WD reveals updated TV Live set-top box

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 06 Oct 2011 10:45 User comments (7)

Western Digital has introduced its updated TV Live set-top box today, this time adding support for Spotify.

For Spotify, premium subscribers can stream 15 million songs in 320 kbps quality.

The 802.11n Wi-Fi device also has streaming access to Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora, YouTube and many other channels. As in the past, the WD TV Live will play a wide variety of file formats, notably MKV, in full 1080p.

Additionally, WD has shown off their updated WD TV Live Hub, a similar set-top box that also includes 1TB of internal storage. The Hub will require ethernet, however.

Both boxes will also launch with a new "intuitive user interface."

Says WD:

WD incorporates Spotify's popular features in the new service, including the ability to create and manage Spotify playlists, share songs to Spotify friends, and see and subscribe to friends' playlists via their Spotify profiles. Users can also share tracks by sending songs directly to other Spotify users' inboxes. Spotify for WD TV Live and WD TV Live Hub delivers an exciting new way to enjoy and share music on the best sound system in your home.

The Live costs $99 and the Hub costs $199.

Tags: western digital Set-Top Box WD TV Live

<Intel's Core i7-2700K overclocked to 5GHz with just air cooling >Amazon to allow customers to remove "special offers" ads from new Kindles for a price

7 user comments

16.10.2011 23:31

xaznboitx

Send private message to this user

Senior Member

hello, build in wifi already geez

27.10.2011 08:39

buxtahuda

Send private message to this user

Member

Originally posted by xaznboitx:
hello, build in wifi already geez

VVV

Quote:
The 802.11n Wi-Fi device

Unless you mean you want this to also be an access point??

Edit: Oh, you meant for the media hub version. But you'd want ethernet for a media hub, wireless just doesn't push a solid enough stream for it to be connected to the whole network only through WiFi.

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 07 Oct 2011 @ 8:42

37.10.2011 09:08

flyingpen

Send private message to this user

Junior Member

I have the current version of WDTV Live Hub. I use it every single day and is the best device I've bought in... probably the last 5 years. It really is absolutely fantastic. The only thing I use more than my WDTV Live Hub box is my computers. Honestly, if you want one of these, and dont intend to use Spotify, look to getting one of the current models when their price drops. The only real thing with the current box (and I don't know if they fixed this) is that you 1. cannot rename files or folders and 2. Cannot create folders. So lets say you rip all your dvd movies to avi and then add them to the WDTV. But everything gets cluttered and you want to put them in a folder labeled "Movies" well then you have to go on your computer connect a usb drive create a folder called "Movies" on the usb drive, then connect the USB to the WDTV Live Hub and copy it over and place all the movies in it. It's not a HUGE deal. You just kinda have to think before hand how things will be set up.

47.10.2011 10:30

Interestx

Send private message to this user

Senior Member

flyingpen

I agree, the WD TV Live is a briliant little device.

I have 2 x 2tb drives hooked up with everything I want on them & a cable plug-in 500mbps networking connection for whatever I've missed on the PCs.
Yes loading up the HDDs is a bit of a pain but it's a pain you do once.

I really couldn't care less about wi-fi, it's just not needed.

Streaming both lossless audio codecs over HDMI would be a cherry on top (it already can do DolbyTruHD but not DTS HD MA) but that's about all I can think of & tbh I can't say it's a terrible exclusion 'only' having DTS & DTS ES via optical out.

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 07 Oct 2011 @ 10:32

58.10.2011 00:58

jemaric

Send private message to this user

Junior Member

i got 2 & loving them ,they need the wifi

68.10.2011 04:26

elbald90

Send private message to this user

Member

i love my wdtv live and recommend it to anyone who is considering getting one

79.10.2011 21:33

Satviewer2000

Send private message to this user

Newbie

At least they finally made a "real" remote control instead of that easy to lose tiny little remote on the original series.

Comments have been disabled for this article.

	Android 16 will launch sooner than expected (01 Nov 2024 6:45) Google announced that upcoming Android 16 will break the traditional once-a-year cycle of major Android launches. Next Android is poised to launch in Q2 of 2025, so Android 16 should ship before end of June, 2025.
	Winamp ends its "open source" project that wasn't really open source (20 Oct 2024 11:12) Less than a month after the legendary MP3 player Winamp made its source code public, the company has made a sudden U-turn and removed its code from distribution. 2 user comments
	Winamp released its source code - but didn't go open source (25 Sep 2024 12:38) The source code of Winamp has now been officially released. However, it hasn't become a pure open-source project, as its licensing terms prohibit the creation of new, different versions.
	Does your phone rattle? Here's why it happens (25 Aug 2024 8:30) When you shake your phone and hear a light rattle, clatter, or jingle, it's likely not broken. The culprit is probably the optical image stabilization (OIS) system in your phone's camera, meaning everything is functioning as it should. 2 user comments
	CEO of Messaging App Telegram Arrested in France (25 Aug 2024 7:12) French authorities have detained Pavel Durov, CEO of the messaging service Telegram, amidst an ongoing investigation to determine whether Telegram moderates its platform adequately. 1 user comment

	Guide: Is Your Wi-Fi Sluggish or Slow? Here's How to Fix Do you have problems with you Wi-Fi? Slow connection or is it cutting off constantly? This guide aims to remedy these problems. 1 user comment
	Guide: Phone battery drains quickly - how to fix (iPhone / Android) In this guide, we go through the most typical reasons for rapid battery drain with phones, and look at potential reasons or solutions.
	Does your phone rattle? Here's why it happens When you shake your phone and hear a light rattle, clatter, or jingle, it's likely not broken. The culprit is probably the optical image stabilization (OIS) system in your phone's camera, meaning everything is functioning as it should. 2 user comments
	What happens if you don't update Android? Sometimes it can be tempting to avoid updating to a new Android version. What happens if you decide to delay major updates to the OS?
	What IP rating for dust and water resistance means An IP classification (such as IP68) is given to mobile phones, Bluetooth speakers, and other devices, but what do these classifications mean? 1 user comment

WD reveals updated TV Live set-top box

7 user comments

Latest news

Reviews

Guides

News archive

Subscribe

Sections:

Follow us:

	Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra review - obstacle avoidance doesn't work as it should, otherwise almost perfect robot vacuum We put the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra through a very, very long review process. The $1800 mopping robot vacuum is almost perfect, but its obstacle avoidance was surprisingly bad, considering the price - and compared to its competitors.
	Sharge x OnePlus Pouch review: Beautiful power bank that supports SuperVOOC charging In our review, we take a look at Sharge's power bank that supports OnePlus SuperVOOC quick charging technology as well as standard USB PD charging. It has small design flaws, but despite those, the Pouch is very nice product. 1 user comment
	Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets Roomba Combo j7+ is the very first Roomba model to combine robot vacuum with mopping features. And Roomba Combo j7+ does all that with a very clever trick, which tackles the problem with mopping and carpets. But is it any good? We found out.