Looking for alternative to WD Live TV player

[jacatone]

MY old WD USB media player finally gave up the ghost and I need to find a replacement. I guess WD stop making these things. Anyone got a list of alternatives.

[lingyi]

Read this thread about Android Box. It's the closest thing to a WD player, but there's nothing comparable to the great, IMHO, WD file interface. In addition, the WD boxes don't support H.264, H.265 and other newer formats, which unless you're only using your own homemade content or DVD or Blu-Ray rips, you'll encounter.

Basically your options are:

~$50-100 - Android Box or Raspberry Pi
~100-200 - Cheap laptop or refurb PC. My preference.
~200+- Nvidia Shield which is at it's core a custom Android Box

Roku is not on the list because of its focus on streaming and very limited options for non-streaming playback options.

I went through numerous WD boxes, starting with the original WD box and ending with the WD Live Streaming Plus and while I loved them, I don't regret using a laptop and cheap PC for the my two viewing setups. I tried Roku and Android, but they're limited compared to a PC which will just play almost any video format in any video container.

[Jay4]

MY old WD USB media player finally gave up the ghost and I need to find a replacement. I guess WD stop making these things. Anyone got a list of alternatives.

I have used the Kodi app on the Nvidia Shield as my WDTV replacement, and have absolutely loved it. Among other reasons, I love it because by customizing the home screen you can eliminate the advertising crap you are exposed to. One of the strengths of the WDTV box was the lack of advertising intrusiveness.

And it has a better wife tolerance factor than a refurbished PC, in my experience.