Western Digital WD TV Live – Next Generation Streaming Media Player Review

Next-Generation WD TV Live Out of the Box

There is nothing really gaudy or snazzy about the box or the packaging that Western Digital uses to shield their WD TV Live. The WD TV Live doesnt come with a whole bunch of options to confuse and frustrate its users. Inside the box you get the WD TV Live player, a full-sized remote, batteries, standard-definition Audio/Video cables, and power supply.

We have mentioned already that when you examine the WD TV Live you will no doubt tell that it is a smaller version of the older WD TV. In fact, this current model is small enough that you can put it behind your wall mounted HDTV. The casing has holes on the bottom to do just that. Unfortunately, Western Digital didnt include a thin power brick so you might have some problem powering the WD TV Live if you have a HDTV mount that is flush against the wall.

The body of the WD TV Live doesnt have any buttons, but is smooth with a small window for IR control on the left. The LED indicator on the front is multifunction and gives a visual display for power.

There is one USB port on the front and when you turn the unit to the back you will find the second USB input. Traditionally, manufacturers have opted to put 3 USB ports on their set-top boxes, but because the WD TV Live has built-in wireless, there is no need to equip an extra port.

On the back, the WD TV Live gives the user what they need A second USB port, a HDMI 1.4 connector, Ethernet connection, S/PDIF Optical Output, and DC Power in. Even if you only have a standard-definition you can use the WD TV Live because the engineers have given the player the ability to output the audio and video over composite cable.

Unlike the older WD TV, the newest WD TV Live contains a full 37-button remote control. This is exactly the same remote control used in the WD TV Live Hub. To us, this is major step up from the original WD TV remote control and miles ahead of the Apple TV remote control.

Connecting the WD TV Live was easy: Plug the HDMI cable in to your HDTV; Then plug the WD TV Live hub into the wall for power. Done.

Just for comparison sake, we put the newest Western Digital media player next to the Apple TV to compare their relative sizes. As you can see, the Apple is still much smaller than that of the Western Digital unit.

Speaking of cable, be sure to have an HDMI cable on hand when you hook your WD TV Live up. It would have been nice for the Western Digital to supply a cable, but considering all we are getting for $99 MSRP, we will forgive them.