Considering buying a WD TV Live - a few questions

WD Legacy Products WD TV Live & Live Plus
1

Hi, I was hoping to get some input before I purchased a WD TV Live. I have a few requirements of the box and wondered if someone could help?

  1. a) Can if play my backed up DVDs (copys of the original in VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS) from my NAS drive (username & password protected SAMABA share)?

  2. b) Does it play the DVD the menus and all the features such as 5.1 audio, subtitles etc?

  3. Is the iPlayer intergration good?

  4. Is there any plans for future UK on demand services (such as 4oD, ITV Player, Channel 5)?

Many thanks, hope you can help.

Tom

2

  1.  Yes.

  2.  The WDTV Live doesn’t support iPlayer.

  3.  Doubtful.    The WDTV Live is very near end of development;  we’ve been told there might be ONE more firmware release, but no one knows when.

3

Hi TonyPh12345,

I thought I had read it incorrectly regarding the iPlayer support -  WDC Link

What product is replacing the WD TV Live?

Thanks

Tom

4

The replacement is the “Gen3” WDTV Live Streaming Media Player, which you linked to.

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=330

The WDTV Live Streaming Media Player is not the same beast as the WDTV Live or the WDTV Live Plus.

The Live and Live Plus have not been moved to “Legacy” yet, so they are still officially supported by WD.

What may or may not be coming for the SMP is separate from what may get added to any future Live/Live Plus firmwares (if any further ones are released).

5

Hi RoofingGuy,

So I guess the question I’m asking is; Is the Gen 3 the current standard hardware as I’m a little confused if it is being stopped in production? As I haven’t purchased anything yet, I just want to ensure that I get the latest product.

Thanks

Tom

6

Streaming Media Player WD TV Live why on earth did they take component off of this and leave composite? They would sell more it had component still. Not all of us have equipment with HDMI. 

7

Thanks everyone for your help and input. I think I will go for the Western Digital TV Live Streaming Media Player - WDBGXT0000NBK.

Thanks

8

Kamloops wrote:

Streaming Media Player WD TV Live why on earth did they take component off of this and leave composite? They would sell more it had component still. Not all of us have equipment with HDMI. 

They removed the “component” connection for the same reason others are doing it (like on my new model Roku), because it is a modern product for modern TVs.  They likely left “composite” for the same reason as Roku; because it it the basic hookip virtually every TV made for decades has, and as Ruku says in the user guide, “hook it up if you do not have an HDMI input, OR if you have run out of HDMI inputs on your TV.”  

(And to that, I would suggest adding an HDMI switch box to gain more inputs… Jeez, my TV has 4 HDMI inputs and I still needed to add a 5-port switch box; two are in use on it; three are unused – for now!)

HDMI is here to stay for a long time; each new version of the cable standard will be backward compatable ,as I believe there are plenty of unused connections in the current cables and ready for the next cable “upgrade”.

So, to a person who wants a WD that uses component connections: buy a Live Plus before all the new ones on the planet have been sold, or check out eBay where there are lots of used WDs for sale.  Or, “get modern” and get a TV with HDMI inputs.  The digital pictures and sound are so-o-o-o-o much better, too.