Best Buy (in-store only for now) just started selling the all-new WD TV Live 2 which is not even listed on WD’s website. This model adds built-in WI-FI and Gigabit wired networking. I’m trying to find out what if any other advantages or features this model offers over the current models. Does anyone know ?
WD TV Live 2 model: WDBHG70000NBK-HESN
UPC: 718037784410
BB SKU: 3558057 link
I could find nothing on it other than a few sites taking preorders. I guess all we can do is wait for an official announcement from WD. I am curious to see what improvements are made in this new model beyond hardware upgrades. I also hope they would mention an EOL date for the current generation of Live devices.
My local Best Buy store (Oxford Valley, PA) has 4 in stock. If you google / shopping the model number, you’ll find a few places that are selling (with stock). I just don’t understand why WD doesn’t include this model on their website.
… because for at least the last three releases of product, (the Live+, the Live Hub, and now this…) Best Buy has launched it before its official announcement.
They can’t keep things secret over there.
(Edit: I’ll head over to my local BB to see what they have. :) )
http://slickdeals.net/forums/showpost.php?s=d6cd3e89e51bdd50ccab78e723c1c257&p=43462434&postcount=13
great. this meanings that our live/live+ firmware updates are effectively dead.
Thanks for the pictures. Looks like they took pieces from the Hub interface. I see customized themes, queues, and tags being added. It’s a shame they didn’t move to a bluetooth remote so you could hide the player and not have it line of sight all the time.
Maybe they decided that they couldn’t fix many of the hardware issues of the Live +, and a new piece of hardware was needed.
Wonder if it will support multiple drives on USB hubs?
I just hooked mine up and so far it’s pretty cool, haven’t played with it much yet since I have to crash so I can work tonite but will report more on it tomorrow if anyone wants. As far as usb hubs, I’ll try one with a couple drives tomorrow but I have a wd mybookworld edition with 2 extra ext drives hooked to it and the new player recognizes them all. I was suprised to see it at BB since it’s not even listed on wd’s site yet. BB didn’t even have a shelf tag fir it yet.
Well, looks good. It looks like next firmware release for our wdtv live and live+ products becomes last one.
But after experience with multimedia wd tv products i will never buy it and never tell anybody who asked me to buy it.
Horrible support.
Horrible quality of firmware releases.
Horrible feedback to community.
This is my opinion about that part of wd products.
I think with the past few firmware updates that fixing one problem has caused another, or resurrected an old one.
It’d be nice to see:
Facility for more than two HDDs (or facility to use a USB hub)
DTS-MA pass-through (even if it’s ‘unofficial’)
A proper ‘source direct’ mode which passes video in both the same framerate _ AND _ resolution as the source.
BTW, how much is this selling for compared to the old model?
Steve W
Having looked again at those pics, I think it looks ugly, like an early '90s cable tv box. I don’t like the fact that the 2nd USB port is on the front rather than the side. I need to use both USB ports and having a cable sticking out of the front looks horrible.
The other thing I’ve noticed is that the box doesn’t call it the WDTV Live 2, just WDTV Live. All of the text on the side and back of the box look the same as on the ‘old’ model.
Steve W
I’ve owned a live plus for about 6 months and I really love it. I’ve seen a lot of people complain about it in these forums, but mine works flawlessly. I use it in my bedroom and it does everything I need, except for a few things. Can anyone confirm the actual differences between the this new one and the live plus? At the moment, I can only see the following differences, according to WD’s website:
$99.99 MSRP vs $129.99 MSRP
Gigabit ethernet vs standard 10/100
Built-in WiFi
The only features I was really hoping for are the following:
Full blu-ray ISO support, including menu’s (my Live Plus plays BR .iso’s perfect, just no menu support).
Support for 3D blu ray ISO’s.
Remote with programmable power and volume buttons so I can control my TV with it.
IP control (so you have have an iPhone / Android app control it)
Would anyone be able to confirm any of those features?
Also, it seems weird that they’re calling this the “live” and charging $99, when the “live plus” is $129.99. It makes it feel like this will be a more stripped-down model, don’t you think?
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=330
Looks like they were listening.
robneal81 wrote:
I’ve owned a live plus for about 6 months and I really love it. I’ve seen a lot of people complain about it in these forums, but mine works flawlessly. I use it in my bedroom and it does everything I need, except for a few things. Can anyone confirm the actual differences between the this new one and the live plus? At the moment, I can only see the following differences, according to WD’s website:
$99.99 MSRP vs $129.99 MSRP
Gigabit ethernet vs standard 10/100
Built-in WiFi
The only features I was really hoping for are the following:
- Full blu-ray ISO support, including menu’s (my Live Plus plays BR .iso’s perfect, just no menu support).
- Support for 3D blu ray ISO’s.
- Remote with programmable power and volume buttons so I can control my TV with it.
- IP control (so you have have an iPhone / Android app control it)
Would anyone be able to confirm any of those features?
Also, it seems weird that they’re calling this the “live” and charging $99, when the “live plus” is $129.99. It makes it feel like this will be a more stripped-down model, don’t you think?
Have a look at the manual for it
The device looks great. Has anyone played around with one yet? Seems it may be worth it to me to pick one up to replace my Live Plus…
markinuk wrote:> * * *
Have a look at the manual for it
Thanx. Looks like they incorporated a lot of features people asked for. While there is nothing about USB hubs being supported, it does say that “one or more” USB drives can be used. Semantics…
Having read the manual and looked at some of the pics, I’m quite impressed.
It’s still galling that there appears to be no possiblity of using a USB hub - at least we could have had an extra USB port or two (or 3 or 4).
One or two nice touches - apparently you can set the lights to turn off on the front of the player. The subtitle colours function will be useful, too.
I still think it looks ugly, though. And having the second USB port in the front is crazy. Okay, maybe if 1 and 2 were in the back, then a 3rd in the front for quickly attaching the odd device.
Nonetheless, I think I’ll be getting one.
Steve W
Yup…
Other new features:
– It has AUTO-CONTENT SCRAPING for Music, TV Shows (from www.thetvdb.com)) and Movies. It can be disabled if desired.
– It IMPORTS user-provided XML for Movies and TVs (haven’t ever tried XML for audio, so I don’t know) into the MEDIA LIBRARY.
– Online services can be HIDDEN if you don’t or can’t use some of them
– Dolby Range Compression (haven’t tried it)
– HDMI CEC (my TV doesn’t support it.)
– NFS
Lots of goodies! :)
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