WD TV Live

Hardware storage company Western Digital seems to be shifting its focus from just making casual and professional HDD drives for various respects as it is now getting into the entertainment segment. It already has two products, both of which we have reviewed earlier; the WD TV HD which we really liked and the WD TV Mini for the not-so-demanding consumer. Speaking of demands, there has been but a growing need to hook up to the Internet and gain access to all kinds of media. Being a media device itself, the WD TV now has a new extension the WD TV Live. Let's see what all this has to offer over its siblings and the competition as well.

Bundle:

• HD Media Player
• Compact remote with batteries
• Composite AV cable
• Component AV cable
• AC adapter
• Quick Install Guide

The package should ideally include an HDMI cable as well as a RJ45 cable; especially given its price tag.Build and Design:

The WD TV Live features the same simple design seen with other versions of it like the WD TV HD and the WD TV mini. The difference in this model, with respect to its physical aspect, is the finish. Here, it is a matt finish as opposed to a glossy finish seen with its siblings. The size of the device remains the same as that of the WD TV HD.

The front of the player, in respect to its LED indicators, is identical to that of the WD TV HD. While one indicator denotes if the device is powered ON, the other denotes if a USB device is hooked up. There are no hardware buttons on the device and if, by chance, the player starts to act up, there is no other way than to pull the plug on it which also means damage to your drive connected. Like its siblings, this version too doesn't sport any internal memory nor does it have support for optical media. It's just a box that is capable of decoding media input and displaying it Full HD.

The WD TV Live has a good set of connectors at the rear. There is the power DC Adaptor port, a USB Port to which you can not only attach a drive but also a Wireless USB Adaptor. Then, there is the HDMI port followed by the Optical Out for high quality audio, an Ethernet port, Composite AV out and Component AV out both of the last being through 3.5mm ports.

There is one additional USB port provided on the left side of the device. This port too has the same functionality as that of the one behind. This let's one simultaneously connect to two drives and you can even transfer files between the two drives. Like, if you have a drive that is always hooked to the WD TV Player from a thumb drive, then you just use to drag media onto.

Having said that, the WD TV is a very simple looking device and its looks are pretty deceiving for it's capable of lots.

Remote:

The WD TV comes with a fully functional remote. It isn't very big, but is quite up to the job. There are navigation buttons along with playback, next/previous, and search and eject (safely remove drive) buttons as well.

The remote though small is easy to handle and works well within a range (open). The buttons of the remote are made of a hard rubber-like material and at times you need to hit a button twice.