Anybody use WD HD?

HHStuart

I searched but I didn't see any posts. I noticed WD HD as Best Buy. It's a box with a remote.
Looks like you can copy Cd's (lossless) in WAV or Flac on a portable hard drive and hook up the hard drive to the WD HD. I think most people use it for movies but I was thinking of using it for an electronic jukebox. Much cheaper than the other solutions I have seen. You hook it up to the TV and use the remote of the WD HD to pick and choose what you want to play. It has an HDMI output that I could hook to my Receiver.
Any thoughts pro or con?

grimmace19

I don't use the HD box but I do use a standard wester digital external hard drive. I love it. I usually have it plugged into the ps3 and all my music runs through there, but have the option to plug it into the blu ray player in the bedroom for the same results. For your application, I think you would have good results.

GTB

I've been looking for a good media server and the WD unit caught my attention. This morning I joined the westerndigital.com forum and went through quite a few of the topics concerning this unit.

I urge you to do the same prior to purchase...it was quite interesting.

Greg

thsmith

I use the WDTV (not live) with a Buffulo HDD for FLAC music files and ripped DVDs and for its intended purpose it is great.

The live version that allows streaming is having some problems but WD will get those sorted out with F/W fixes.

kcoc321

Greg, what is your summary, like cliff notes, of what you read?
Good? Bad? Issues?
KC

GTB wrote: »

I've been looking for a good media server and the WD unit caught my attention. This morning I joined the westerndigital.com forum and went through quite a few of the topics concerning this unit.

I urge you to do the same prior to purchase...it was quite interesting.

Greg

rallyshark

I have the regular WD TV, and the WD TV Live. It is an awesome tool for people who may not have a PS3/Xbox to store music on. I use mine for movies like you said, and it works very well for that. I haven't tried it with music as I use the PS3 for that. If it helps, I had the regular non "live" version for over a year, and I just bought the "Live" version. I wouldn't have bought another if I didn't like it so much:D It's a really good option for those who don't have the cash to spend on a music/HT computer. It also has the toslink and HDMI connections, which make for good flexibility. It will handle your music with ease, plus you put your pictures/movies on there to boot. I say do it. You'd be hard pressed to find a more useful component for the money:)

GTB

kcoc321 wrote: »

Greg, what is your summary, like cliff notes, of what you read?
Good? Bad? Issues?
KC

There was a lot of frustration for dropping video and audio, along with problems with the interface.

However, the biggest frustration of all was WD's lack of feedback concerning the issues. Many felt that WD support is ignoring the complaints.

There were also folks who were happy with the unit, having not experienced the problems or willing to overlook the shortcomings because of the overall performance.

Positives included the GUI, file handling and transfers via the ethernet interface, and the HDMI interface (which also seemed to be source of many of the dropping issues). Also its ability to play a wide variety of file formats.

My overall impression is that the WD Live is a great concept and has raised the bar in media servers in many areas but is still immature and is perhaps suffering from having been released before it was ready. The question now is how does WD handle the issues.....

I've concluded that for the moment its a pass for me, however I'm going to visit the site on a regular basis and watch for updates. I've also concluded that a media server is most definately on my list of must haves, just not which one and when.

Greg

coolsax

I'm in the same boat I would like to put together a music server myself.. this seems to be a cheaper alternative to say squeezeboxes and Olive music servers if all you're wanting to do is play stored lossless music files, as well as upgradeable since you can add higher memory HD. I noticed it does have an optical out, has anyone hooked one of these up to a DAC and seen how it performs?
Seems to me too that if you wanted to use this for two channel only, you'd still need to get a like a small 15" LCD so you can fully use the GUI.

thsmith

coolsax wrote: »

I'm in the same boat I would like to put together a music server myself.. this seems to be a cheaper alternative to say squeezeboxes and Olive music servers if all you're wanting to do is play stored lossless music files, as well as upgradeable since you can add higher memory HD. I noticed it does have an optical out, has anyone hooked one of these up to a DAC and seen how it performs?
Seems to me too that if you wanted to use this for two channel only, you'd still need to get a like a small 15" LCD so you can fully use the GUI.

I have the original version using a DAC for music and HDMI for movies. Sounds great but I do wish it had digitial coax out as you have a better selection for cables, I prefer the Kimber Kable D-60.

You would need some sort of display for the GUI.

coolsax

would a lcd monitor with HDMI inputs work for this so that you didn't have to get a full TV? I would think it would, but not sure.

thsmith

yep, it does have composite out as well.