I was looking for a device to replace my aging First Generation Apple TV so I read reviews constantly and finally decided on this device. I bought it and have not been disappointed. 720p mkvs look amazing and there is no lag or stutter on the video playback. I am using a wired gigabit connection through my apple airport extreme currently, but no problems yet. As stated, it's a great device. As other reviewers state it is easy to use. I didn't even have to map my network drive. The Western Digital TV Plus just found my network shares and was streaming tons of media in meer seconds. Every codec and file type I tried this device played. Standard AVIs, mp4s, mkvs, you name it. Others claim that this device has "limited functionality" and maybe it does for some, but for 90% of everyone else that just wants to watch files from a local computer/network share. this will fit their needs 100%. I am extremely satisified with my purchase!! Compatibility Plays every coded i've thrown at it!

kadlov

Ardmore, OK

Before I had an old computer hooked up to my TV to watch all my media. Then I bought the Pioneer DV-220V-K and ran a hard drive full from the pioneers usb. Sure it played all my .avi files but nothing else. With the WD HD media player I can play all my .mpeg, .avi, and mp3 files. The best part is it remembers when you stop a movie and watch others, it will ask if you want to pick up where you left off. Its also great to watch netflix. Just 7.99 a month and get thousands of movies instantly, but you may have to wait a couple months for new releases. But its got all the shows we watch. Its also great for music! Although I havent found a way to make a playlist with the device I can create folders of songs that it will play. The media player also has HDMI which is the only way I would go. Another great feature is access to youtube and facebook.

TheDeuce

Beaverton, OR

I've had the wd media player live plus for 3 weeks now and does an excellent job. My main reason for buying this media player was to watch videos off my external hard drives. The media player does have other features like Netflix, Pandora, and Youtube which work pretty well and come in handy if you want a change of pace. This device plays everything I have thrown it's way so far. The video out through the av cables is pretty good. The quality of the picture depends on the quality of your videos. The sound output is fair. Also there hasn't been any issue with audio or video being out of sync except for 1 video but it does the same thing on my computer so it's the particular video and not the device. This device runs quiet and doesn't seem to get too warm after hours of play. This devices user interface isn't anything spectacular. It's simple and straight forward which is just fine for me but it might be an issue for some who are into bells and whistles. The only issue I have with the wd media player is the fast forward feature. Some videos I want to go get to the 30-45 minute mark immediately but I'm stuck at moving 14 seconds at a time. I'm hoping it has a similar feature like a dvr which fast forwards in 15 minute increments that I haven't discovered yet. Other then that I'm totally satisfied with my purchase of the wd media player live plus.

kingoftheink

Westchester, IL

If you need a cheap and simple way to watch video files on a TV without a computer, this is definitely the easiest way to do it.  Setup is dead simple, and depending on which WDTVLive you get, it may be network compatiable (meaning you can stream a video from any computer on the network to the WDTVLive). The WDTV handles all the video filetypes that you are likely to encounter, and is not scared of HD stuff.  THe interface is simple, and it even has support for foreign language stubtitles.As for ports and IO stuff, it's got HDMI (of course), analog and digital audio out, and 3 USB ports.  Just stick a USB hard drive/flash drive and you are good to go. If you have friends/family who are tech savvy enough to be having digital media, but not so much that they have an HTPC, this is a GREAT recommendation.  A chimp could figure out how to use this, and they won't be asking for troubleshooting help.  Because I can't imagine anything going wrong with this thing. But even if you an extreme nerd, and you have a dedicated XBMC box in your living room, or stream stuff to your XBox/PS3, you could probably find a use for this thing.  Find an old LCD and mate these two together to make a quick and cheap network attached media player.  For.... the kitchen.  Or something.  Perhaps the garage?  Bottom line is, these little media players are so cheap these days that almost anyone could impulse buy one and not feel guilty.  Perhaps as really nice stocking stuffers? Note - there are lots of versions of this thing.  Make sure you know what you are getting before you buy.  For instance, do you need network connectivity?  And don't be afraid to save money by buying refurbished.

Gmarx04

Fremont, CA