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Western Digital WD Live TV

Western Digital WD Live TV
  • Manufacturer: Western Digital (http://www.westerndigital.com)
  • Pros: Great user interface and simple remote; wide range of audio and video codecs supported including AAC and H.264
  • Cons: Limited internet media options; no built-in storage; no iTunes DRM support
  • Price: £109.99
  • Star rating: 5

Western Digital’s been making media adaptors for a little while now and this is one of its most accomplished yet. It shares its curvy case design with its sibling MyBook hard drive and comes with a good range of connection options, including an HDMI output, combined component video output, digital optical output, a combined analogue audio output, a single USB 2.0 port for connection to an external hard drive, and a side-mounted USB 2.0 port for plugging in the optional wireless dongle.

Plug it into your home network via the Ethernet port and the WD TV Live automatically recognises it, giving you easy access to media files you’ve shared on your Mac. Out of the box, WD Live TV supports a wide range of audio and video codecs, including iTunes-friendly ones such as AAC, MPEG4 and H.264, but again you won’t be able to view or listen to any DRM-enabled content downloaded from the iTunes Store.

Like many of the other media adaptors here, the WD Live TV also gives you access to a range of online media content, although its offering is a lot more limited than the others: just YouTube, Live 365, Flickr and Pandora (which doesn’t work outside the US). Having said that, they’re easy to access and the menu system responds quickly — which is more than can be said about rivals like the Viewsonic VMP74.

Let’s take a closer look at the menu system. It’s lovely. Really. It’s beautiful to look at, easy to use and responsive. Team that with the compact and simple remote and you’re pretty close to digital home nirvana. Another bonus is that the WD Live TV actually plays a miniaturised version of the movie in a side window when you go to select it, helping to ensure you’re about to view the right one. It’s all brilliantly done.

So is there anything we can criticise the WD Live TV for? Not really. Some built-in storage would have completed this rosy picture. But if you’re looking for a media adaptor that plays nicely with your Mac, is simple to use and nice to look at into the bargain, you really can’t go far wrong.

This product is part of our Apple TV alternatives group test group product review. Other products in this group are:

 

Freecom Network Media Center

  • Star rating: 3

 

Iomega ScreenPlay Director HD

  • Star rating: 3

 

LaCie LaCinema Classic HD

  • Editors ChoiceStar rating: 5

 

Seagate FreeAgent Theater+

  • Star rating: 3

 

Viewsonic VMP74

  • Star rating: 3

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