The WD TV Play is the best alternative to Roku and Apple TV for viewers looking to access their personal media collection.
Read the full review →
81
Conclusion: We like it
Western Digital's latest streaming player takes on Roku and Apple, with easy access to Netflix, Hulu Plus, and more, and includes full 1080p HD playback, WiFi, and Ethernet, all at a very affordable price. In addition to supporting many (though not all) streaming video services, the WD TV Play excels at playing back locally stored content. As Ars Technica puts it, with support for "a variety of video container formats," the Play is "the best at making all of your local content available without any fuss." Media-player expert Dave Zatz concurs, saying the Play "significantly outperforming native Roku and Apple TV capabilities in this area." Zatz also liked the Play's user interface, saying that its use of "Android-esque" widgets and apps sets it apart from the competition.
Buy It:
90-Day Price History
Critic reviews
sort by
The Play is also the best at making all of your local content available without any fuss. With the available compatibility for various file types and one-touch access to some of the most popular streaming services currently available, the Play is definitely worth considering over the alternatives.
Read the full review →If you’re looking for a fast, simple way to get videos anywhere in your home onto your television, the WDTV Play’s simplicity makes it a decent option.
Read the full review →Western Digital's latest low-cost media hub, the WD TV Play, dabbles in many cord-cutting areas, but doesn't lead in any of them.
Read the full review →For owners of Apple TV or earlier WD TV models, there's not a lot to convince you to switch or upgrade. But if you're looking for a do-almost-everything streaming box, WD TV Play offers a lot of bang for just a few bucks, even if the "extras" don't amount to much.
Read the full review →As a package, the WD TV Play is hard to beat. It offers users a modern UI, streaming videos galore, the ability to play almost any audio or video (or picture) file that you've got stored anywhere in your house - the list goes on and on.
Overall, we came away impressed with this versatile little guy and find the WDTV Play quite compelling. And it’s nice to finally see some 10′ interface innovation in this sector.
Read the full review →All in all the Play is good value for those looking to add functionality to a kitchen or bedroom TV, but we wouldn’t be happy with it for our living rooms.
Read the full review →We suppose $70 is the right price for the WD TV Play, since it delivers 1080p video resolution plus the USB and Ethernet ports that the Roku 2 lacks for $10 less ... We’re just having a hard time being enthusiastic about the WD TV Play’s video quality.
Read the full review →
Pman
This device kicks butt! Advantages It's $70 versus the $100 Apple TV and Rokus. Supports up to 1080p video Apps are pre-installed and it has more apps than the Apple TV It has a USB port Supports any media format (.avi, .m4v, .mkv, .mp3, you name it!) Supports any storage device (USB...
Read the full review →How it stacks up
Instantly compare the Western Digital WD TV Play side by side with some of the top devices on gdgt!
Compare these-
Western Digital WD TV Play 81 from $69 -
Apple Apple TV 3rd-gen 90 from $95 -
Roku 3 89 from $99 -
Apple Apple TV 2nd-gen 83 from $389 -
Roku 2 XS (3050X) 88 from $79
Other Western Digital digital media players
-
Western Digital WD TV Live 3rd-gen -
Western Digital WD TV Live 2nd-gen 81 from $99 -
Western Digital WD TV Live Hub 81 from $184 -
Western Digital WD TV Live 1st-gen -
Western Digital WD TV Live Plus from $259
Don't forget to check out these other devices by Western Digital, you might find something good!