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WD TV Live Hub Media Center

WD TV Live Hub Media Center
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Vendor: Western Digital WD Retail
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Product Reviews

WD TV Live Hub Media Center
42%
Excellent
29%
Very Good
18%
Average
4%
Below Average
7%
Poor
Rating: 7.91/10
Herbert
Rating:

Review Date: 08/23/13
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
1st, for these whom dont know. Theres an Android app as a remote (Unoffical ofc).Does what its supposed to do. Does NOT Support MKV files with Vorbis (.ogg) Audio. Most Anime encodes use this aswell as most television shows with 2channel audio. They do play, but you will get a "screech" or distortion every couple of seconds. They have but to place out a firmware update to repair and have not stated something about coming out with 1. -1 egg for this, as its stupid that they say it supports ogg and mkv, but not ogg in a mkv. As a person stated prior to, the gigabit does appear like a gimick. From my gigabit onboard nic to gigabit switch to the device, it only got 100mbit/sྪMB/s) max when my avg was far more like 50mbit/sƕMB/s). Which isnt bad, as the bottle neck is the two.5 spindle harddrive aswell as the modest CPU the device has.It also appears to consider that all the shared folders on a networked pc are for it. So you cant have only a single mapped network drive. The dilemma with this is it desires to cache the files/folders facts. To be truthful, I really dont know how I am going to use this device at residence. I guess its usefull to these poeple have only have laptops or have little really hard-drives. But I can only see it getting actually helpful at a hotel that takes place to have a Tv with some inputs. Or possibly if a person else is driving in my SUV and I get to sit in the back watching with the SUVs rear entertainment. Possibly I just will need to purchase a huge 40" Television next for this to be beneficial, otherise its stuck with my 26" 720p Television that I never use. I have completed some calculations and the only point that May possibly have issues with playing through wireless is raw bluray files (.m2ts). So if you dont have a wireless N network with N adapter this will be a concern.
Muna
Rating:

Review Date: 08/20/13
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
It plays most of the common files such as MPEG, AVI, WMA, VOBs..and so on. It doesn't play RM or RMVB video format. I tried this WD player from my pal but realized that it won't play RMVB. I can't think about why WD can't support RMVB video format which it's being 1 of the most popular video format in quite a few countries. I decided to get ASUS O!Play media players which will support every thing plus RMVB and even playing ISO file directly !!! I'm still very satisfied about the performace and compatibility of it. I advocate ASUS to all my friends.
Steven_F@NCIX
Rating:

Review Date: 08/04/13
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Cons:File type support

Pros:Easy of use
Comment:
Very easy to use, hooked up and was easy to have my whole network see it and use it and a media hub.File type support is a little disappointing. Certain movies I have even though should technically work just seem to not want to. there the right file and codec types but still give me an unsupported message.
Sika
Rating:

Review Date: 07/14/13
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
Gorgeous user interface, user friendly, amazing picture high quality on 1080p movies. Really stable even with 20GB MKV files. Auto firmware update function is nice. Once more, extremely steady.Great netflix, tune-in, and youtube assistance. Instead of getting to modify selection in between neighborhood storage and network mapped storage places, there ought to be an choice like boxee where all storage places are merged so that the user is presented with all media content material at once, no matter exactly where the media files reside. This would be far more user friendly for my youngsters. Now I have to inform them, OK movie A is on the network share, film B is on regional storage (the neighborhood 1TB is filled already).Thumbnail cover art support is terrible.Media compilation had to be turned off so that content changes to network storage locations would be updated.Onboard NIC is slow ~ 11mbit/s throughput on a 1gbits/s link speed, and copying massive files to the internal storage is tediously slow. I was able to manually plan all the functions of the remote into my Logitech harmony one, but my kids still prefer the WD remote instead of the Logitech.I choose a wired connection more than a wireless and am glad there is no wireless support.I have had the item now for 90 days.
Johnson
Rating:

Review Date: 06/22/13
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
Comes ready proper out of the box. Plug it in your Tv connect a LAN line to it and your set to network your files straight over with no problems from any personal computer in the residence. You also have the selection to Sync files from a USB device. It plays just about any film file you toss at it which saves me alot of time and no will need for extra converts. Only Con I see is you cant hook it straight up to your pc to copy the files. ( I looked just about every exactly where for a way.. Unless im performing it wrong ). Only way to get the files over is to Sync it with a USB Harddrive/thumb drive or network it with a LAN line. ( functions extremely properly ). In the end its Quite straightforward to use. Appears fantastic and have not had one difficulty yet with it running. For the value this is a steal. I researched and tried other folks and none of them come this close to being as quick and straightforward as this. If your seeking for a Media player to play films and music on your tv in HDMI do some "Googling" and im certain your be back to purchase this 1.
Arissa
Rating:

Review Date: 06/01/13
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
(See my overview under) Quite UNSTABLE; Buyer BEWARE! This has crashed/rebooted a lot of occasions given that I purchased it, especially when moving or copying files to and from the unit through the USB port. Hardly ever can I move or copy a number of files, which the menu supports (you can select complete screen-fulls of "pages" at a time before moving or copying) with no challenges. USB 16 GB flash drive, or 2TB SATA drive by means of USB interface--similar result, regardless of no matter whether moving/copying to, or from, the Live Hub. Also crashes/hangs although quickly forwarding in Netflix. Also crashes/reboots utilizing simple aspects of Facebook. Strange they would have no support for RAW files for photographer types. Even though supposedly supported, mine won't play any of four or five unique .avi files I have attempted. I wanted to price it one particular or two stars, but went with three due to the fact really couple of competitive items to obtain instead of this one particular. Manufacturer Response:We appreciate the feedback regarding the WD Television Reside Plus player and its included functions. We would like to further assist you in resolving any issue you are obtaining with our solution, as the behavior you are experiencing is not standard of the device. If you would like to make contact with us for further help, please check out: http://support.wdc.com/rs/Copy and paste the URL of this evaluation exactly where indicated and provide the requested facts and one of our technical help staff will be contacting you relating to this problem.You could also make contact with us at 1 齠) 275-4932, or via our help web site at: http://support.wdc.comWestern Digital also has its own forums, WD Neighborhood. In the future, you may well also want to take into account posting your troubles to our WD Community where you can interact with other WD consumers. www.neighborhood.wdc.com
Rafe
Rating:

Review Date: 05/18/13
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
lovely interface, ideal so far, quiet operation, netflix, ISO menu assistance, film metadata lookup (when it functions). could not get the device to login to my Windows 2008 R2 domain no matter what i attempt (username.password incorrect error), this was a deal breaker for me even tho i was capable to use UPNP from my XBMC box even though a bit slow on navigation (constant boxart refresh)
Clarice
Rating:

Review Date: 03/28/13
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
Want to play video files (DVD content material) from the internal storage? This is the only device that "just works". I returned Sony's Network Media Player since it couldn't do the job. Most any flat panel Tv or DVD player can't pull off this trick. I know simply because my LG panel claimed USB movie play capability and could not, and three unique Blu-Ray players failed as nicely. You can ONLY store 100-150 motion pictures on the internal 1TB drive? No Hulu assistance, but the other "usual suspects" (Pandora, and so forth.) supported. I have not attempted to use the WD application for accessing network shares and playing motion pictures from these sources, but I would anticipate no problems in that region from what I've seen.
Trent
Rating:

Review Date: 03/06/13
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
This media center plays a lot more video formats than the competition. It streams Netflix greater than Sony Media Center (took that back to the retailer exactly where I bought it, hoping it would be the bee's knees), and has superior Netflix menu choices than the Sony (only instant queue) or even Roku (limited to 45 titles per category, vs 75 on the WDTV Reside Hub). And, like Roku (unlike Sony), it has scene thumbnails during rewind and fast forwarding. I am obtaining a tough time getting it to finish up the "complilation" procedure, right after I transferred around 50GB of music to the internal 1TB drive. Soon after 24 hours, now, it is still compiling (with compilation restricted to the internal drive media files). No built-in wi-fi (but several access points are compatible), remote is not illuminated. For these who just want to stream or use the DLNA function, and who don't will need 1TB neighborhood storage, it would be nice if they offered it at about 贄 without having the challenging drive (but, of course, WD is in the difficult drive small business, immediately after all). I would have bought it from New Egg, but BB had an exclusive on it till not too long ago. The documentation (which one ought to fetch on-line) is detailed and rather daunting. But doesn't explain how to maintain it from compiling day after day after day....
Herb
Rating:

Review Date: 02/20/13
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
Stunning interface, hardware (unit only), and 1080p image. Updates files with movie covers and data. Play a ton of various files. Customize wallpaper and views. Appears and operates excellent when set up appropriately. Syncing CAN be accomplished with individual files. Transfers: Unable to connect straight to a Pc for more quickly transfers. An external drive is a need to if you don't want to invest days uploading. Uploading files by means of wireless is a joke and is hardly worth the work. Interface: Slow speeds when browsing files and changing among some pages. No online connectivity icon or notice if you are disconnected. Can not edit file names by means of the hub.Other difficulties: Remote is generic and low cost feeling. Random reboots. Random freezes. Unsuccessful at utilizing Youtube. Random remote stops operating. Compiles media too generally. Wireless not built in. Need to set up folders by way of a networked Computer. No manual to guide you. Do not acquire this unit unless you are confidant in your tech issue solving capacity. In order to get this little guy running as it really should, you'll have to go through tons of trial and error and devote a lot of time researching in the forums. Some operations that ought to be easy are either overcomplicated, too slow, or buggy... This makes for a oftentimes frustrating and tedious encounter. Specifically when you compound the cons together! It isn't until you have every thing lastly set up, folders situated, and discovered the ropes that the WD Live hub becomes a lot more of a pleasure to use. It's just a real pain to get there. Possibly there are some methods to appropriate a few of my difficulties, and maybe the procedures I employed when the hub was brand new could have been accomplished easier, but that is the point of my aggravation, and why I advocate this only if you are tech savvy.When set up although, the LiveHub is essentially fairly dang cool!
Marlie
Rating:

Review Date: 02/08/13
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
Seemed excellent on paper. It tanks difficult. This wold not boot the second week I got it. It blows chunks and gave up the ghost immediately after a week. I won't ever get their hot garbage once more. Appear elsewhere for a solution. I'll gut the unit and salvage the drive for maybe PS3. really should be no egg! Ugh!!! Are you severe??? This bombed!
Poppy
Rating:

Review Date: 01/28/13
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
It does almost everything it says it does, and is pretty straightforward to set up. Can't plug yet another HD into it, even although there is a USB slot on the front.The tricky component is that sometimes the remote won't operate. I replaced my batteries, nonetheless didn't work. Moved all other devices that use remotes away from it, nevertheless didn't work. Unplugged the device for ten seconds, plugged it back in...... boom works. I've had to do this twice in 1 month, and I don't use this incredibly often. So don't hide this issue way on the best shelf, or out of attain. I have enjoyed it a good deal. It functions most of the time, and it is pretty kicka55 when it does operate.
Shing
Rating:

Review Date: 12/11/12
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
1 TB hardriveTakes up little space. Quite solid feel.All the connections a single would need.*easy firmware upgrade* WD is actively supporting this device which indicates future additions and improvements.Has quite a few common solutions: Netflix, Pandora, Facebook, Flicker, Youtube...Watching DVD films more than network share is flawless. I noticed no difference in top quality viewing the similar motion pictures from the internal drive. It found my network shares quickly with out having to set up any software program.You can access files from the device even immediately after pressing the energy button on the romote. Network file navigation is a bit quirky but when you set up your folders and\or download media to the internal drive it operates well. Just upped our net speed so now streaming netflix is attainable. Some individuals are not content with responsiveness but I come across it effectively inside reason, substantially faster than a DVD loading up so it's an improvement to me.
Iain
Rating:

Review Date: 10/04/12
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
Plenty of storageEffortless to use service interfacechoices for outputWonderful if you use NetFlix or other services they incorporate Not effortless to configure shared drivesNo HuluCertain videos on YouTube is blocked because of copyright restrictions. I purchased this device on a whim. I missed a single of my preferred Tv shows and forgot to set my DVR. Set up on the network was effortless. My first disappointment was you can only stream from the web if you applied one of the integrated services. You can not access the web to stream. I found my show by way of the YouTube interface. I tried to stream but it displayed error messages that video was blocked for this variety of device. I guess they are afraid you will not acquire their DVD. I could stream other YouTube video. I also have not been in a position to see shared folders on my computer. The interface is suppose to allow you to connect to network drives/folders. I have tried every thing in the owner’s manual. I marked the folder as a shared on my computer system. I can see the device as a shared drive and can copy from my computer to the drive. It would be nice to be in a position to look the other way It is suppose to do that. The other capabilities are simple to use and it has plenty of space to store media.
Jetta
Rating:

Review Date: 10/02/12
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
Plays quite a few video and audio formats without troublesVery good price for a player plus integrated 1TB driveLow electrical powerSmallerFan noise is barely audible and not an concern.Convenient to have all movies, photographs, and music playable from a single box.Also performs as a NAS (network attached storage) so unused space on the 1TB drive can hold other files for sharing between computers. Menus are slow - but not glacial. Just take a deep breath amongst remote button pushesQuestionable reliability - read other thoughtsRemote doesn't assistance Tv volume (i.e. you'll want two remotes to use this box if you tweak volume throughout listening). Or just go to a universal remote. The component output failed when I plugged in a cable (I heard an audible pop from the box). Composite (lowest excellent) and HDMI (highest) outputs were fine. However I required the element output for my setup. I double-checked my Tv element input and it operates fine with a DVD player. The issue was absolutely with this player failing. Contacted WD's assistance and they replace with re-certified HW for their DOA devices. Expected a number of telephone calls to setup for a return due to language troubles. WD initially stated the replacement would be new but later calls they stated it's a re-cert.
Alberto
Rating:

Review Date: 09/20/12
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
Extremely swift install. two.five" HD inside, little fan at bottom, very quiet. Very smaller HD is slow so copying large files takes a lengthy time. HD is NTFS and not extremely quite a few built in NAS-type functions Seriously geared more toward the home media center crowd and not really the NAS crowd even although the 1TB storage is a lot of space to put pictures, videos, movies and pc information
Augusta
Rating:

Review Date: 08/30/12
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
Plays each video codec I throw at it, and it plays beautifully on my lcd. Didnt even comprehend it functioned as a NAS until I was browsing my network...that alone tends to make it worth the value. its way straightforward to add files from my laptop to the internal storage. it was obtaining difficulty playing some video files the 1st day, but i guess all i needed was to break it in. there is a bit of excessive folders in this thing but it shouldnt be a difficulty for any person whos ever utilised a file technique before. with integrated apps like pandora and netflix, plus the addition of a NAS, I would connect this to a wireless network.
Robert_R@NCIX
Rating:

Review Date: 08/22/12
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Cons:No WiFi, No cables included, UI is clunky

Pros:Large HDD, Plays every format I can throw at it, Quiet
Comment:
Pro's: It's plays almost any format you can think of. Large HDD, the unit is quiet, easy setup, can use android phone as remote control, lots of streaming options.The UI is slow and un-responsive sometimes. Menu layout is a little awkward, and it's not intuitive how some options are laid out.
Andre_N@NCIX
Rating:

Review Date: 08/17/12
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Cons:got an ethernet port problem but wd change it with their great rma service even if it was out of warranty since 15 days.

Pros:read a lot of video format active comunity that makes great themes (on western digital forum)
Comment:
Its a great media player and it read all of the video format that i use even the bluray iso. I recommend using theme that u can download on western digital forum cause the deffault theme isnt very sexy.
Barb
Rating:

Review Date: 06/06/12
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
plays all types of video formats. old & new the layout could be far more user friendly. i was searching for a plug & play option. and when syncing from a challenging drive, you have to sync all files. you cannot sync just the files you want. nonetheless worth the income. 赨 to shop and play all my digital media at 1080p is not undesirable.
Gur
Rating:

Review Date: 05/19/12
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
Looks good I guess. I have no idea what else is nice given that I couldn't get it to work with my network setup. My major media server is on a domain that is tricky to connect devices like this to, so I will need to be able to specify an IP address to connect. YOU CAN'T DO THAT WITH THIS BOX. It can only browse workgroups, which is fine if you're set up that way. Just about every other media player in my residence (HDI Dune three., Brite-View, and so on.) permits me to connect to an IP and supply credentials. I even tried the latest firmware, no function exists.Initially time I turned it on and hooked up HDMI, no picture. It was set to composite only, so I had to come across a monitor that took composite first. Why not either automobile-detect or set it to HDMI by default? I changed it to HDMI and guess what? It now shows a image on my HDMI LCD *and* the composite monitor! I like that it can show both as none of my other players can, but if it can do this, why not ship it that way?! Folks who get this are going to be 80% HDMI users. I don't care about the restocking fee, this issue's going back. I can't believe following all the media players WD has put out, they don't have such a standard feature as being in a position to connect to an IP network share straight.I have no notion if it can play high bitrate video as one more reviewer talked about and it looks like I'll never locate out. I'm positive not gonna copy a 15GB file over that takes 8 hours! :)
Muhammad
Rating:

Review Date: 05/17/12
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
Netflix. Pandora. Built in 1TB storage.Easily ripped and transferred allof our DVDs to the box.Most up-to-date firmware supports minimal parental controls (can hide folders and lock out on the web services).Small, quiet, good user interface.Operates with PlayOn. Operates with Harmony 650 remote. No Hulu however. No A-zon streaming however. (Expect these to be added soon.)Restricted options for updating metadata on your files. Loses title info in some views (can nevertheless see original file names). (This is a FW bug.)Network bandwidth is CPU limited. It's a 1Gbps interface, but transfers prime out in the 50-60Mbps range. (This is a WD acknowledged concern.) (Minus one egg.) Aspect ratio help was a bit flaky at initial (older Sony Bravia Television), eventually worked out the suitable settings on each ends.Working with HDMI out to my display and optical audio for DTS sound to my receiver (obviously your media has to support this).HD streaming from Netflix only operates with HDMI video (component is downsampled).
Damisi
Rating:

Review Date: 05/17/12
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
Plays virtually each Main media format (To the other reviewer-RMVB? Genuinely? Get a good encoding program, and quit messing with bad formats). Uh, it isnt 2TB? I had been working with my PS3 to stream motion pictures and employing a ton of power. Now I use the Hub, it makes use of a lot less power and plays just about every thing! It looks good too!
Tallys
Rating:

Review Date: 04/22/12
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
Also, it is sleeker and much more pleasing to the eye than Sony's media center. I like the reality that it has two USB ports, including a single in back. Sony's has only a single, and it is in front. I forgot to complain about it not supporting RAW image format. I would assume one thing with a 1TB drive, sold by specific (unnamed) photo supply stores, would help Canon's or other individuals' RAW formats for being able to watch a slideshow on Tv with out converting it all to JPG or other supported format. ARE YOU LISTENING, WD?
Rhea
Rating:

Review Date: 03/31/12
WD TV Live Hub Media Center
Comment:
It was operating. Unit died (blinking flashing light) two days soon after I gave my review indicating this box is stable. WD Tech Assistance could not be worse.The Television screen is blank and the media player power LED is blinking. A technique diagnostic failure occurred. Turn off your media player, wait 10 minutes, then turn it on once again. If the identical issue happens, contact the WD Technical Support for help (see “WD Service and Help” on page two)....... :-( I am going to open the box and pull my media content off the tough drive (if it is nevertheless spinning), I don't care if the warranty is voided.
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