FreeAgent Theater and GoFlexTV

[Mistress]

Nothing more according to a chat with a dim Seagate bulb.

Whoopie.  Would it have killed them to write a what's new text in the ZIP? 

Seagate FreeAgent+ is by far the most frustrating support I have ever encountered. No exaggeration -- ever!

[prairiedog]

Is that right?  I thought others here have identified fixes (and maybe even new issues).

[Neel]

I registered just to get the answer to this question.

Could somebody point me to a doc that has the "change list" from v1.55 to 2.20. 

I bought a new FAT+ that came w/ v1.55 but I am reluctant to update to v.2.20 unless there are some compelling features and bug fixes. I read about the slideshow issue in 2.20.

TIA.

[bodhi78]

There is no document for bug fixes from 1.55 to 2.20, other than a brief description in the download page, that we (users) know off. We know that there was no new feature added, this is just a bug fixes FW release.

[Tinwable]

Ok, I can't give you an official list of what was fixed, but this is what was given to us beta testers as what was being worked on:

Password Security – When typing in your password for YouTube, the password is fully displayed.

Sceensaver ‘slideshow’ Netflix error – When the screen saver is set to slideshow, the slideshow will stop your movie after 5 minutes.

Netflix Movie Queue,  button functionality – When browsing your Queue, the  button should bring up movie information, but when you exit the information pop-up screen, a white burn-in is left where the screen was.

PlayOn: movies limited to 1 hr 4 min 54 sec – Movies longer than 1 hr 5 min end up being cut off.

Netflix activation via wireless adapter not working – Have to have wired connection to activate Netflix account

Pausing video may cause system to hang – Netflix or .avi files, when paused, may cause systems to hang.

*Edited to remove duplicate sentences.  

[bodhi78]

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Tinwable wrote:

Ok, I can't give you an official list of what was fixed, but this is what was given to us beta testers as what was being worked on:

Password Security – When typing in your password for YouTube, the password is fully displayed.

Sceensaver ‘slideshow’ Netflix error – When the screen saver is set to slideshow, the slideshow will stop your movie after 5 minutes.

Netflix Movie Queue,  button functionality – When browsing your Queue, the  button should bring up movie information, but when you exit the information pop-up screen, a white burn-in is left where the screen was.

PlayOn: movies limited to 1 hr 4 min 54 sec – Movies longer than 1 hr 5 min end up being cut off.

Netflix activation via wireless adapter not working – Have to have wired connection to activate Netflix account

Pausing video may cause system to hang – Netflix or .avi files, when paused, may cause systems to hang.

*Edited to remove duplicate sentences.  

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How disappointing!  no other fixes but Netflix-related and Youtube-related bugs. The bugs that have been "bugging" us were ignored then . No USB keyboard enhancement either. I don't know about others, but the only reason I had to upgrade to FW 1.55 is to be able to display network files in alphabetical order. Otherwise, with FW 1.45, I'll feel like unplugging and throwing it in the trash bin after taking a few minutes to search for a music file in the network share

Then the only worthwhile reason to upgrade to 2.20 for people who don't use Netflix with the FAT+ is the wild-open root login.

[Tinwable]

Yep, pretty disappointing, the reason that I participated in the beta testing is to try and get some of the issues resolved that have been unresolved.  I also, hoped that there might have been a way to convince the developers to open the firmware back up.

But to my disappointment, not even one developer thought it was important enough to participate in the beta forum.  That's one reason I'm moving over to WD, I know that the FW that they put out isn't perfect & they have problems too, but at least they seem to listen to their customers & they haven't locked their FW from being modded.

I really hate it too, because the FAT+ has so much potential to be a lot better than it is.  If Seagate would follow the path of WD they might have the same following as WD.  Unfortunately, with the decisions that they have made I don't see them being the the media player arena for very long.  They apparently don't understand that the FAT+ is a geek toy, (most normal people will just keep buying DVD & BD players) & geeks want to be able to make their toys better.  It's sort of like selling a guy a car & then telling him that you can't put new rims on it or do anything to make it look better.  Doesn't make a lot of sense.

[FLHTHEMI]

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Tinwable wrote:

Yep, pretty disappointing, the reason that I participated in the beta testing is to try and get some of the issues resolved that have been unresolved.  I also, hoped that there might have been a way to convince the developers to open the firmware back up.

But to my disappointment, not even one developer thought it was important enough to participate in the beta forum.  That's one reason I'm moving over to WD, I know that the FW that they put out isn't perfect & they have problems too, but at least they seem to listen to their customers & they haven't locked their FW from being modded.

I really hate it too, because the FAT+ has so much potential to be a lot better than it is.  If Seagate would follow the path of WD they might have the same following as WD.  Unfortunately, with the decisions that they have made I don't see them being the the media player arena for very long.  They apparently don't understand that the FAT+ is a geek toy, (most normal people will just keep buying DVD & BD players) & geeks want to be able to make their toys better.  It's sort of like selling a guy a car & then telling him that you can't put new rims on it or do anything to make it look better.  Doesn't make a lot of sense.

---

This was the first beta test of anything I had ever participated in. It was very disappointing. The lack of concern from Seagate in ANY aspect of the FAT+ or GoTV is sending me in another direction as well. I'm stuck between Logitech's device and the WD media hub. I really like the idea of being able to move the data to the box over the network.

I agree with everything you stated. Since they aren't supporting it they should just unlock it and let those who can mod it have at it. What's the point in locking it up when you have NOTHING to protect.

Well...I just have two door stops as soon as I figure out what I'm buying to replace them, cause I'm done with the FAT+.

BTW Alan: I really think you have given it your best shot. I know I appreciate your efforts. It's tough when you give a darn about the company you work for but their give a darn is busted.

[Tinwable]

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FLHTHEMI wrote:

This was the first beta test of anything I had ever participated in. It was very disappointing. The lack of concern from Seagate in ANY aspect of the FAT+ or GoTV is sending me in another direction as well. I'm stuck between Logitech's device and the WD media hub. I really like the idea of being able to move the data to the box over the network.

I agree with everything you stated. Since they aren't supporting it they should just unlock it and let those who can mod it have at it. What's the point in locking it up when you have NOTHING to protect.

Well...I just have two door stops as soon as I figure out what I'm buying to replace them, cause I'm done with the FAT+.

BTW Alan: I really think you have given it your best shot. I know I appreciate your efforts. It's tough when you give a darn about the company you work for but their give a darn is busted.

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Well, I would read some of the reviews by those that have purchased the LG Revue before you go down that road.  Seems like it may be a lot of buck for not much bang, it like the Boxee Box seem to have been put on the market long before it was ready.  The WD Hub has had pretty good reviews, & is much cheaper at around $80 (if you discount the fact that you are getting a $120 hard drive with it for the actual $200).  That & something else to consider is that the firmware is open on the Hub, I doubt that the same is the case with the LG.

[bodhi78]

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Tinwable wrote:

...

They apparently don't understand that the FAT+ is a geek toy, (most normal people will just keep buying DVD & BD players) & geeks want to be able to make their toys better.  It's sort of like selling a guy a car & then telling him that you can't put new rims on it or do anything to make it look better.  Doesn't make a lot of sense.

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I couldn't say it any better

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FLHTHEMI wrote:

BTW Alan: I really think you have given it your best shot. I know I appreciate your efforts. It's tough when you give a darn about the company you work for but their give a darn is busted.

---

Again! ditto . Thanks Alan

[prairiedog]

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Tinwable wrote:They apparently don't understand that the FAT+ is a geek toy, (most normal people will just keep buying DVD & BD players) & geeks want to be able to make their toys better.

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I have to disagree, the device is used by a variety of people.  While it may have been a geek toy (pre 1.55) I have turned on many people to this device because of the features it now has (both netflix and wide media support) that don't require you to be a geek to get it running.  These people know how to put things on their network, use usb drives quite a bit, and like the stand-alone product that isn't too hard to configure.

I am a geek at heart but the knowledge/skills required to use the mod are beyond these people I am talking about.  So, Tinwable, I would say it is too bad the FAT doesn't serve BOTH our needs at this point. I bought the device post 1.55, and it's worked perfectly for all I am asking of it - at a great price.  The recent sale at newegg reaffirms the interest people have in a device such as this.

What I do find disappointing is the lack of basic information on this device - it's why I updated the first sticky in the forum with more recent information (please mods keep things current!).  For issues, the knowledge we do have here is scattered and disjointed.  Sometimes you don't even know what to search for.  Tinwable, I hold you (and others) in high regard because of your dedication to helping people on all ends of the spectrum.  Yes, I am disappointed it is buggy.  However, for everything I want it works perfectly and for $60 each, my three allow my home to be media networked for the first time ever - and even my wife can use it (which is a HUGE win).

Anyway, I just wanted new people to this device to know that while it's not what it was, it's not a brick.  It does work great for specific things and beats other devices, such as the Roku, hands down IMO.

[Neel]

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Tinwable wrote:

Yep, pretty disappointing, the reason that I participated in the beta testing is to try and get some of the issues resolved that have been unresolved.  I also, hoped that there might have been a way to convince the developers to open the firmware back up.

But to my disappointment, not even one developer thought it was important enough to participate in the beta forum.  That's one reason I'm moving over to WD, I know that the FW that they put out isn't perfect & they have problems too, but at least they seem to listen to their customers & they haven't locked their FW from being modded.

I really hate it too, because the FAT+ has so much potential to be a lot better than it is.  If Seagate would follow the path of WD they might have the same following as WD.  Unfortunately, with the decisions that they have made I don't see them being the the media player arena for very long.  They apparently don't understand that the FAT+ is a geek toy, (most normal people will just keep buying DVD & BD players) & geeks want to be able to make their toys better.  It's sort of like selling a guy a car & then telling him that you can't put new rims on it or do anything to make it look better.  Doesn't make a lot of sense.

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VERY disappointing indeed. Thank you all for answering my question. I do not use Netflix. But I use slideshow quite a bit (I heard that 2.20 hangs while playing slideshow). 

Should I upgrade to 2.20?

Is it 100% confirmed that 2.20 (US version) always hangs in slideshow?

Even w/ 1.55 this THING hangs once in a while anyway. This has got some issues w/ playing mkv  files (no, not header compressed) w/ integrated idx/sub format subtitle track. Integrated subtitle is very finicky even w/ SRT track. The idx/sub track never plays. Using external idx/sub causes it to reboot - pretty annoying.

I hope they open the FW again soon enough. But it looks like there are some obstinate elements in Seagate's decision makers 

BTW, I own a couple of Dockstar and after playing w/ their lousy FW for a while, I hacked and started using debian (thanks Jeff for doing all the hard work) and debian is rock solid and extremely flexible on their HW platform. Just a note to the Seagate decision makers, the openness causes extra sales not the other way around.

[nivekau]

I can't understand why people are so upset with Seagate and the FAT+.  I have two FAT+ and am very happy with them and my family think they are brilliant.

If you want to experience real frustration, buy a Logitec Squeezebox Duet! (I have one of them too)

[Neel]

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nivekau wrote:

I can't understand why people are so upset with Seagate and the FAT+.  I have two FAT+ and am very happy with them and my family think they are brilliant.

If you want to experience real frustration, buy a Logitec Squeezebox Duet! (I have one of them too)

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Obviously you got at least some of us wrong. If I were so loathe to Seagate I would not buy 5 Seagate items (1 FAT+, 2 Dockstar, and 2 1.5TB Drives) within last couple of months.

Personally I am 'in love' with my hacked Dockstars. The FAT+ is an amazing device compared to  WDTV and others (like you said). 

Here we are just talking about less than expected improvements (aka bug fixes) in FW 2.20. Also introducing the Slideshow bug in 2.20 and decision to 'close' the FW since 1.55 adds a little bit of frustration. I guess we get frustrated easily with the ones we love/like 

[bodhi78]

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prairiedog wrote:

...

Yes, I am disappointed it is buggy.  However, for everything I want it works perfectly and for $60 each, my three allow my home to be media networked for the first time ever - and even my wife can use it (which is a HUGE win).

Anyway, I just wanted new people to this device to know that while it's not what it was, it's not a brick.  It does work great for specific things and beats other devices, such as the Roku, hands down IMO.

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I agree with most of what you've said, especially about pre-1.55 FW. It was the best media player in its class, with the MOD firmware. It does what it does very well for most people. That's why we are still using it because you can't find a media player out there this good for what it costs.

The thing that got people upset (myself included) was Seagate decision to close the FW without providing the capabilities that the MOD firmware does. For example, full network access for the USB HDD attached to the FAT+. This is provided by the new WD TV Hub device without modding.

Also note that the WD TV Hub supports Netflix, with open FW. So the only rationale that Seagate had for closing the FW is now proven to be just corporate BS If Western Digital can do that, why can't Seagate?