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Iomega ScreenPlay MX HD Western Digital WD TV Live Hub
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Iomega ScreenPlay MX HD
Overview - Full review
Western Digital WD TV Live Hub
Overview - Full review
Price
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Iomega ScreenPlay MX HD
Western Digital WD TV Live Hub
Score
3/5
5/5
User Score
4/5 (8)
Specifications
Specifications
Connections (HDMI/composite/optical/coaxial)1 / 1 / 0 / 1
Hard drive bay (2.5''/3.5'')no / yes
WiFiN.A. / N.A.
EthernetN.A.
DVB-T tunerno, N.A.
ChipRealtek RTD1055
Firmware1.2 - 11/01/2011
SD/HD video entriesno / no
Screen (type)no, N.A.
DVD / Blu-Rayno / no
SDHCno
USB Hostyes
Backlit remoteno
Other
Dimensions180 x 133 x 40 mm
Specifications
Connections (HDMI/composite/optical/coaxial)1 / 1 / 1 / 0
Hard drive bay (2.5''/3.5'')yes / no
WiFiOptional USB adapter / N+G - 300 Mbit/s
Ethernet1 Gbit/s
DVB-T tunerno, N.A.
ChipSigma Designs SMP8654
Firmware2.02.16 - 29/10/2010
SD/HD video entriesno / no
Screen (type)no, N.A.
DVD / Blu-Rayno / no
SDHCno
USB Hostyes
Backlit remoteno
Other1 TB hard drive included
Dimensions198 x 154 x 32 mm
Conclusion
Just one more media centre which will be lost in the mass. Not one we'd particularly recommend then, unless of course you can pick it up for a real bargain.
This is a media centre stuffed with features and with a particularly good interface. With just a little more work from Western when it brings out the updates, it will improve even further. In the meantime, the WD TV Live Hub has the merit of being easy to use and offering a high quality experience.
Pros

+

Multimedia compatability

+

Rapid copying via USB

+

Viewing of photos in mosaic format

+

Can display film posters (no automatic support)

+

Good quality interface: customizable, technically and graphically a success

+

Easy to create a video or audio jukebox

+

Good quality Internet services

+

Multimedia compatability almost every format supported

+

Network connectivity well handled / Good quality build and design

Cons

-

No full bitstream for DTS HD MA and Dolby Digital plus

-

No DTS decoding

-

No SDHC reader

-

Audio interface needs revisiting

-

Poor SD upscaling

-

Video jukebox doesn't work for TV series

-

Audio tag retrieval from the Internet not working yet

-

No Picasa

-

External music album covers not recognised