...\pathtomovie\moviename.mkv ...\pathtomovie\moviename.xml ...\pathtomovie\moviename.metathumb ...\pathtomovie.moviename.backdrop

So, you have a folder named ".moviename.backdrop" in which you have the jpgs for the background. You can actually place any jpgs in there and they will show as background photos.

@Terra1226 said:

...\pathtomovie\moviename.mkv ...\pathtomovie\moviename.xml ...\pathtomovie\moviename.metathumb ...\pathtomovie.moviename.backdrop

So, you have a folder named ".moviename.backdrop" in which you have the jpgs for the background. You can actually place any jpgs in there and they will show as background photos.

Like I said. I have tried that, and it just doesn't work. Even the images that the WDTV has downloaded (by using the urls in the xml file) and stored in there aren't displayed by the WDTV anymore. If I put an image in that folder and put a relative path to it in the xml file it doesn't work.

I'm not sure using relative paths (and not an url to an image on tmdb) in the xml have ever worked. I have only tried it recently when the WDTV doesn't have a working api key anymore. But backdrops that used to work doesn't anymore.

If you can just save an image in the .backdrop folder and have a relative path to it in the xml, I would very much like to see the xml file to figure out if I'm doing anything wrong. Because I have tried it.

Has anyone foud a work around for this, the lack of artwork is sending my OCD into overdrive

Unrelated, but maybe someone can help out. I bought another WD Live player (eBay) and the unit is working OK, but when I try to update the firmware the player doesn't recognize it. I have 4 more WD players and never had this issue with any of them. I put the firmware in the root folder on the USB drive and turned on the "detect new firmware" on the player, but it just doesn't show. How can I fix this?

@emperorsin said:

Has anyone foud a work around for this, the lack of artwork is sending my OCD into overdrive

I've run into a dead end with WD being total pricks, unwilling to provide the file for the old metadata scraper so I could update it with the new API key. What I'm testing out right now are Firesticks and loading the Nova Video Player app on to them. It has a metadata scraper built in and because it is much newer technology it operates infinitely faster than my WDs do. I believe it will also play 4K content. Not sure what TVs you have but you may be able to download a video player app directly onto them instead of needing a firestick and then just read from library. The old WDs don't have the processing power of something 10-15 years newer so if you have a lot of movies and shows, this makes a massive difference. Let me know if you have any questions.

@emperorsin said:

Has anyone foud a work around for this, the lack of artwork is sending my OCD into overdrive

I gave up a while back. If I remember correctly I managed to get the metadata for the videos by running a python script on the computer. And all that stuff works fine. Except of course the backdrops which seems to not work at all.

It seems like some people in this thread can get it to work by simply moving jpgs into the backdrop folder. But they didn't provide any insight into what the xml file (with links to the images) telling the wdtv to show the images actually looks like. So I'm assuming they were mistaken.

@emperorsin said:

Has anyone foud a work around for this, the lack of artwork is sending my OCD into overdrive

Wait. Did you maybe not mean the backdrop (slideshow) images, but rather the movie posters? I got that to work also by running a python script on the computer.

The script is scraping imdb and/or tmdb and looking for metadata, posters and backdrop photos. Then it creates the xml file (with all the metadata) in the folder where the movie is so the wdtv can find it and show the info. The script also copies the poster image into the movie folder.

The only thing that doesn't work is the backdrop photos if I remember correctly. I haven't actually used any of this stuff in a few months, and my brain is made of teflon. But that's how I remember it at least.

Thank for all the replies, I will maybe look into getting another device as suggested. I Run it has a seperate device connected straight to the TV, not as a server connected to my PC.

@emperorsin said:

Thank for all the replies, I will maybe look into getting another device as suggested. I Run it has a seperate device connected straight to the TV, not as a server connected to my PC.

How do you have your video files stored?

They are in MKV format, I have them on an 8TB external HDD connected by USB to the WDlive.

Most of mine are MKV as well which isn't an issue. If you can create a network share to them (which I think you can through the WD) then you should be able to access them the same way as I do. I can tell you that the fire stick is infinitely faster for browsing the movies and has a search function as well as other functions the WD does not have. I haven't tried it but I do see some share options in the settings which may allow that hard drive to be seeb in your network.