a film, my PC (where Twonky server is installed), can be off.

@peebee : I'll try it tonight and tell you the result.


Thank you again for your answers.

[samos29]

Thank you Briain too (I wrote my message at the same time as you)

I'll try this too, even if it seems to be more complicated (I'm not an expert !)

Thnak you.

[Briain]

No worries

It's actually very quick and easy to do, but I'll try it here first, and assuming it works as expected on the WD box, I'll give you the actual folder names (that will make it a lot easier).

Bri

[Briain]

Hi

Further to to the above, the existing contentbase for the WD box is contentbase=/mediaitems and this does not need changed as it picks up the USB anyway (I've just tested it a few moments ago).

If you simply plug in your USB drive, then open the Twonky config page (http://your.wd.ip.address:9000/config) then click on the 'maintenance' link then select a rescan, it should pick your media up okay.

You can either just hit the rescan button (as above) and it will scan both internal and USB, or you can browse to the path you wish on the USB drive and set it to only see that. To do that, open the Twonky config page (again at http://your.wd.ip.address:9000/config) then click the 'Sharing' link then use the 'Browse' button and you'll see the USB drive will in the list. There are three paths shown as below:

/
USB2
Local

Selecting / will enable it to scan both, or selecting USB2 will scan the USB drive, or selecting Local will scan only its internal HDD. You can set more than one path and set it to point to a folder of your choice on each drive. I have different paths set to videos, pictures and music (with the media types defined against each path) as that helps separate them out (if you have album pictures in with your music, you don't want them appearing in the pictures menu).

Either way, it does work without changing the Twonky base path so please ignore my original post; all of that is not necessary on a WD Live TV Hub.

Bri

[parnott]

@samos29
Now I am totally confused.

First you say-

A HDD is plugged on the WD-TV live (on the USB slot).

Then you say-

But all my medias (music, films and photos) are on my HDD plugged on my phone.

So exactly what device is the HDD plugged into? Is it the WDTV Live, Gphone or do you move it around?

@Briain
Can't see anywhere the OP said they had a Live Hub.

[samos29]

[quote="parnott"]@samos29
Now I am totally confused.

First you say-
[quote]A HDD is plugged on the WD-TV live (on the USB slot).[/quote]

Then you say-
[quote]But all my medias (music, films and photos) are on my HDD plugged on my phone.[/quote]

So exactly what device is the HDD plugged into? Is it the WDTV Live, Gphone or do you move it around?
[/quote]


You're right : it's not clear !
The HDD is plugged on the WD-TV. My google phone will just be used as a remote controler. Of course, there are no HDD on my phone.
So I tried the Peebee's solution that looks easier (for me !) : putting the IP address of the WD-TV instead of its name : it works great now !

Thank you again.