Digital Trends

Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player January 2nd, 2009 | by Rachel Cericola

Features and Design

The best part about the WD TV is that it doesn’t ask much of your already overcrowded A/V cabinet. The unit’s small (3.94 x 4.92 x 1.57 inches) enclosure is compact enough to stuff to the side of any device, or behind it when not in use. It’s also no slouch in the looks department, either. The black unit is slick and stocky, mirroring the look of one of Western Digital’s hard drive units.

On the front, there are no controls, only a simple white LED to show power. The back keeps things clutter-free as well, with only the power jack, a USB port, an HDMI port, a Toslink audio port and composite jacks. Western Digital sent us its My Passport Essential drive to use with the device, but you won’t be so lucky. You will need an external unit such as this one or WD’s My Book. Just don’t expect to shove any USB drive in there. We tried an iPod, which played our audio, but said we needed to format the existing video. Another USB stick was not kind to us at all either, causing a system crash that could only be remedied by taking out the power altogether. 

Aside from adding a hard drive, you will need an HDMI cable if that’s the route you want (and the one we recommend). We’ve seen complaints that the unit doesn’t come with the HDMI cable, but how many devices do? A few things that it does come with include a power cable, a quick setup guide, a software CD, and composite cables, so you can start playing right out of the box. The software includes ArcSoft Media Converter

Image Courtesy of Western Digital