WD TV Play?

I am trying to figure out the differences between WD TV Live and the newly announced WD TV Play.  The only differnece I can see on-line is the lack of support for MPEG, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPG yet it claims to play most popular media file formats.  Any info to sort out whether spending the extra $20 is worth it for the WD TV Live.

sorry … wrong forum (please delete)

This Play unit was obviously created to fill in the line of players – the bottom end of the line – for price-sensitive people who still have not bought their first media player (and to compete with low-end Rokus, etc.) and most likely to sell by the thousands at Walmart-kind of places.  Nevertheless, we at the forum will be encouraged to help these newbies as well, and won’t that be fun!  Talk about network-challenged people; can’t wait till we meet this group!  :wink:

Seriously, this thing will not successfully compete with Roku for the simple fact that, unlike a Roku that only needs to connect to the router and TV, the Play unit, like with other WDTV players, must also connect to the home network, shared devices, etc. and most of us here know THAT is where the troubles begin for most WDTV users. 

After writing above, I  just googled this new unit – appears I was on Target with my assumptions.  (Yea, and Target –  another place we will likely see this player!)  Heavily discounted at these places, too.  Expect to see it priced at $50-60 when “on sale”.

See Consumer Reports article of yesterday, Feb. 13:   http://news.consumerreports.org/electronics/2013/02/wd-tv-play-a-simplified-70-streaming-player-that-has-roku-in-its-sights.html

Not for the serious user, (or serious discussion here,) for sure.

1 Like

so mike, it’s kinda like a WD Mini for a whole new generation ? :wink:

Yea, Joey, it’s sort of the “junior” model, the “stripped-down” model.  Also, the “kids’ room” model (actually, this has a somewhat redeeming value) and most especially, it’s the model for someone who wants a media player 'cause they heard they are cool, yet has no idea of what they are getting into.  (What’s a network. . .  is that same as the Internet?)

There is a place in the world for rock bottom end equipment, just not in my world.  At least not when it comes to media players, anyway.

Agree

mike27oct wrote:

This Play unit was obviously created to fill in the line of players – the bottom end of the line – for price-sensitive people who still have not bought their first media player (and to compete with low-end Rokus, etc.) and most likely to sell by the thousands at Walmart-kind of places.  Nevertheless, we at the forum will be encouraged to help these newbies as well, and won’t that be fun!  Talk about network-challenged people; can’t wait till we meet this group!  :wink:

 

Seriously, this thing will not successfully compete with Roku for the simple fact that, unlike a Roku that only needs to connect to the router and TV, the Play unit, like with other WDTV players, must also connect to the home network, shared devices, etc. and most of us here know THAT is where the troubles begin for most WDTV users. 

 

After writing above, I  just googled this new unit – appears I was on Target with my assumptions.  (Yea, and Target –  another place we will likely see this player!)  Heavily discounted at these places, too.  Expect to see it priced at $50-60 when “on sale”.

 

See Consumer Reports article of yesterday, Feb. 13:   http://news.consumerreports.org/electronics/2013/02/wd-tv-play-a-simplified-70-streaming-player-that-has-roku-in-its-sights.html

 

Not for the serious user, (or serious discussion here,) for sure.

I just bought a WD TV Play, and for most users that you seem to be so dismisive of, it will work exactly like a Roku … plug it into the TV and connect to WiFi router and start watching Netflix. The only reason I see it not competing successfully with Roku is that its still a few $$$ more than the base Roku models, and it doesn’t have Amazon Instant.

It isn’t a “must” for the Play to connect to a home network, and in fact it can’t connect to network shares, it only supports  DLNA.

The main functional difference seems to be the lack of MPEG, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPG and DTS support, and for me personally, I didn’t consider that to be worth the extra $30 for the Live vs the Play.

1 Like

Does it support bitstream DTS and DTS-HDMA to the receiver? Glad someone has got it so quick. :slight_smile:

Yes, it will passthrough DTS, DTS-HD and TrueHD.

It will just not downmix the audio.

@Bogus

    it will work exactly like a Roku

   The only reason I see it not competing successfully with Roku is that its still a few $$$ more than the base Roku models, and it doesn’t have Amazon Instant.

I believe the base Roku costs less; $49.

I have three generations of Roku set up and two Live Plus units hooked up to my system, so I am familiar with both devices.  I do not believe the Play works “exactly” like a Roku.  For one thing, the big “plus” for the Roku is the hundreds of Roku-specific streaming “channels” a Roku can tap into; many of them are “dreck”, but there are also plenty of good ones, too.  ANY of the WD units have only a few.  As for Amazon instant/prime, this feature gets requested LOTS of times on this forum.  It is a feature of the Roku.  It doesn’t interest me, (even on my Roku) because I have a streaming and disc rental Netflix account, but it does interest many other WD users.

Since you say it is not a “must” to use the networking feature of the Play (and a feature the Roku does not have) I think for someone with that point of view, they would be better off to have a Roku vs. a WD Play.  If the Play cannot connect to the network shares as you say, that missing feature for most of us here, is a big minus and would make it a “deal-breaker” for many people.

Apologies if you find my being dismissive of the WD Play tweaks your sensitivites.  Rest assured, I would be just as dismissive of the low end Roku players.   I (and many others) have no use today for a low-end media player or media streamer with limited features; no matter which one it would be.  And, the reason I have both Roku and WD players is because they are different enough (AND inexpensive enough) in what they do to be useful for me.  I have said often here:  If there was a media player that put the best of Roku and WD players into a single unit, I would be among the first to buy one.  But, as far as I know, there isn’t one yet.

Basically, I wrote my “review” of the Play to help people decide what player is best for their purposes, and not to “ding” any toy in particular.  The fact that you, as one of the “first adopters” of this new product, saw the comments after you just bought one is unfortunate, and I really do hope you enjoy using your new WD Play.  If you find it lacking in some features you decide you would really want to have, you know what to shop for next!   :wink:

1 Like

Wow, that is nice to know that for only $20 more I can get a WD TV Live and look down my nose at all of those tech challenged Neanderthals who mistakenly bought the Play.

1 Like

@mike27oct

Thanks for your reply, and pointing out the differences between Roku, WD Live and WD Play. I am gradually finding them out and I haven’t even actually got home with it to plug it in yet !!

Let me state where I am coming from … I’m looking for the cheapest way to hookup Netflix, with surround sound. Now since I have an older stereo receiver (~2005) that doesn’t have HDMI inputs/output, and my Panasonic TV outputs audio that goes through it in 2CH, I need the optical audio output. That rules out every current model of Roku. (I’m actually surprised that I haven’t seen more comments about my situation in reviews that I have read … I guess I’m just a cheapskate because I don’t want to replace an 8 year old receiver that is still perfectly functioning, despite its lack of HDMI)

Now maybe somewhere down the line I will find I was foolish to try and save $30 because I think I don’t need MPEG2/DTS etc, and it wasn’t clear from initial reviews that the Play doesn’t have the same networking capabilities of the Live … I guess I’ll have to wait and see.

@sigfreund

We are all entitled to our opinions; you to yours, and I to mine.

What’s there to say if the next media player WD (or anyone) would introduce to the masses costs even less than a Play,  and did one thing only :  it plays Netflix?  Would many people still call it a media player"?  Point being – how many features can be lopped out of a media player and it still be called a media player?

Not for a moment do I believe it cost WD less to make this new player than it does a Live Streaming.  It was introduced to meet a marketing objective of lower price to appeal to people who don’t want to spend the extra a Live Streaming does, and to reach completely different markets.  Who knows;  these two units could be exactly alike inside; except that some features on the chip inside are “turned off” on the lower price model.  This kind of design strategy happens all too frequently, and to me, it’s a scam…

The best way WD could have impressed me with a new gizmo would be to introduce a new model Live Streaming with needed new features; e.g. true gigabit connection, USB 3.0 ports and dual-band N wireless (2.4G and 5G).  These are features many people today could use and see a marked improvement with.  In addition, if this top-end “fantasy” model was introduced, they then could have lowered the price of the existing WD Live Streaming to what they have priced the Play at today!  Kind of similar to how Apple keeps the iPad Gen 2 in the lineup, even as they introduce new models.

The only people I am looking down my nose at is WD, for this new product of theirs. 

While I still have the soapbox, I will ask, when will WD ever get the firmware for the Live and Live Plus units to work right?  Time’s up fellas – let’s have it!  I wish they would get the basics right before moving forward with new products.

@Bogus

Thanks for the informative and reasonable reply.  Now, we know what you REALLY want to do.

I see your dilemma with the surround-sound issue.  There are other ways to skin a cat, though.  Let’s say you have spent $70 for this new toy; maybe even sales tax.  I have recently seen the Live Streaming for sale at reputable online sellers for as low as $89 w/free shipping and no tax.  That’s not too far from what you have paid.  Unfortunately, right now I can’t find that online price.  Best I can find today is $99 from bhphotovideo.com.

OK, so maybe not a new one right now, but how about a used one, or a used Live Plus?  I actually bought a used Live Plus for a really good price quite a few months ago at ebay; just to have a spare. A couple months after that, we got a new bedroom TV, and I hooked the extra Live Plus to the TV  Of course, buying used from ebay has its perils, but I bought mine not from a dealer, but from someone who said he had “only used it for Netflix” and he had all the original parts – and a photo in the ad to prove it.  Of course, knowing what all the original parts were can be found out, even if one doesn’t already have a Live Plus or Streaming unit.  A little online homework gets the job done.  Especially, if one is going to connect the unit with other than the HDMI cable, the “other parts” included with the Plus unit are very important, and even proprietary to the specific device, like the composite video/audio cable; have to use this specific cable for either analog audio or video .  Component video cables were also included.  Optical cable not included.

Anyway, food for thought.

Received my WD MyPlay today! had it connected and Watching Netflix and Hula Plus is less than three minutes.  “SIMPLE IS AS SIMPLE DOES”  calling Cox in the moring and finally cancelling Cable, DVR and Phone and keeping the Internet.

LOVE IT!! cause that’s all that I needed :) 

Now I can watch Sponge Bob and Dora 24/7    LOL!!

mike27oct wrote:

This Play unit was obviously created to fill in the line of players – the bottom end of the line – for price-sensitive people who still have not bought their first media player (and to compete with low-end Rokus, etc.) and most likely to sell by the thousands at Walmart-kind of places.  Nevertheless, we at the forum will be encouraged to help these newbies as well, and won’t that be fun!  Talk about network-challenged people; can’t wait till we meet this group!  :wink:

 

Not for the serious user, (or serious discussion here,) for sure.

Don’t listen to those sensitive types, mike27oct. I’m with you, who needs those kind of people who would choose to buy a cheaper product. You are 100% correct, we don’t need to discuss it seriously and who needs to come here actively and be annoyed by their questions? I mean seriously - why would WD bring this upon us?

Can you imagine if you actually worked for WD and you were CALLED by these slime-buckets who don’t know what it is they just bought? Man - then you couldn’t escape all that annoyance. It’s tough enough we have to come here of our own freewill and actually SEE their dumb questions, right?

Well, we’ll help them as best we can but let’s make them feel inferior by making patently, unknowable blanket statements about their knowledge of networking or any computer-related skills for that matter, whaddya say?

I’m with you! Oh, by the way…uh-you’re welcome! (freeze frame… cue Nick Burns theme music.)

P.S. Don’t take offense. Just having some fun with your stereotypical, Nick Burns-like statements!

It’s strange if that’s the case. WD has refused so many requests of adding the feature of bit-streaming DTSHD for Live or any other model, they claim it is the license restriction (I still doubt why bitstream gets restricted by license). For the entry level, Play, WD now have the “license” to bitstream DTSHD? It’s really strange if that’s the case.

This excuse never made sense anyway considering other cheap(er) players offering this functionality. I really do hope, WD gets their act together though, and the gen4 LIVE will have the new Sigma chip capable of supporting XBMC.

OK, so I’ve now plugged it in and given it a quick spin and on first impressions, it satisfiys the primary objective of being the most economical “set top box” that can play Netflix and has TOSLink (digital optical audio) output.

I did have some problems with using DLNA to access files on my computer, but I’m not sure it that is the fault of the WD Play, or user error. (Was the first time I’m trying to set up DLNA, and in Windows Media Player that I’ve always tried to avoid using … I’m old school, I like to put files in directories of my choosing and then playing from there. Using “My” folders, and “Libraries” isn’t something that I have done … maybe thats the problem)

And even if its not my own incompetance and the DLNA is completly borked in this device, its not a huge deal for me as I’m OK with copying files to a USB device, plugging it into the WD Play, and playing it from there - which seems to work quite well.

mrvander >>>>  P.S. Don’t take offense. Just having some fun with your stereotypical, Nick Burns-like statements!

Nick Burns?  Had to check wikipedia for that one – oh, SNL, eh.  Got it!   I’ll have to catch him some late Sat night if he’s still a character there.  Basically, never watch the show anymore (although Tina Fey as Sarah Palin was priceless!)  but if Nick is there, I will make it a point to watch.

Oh, and mrvander, I request you be the first to help the initial purchaser of a WDTV Play with any operational question they may have, so as to get the new Play forum off on the right foot.  I’d likely just tell 'em to call support anyway.  :wink: