WD Intros WD TV, its First Set-Top Box with Miracast Support
WD has announced its latest set-top box, the WD TV, which lists for $99.99. This is the new top model in WD's home entertainment lineup. It's similar to other WD set-top boxes in its ability to play locally stored content, but it adds in Miracast Android support and a more customizable home screen.
While competing set-top boxes primarily stream online content, the WD TV (sometimes written WD TV Personal Edition) can pull from USB or network attached storage devices. It plays a wide variety of video formats, including MKV, MP4, AVI, WMV, MOV and others. For comparison, Roku boxes only support MP4 and MKV video.
The WD TV's interface is customizable, letting users choose the apps they use most often. They can set an app to open automatically at startup, and create content folders to access local libraries. This model also works with Sling Players.
Owners can download the WD TV Remote app for free to turn iOS and Android devices into remote controls.
With Roku devices and Chromecast devices selling for less, WD has chosen not to compete on price. Instead, it's playing to its strength and focusing on local content support and homes with a variety of connected devices. For those with large libraries of video, it could be a strong contender.
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