MBL Duo - Does it sleep?

[sovanbu]

I currently own a My Book Studio Edition II 6TB and my problem is I attempted to connect it to my router via USB. I understand it was not meant as  NAS and I have found several issues where it sleeps constantly and will sometimes not awake causing me to have to reboot my router.

With that being said I want to know if the MBL Duo will solve my issues.

1. Will this drive go to sleep if it is plugged into my router?
2. I understand iTunes Server feature doesn't work for videos currently....is that true? If it is I may just put the files on the drive and then Control drag the files to my iTunes on my laptop. If I want to homeshare I'll just have to make sure my laptop is on. The iTunes Server feature would make this unnesesary but I'm not sure if that bug has been fixed.
3. I seen some issues with Twonky? Idk what that is but if I'm only putting video on my drive will I have any issues with that?
4. Will the quality of videos being streamed be dimished due to some WD Software bug?

Thank you very much for whomever replies

[towers00]

Sovanbu,

  I believe the better way to go is through an ethernet connection directly connected to your router. But I wonder if it would be better to connect your MBSE II to an always ON machine that is wired to your network. I am testing a setup with a WD passport connected to a Mac Mini that will always be on and setting up my libraries on it (i.e. iPhoto library and iTunes library). 

  Regarding the questions you asked:

  1. I do not believe that the drive sleeps. At least for me because I am using TIme Machine (backing up every hour to the changes made). Having said that I do not about other setups where TM is not in the equation.

  2. There seems to be some problems with the server as you read the discussions on this forum. They seem to prefer Twonky over the DNLA. But I have not dared to put my iTunes library on MBLD as I read the issues related to video.

  3.  See #2.

  4.  I am not sure I will be using my MBLD outside a backup system as I am encountering some "bottle-neck" issues. So video quality is not something I have tested.

  I hope some of this helpful, but there are others more qualified on this forum to give you better answers. 

[sovanbu]

Thank you very much for the reply towers00. One thing that may help you out is that I'm pretty sure you can do a work around.

Let me tell you what I had done on my My Book Studio Edition II. I had put all my video files on it, roughly 1TB. Then selected all the files on the external drive in my Finder window, held the Control button, and dragged them to my iTunes library. What this does is only put the items metadata in iTunes, if you right click and Get Info the path name shows Volumes/MY-EXTERNAL-DRIVE-WHATEVER-YOU-NAMED-IT. You have to have your laptop open if you want to use Home Sharing. So whenever you want to play the video on your MacBook you just have to have access to the external drive. I'm going to goto a retailer tonight, buy a cheaper 1TB MBL, test this out, if it works return it, then return my Studio Edition II and buy a 6TB MBL. The reason my solution above didn't work for the Studio Edition II was because it would fall asleep and would have trouble awakening sometimes. If the MBL stays on then it should essentially solve my issue.

Again thanks for the reply towers00.

Anyone else have ideas?