Western Digital WD TV Mini revealed, WD TV 2 gets network support?

The Western Digital WD TV was a big hit in the world of multimedia hard drives.  Western Digital started a trend for players that sold for less than £100 but could still handle HD video using an attractive interface.  Now, the manufacturer is refreshing this range with two new models.

The first is the WD TV Mini, which is a smaller enclosure than the original WD TV.  Unfortunately, this new smaller media player now uses a less powerful decoding chip.  So, no more video in high definition ... you'll have to make do with standard definition content on the Mini.  Other than that, though, the remote control and the on-screen interface seem entirely unchanged.  That means you can still see a thumbnail preview of all of the photos in a folder or access album artwork for your music.


The connectivity has also changed, as HDMI has gone, making way for a component video and RCA audio outputs.  It is therefore still theoretically possible to produce a HD signal, which will allow for more detail when showing still photos.  The retail price has been announced at $99--exactly the same price that the WD TV is currently selling for.  Let's hope that the actual price in stores will be a lot lower.

WD TV HD 2: New network support   

On paper, then, the WD TV Mini isn't a very tempting option for HD video fans.  Instead they'll have to wait for the WD TV 2.  Not yet officially released, several photos and rumours have already been begun to circulate.  So far, the enclosure itself seems to look exactly the same, about from exchanging its black case for a grey one.  The decoding adds very little, with DTS is the only new format it can handle.  That's pretty reasonable, though, as the WD TV could handle just about everything.


The biggest news, though, is the addition of an Ethernet port.  With network compatibility, the WD TV 2 will be a formidable weapon against products like Network Media Tank products like the PopcornHour A-110.  The main advantage of products that use this NMT firmware is their open software platform, which allows a lot of custom interfaces as well as new features developed by a very active community.  The price of the WD TV HD 2 is not yet known.

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