Manage updates with the Download AppWD TV Live (2011)
Manufacturer: Western Digital Corp. Part number: WDBHG70000NBK
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- 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.
Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Dell Home and Home Office |  | In stock Free Shipping on all Orders! | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 05/14/2013 |
 | | In stock | as of 05/14/2013 | |
 | | In stock | as of 05/14/2013 | |
 Great technology, Great advice, Great Price! | | In stock | as of 05/14/2013 | |
| TheNerds.net | | In stock | as of 05/14/2013 | |
| MacMall | | In stock | as of 05/14/2013 | |
 |  | In stock | as of 05/14/2013 | |
| Memory4Less.com | Not yet rated | In stock | as of 05/14/2013 | |
 | | In stock | as of 05/14/2013 | |
 Savings, Selection & Service since 1971 | | In stock | as of 05/14/2013 |
CNET editors' review
WD TV Live (2011) price range: $71.19 - $216.74
- Reviewed by: Ty Pendlebury
- Edited by: David Katzmaier
- Reviewed on: 10/06/2011
- Updated on:05/16/2012
The good: The WD TV Live features industry-leading format support and built-in Wi-Fi. Its broad selection of streaming services includes Spotify, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Vudu, and Pandora, among many others. The interface is friendly, and video and sound quality are as good as you'd expect.
The bad: The best streaming channels require paid subscriptions or pay-per-view fees. There's no support for Amazon Instant. The remote buttons are rubbery, and the onscreen keyboard is a pain to use. DLNA support is spotty, and the software still has a few bugs to iron out.
The bottom line: 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.
User reviews
-
-
WD products are generally better than this little dump!
by HueJJass on December 22, 2011
Pros: Seems to be capable of playing all files.
it's very small.
easy to connect.Cons: would freeze up daily, and would have to be reset often. Firmware updates seem to destroy the functionality. Would lose account (pandaora) information, which is a huge pain in the ass because you have to use the arrow keys to type in your info.
Summary: CNet seems to love WD, and generally I liked WD too. But this thing is a complete dump. Not only did I return this piece of trash, but after talking ...
Summary: CNet seems to love WD, and generally I liked WD too. But this thing is a complete dump. Not only did I return this piece of trash, but after talking with their understaffed, broken english, under trained, irresponsible support staff, I sold every penny of stock I had in the company. If your main responsibility is to talk to people, and you can't speak their language, you are hiring the wrong people WD!!! I used to be a huge fan of their products, but this encounter has completely killed my opinion of this company.
8 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
BUYER BEWARE!
by bhs506 on December 8, 2011
Pros: Amazing file format support! Compatible with Mac HFS drives, which is GREAT because I can take my Time Machine drive and just plug it in. You can see the device over wifi network as a networked drive so you can just drag and drop files.
Cons: CUSTOMER SUPPORT WORTHLESS. Access over my home network had to be setup several times. IF YOU PLUG TWO DEVICES INTO THE USB PORTS, they don't always both work. Slow for file transfers over wifi. HORRIBLE playback of highdef quick time files.
Summary: Completely worth it if you are a mac user and want to play all kinds of media formats and want the ease of a networked drive that you can share ...
Summary: Completely worth it if you are a mac user and want to play all kinds of media formats and want the ease of a networked drive that you can share media with.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
WDTV is Awesome!
by Athenon87 on October 27, 2011
Pros: *Supports almost every format (in other words, completely unrivaled format support)
*Subtitle switching support
*Audio track switching support
(The above two are not found on the Revue, the box that I replaced with the WDTV)
*Runs 1080 video like a champCons: *Sometimes the subtitles are a little messed up for shows with subtitles for more than one character simultaneously.
*Not a lot of different outputs
*You really need a keyboard for certain things
*The Netflix app is inferior to the one on the Revue (speciSummary: I watch a LOT of foreign shows that require me to activate subtitles and alternate audio tracks in MKV files. I initially bought the Revue and was extremely happy with ...
Summary: I watch a LOT of foreign shows that require me to activate subtitles and alternate audio tracks in MKV files. I initially bought the Revue and was extremely happy with it except for two fatal flaws: network streaming support was limited to DLNA only and it didn't support switching subtitle or audio tracks in MKV files (or any files for that matter). Before I returned it, I did some research and found that, from every corner of the net, the WDTV's name came up in relation to anime streaming over the network. I also noticed it had a dedicated button to switch subtitle and audio tracks. As such, I decided to buy the newest model of the WDTV (in my Best Buy it was located with the HDDs for some reason, even though the Revue and the other WDTV models were located with the TVs).
I just wanted to add that I think a lot of the user reviews here on CNet aren't actually referring to the WDTV Live 2011. There was a previous device under the exact same name (WDTV Live) and people get them confused very easily. Note, though, that I am referring specifically one released in October 2011 in my review.
Once I got it home and unboxed it, I was surprised that such a small box could support so many different formats. I have read several places that the WDTV will play more formats than any other streaming box out there. So far, I've not run across a file it couldn't play, and that seems to be the norm. That's more than I can say for the Revue, albeit a lot of it had to do with my DLNA servers.
The WDTV doesn't have as many features as Google TV, but if you need a solid streaming box that can play any file any way you want, this is the box for you. If you mostly just need streaming services like Netflix or Amazon and would enjoy your box being able to control your entire entertainment setup in a very cool way, then the Revue is definitely for you.
I subscribe to the former. I just need a box that will play any format I throw at it (via Samba!) any way I want it (along with Netflix or Crunchyroll occasionally). I really love the WDTV for this reason and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to buy a streaming box.
Note: I have 20mbps internet and a 1gbps router, cables, and network cards as well as a custom-built gaming computer streaming files. As such, your experience might be a bit slower on the streaming side of things. I also have not tried plugging in an external HDD or flash drive to play files off of it.
Updated on Oct 27, 20113 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Excellent Media Player if in Working Order
by dtrto on December 8, 2011
Pros: 1080 capability
Playing multiple file formats
Very good user interface
2 USB's, wireless/LAN connectivity
Multiple applications
Small
Very convenient subtitle button and well designed remote
Got it for around $88 at WD Web Store using WDCARES code.Cons: The first unit was a firmware update nightmare. Tried to exchange it but I was offered only a refurbished unit for my 7 days old one.
Needed to order a new unit and return the old, malfunctioning one and pay for shipping???Summary: After receiving my second unit watching movies and listening music from USB attached drive is nothing but pleasure.
Netflix works as good as on my old Roku or PS3.Summary: After receiving my second unit watching movies and listening music from USB attached drive is nothing but pleasure.
Netflix works as good as on my old Roku or PS3.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Was great!
by captcruzan on April 27, 2012
Pros: Played EVERYTHING very well. Easy setup and very small.
Cons: When it updated to most recent firmware it stopped working completely. Now it is in the mail and will not be replaced until I read that WD has gotten their collective $hit together. The toll free line for help is awful, they don't speak english.
Summary: This thing was awesome until it updated. Think about that for a moment.
Summary: This thing was awesome until it updated. Think about that for a moment.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Nice Product, but boy watch the firmware updates!
by 804s on April 24, 2012
Pros: Works wireless or wired. Will play pretty much any format. Prior to the last 2 firmware updates I would have rated as 4.
Cons: Wireless range is poor. The last 2 firmware updates have been disastrous. You want to ignore prompts to update firmware and check WD forums before applying. There is a 26 page thread on the WD forum about the things broken in the last update.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
FLAWLESS PERFORMANCE Mac OS Lion.. TwonkyMedia Server
by abacus01234 on October 23, 2011
Pros: Crisp fast interface....reasonbly priced..blows away my popcorn hour unit....finds the server immediately....Picture quality is superb.....
Cons: If they would include more 3rd party internet content apps like the ROKU...there wouldnt be a need for the ROKU anymore.....but thats the only thing missing from this unit...
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
WD TV Live vs. Roku Player(s)
by Zeek-the-Geek on October 13, 2011
Pros: - Best value product in it's category "Media Player"
- Works with USB keyboards.
- Wireless AND Gigabit port.
- Multiformat player (much better than Roku)
- More Service Providers than in Blu-ray players.
- Easily sees and connects to other network deviceCons: - GUI is hard for novices (Roku easier)
- Firmware updates from WD can be problematic.
- DLNA functionality could be better.
- Many less Service Providers than Roku offers.
- Occasional lock-ups requiring reboot.Summary: NOTE: I own the previous WD TV Live PLUS, and previous model Roku without wireless capability. I do not own the most recent models of these two products.
My spouse ...Summary: NOTE: I own the previous WD TV Live PLUS, and previous model Roku without wireless capability. I do not own the most recent models of these two products.
My spouse likes the Roku because of the friendly GUI. But i prefer the WD because it can do so much more than the Roku.
The WD unit was originally developed for streaming from your local network; Netflix capability came later. Roku was originally made for Netflix, but has been expanded with 200+ apps and Service Providers. They have both followed their origins. Roku has never offered their own application to do local network streaming, although they keep hinting.
There have been several Roku-based LAN streaming apps offered by third party developers (hobbists). I tried one which was very complicated to set up, it did not work. Another app was easy to set up but was way too slow to use, and had limited codecs. A third app was so complicated and invasive I didn't try it.
Best Summary:
Buy Roku if you are mostly interested in Netflix and other internet sourced media.
By WD if you want to easily connect to other LAN devices to listen and watch your own media. If you are tech-savy, this is a very fun unit.
Those of you that fall somewhere in between will have to study the two choices carefully, or buy BOTH!1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Like t a lot so far...
by RoadrunnerDeluxe on October 10, 2011
Pros: Beautiful, functional interface, stellar improvement over the old models
Supports more file types than any other player out there
Plays anything from network shares/media servers (unlike Roku)
It has Netflix, Pandora, Hulu plus, TuneIn, Youtube...I at leaCons: Really none so far
Summary: A major improvement over the older models. I will cut cable TV and will get my TV fix from Netflix and HuluPlus. It updated to the newest firmware automatically. There ...
Summary: A major improvement over the older models. I will cut cable TV and will get my TV fix from Netflix and HuluPlus. It updated to the newest firmware automatically. There is a lot of crying going on about the lack of Amazon streaming. Doesn't touch me so much, if you want it, look elsewhere. Also everybody whining about past issues with firmware on different devices take note: no issues.
Really, so far I love it.1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Slow and unresponsive. locks up in apps. Wife HATES it!
by txaggie01 on January 25, 2013
Pros: Streams? Eventually
Cons: Slow and unresponsive. Poor build quality of the remote. Buggy. Locks up on most apps. Wife HATES it compared to our Roku and PS3.
Summary: Slow and unresponsive (Seriously). Poor build quality of the remote. Buggy. Locks up on most apps. Poor channel options. Wife HATES it compared to our Roku2 XD and PS3.
Summary: Slow and unresponsive (Seriously). Poor build quality of the remote. Buggy. Locks up on most apps. Poor channel options. Wife HATES it compared to our Roku2 XD and PS3.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Western Digital Corp.
- Part number: WDBHG70000NBK
- Description: Wirelessly stream the latest movies, hit TV shows, Internet entertainment, and your personal media collection to the biggest screen in the house. With the WD TV Live streaming media player, you can enjoy it all in the comfort of your living room in Full-HD 1080p.
General
- Type of product Digital multimedia receiver
- Dimensions (WxDxH) 4.9 in x 3.9 in x 1.2 in
- Weight 6.7 oz
Network & Internet
- Connectivity Ethernet
- Functionality Digital audio playback,
Digital photo playback,
Digital video playback - Internet Streaming Services AccuWeather,
Blockbuster,
CinemaNow ,
Dailymotion,
Facebook ,
Flingo,
Hulu Plus ,
Live365 ,
Mediafly,
Netflix ,
Pandora ,
Picasa ,
Spotify,
tunein Radio,
YouTube Component features
- Supported Audio Standards MP3,
WAV,
PCM,
WMA,
AAC,
FLAC,
OGG - Supported Pictures Standard PNG,
TIFF,
JPG,
BMP,
GIF - Supported Video Standards AVI,
VOB,
MKV,
MPEG-1,
TS,
TP,
M2TS,
FLV - On-screen Menu Language Portuguese,
French,
English,
Spanish Connectors
- Optical Digital Output Yes
Audio System
- Output Mode Stereo
- Digital Audio Format Dolby Digital output,
DTS digital output
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x ( 4 pin USB Type A ) - Front,
1 x ( 4 pin USB Type A ) - Rear,
1 x - Rear,
1 x SPDIF output - Rear,
1 x ( RJ-45 ) - Rear,
1 x Composite video/audio output ( Mini-phone 3.5 mm ) - Rear Remote Control
- Type Remote control
- Technology Infrared
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included Video / audio cable
Power
- Type External
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Western Digital Corp. products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Western Digital Corp.
- Address:
20511 Lake Forest Drive, Lake Forest, CA 92630-7741
%20-%20Compare%20prices,%20reviews,%20user%20opinions%20-%20Shopper.com&srcUrl=http://shopper.cnet.com/digital-media-receivers/wd-tv-live-2011/4014-6739_9-35026900.html?%26info%3Dreview&x_breadcrumb=6449:6739&x_arw_bkts=MAD:first_impression){kind=small}