Testing the WD TV Live network HD media player. Network media player WD TV Live Media player wd tv live

Butter won't spoil the porridge. Folk wisdom

Editorial gg I've been looking for media players for a long time Western Digital- famous manufacturer hard drives. The Live TV model, at first glance, did not promise any surprises. Well, there is support for Internet services (YouTube and Facebook are everywhere now), well, there is built-in Wi-Fi (good, but not a feat). Well, there is support for FullHD video (who would be surprised?) But in practice, the device turned out to be damn user-friendly and extremely pleasant to use.

Along with the TV Live model, the WD line of media players also includes the TV Live Plus and TV Live Hub players. The first of them differs from TV Live in design and lack of Wi-Fi (a wireless network is available only as an option, you need to buy a special USB accessory). The second is the same lack of Wi-Fi and built-in terabyte hard drive. Thus, TV Live can be safely called the optimal and most popular model among other WD media players.

WD TV Live Media Player Specifications (WDBGXT0000NBK)
Dimensions	125x100x30 mm
Weight	190 g
Interface	Ethernet, Wi-Fi b/g/n, USB 2.0 (2 pcs), HDMI, composite output, optical output
Video signal format	PAL
Video file formats	VI (Xvid, AVC, MPEG1/2/4), MPG/MPEG, VOB, MKV (h.264, x.264, AVC, MPEG1/2/4, VC-1), TS/TP/M2T (MPEG1/ 2/4, AVC, VC-1), MP4/MOV (MPEG4, h.264), M2TS, WMV9, FLV (h.264)
Image File Formats	JPEG, GIF, TIF/TIFF, BMP, PNG
Music file formats	MP3, WAV/PCM/LPCM, WMA, AAC, FLAC, MKA, AIF/AIFF, OGG, Dolby Digital, DTS
Playlist file formats	PLS, M3U, WPL
Subtitle file formats	SRT, ASS, SSA, SUB, SMI

Appearance

A small, neat box, slightly larger than a pocket-sized paperback book. The front panel has the first USB port and a sensor for the remote control. Well, of course, LED indicator work.

On the back there are elements designed for mounting the media player on the wall in both vertical and horizontal orientation. True, the question remains of how to use the remote control in this case. remote control, if the sensor for the remote control is aimed at the ceiling.

The rear panel has everything you need - an HDMI output, another USB, an optical output, a composite audio-video output (a corresponding cable is included in the package) and Ethernet. Although using such a device is much more pleasant if there is Wi-Fi (you can use an iPhone/iPad or Android smartphone/tablet for control).

The remote control is a little big for my liking. But it is very comfortable to hold in your hand thanks to the ergonomic design of its lower part.

Video review

The media player menu exceeds any expectations with its neat design, localized menu (there is no Ukrainian language, however) and a large number settings. You can change the background (and download new themes from the Internet). Manage the color, size, position of subtitles (and even adjust their synchronization with the video).

It is possible to enter parental passwords and program the remote control using its number keys to quickly navigate to certain menu sections or launch Internet services.

But the on-screen keyboard turned out to be not very convenient. To get to the punctuation marks, you need to switch the display page. There is no Cyrillic alphabet. But there is an option to install the WD TV Remote app from Google Play or App Store, then (provided there is a Wi-Fi connection, a smartphone or tablet will not work via Ethernet), the problem of entering text in any language immediately disappears.

As always, a significant part of the available web services is useless in our conditions. Traditionally, you can use Accuweather, Picasa, Flickr, Facebook (I never found the ability to write), vimeo and YouTube. By the way, YouTube has two options - regular and YouTube Leanback, designed to work with TVs. In this case, you can log in to your account without entering a password - the application will offer a code that you will need to enter on the page activate. After which you can return to the TV and use your saved channels and playlists.

The player has access to two online gaming services - Funspot and Playjam. The games there, of course, are simple (darts, Sudoku, chess), and can be used to entertain/occupy guests. Especially if there is no game console or (oh, horror) a computer or tablet.

Bottom line

Despite the fact that I did not expect any special miracles from the media player, it managed to leave the best impression. He coped with the main task of playing video with a bang, never once finding a video that he could not play. Within a month and a half of operation, the player received two firmware updates, which indicates the serious intentions of the manufacturer. Everything about it turned out to be well done and thought out to the smallest detail - from the ergonomics of the remote control and the ability to program it to the excellent menu design and a large number of settings for playing music, photos and videos. The last straw was an excellent application (at least for Android, but I don’t believe it works worse on the iPhone) WD TV Remote, which, if available, home network Wi-Fi makes controlling the player and entering text (the same passwords in services or searching on YouTube) much more comfortable. In the end, I had no choice but to crown WD TV Live with our highest award - Editors' Choice.

five reasons to buy WD TV Live

compact body dimensions
built-in Wi-Fi module b/g/n
ergonomically shaped programmable remote control
firmware regularly updated by the manufacturer
a special application for iOS and Android that makes it easier to work with the player and enter text

There is no doubt that WD TV, released almost a year ago, has significantly revitalized the market for media players that support high-definition video. It very successfully combines the “correct” processor, convenient shell, spectacular design and, most interestingly, low cost.

The only thing that disappointed us was the lack of network connection. This significantly complicated working with large media libraries, which are most conveniently stored on network drives or personal computers. Of course, since then enthusiasts have already solved this problem, but for the mass user this “upgrade” is not easy.

So the release of an updated version of the player with built-in network controller looks very interesting. Western Digital clearly wants to repeat the success of the first model, and the timing of the announcement was chosen well - just before the New Year holidays. Let's see if this works.

Scope of delivery

The player is packaged in a compact cardboard box, decorated in dark colors. The name of the model looks the most contrasting. So if you are looking for a device on the shelves in a store, you will find it quickly. Also on the packaging you can find several photographs, a brief description, and specifications. Localization is only partial. The size is also pleasing - only about 20x18x10 centimeters. Several of these will fit in a regular plastic bag at once :).

Let's see what's inside and whether the package is sufficient to start working with the device. The box contains: player, remote control, batteries for it (2xAAA), leaflet with brief description installation process, CD with full descriptions and programs, two audio-video cables, power supply (12 V 1.5 A), two sets of rubber feet.

Wiring comes in two options - composite video plus stereo audio and component video. Both cables on the player side use a four-pin minijack connector. Today this is a fairly common option. But you can’t buy them in any store.

On the CD the user can find pdf file With full version manuals on English(the Russian version can be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website), several samples of media files, a program for searching for a device on the network.

In general, we can say that the kit is quite sufficient. It’s a pity, of course, that there is no HDMI cable, but this is probably not worth demanding from a device positioned as “high quality and inexpensive.”

Appearance

Like its predecessor, the model we are considering today causes nothing but delight upon first acquaintance. It’s simply impossible to believe that a modern multi-format device with full support for HD video can fit in such a compact case. And the new model is even more interesting - among other things, it now has a network controller.

Actually, the case itself remains almost the same - plastic is used, the dimensions are 12.5x10x4 cm. Only now, instead of glossy black, it has become matte gray. Of course, this is more practical in terms of cleanliness and preservation of appearance.

The included rubber feet can be attached to one of two sides, which corresponds to the horizontal and vertical orientation of the player. On the front panel there is a small window with indicators of device status and USB activity (two stylish white LEDs), as well as an IR signal receiver from the remote control.

On the side (or top) side there is one USB port and a reset button. On the rear panel are all other connectors. Here you can find the power supply input, a second USB port, HDMI, optical digital audio output, network port, analog audio-video connectors.

Compared to WD TV in new version We added a component video output and, of course, a network port. Since space is very limited, this has led to the replacement of conventional audio-video “tulips” with minijacks. This is a little less convenient, but the main connection option today is HDMI, so the remark is not very significant.

The player is cooled passively - the grilles are located at the ends. In this sense, vertical installation is more effective. Consumption is very small, so overheating is only possible in the event of an extremely unsuccessful installation. In particular, the manufacturer does not recommend installing external hard disk. This solution also has an undeniable advantage in the form of completely absent noise, especially when working over a network.

Let us once again praise the remote control - compact, with a reasonable minimum of buttons, convenient and functional design. As with the media player body itself, this time matte plastic was used for the remote control, which significantly affected the appearance during operation. It is worth paying attention to the absence of any volume control from the remote control.

Internal structure

In terms of filling, the new model is similar to the first one - it again uses a platform based on the Sigma Designs media processor. But there are also differences: the main chip is now SMP8655, the memory volumes have increased noticeably (up to 512 MB RAM and 256 MB flash), a network chip has been added, and a separate HDMI output chip, on the contrary, has disappeared.

The main processor has a large heatsink. The remaining microcircuits do without cooling systems.

The player has one board, which ensures the reliability of the design. Except specified components You can also find a console output on it, which will allow you to modify the firmware.

The filling is housed in a metal casing, which ensures structural rigidity and “solidity” of the player, thanks to its relatively large weight. Well, in turn, all this is located in a plastic case consisting of two elements. If desired, it can be disassembled even without using a screwdriver.

Connection and settings

By and large, this entire section could be fit in one sentence - “connect the HDMI, network and power cables, turn on the player and start watching the video.” Indeed, in our case we can do without presets- HDMI immediately worked in 1080p mode, network card received an address via DHCP and the player found several DLNA servers on the test network. Nevertheless, let's go through the player interface settings pages.

There are seven groups of parameters in total. The first - “Audio and Video” - is used to set the operation of the outputs - the type and mode of video output is configured, support for DeepColor on HDMI is activated, the screen aspect ratio and audio output mode (stereo analog or digital) are selected. We note here the lack of support for auto-selection of frame rate depending on the type of source material, although 1080p24 itself is present in the parameters.

The next three groups relate to video, photo and music playback, respectively. For all types of files, you can select the playback sequence and the type of list of files and directories (thumbnails, list, preview). The player supports the use of external jpeg files for designing folder icons.

In addition, subtitles can be configured for videos - font size, outline type, automatic use if available. To view photos in slide show mode, select the interval and type of transition (one of seven options or random selection), as well as the zoom mode. For music files, the only additional option is to show the file name or song name.

Next comes “File Management”. In fact, this is not a settings page, but a built-in utility for copying and moving documents between network and local drives. It is also possible to delete files.

An obviously new item for this model is “ Network settings" We are talking about specifying network connection parameters. Supported manual mode setting IP addresses, as well as DHCP. Interestingly, the device can also be used with wireless networks, but for this you apparently need to connect a special USB adapter. The compatibility list on the website shows more than a dozen models, including 802.11n. Among those actually available in Russia, we note the D-Link DWA-140. You can remember five wireless networks and quickly switch between them. The modern WPA encryption standard is supported, so connecting the player in wireless network will not compromise security. Although, of course, it should be noted that for an HD player this option of integration into the network is not very interesting due to low (for the tasks under consideration) performance.

There are also options here that allow access to connected USB drives over the network, auto-connection of network resources, and resetting remembered network details (username and password). The network access speed is typical for this class of devices - about 5 MB/s for reading and 3 MB/s for writing (writing is also supported on NTFS). The device name can be overridden from the default "WDTVLIVE", but working group doesn't change.

The last page is dedicated to system settings. In particular, selecting the interface language (Russian is available, although the translation is sometimes incorrect or has errors), enabling file indexing (a function similar to WD TV, which allows you to work with information from tags, and not with folders, applies only to local drives, creates hidden folder on removable disks, requires availability free space), selecting a timeout for the screen saver, setting code page, reset all parameters, check for firmware updates and install them (the recently released 1.01.17 was used in the tests). Localization affected not only the menu - the player works correctly with Russian file names both locally and over the network, and tags are also read correctly. To access some updates from WD, you must register your device on the website. For WD TV Live, this can be done directly from the player interface. All you need to do is provide your name and email address.

So, we are done with the settings, you can start working with media files.

Working with multimedia

“Communication” with the player occurs through the menu using the remote control. Its design is quite pleasant and convenient - a “grid” version similar to its predecessor is used with a choice of items vertically and horizontally. We especially note good speed response without causing discomfort.

On FullHD devices the picture does not “ring” - clearly in the original version the design was oriented towards standard resolution or 720p. Although, of course, this does not affect the work with files and still looks very high quality.

The first selection consists of the "Video", "Photo", "Music" and "Settings" items, which were described above. After determining the content type (affects file filtering while viewing lists), you must select a source - local disks, network resources, media servers or Internet services (different for each type of content).

There are two USB 2.0 ports for connecting local drives. Working with USB hubs is not supported, which is not very convenient. But you can use several partitions on disks. File systems can be FAT/FAT32, NTFS, HFS+. When using disk indexing, it is advisable to use the corresponding button on the remote control to disable them.

There are no special presets for network resources. UPnP AV/DLNA servers are found automatically. The player works with WMP from Windows 7, TwonkyMedia and MediaTomb servers, as well as network drives with built-in DLNA service. The operating speed in this mode is very high - we were able to play back test files with a video bitrate of 52 Mbit/s and there was even room for fast forwarding. Of course, this is one of the positive features of the device in question.

To connect regular network folders (SMB/CIFS protocols) there is a built-in network browser. When accessing a resource, you are prompted for a username and password if necessary. This data is saved and does not need to be repeated later. In general, this option is not bad, although in the case large network perhaps it would be more convenient to have some list of selected resources for quick access. The speed of working with SMB is usually lower, but this time we were not able to accurately determine the limitation. As a rule, we check the speed of work with a regular PC under Windows control and network drives and the results are almost the same. But with the device in question, the numbers were very different, and the repeatability was poor - sometimes it was not possible to properly read a file with a video bitrate of 30 Mbit/s from a computer, but with a NAS, 50 Mbit/s video was shown well. As one test, we looked at a roughly 40GB m2ts file from the disk image without any issues. So just keep in mind that the network speed may be enough for remixes, but we cannot predict success.

Let's start, as usual, with the simplest thing - photographs. The device can work with jpeg, gif, tiff, bmp, png files. The image can be rotated and scaled while viewing. The orientation flag from exif is read and used correctly. There is also a mode for displaying brief information about the file - modification date, resolution, size. You can also change the repeat mode for the slide show on the fly. To set these options, use a special dedicated button on the remote control with the same name. Unfortunately, its action “interrupts” all other controls - if the “option” menu is visible on the screen, you must first remove it, even to stop playback.

Photo previews are visible only when working with local and network resources, as well as with a DLNA server. Indexing local disks allows you to use, in addition to “directory” navigation, also sorting by date (similarly for video files). There is a built-in library search system that works with indexed content.

The online photo viewing service is presented by flickr. When using it, you can select certain categories of files, such as the most interesting or recently published. But there are clearly some problems with the resolution of the pictures - they look very sad on a FullHD TV.

Let's move on to the music. According to the manufacturer, here we can use the formats mp3, wma, wav, aac, flac, mka, aiff, aac, ogg. In addition, you can decode DD and DTS directly in the player and output in stereo format. In general, all this was confirmed (we did not check some rare formats). Fans of high-quality sound will certainly enjoy working with flac. It’s a pity there aren’t enough developers for ape anymore. The audio output is also not very good - the maximum sampling rate of the decoded signal is 48 kHz, even if source file(e.g. wav format) was recorded at 96 or 192 kHz.

Tags are supported in mp3, wma and flac formats. Russian versions are visible in both Unicode and cp1251 (with the appropriate selection of the code page in the settings).

If your library is already boring, you can use the built-in clients for Live365 and Pandora services. They provide access to a huge number Internet radio stations. True, the first one works in “VIP” mode for only five days (to demonstrate the full range of capabilities), and the second one is available only in the United States (and requires registration). However, in the free version of Live365 you can find something interesting to listen to. And if this is not enough, purchase a VIP account (about $8 per month).

By the way, if you first turn on the music and then return to photo mode, you will get a slide show with musical accompaniment.

In addition to individual files, the player also works with playlists in pls and m3u formats, which may be useful for some users. Sorting for local disks occurs by album, artist, genre, date.

This player model, of course, is primarily intended for viewing modern high-definition video formats. However, it is also quite compatible with “regular” video and can display such familiar formats as mpeg, avi/divx/xvid and wmv. It’s a pity that the manufacturer has not yet established how to work with DVD-Video: neither folders nor disk images can be fully used - only file by file or only the main movie (and even then not always). Although switching audio tracks and subtitles works fine with them. To fully enjoy the picture, you should look for something with FullHD resolution in mkv, ts/m2ts, mp4 or mov containers. There are also no problems with codecs - all the capabilities of the chip from Sigma Designs are used. The player successfully decodes mpeg1/2/4, wmv9, h.264/avc and vc-1. In particular, you can view recordings from modern HD video cameras without any editing or processing.

While watching, you can use rewind - up to 16x (depending on the format) in both directions. Of course, the actual speed depends on the performance of the data source. Unfortunately, there is no quick navigation using timecode. Some compensation for this can be the automatic memorization of the position when playback is stopped. If you then select the same file, the player will offer to start from there or from the very beginning. One more in a fast way navigation is to use the buttons to go to the next/previous file while rewinding - they allow you to “jump” 10 minutes at once.

Files can have multiple subtitles and multiple audio tracks. Switching is only through the options menu. This, of course, is not very convenient. You can also try scaling the image by 1/8x, 1/4x, 1/2x, 1.1x, 1.2x, 2x, 4x, 8x.

The situation with HD audio tracks is ambiguous. From the test set of files, some versions played successfully, while others had no sound (although the player correctly detected the track format). So there is no clear answer about the applicability of the player in this case. Among the successful options, we note DTS HD output as DTS, full-fledged DD TrueHD, LPCM output with downmix in stereo.

Subtitles are supported both external (srt, ssa, smi/sami, idx/sub) and embedded in the video file (mkv with ssa or srt). When setting the player to Russian, you can use cp1251, Unicode and UTF8 to display text correctly. You can also have several language versions of external subtitles, differing in suffixes. External subtitles do not work when playing files through a media server.

In addition to files, the user can watch videos from the popular YouTube service. There is a choice based on popularity, rating and other criteria. A good move is the support for HD formats broadcast from this service. In this case, on TVs with large screens The videos don't look as bad as they do in standard definition.

Complete programs

Full versions of user manuals and various documentation are recorded on disk in pdf format. Unfortunately, Acrobat Reader not included. Although, of course, most likely everyone already has it installed.

Also on the disk there are several examples of media files - photos in jpeg, music in mp3 and video in mp4. Note that the videos and photographs are in FullHD resolution, so the user can immediately evaluate the capabilities of his new acquisition.

The disk shell is presented in the form interactive program, which links both to files on disk and to various network resources (for example, the Adobe website). There is also a WD Discovery utility that will help you find the player on the network and organize access to connected USB devices.

There are no programs for transcoding media files included. Apparently this time the manufacturer considers its product “omnivorous,” which was confirmed in our tests. Although, of course, several times we received a request for specific samples to recode the file for playback on the player.

Conclusions

The new model of the WD TV Live player turned out to be certainly successful. In addition to all the positive characteristics of its predecessor, it also received very fast network, allowing you to view almost any type of content from remote resources.

Some users will also find it useful to increase the HDMI output version, which has led to support (in at the moment partial) new HD audio track formats. Of course, to use them you will also need an appropriate receiver.

Unfortunately, in the pursuit of high-resolution video, the manufacturer forgot or did not have time to implement full support for the still popular DVD-Video today - the player cannot show the disc menu.

In our opinion, WD TV Live can successfully compete with numerous models of the NMT family today. First of all, it has a “polished” design, beautiful and comfortable user interface, very fast network connection. The price announced by the manufacturer at the beginning of sales was $149.99 (we are, of course, talking about the USA) today has already dropped to $119.99 and looks great. On the local market, unfortunately, it differs markedly from this figure. The current average retail price of this model in Moscow is $128() .

We thank the 2L agency for providing the player for testing.

gvrax 2 years ago

Yandex market

I've been using it since about 2012!)

Advantages: 1) Durability and reliability of the device! 2) Relevance - I still use it 3) UPDATE: I re-flashed it with modified firmware, now youtube works again :)

Disadvantages: No longer supported - outdated software on it (but can be treated by updating the firmware with installing plugs)

alexey chugunov 3 years ago

Yandex market

Great model, I use it all the time. Reads everything 95% of the time. I am 100% satisfied with the purchase and recommend it to everyone

Pros: compact, reads everything

Disadvantages: after turning off and then turning on the electricity, it turns on itself

Vasily K. 4 years ago

Yandex market

It's a shame they were discontinued - it's a successful model. But! I know where they still sell them! In the summer of 2016, I bought such a player in a store for 2,499 rubles. - This is the second such player in my home. The first one still works flawlessly.

Advantages: Small, universal, plays any files both from USB drives and over the network. The remote control is convenient, the button layout is intuitive. Soft light from the diode on the front panel (does not hit the eye). With alternative firmware it gets new features.

Disadvantages: The side USB socket broke - it physically broke off from the board.

noname 5 years ago

Yandex market

A few years ago I bought exactly the same device, but with a built-in 2 TB hard drive. It still works great, additional drives are easy to read.

Advantages: There is only one advantage: you can connect an external storage device to this device.

Disadvantages: The huge disadvantage is that, in this device there is no (judging by the description of the characteristics) built-in HDD!

Dimitry-188 6 years ago

Yandex market

Great device. An important point: if you simply press the red button on the remote control, the device goes to sleep, but in a very peculiar way: instead of 8 W (in “on mode”) it consumes 6 W. At the same time, it actively heats up and continues to keep WiFi turned on. But if you press the red button on the remote control and hold it down for 5 seconds, the device goes to sleep completely, does not heat up and does not consume extra energy.

Advantages: 1. Almost all files play perfectly “over the air”. 2. High quality made.

Disadvantages: 1. It was not immediately possible to get it to play files via DLNA from a file storage. 2. Connected to the TV via HDMI - the top of the picture is slightly “cropped”.

Andrey G. 6 years ago

Yandex market

I've been using it for over 4 years. During this time, there were a couple of inadequate and inexplicable failures in the summer heat (spontaneous shutdown, inability to turn on). I don’t use Internet services or connections. Only watching movies (files up to 4GB) from three 1TB disks (2.5", USB 2.0 and 3.0, without power), sometimes photos from vacation, sometimes music in MP3 on an active analog triphonic for $ 100. Overall it works perfectly as Swiss watches.

Advantages: quality of workmanship, pictures, sound. Reliability, ease of control

Disadvantages: for such a price tag there are simply none

N. Roman 6 years ago

Yandex market

An excellent box showing everything and everywhere. Works well with a properly configured media server

Advantages: Reads everything (1% failure in 3 years of use), connects to any TV, good video signal on all wires, simplest interface, excellent functionality.

Disadvantages: Sometimes it glitches inside the grid (perhaps it is configured incorrectly) and does not see everything that is shared. Not the best solution for viewing files larger than 20 gigs.

Evg B. 6 years ago

Yandex market

Super machine for your money. Good opportunity turn a somewhat outdated plasma model (like mine) into a real media center. Ideal for viewing downloaded rips. Viewing through this machine on a 40" plasma a whole MKV rip in size from 2 to 3 GB - the quality is acceptable/good, more good. Size from 4 to 6 GB. (720p) - the quality is very good. Rips AVI, in my opinion, is generally better than through a computer video card, with the exception of traditional soap in the dark areas of the frame. Recommended for purchase _______________________ Addition: after 3 years of use (quite intensive), there are glitches in playing movies (during movie 4). -5 times the image and sound are turned off for 2-3 seconds).

Pros: Plays all formats of video rips that I have. Sees a 2 TB hard drive. Great picture. For best quality must be connected via HDMI.

Disadvantages: 1. Out of about 600 films in MKV, only 2 films were not taken. The reason is unknown, possibly an outdated codec. But this is a funny flaw.2. Sound roads in AAS play worse than others (stutters every 10 seconds). Well, if you don't pay attention, it's unimportant. 3. If the hard drive connected to the media player contains a file that it does not read for one reason or another, then when you play back other files recorded on the hard drive and which it easily read before, the media player may not open them. It can be treated by disabling/enabling or deleting the unreadable file.

Guest 6 years ago

Yandex market

I wanted to exchange the box for an android - I bought a minix neo x7 - but this android is resting - I sold it a month later on Avito.

Advantages: everything that is available plays; if you turn it off, it continues from the same place. small and convenient, the remote control is what you need. knows how to play with VK - on alternative firmware.

Disadvantages: no wifi no ivi

Alexander p. 6 years ago

Yandex market

I connected the device to the network with a twisted pair cable, connected a 1TB disk without additional ones. nutrition. I mercilessly installed an alternative firmware (b-rad) on it on the first day of purchase. The first requirement was the presence of a torrent downloader; the firmware has rtorrent, but I didn’t like it and an additional transmission plugin was installed. After which the hardware began to download/distribute files itself, at the same time you can play these files with the player. BUT... sometimes the toy freezes... the only thing I could achieve was the firmware/plugin ratio, in which after a hard reboot the rocker resumes operation. IN given time distributes more than 100 video files. In general, we found a compromise with the device, although the hardware is apparently rather weak for full operation of the rocking chair. I am adding to the review on 11/15/2013, the player has been working as a torrent downloader/distributor since 02/18/2011, in addition to showing these films. I managed to give away approximately 35 TB, download 2 TB, and today I was sent to a well-deserved rest (read “to work as intended”) in connection with the acquisition of a NAS. Honor and praise to the manufacturer, durable piece of iron. Yes, by the way, I left the alternative firmware, downloaded a plugin for showing movies from external file storages, now simple TV series and all sorts of entertainment programs can be watched online without downloading.

Advantages: The undisputed leader in terms of price/quality. A serious electronics manufacturer - WD screws have never failed. I have read 99% of the available video files. Dimensions of the player itself and the remote control.

Disadvantages: Perhaps the lack of a volume control, although I read somewhere on the forum that you can plug in a plugin and the volume will appear.

In nature, there are many additions to the TV that can make life easier for the user. About five years ago there was not such variety as there is now - either standard DVD and Blu-Ray players were used, or HTPCs assembled by craftsmen ( Home Theater personal computer). Then Apple entered the market with its Apple TV, Chinese developers stepped up - and what we have is a bunch of “set-top boxes” with multimedia functions. Personally, I have a second-generation Apple TV at home; this device fits organically into my ecosystem; it costs reasonable money (about $100), but the hardware is very weak: the maximum supported resolution is 720p and there is not only no support for flash drives, but also no built-in memory. In short, a thing in itself - both about the experience of working with Apple TV and alternative firmware I'll probably tell you about it sometime.

Today we’ll talk about a product from Western Digital called TV Live Hub. Their devices that connect with TVs and other equipment caught my eye two years ago - but I was able to test only this device and only now.

The unit in question costs 7 thousand rubles, inside hard drive for 1 terabyte. At a price of hard drives of such a volume (3-4 thousand rubles) we get, so to speak, the cost of the rest of the iron - the same 3-4 thousand rubles. Let's see what's included, what the Live Hub can do (I'll call the device a player) - and try to figure out who needs such a thing.

Packaging and accessories

The colorful cardboard box is quite large, and it seems that there are a lot of different things inside. But no, about half the volume is occupied by the box with the player; in addition to it, the box contains a remote control and a power adapter, and a couple of booklets. Cables are not included in the package, which can be explained, but only partially - and we will deal with this later.

Appearance and ease of use

The player material is plastic, matte-rough on top and bottom, glossy on the rim. On the front there is an on/off button and a port for connecting USB devices; there is also a WD logo on the front panel, which lights up while the device is operating.

There is nothing on the sides, at the back there are all connectors for switching: power, optical output, HDMI output, a second USB port (also designed for connecting USB devices), composite and component outputs.

Now for the weird stuff. The first strange thing: there is not a single cable included in the package - not even the most common HDMI cable at the moment. The second strange thing: there isn’t even an Ethernet cable, not to mention a built-in Wi-Fi adapter (even though it can be connected to a USB port). Let this not be a surprise to you - you will have to buy everything at once, without putting it off until later. Moreover, there are considerable benefits from going online, more on that a little later. A list of devices compatible with the player can be found.

We turn everything on, the player starts, signals the presence of fresh firmware, updates, again a notification about new firmware(well, this is how it happens), after 10 minutes everything is ready, you can use it.

On the screen we see a colorful menu, you can move through it left and right by pressing the “down” button on the remote control, we get to the customizable “Favorites” menu, you can view newly added files, and so on.

Where do the files come from? WITH external devices(the player copies data from a flash drive or external hard disk to your built-in one, if you wish, you can simply watch the content) or over the network - you can either upload files to the player or point the player to a “shared” network folder. That is, WD Live Hub is kind of like that, and it can be part of your multimedia ecosystem, or it can aggregate all the data. In principle, a terabyte is a good amount of data; you can also use it as a network hard drive for a torrent client. It would be nice to be able to connect the player to the computer directly - but, alas, this is not possible.

As for the main menu, it is extremely simple to understand.

Settings– here, perhaps, there are the most opportunities. Setting up outputs, menu type, video, sound, photo, network, even remote control. I don’t see the point in considering everything - one way or another, you won’t get complete freedom of action. One interesting thing is the ability to connect Apple technology For remote control player and downloading (viewing) photos.

Photos– viewing photos, implemented averagely – the player scrolls through the pictures with effort, flipping through takes a couple of seconds (plus, you can see how the picture is drawn, and this is no good). You can start a slide show. You can view JPEG, GIF, TIF/TIFF, BMP, PNG formats.

Music– sorting by tags, supports MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC, FLAC, OGG.

Video– the main functionality of the device, in my understanding. I will immediately indicate the supported formats: AVI (Xvid, AVC, MPEG1/2/4), MPG/MPEG, VOB, MKV (h.264, x.264, AVC, MPEG1/2/4, VC-1), TS/TP /M2T (MPEG1/2/4, AVC, VC-1), MP4/MOV (MPEG4, h.264), M2TS, WMV9, FLV (h.264), in fact this means one thing - no matter what you try, everything plays , up to 1080p. There is rewinding, you need to get used to it, subtitles are supported.

Services– as many as 22 mini-applications for working with content. These include photographs - Flickr, Picasa, and videos - the same YouTube and Vimeo, and even the ability to order video on demand. There is support for Facebook and even Yota Music (you need a login and password, that is, you won’t be able to listen for free).

Games– a selection of simple games, there’s not even anything to tell here.

RSS– reading feeds, adding new ones is possible; the on-screen keyboard is used for this.

Files– view file system devices.

Conclusion

The WD TV Live Hub player costs, as I wrote at the beginning of the review, 7 thousand rubles. Let's summarize.

Pros:

Small and quiet device
Omnivorous
Fast work (except for viewing photos), fast hard drive
Ability to connect external USB devices
Good functionality(apps, games, RSS)
Intuitive interface
Availability file manager
Network access, connecting Apple equipment to work with the player

Cons:

No cables included
No Wi-Fi adapter(but can be connected to a USB port)
Not the most convenient file rewind
Large and not very convenient remote control
There is not enough ability to connect the player to the computer as a removable one hard drive

For me, the WD TV Live Hub turned out to be a device that did not make the best impression at first, but in the end the impression became positive. I can’t say that everything about it is perfect, but it’s a pleasure to use the device. Not bad for the money asked.

Stated characteristics

Supported Formats

Video - AVI (Xvid, AVC, MPEG1/2/4), MPG/MPEG, VOB, MKV (h.264, x.264, AVC, MPEG1/2/4, VC-1), TS/TP/M2T ( MPEG1/2/4, AVC, VC-1), MP4/MOV (MPEG4, h.264), M2TS, WMV9, FLV (h.264)
Photo - JPEG, GIF, TIF/TIFF, BMP, PNG
Audio - MP3, WAV/PCM/LPCM, WMA, AAC, FLAC, MKA, AIF/AIFF, OGG, Dolby Digital, DTS
Playlists - PLS, M3U, WPL
Subtitles - SRT, ASS, SSA, SUB, SMI

Other characteristics

Capacity: 1 TB
Interfaces: Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0, HDMI, Composite A/V, Component video, Optical audio
Dimensions (HxDxW): 32x198x154 mm
Weight: 0.55 kg

Ilya Tarakanov ()

Today we got our hands on a media player from Western Digital called WD TV Live. This product is a device for playing video, music, and viewing photos from a computer, removable media and from the Internet with the ability to connect both via Ethernet and Wi-Fi.

There is no point in talking about the packaging separately, since no special features were found in it. Its contents are much more interesting.

WD TV Live comes standard step by step instructions on connecting and setting up a media player (by the way, the instructions are made really clear, so people who are encountering such equipment for the first time will be spared hours of dullness and mental suffering in the style of “what to do with this”). The box also predictably contains the media player itself, an adapter for connecting to the mains, an AV cable and a remote control.

The first thing you should pay attention to is the absence of an HDMI cable in the kit, so if you plan to connect a media player through this interface, then make sure to purchase an HDMI cable in advance. This cannot be called a minus, since the inclusion of such a cable in the package would affect the price, and for people who already have HDMI cable, they obviously don’t want to overpay for what they already have.

Now about the remote control. Despite its not very modern appearance, it lies very comfortably in the hand, and the main navigation and control buttons are located quite thoughtfully.

Let's move on to the main thing, that is, to the player itself. The body is made of matte black plastic. In general, TV Live looks quite strict and technologically advanced and will fit perfectly into the interior next to the HD panel.

The bottom of the player is equipped with special grooves for mounting the device on the wall.

There is only one USB 2.0 port on the front panel for quick and convenient connection of a portable hard drive or other storage. The remaining ports are hidden on the rear panel. There is another USB 2.0, HDMI, AV, Ethernet port and optical audio output.

And now, actually, about how to use the media player. In our case, TV Live was connected to the TV via HDMI, and was used to connect to the Internet Wi-Fi router. If there is no Wi-Fi, then the obvious option is to connect via Ethernet.

So, when you connect the player to the TV and press the power button on the remote control, a language selection menu appears in front of us. The Russian language has been discovered, which means there should be no problems with mastering the interface. However, the interface itself is designed as clearly and clearly as possible, so even a child can understand it.

After this, the main menu of the player appears in front of us. All menus are as clear as possible and unified in their internal structure. For example, by selecting the Video section, a list of sources available for viewing appears on the screen, including removable storage, shared network folders, media servers located within the network, as well as interactive services on the Internet. The menus for music, images and other files are arranged similarly.

The Services section contains by default 15 services through which you can view and listen to various content. For example, YouTube service Videos opens a familiar catalog of video categories broken down by various parameters.

If you don’t want to watch anything, you can turn to gaming services and while away the time with one of the exciting toys.

Recently, it has become quite popular to turn your mobile gadgets into controls for other devices. A similar possibility is implemented here. If for one reason or another you don’t want to use a standard remote control, you can install a special WD TV Remote application, available for devices on iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play Store). The applications are free and can turn your smartphone and tablet into a full-fledged control panel. The only requirement for such a remote control to work is to be on the same local network.

Bottom line

WD TV Live can certainly find its place in any home. Thanks to the combination of the ability to play all popular video and audio formats both from local sources and from various resources and services on the Internet, this media player is an excellent home entertainment center. It’s not always possible to call watching movies and videos on a computer convenient and comfortable, but with a similar media player connected to a wide-screen TV, evening movie watching will become much more enjoyable.