Ideally media server for iPad and Co.

Since here at Amzon already a number of excellent reviews for WD MBL are (many thanks to the authors), I shall confine myself to one aspect, which was not previously documented in detail so. I searched for a way to keep up with my tablet (iPad mini, 16 GByte) despite limited memory and without annoying Kopiererei via WiFi access to my photo and video collections to obtain.

This works fine: With WD Photos (for free) see on the iPad, the Photo folder on the network drive can, based on the thumbnails to select / view or play a sequence of photos as a slideshow with transition effects smoothly and without distortions individual photos - all without iTunes. For liquid stream (HD) video on the iPad I use the CineXPlayer (not free; a recommended app for video playback on the iPad, which I had previously installed). The player uses while the built-in Twonky server (UPnP) of MBL.

Installation is simple: one connects the MBL via the included GB Ethernet cable to the router (in my case an old 100Mbit / s WLAN Router with Internet access via USB / UMTS stick) and fetches from WD support the current desktop software on the PC (WD_Quick_View_Setup_for_Windows and MBL_Windows_Setup). It now connects the PC (with me an old Vaio netbook with fresh Windows 8) via Ethernet cable or wireless to the router, installed the desktop software and starts the MBL Setup and QuickView Setup program.

After restarting the PC, you can with My Book Live Dashboard to make (a Web UI for MBL) from the desktop diverse settings, the register MBL, start a diagnostic test, the MBL shut down (turn off) etc. I have in Network setting DHCP chosen. Under Mobile Access / Access Add / Get Code obtained via the Internet an activation key for the iPad access to the MBL.

You start next from your desktop My Book Live - Public release, which the public folder for images, videos, etc. of MBL are displayed in the Explorer window. If you want to copy his photo archive from an external USB 2.0 hard drive via laptop and router to the MBL, it takes just 30 minutes for example 10GByte (5000 Photos / 70 folders).

From the App Store to install WD Photos on the iPad (there is also available for Android). This app detects via WiFi the left hand on the same local network MBL drive and displays after entering the key (see above) stored there JPG images in a similar way to how iPhoto. So you can very comfortably browse through its library.

Finally, a few notes:

- When the MBL is no longer found by the dashboard, it could be because the router has assigned a new IP address via DHCP. Then just type in the address window of the Explorer, the new IP (can be found in the web interface of the router). After entering a fixed IP the UI responded extremely slow with me. The iPad apps will find the MBL even with changed IP address.

- You can also access the PC or iPad from the MBL without software installation by entering the IP address directly into the browser address field, eg [...]

- The MBL needs a little time to prepare the images for display on the iPad (recoding). Therefore it is better to transfer for testing is not equal to the whole archive; 5000 images need about 8 hours preparation. The original photos are preserved when transcoding on the MBL.

- WD Photos can only handle jpg-coded pictures and supports a maximum of 5000 folders on the MBL. Photos are displayed in a form adapted to the iPad resolution, but what you first noticed the pure zooming. If you tap on the HD button, the selected photo optional resolution (original Resolution?) Is streamed to the iPad. In the slide show, the photos are automatically rendered with the custom of the frame (sufficiently high) resolution.

- The transcoded pictures take up space on the iPad (in WD Photos silo; a photo on the MBL occupies approximately 150kByte on the iPad). All photos already considered but are thus also offline in good resolution and relatively low memory requirements available.

- The MBL is when not in use in low-power mode (blue LED) and instantly wakes up again if, for example with the iPad is accessing it.

- If I do not want to use the MBL a long time, I switch it off (via dashboard / Shutdown). It automatically switches on as soon as I turn on the power using a power strip again. The boot process takes only 3min; after that I regain access to my photos and videos.

On my MBL 2TB firmware version running from 10.10.2012 02:32:06. The other programs I downloaded to date (7.12.2012) from the net. I am very satisfied with the device. It confirmed me in my decision not to pay the exorbitant charge for a larger internal memory on the iPad.