WD TV Live (2011) photos
The WD TV Live (2011) offers a solid combination of must-have streaming services and excellent USB and network file support, making it one of the best devices of its kind available for under $100.
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Following the success of the WD TV Live Hub, Western Digital has now introduced the diskless version in the new WD TV Live (2011). The new Live adds a couple more killer features, namely built-in Wi-Fi and support for the Spotify music-streaming service, to the already long list of services and file formats handled by its predecessors. And all for only $99--the same price as the Roku XS, the Apple TV, and the Logitech Revue (Google TV). It has one of the prettiest interfaces of all the streamers, even if it can be hard to use at times, but its main appeal over those other devices is its broad file support, an extra that should appeal mainly to people who make heavy use of downloaded video files. The only thing we wish for, aside from Amazon and Vudu support, is an App controller. The WD TV Live isn't yet the ultimate streaming device, but it comes pretty close. |
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| The WD TV Live features a front-mounted USB port for easy connection of external hard-drives and USB keys. |
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| Left to right: power, optical digital, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, second USB, and AV breakout. |
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| The remote is decently ergonomic, but the buttons are very spongy. |
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| Highlights include Netflix, Spotify, Facebook, Hulu Plus, and YouTube. |
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| The Spotify interface isn't as comprehensive as the desktop version. |
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