If you’ve read any of my other “reviews” (or “personal experience”) of gadgets, phones, and what not, you know that I above all things like uncomplicated stuff that works. Having used a number of so-called “Media Centers” and “Media Hubs”, both hardware and software, I was not entirely happy about going shopping for sometihng to replace the Netgear EVA9150 Digital Entertainer Elite. When I ran into the WD TV Live, it caught my interest mainly due to its size and the way the product was pitched. The idea is that this is a “streaming” or “management” device, without its own storage. Needless to say, it has support for network attached media (NAS) or a local USB hard disk, as well as Internet-based services. This is not a guarantee for anything, but it’s a step in the right direction. Pairing this unit with a Samsung S2 USB drive allows me to keep some serious media at the ready, as well as replacing that media when the kids aren’t around.
When I first noticed this product from Western Digital, I was also told a new version was on its way. So, I did some reading on the upcoming model and decided to wait. When it appeared on the Swedish market, I got myself a unit. This is an inexpensive, very capable, and affordable “media player” or “media center”. If you want to find out my opinion about it, keep on reading 🙂