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Hulu Plus comes to WD TV Live Plus, Live Hub players
Western Digital's line of media players have landed the other most important premium streaming video service for a set-top box, Hulu Plus. Now available on the WD TV Live Plus and WD TV Live Hub, the $7.99 mostly TV-filled service plops down to existing offerings including Netflix, Blockbuster, CinemaNow, YouTube and others. Another new addition is thousands radio stations from SHOUTcast, but that's strictly for the WD TV Live Hub. The Hulu Blog promises more devices to come soon, any ideas of places it has yet to land?
WDTV Live Hub and Live Plus updated with CinemaNow, new UI and better audio for Netflix
Two of Western Digital's much-loved media players are sporting a few more features today, now that the WD TV Live Plus and WD TV Live Hub have a new update. They're now sporting the latest in Netflix interfaces (which will work in Canada but leaves it open to potentially radical changes ) but in this case assures users can search the streaming catalog and hear Dolby Digital Plus audio in movies that support it. Also included is support for CinemaNow VOD, which should bring plenty of day-and-date movie streaming (insert Redbox rumor here) for those so inclined. There's a press release after the break, but owners can just click the link corresponding to their particular unit for more detailed update information.
WD TV Live media players gain Blockbuster on Demand, USB wireless keyboard support
It's not like anyone could predict the media streamer war that would erupt in 2010, but it looks like Western Digital's taking things pretty seriously. The company has just issued a somewhat major overhaul for its WD TV Live Plus and WD TV Live media players, adding Facebook support while also giving US-based users the ability to instantly rent or purchase movies via Blockbuster on Demand. Post-firmware update, users will also be able to tap into Deezer (an on-demand music service), Flingo (another internet TV portal) and AccuWeather (a place that "forecasts" what's happening in our "atmosphere"). Potentially more important than all of that, however, is the addition of USB wireless keyboard support -- simply plug in a USB wireless dongle that ships with most every wireless keyboard out there, and you'll be free to update your Facebook status or search for "Bed Intruder Song" through YouTube, all from the comfort of your sofa. Huzzah!
WD TV Live Plus gets reviewed, lauded for value
After being announced in early June, Anandtech recently put the Western Digital WD TV Live Plus through its paces and discovered the Netflix enhancement works as advertised. Like many Netflix-enabled devices though, the TV Live comes up short compared to the full PC experience since access is limited to only the Instant Queue. Its presence also sacrifices firmware hackability -- a quality which previously made up for the WD TV Live's lack of versatility as an HTPC. The ability to move, copy, and manage locally stored media files via the interface, on the other hand, was praised as a unique advantage over competing models -- exciting, we know. Sadly, video quality was docked as being "significantly less than the HTPC counterparts they've seen so far." However, it's possible this could be improved in the future via firmware updates, since its Sigma Designs processor features noise reduction and deinterlacing algorithms that strangely aren't currently enabled. File format-wise, DVD ISOs worked flawlessly, while Blu-ray ISO and some WMV video formats experienced issues that users may want to read up on before buying. Gripes aside though, Anandtech was still willing to place it "around the top of the list" for media player devices, thanks to its wide file compatibility and robust features. For more details, hit the review source link.
