Western Digital WD TV Review: Watch At Will |
INTRODUCTION:
Late last month, Western Digital Philippines launched the newest member of their multimedia family - the WD TV - Personal Edition.
The WD TV is a multimedia player that can play almost all types of media files from almost any kind of storage, whether a flash drive, external hard disk drive and even from a network storage. You can opt to connect via Ethernet cable or through WiFi and once you are connected, you can also stream videos from Facebook and YouTube as well as listen to your favorite music via Spotify.
UNBOXING:
Unboxing video
Retail package |
The retail package covers all the essentials, along with the unit, you have the remote control, two pieces AAA batteries, composite audio-video cable, AC adapter with replaceable plug, quick installation guide and warranty card.
DESIGN:
Top |
Bottom |
The WD TV is a small rectangular box made of plastic, it measures 125mm x 100mm x 30mm. The top has a matte finish, there is nothing here except for some markings. The bottom has four legs, which serves as spacers so that the heat can still come out from the nested holes whether you hook it up or just place on top of the shelf. The reset button can be found here as well.
Sides |
The front has the USB port at one end and the WD and WD TV marking beside the IR receiver at the other end. The back is the busiest part, it houses the DC input port, the optical output port, Ethernet port, HDMI port, another USB port and the AV output port. The two other sides have nothing on them.
PERFORMANCE and VERDICT:
Set-up |
Installation of the WD TV is quite easy and straight forward, connect the AC adapter to the unit and to your power outlet, then your HDMI cable to your TV and to the WD TV, as simple as that, but if you need more information, you can consult the installation guide for more graphical instructions.
Upon turning on, a start-up wizard will appear, it will ask you to select your language, connect to the internet via WiFi or through the Ethernet port, set your time zone and allows or not to share your usage statistics to Western Digital. Connecting through a WiFi is very simple, just select your network and enter the password (if any) using the supplied remote control.
The remote control sits comfortably in your hand, it has all the necessary buttons and alphanumeric keypad which you can use to input data on the screen. However, the buttons are protruding much which needs some amount of effort to press. Speaking of remote control, you can also download from the App Store or Play Store WD TV Remote Control app.
Interface |
To start using the WD TV, choose which service you want to use. Selecting videos, music or photos will direct you to your storage media, whether it is attached to the WD TV or through the local network, then select which file you want to play and you are done, just sit back and relax.
YouTube streaming |
The WD TV is not just a multimedia player, it is also a streaming device. There are lots of online services to choose from, such as YouTube, Spotify and even Facebook and Twitter. These services usually require you to input something like when you are searching for titles or updating your FB status, based on my experience, it requires some level of mastery in using the supplied remote control to do the inputting. So I suggest to be patience to avoid frustration or maybe you can swap the remote to a universal one or use a dedicated wireless keyboard.
It has no trouble playing any kind of content you threw at it, whether it is a video, photo or audio files, it can play them without any hiccups. I also test its Miracast capability and it works like a charm, you can mirror anything from the screen of your device to your TV without any problem, whether you are playing games or watching movies, it will be displayed on the TV seamlessly.
Overall, the WD TV is an awesome multimedia player and streaming device in one, it can play content from the connected storage, from your personal cloud storage and from the internet.
PROS:
Built-in WiFi
Can play almost any multimedia content
Miracast-enabled
Streaming capability
CONS:
No HDMI cable included
Cannot use for web browsing
It is now available nationwide through Western Digital's dealers/resellers/distributors for a retail price tag of Php4,890. To know more about the product you can visit their product page here.
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I can put my next TV series and movie marathons experience into the next level with it. Superb!
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