Western Digital has added more in-home video-streaming options and file-format support to its latest WD TV Personal Edition. The $99.99 TV box, like its predecessors, can play video from streaming services Netflix, Hulu Plus and Vudu. New features include support for Miracast so users can stream video directly to a TV via the box. WD has also added the capability to discover video files from its My Passport Ultra and My Book external hard drives for playback on TV sets. The storage devices can be attached directly to WD TV or video files can be pulled from drives attached to PCs.
Western Digital has a new $100 media streamer it would like you to buy. At first glance the new WD TV is a standard affair with the usual A/V jacks, Miracast support and a focus on local media streaming with MKV and FLAC support. But it lacks Netflix. Seriously. The ubiquitous app is not available on this player making it — and I don’t think I’m exaggerating here — the only A/V streamer released within the last three years to not support Netflix in any way. The player has other streaming apps: YouTube, Spotify, Vudu, Slingbox, Aol HD, Hulu Plus and many others. Except Netflix. Good job, Western Digital. Gold star. It seems WD is going after the niche market of those who want a $100 media player that can play back media from a local network source but can’t be bothered to install XBMC (or the like) and has a burning hatred of Netflix to the point that they will not buy a player that has Netflix installed.
