Western Digital TV Live Plus Review

Earlier this month, I tested the Roku box.  I like it so much I now consider it the benchmark by which I test the other Internet TV boxes and applications in the market.  So, in this review of the WD TV Live Plus, I am going to compare and contrast it with the wonderful little Roku.

Out of the Box

Packaging and size is very similar.  The TV box and remote are very similar in size and shape.  Although the WD remote has more tiny buttons that are fashioned more like a traditional remote than Roku’s more slick and clean design.  Installation instructions are included but hook up is so simple I didn’t find them necessary like all the other reviews.

Connections

The WD has two 3.5mm mini plugs which have break out cables for standard composite (yellow) and analog audio (RCA red/white) for older TVs.  The other break out cable is for component video.   Also, digital optical output and HDM are onboard.  Unfortunately, it does not have Wi-Fi built in.  A LAN connection is required.   This little guy has two USB ports on the side.  Now most boxes have one USB onboard in most cases it doesn’t do anything.  The manual many times refers to it as “future use”.  Not the WD TV Live Plus, it actually makes use of both USB connectors.  Western Digital is known for storage devices.  In fact, you very well might be operating off a WD hard drive in the computer your on right now.  Because WD is in the storage business, this box can connect with an external hard drive or thumb drive.  But why?

Networking, Storage, & Media Center

If you are a bit of a geek like me, you are going to like the WD box.  If you aren’t a geek or perhaps a closet geek, you will still will like this box.  Why?  Because most of us have collected content on our computers over years of use.  Yet, in order to view this content, we have been bound to the computer in the past.  The WD box changes all that for many of us.  It allows one to play back pictures off a digital camera, play music, or view personal home movies or commercial flicks right onto the TV.  I know I know, this isn’t new to many of you but boy oh boy this device make it so easy and it plays almost everything!  Ready for some jargon?  It plays .mp3, .mp4, divix, xvid, .vob, .flac, .avi, .mpeg, .jpeg, .tiff, .gif, .mts, .aac, .asf, .dts, .qta, .wma, .wmv, etc.  i.e. it probably plays anything on your computer that will quote “play”. 

It makes playing this content as easy plugging a thumb drive into the side or adding it to your home network as a media hub.  As it turns out, this is the single biggest difference between this box and the little Roku.  +1 WD!

User Interface

The interface is clean and sleek but is bogged down in layers.  It reminds me of the Star Trek Turbolift.   

You can go up you can go down you can go left you can go right.  Which is fine but there are several layers in each direction and is probably going to be a bit intimidating to the average person.  I have to admit, it took me a little while to find where to launch Netflix.  For those of you who actually buy this box, Netflix is on “J” deck found in cargo bay #2.

Apps

The Internet apps are listed as “Internet Media” which can be found on “L” deck shuttle bay #1.  Seriously though, the apps are pretty standard and include: accuweather, blockbuster, flickr, live 365, Netflix, Pandora, and Youtube.  The Hulu Plus application says “Coming Soon” for this box which is very exciting  to me personally.  Between Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Media Center capabilities, and adding an over the air antenna for the local stations, I might just be able to disconnect DirecTV!

Issues

Once the box is connected to the Internet you have the option of upgrading the firmware easily.  However, it seems like I get a firmware upgrade notification every 2 days or so.  It takes about 5 minutes to download and install the firmware but is becoming time consuming and I don’t notice anything that really improves my experience.  In other words, it is annoying.

No wireless out of the box is going to be a real issue for some and the menus are a bit more advanced compared to the Roku.  In the last two weeks, I have lost audio twice which rebooting the box has fixed that issue.

Summary

If you require wireless connectivity and don’t need the media center capabilities, consider the Roku instead.  But, if you want media center, Netflix, and have a wired network already, this box really rocks and retails for $99!  http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=320

As always, thanks for reading the blog.  If you have any questions or comments, please leave them here I would love to hear from you.  Next up, AppleTV stay tuned…..