Update: New 1.01.11 firmware now available, plus Wi-Fi test results are in.

Short Version: Western Digital’s newest addition to its growing lineup of media players, the WD TV Live, essentially picks up where its older sibling (the great WD TV) left off. With the newly added networking capabilities via a built-in Ethernet port or USB Wi-Fi adapter (sold separately), the WD TV Live has taken Western Digital’s little black box to the next level. Be it photos, music, video (encoded with just about any codec under the sun), or the newly added access to YouTube, Flickr, Pandora, and Live365, the WD TV Live can handle just about any kind of media thrown its way. Overall, it is a highly capable, easy to use, and relatively affordable all-around high definition media player.

Long Version: The original WD TV HD Media Player was a great first attempt by Western Digital. Unfortunately, the lack of network and Internet access made the device less desirable to a large group of potential customers. Fortunately, WD seems to have listened to the growing community of WD TV fans while putting the new WD TV Live together and has added network and Internet connectivity features.

Hardware:

Although the WD TV Live is technically a new device, in reality it’s just a moderate overhaul of its aging sibling, the original WD TV. As such, I will try to focus more on the new changes than on the features that have remained the same.

Besides the newly added network and Internet connectivity, the most noticeable difference between the old and new WD TV Live is the actual color of the device. Where the original was clad in dust-loving, fingerprint attracting shiny black plastic, the new Live comes sporting an arguably more sleek, matte charcoal gray finish.

The device measures 1.57″ x 3.94″ x 4.94″ and weighs in at 0.67 lbs. It includes two USB ports (one on the side, one on the back), one HDMI 1.3 port, optical audio out, Ethernet, composite out, and component output. The included mini remote (below) is identical to the original version and the AC adapter is relatively small and self-contained (i.e. no power “brick”). Besides the remote and power adapter, the device also ships with composite and component cables (HDMI, optical audio, and USB storage devices sold separately). The WD TV Live is also compatible with various “universal” remotes such as Logitech’s Harmony series.

Installation:

Installing the WD TV Live couldn’t be much easier (assuming you’re using an HDMI cable). Once you’ve attached the little sticky rubber feet to the bottom of the unit, simply plug-in the AC power adapter, attach the HDMI cable to the device and your HDTV, and insert any variety of USB storage (i.e. external hard drive or flash drive) into the side and/or the back USB port(s). That’s it. Now fire up your beautiful TV, hit power on the included WD TV Live remote, and voila…you’ve got an HD media player at your service.

Interface / Functionality:

Just like the old WD TV interface, the slightly updated UI is reminiscent of many media player apps (think Windows Media Center, XBMC, etc). Essentially, you are presented with a visual navigation system to choose between video, photos, music, and system settings. Instead of trying to explain all the various screens and options, here’s a not-so-brief (kinda unnecessarily long) video overview of some of the features:

One thing I forgot to include in the video is the new “preview” mode, which joins the previously included List, Thumbnail, and Search modes. The preview feature allows you to see a file’s info (such as size, type, etc) while also showing/playing a clip of the video, photo, or audio track. This is nice, for example, if your media files are poorly labeled or if you can’t quite remember which was the last episode of Arrested Development you had watched.

Another “oops! I forgot” feature is the newly added ability to copy, move or delete files between connected USB storage drives and/or networked storage/computers. This is really handy if, like me, your DVD ripping machine (i.e. your PC) resides in room X but your WD TV Live is set up in room Y; now you can simply move your latest media files from your machine to your attached USB storage right over the network (with some patience, especially over Wi-Fi).

As for compatibility, the WD TV Live supports the following (enormous list of) file types:

• Video – AVI (Xvid, AVC, MPEG1/2/4), MPG/MPEG, VOB, MKV (h.264, x.264, AVC, MPEG1/2/4, VC-1), TS/TP/M2T (MPEG1/2/4, AVC, VC-1), MP4/MOV (MPEG4, h.264), M2TS, WMV9
• Photo – JPEG, GIF, TIF/TIFF, BMP, PNG
• Audio – MP3, WAV/PCM/LPCM, WMA, AAC, FLAC, MKA, AIF/AIFF, OGG, Dolby Digital, DTS
• Playlist – PLS, M3U, WPL
• Subtitle – SRT, ASS, SSA, SUB, SMI

Conclusion:

The WD TV Live is a definite improvement over its older sibling (the non-Live). If you are looking for an HD media solution that will play pretty much every type of media known to man (see the list above), has a very small physical footprint, network/Internet connectivity, and has limitless storage (i.e. its only limited by the amount of storage you own), then you really can’t do much better than the WD TV Live HD media player.

For those of you who love lists, here is a quick recap of all the highlights and improvements found in the new media player:

• Faster – boot-up, thumbnail loading, and overall operation
• Network access – access content over your home network via Ethernet or USB Wi-Fi adapter
• Internet – access content from YouTube, Flickr, Pandora, and Live365
• Firmware updates – update the media player’s firmware directly over the Internet
• File management – transfer files between USB storage devices, pull files off the network, and delete unwanted files
• Preview mode – in addition to List and Thumbnail views, Preview mode shows the file’s information and plays the media
• Component video – new connection choice in addition to HDMI and Composite
• Color – new matte charcoal casing

As good as the new WD TV Live is, there is still room for improvement. I’d love to see future firmware updates bring Netflix ‘Watch Now’ functionality, access to sites like Hulu, the ability to navigate by ‘chapter’ like on a DVD (with VOB, MKV, etc), and even some sort of Internet browser a la Opera on the Wii. In terms of future hardware improvements, it would be nice if the device had Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built-in, thereby providing an even better network/Internet experience and the ability to use a keyboard with the hypothetical Internet browser. And a physical on/off button built into the WD TV would be handy if you (temporarily) lose your remote (read: there are NO actual buttons/controls on the device itself).

Nonetheless, for $149.99 MSRP (or cheaper somewhere on the ‘Net) the WD TV Live HD Media Player is a highly capable and worthwhile addition to most anyone’s media center. One caveat: if you’ve already got a PS3 and/or XBOX 360 (I have neither), then you are probably one of the few who wouldn’t benefit much from the WD TV Live. In any case, with increases in speed, utility, and functionality, the WD TV Live is definitely a welcome addition to WD’s line of HD media players and a worthy successor to the original WD TV. For more, check out the new WDTVLive.com.

Short version: Western Digital’s refreshed My Book Essential external hard drive provides a simple, unobtrusive, and relatively inexpensive home backup solution. With an enormous 2TB capacity, built-in WD SmartWare software, 256-bit built-in encryption with password protection, an “illuminated capacity gauge,” and a MSRP of $249.99, there is very little not to like here.

Longer version: As we, the computer-savvy netizens of the (physical) world, continue to amass more and more digital media and create endless bytes of data, storage has become increasingly important in our everyday lives. Along with the ability to save and backup all of one’s digital treasure trove, being able to secure all those 1s and 0s has also become more desirable. Thus, it came as no surprise when Western Digital recently overhauled its entire external drive lineup with password protection, encryption, and built-in backup software.

Hardware:

The My Book Essential is Western Digital’s “standard” PC desktop external hard drive (identical to the Mac version). Now available in 500GB, 640GB, 1TB, 1.5TB, and 2TB capacities, the new My Book Essential has undergone very slight physical updates. The drive is the same height as its predecessor (6.5″), but is down to 1.9″ wide (from 2.1″). The drive also has a new illuminated capacity gauge and an icon showing whether the drive has been locked (via password with encryption).

The faux book shape may not be for everyone, but it does hide rather nicely if you put actual books (remember them?) around the drive. Generally speaking, the drive is pretty quiet, although there is the usual buzz and hum during large backups. The My Book Essential connects via USB 2.0, has a physical on/off switch, a place for a real lock, and ships with a relatively compact power adapter.

Security:

As mentioned above, the new WD drives come standard with password protection and 256-bit hardware-based encryption. When I spoke to WD a few weeks back, they were pretty adamant about erring on the side of total security. Thus, WD never receives your drive’s password. In other words, you are the only person who knows the password. Should it be lost, the drive will remain locked or must be re-formatted to use again. I can live with that.

WD SmartWare backup software:

Finally, we get to WD’s new, integrated backup software solution, SmartWare. Standard across its entire line of external drives, SmartWare provides users with a very straight forward (if at times too simplified) way to automatically backup your files.

The first time you plug your new WD drive into your computer you will be prompted to install WD SmartWare. Once installed, SmartWare will scan your computer (defaults to drive C:) and present you with a graphical representation of all the various bits of data in 6 main categories: System, Pictures, Other, Music, Movies, and Documents.

You can either select all or pick and choose the particular types of files you want to be automatically backed up when your My Book Essential is plugged in. Then simply click ‘Run Backup’ and voila, your files will begin to copy automagically.

SmartWare will continuously update the graphical representation with the status of your backup. By default, the software is set to run as a low priority while your machine is in use and will speed up when the machine idles.

Once the backup is complete, the software will continue to run in the background, updating the drive as you add/change/delete files on your system. You can also eject the drive from the icon in the system tray when you have finished or if you don’t want to continue the backup at that time.

Finally, with the same ease that you can backup your files, SmartWare provides a dead simple retrieval function. All in all, SmartWare makes automatic backups simple and painless. I wish it offered more control over which files and folders you want to include/exclude from the backup, but in terms of a complete and idiotproof backup system, SmartWare does a respectable job.

Conclusion:

The WD My Book Essential is a good choice for a personal backup or plain ol’ external hard drive. The ability to protect your data with a password and 256-bit encryption is a welcome addition, and the integrated backup software, SmartWare, does a solid job of providing automatic backup. Oh, and a maximum capacity of 2 freaking terabytes of space with an illuminated capacity gauge…yeah, that doesn’t hurt either.

Looks like those images that leaked back in August of the WD TV 2 were pretty spot on. Earlier today, Western Digital announced the newest member of its growing WD TV family, the WD TV Live.

As you may (or may not) recall, we’ve been pretty big fans of the original WD TV HD media player since it was released at the end of 2008. The highly capable little black box provides a simple, yet effective solution for watching your growing collection of digital media on your HDTV.

One of the few missing features in the original WD TV was any variety of network connectivity. Luckily, Western Digital has listened to the growing community of WD TV fans and included both an ethernet port for wired connectivity as well as support for USB Wi-Fi adapters. But the Internet fun doesn’t stop there. According to the press release:

The network capability of the WD TV Live media player enables users to stream or transfer movies from PC or Mac® computers or a network-attached storage device such as WD’s My Book® World Edition™ and WD ShareSpace network drives to their HD TVs. The WD TV Live media player also allows users to stream rich content from YouTube™, Flickr® and Pandora®. The HD onscreen menu brings together all of the users’ available media in an elegant and simple-to-navigate interface.

The new Internet and network capabilities are welcome additions to this already impressive and relatively inexpensive HD media player. Along with these new features, the WD TV Live features the same 1080p playback, support for just about every codec under the sun, HDMI connectivity, and the ability to show photos and play music like its older sibling (complete comparison chart available here). The WD TV Live is available now for $149.99 MSRP. Check back for our hands-on review in the coming weeks.

WD TV Live HD Media Player
Features of the WD TV Live HD Media Player include:
- Full-HD 1080p video playback and navigation with the included remote control and crisp, animated navigation menus;
- Play a wide variety of file formats including support for a wide variety of the most popular file formats with no need to spend time transcoding;
- Play videos, music and photos from the Internet on your big screen TV and discover new music with Pandora Internet radio or listen to thousands of radio stations via Live365 Internet radio;
- Ethernet port for wired or WiFi connection1 to access files anywhere on the network to play movies, music, and photos from any PC or drive on a home network;
- Turns a USB drive2 into an HD media player and plays content from most popular USB drives, and digital cameras, camcorders, and portable media players that can be recognized as mass storage devices;
- Unlimited media collection, just add more USB drives for more space;
- Two USB ports for seamless media playback from multiple USB drives and ability to access them simultaneously while a media library feature collects the content on all the drives into one list sorted by media type;
- Transfer files by copying, moving or deleting files stored on a USB drive, a network drive, camcorder, or a camera to the attached USB drive using the on-screen menus;
- Picture Transfer Protocol support to show photos and movies directly from digital camera or video camera and or any digital imaging device that supports Picture Transfer Protocol;
- Advanced navigation options including thumbnail and list views, media library and search;
- Photo viewing to create custom slide shows, zoom and pan and search;
- Movie viewing with fast-forward, rewind, pause, zoom and pan, view subtitles, and search;
- Music playback with fast-forward, rewind, pause, shuffle, repeat and search;
- File copying between USB devices;
- HDMI® 1.3 port, composite video and component video output3 for the highest quality HDTV or home theater;
- SPDIF digital output that sends digital signals to your AV receiver for the best surround sound experience; and,
- Ultra-compact design to fit easily into a home entertainment center.

The thought process behind is probably that you, the digital media hoard, might have so many external hard drives that you will lose track of what’s stored where. But with e-ink labels, you will always know which external drive is storing your backups, personal files, or unmentionables even when the drive isn’t powered. This is of course assuming you have enough data to require more than one external hard drive.

The labels will be available on the USB-only My Book Elite (up to 2TB for $280) and the Firewire 800 and USB My Book Studio (up to 2TB for $300). I personally think the e-ink idea is kind of novel, but a Dymo labeler would probably work just as well.

Western Digital also updated its My Passport Elite portable hard drive by adding a dock and upping its storage capacity to 640GB for $170.

Western Digital has announced 5 new external hard drives of various shapes and sizes. The refreshed lineup represents WD’s shift towards “smaller, smarter, and safer” storage solutions. As a result, all of these new drives come standard with built-in automatic backup software, password protection, and 256-bit hardware encryption.

There are 3 new My Passport drives (My Passport Essential, My Passport Essential SE, and My Passport for Mac) and 2 new My Book models (My Book Essential and My Book for Mac). Each of these will ship with WD’s new Mac / PC-friendly backup solution, SmartWare, which provides an “[e]asy, visual way to protect, store and manage your important data.”

One of WD’s goals was to make the software easy for everyone to use and help users avoid making mistakes with their precious data. To cut down on problems, SmartWare relies on user-friendly visual aids and simple, straightforward options to backup and/or retrieve files. In the demo I saw, the software appeared to be very intuitive and included some nice touches like a search function and real-time backup status reporting.

After configuring the software the very first time you boot up the drive, SmartWare will run automatically (if you allow it), providing an automatic and continuous “backup and drive management” solution. The software comes built-in, i.e. it resides on a separate partition on the hard drive, but the auto-backup can be disabled.

As for the “safer” attributes of the new drives, each one comes equipped with WD Drive Lock – password protection + 256-bit hardware encryption. Once the password is set, the owner (or anyone who knows the pw) is the only person who can access the data. If the password is lost, there is NO way to retrieve it because the password is never shared with Western Digital in any capacity.

Beyond the password, every bit of data stored on the drive is protected by 256-bit AES encryption. In other words, without the password, the data is basically impossible to access. Might sound a bit over the top, but WD said they wanted to err on the side of total security.

The drives come in two basic flavors: portable or stationary. The smaller, USB-powered My Passport Essential, My Passport Essential SE, and My Passport for Mac encompass the “ultra-small, ultra-portable” segment. And now for the details:

My Passport Essential:

• comes in 5 color options (Midnight Black, Arctic White, Pacific Blue, Cool Silver and Real Red)
• Docking station (optional)
• USB 2.0
• 320 / 500 / 640 GB
• MSRP $99-$149
• NTFS File system optimized for PC
• 2-year limited warranty

My Passport Essential SE:

• Midnight Black
• Docking station (optional – available end of November)
• USB 2.0
• Capacities 750 GB & 1 TB
• MSRP $179-$249
• NTFS File system optimized for PC
• 2-year limited warranty

My Passport for Mac:

• Charcoal Matte
• Docking station (optional)
• Compatible with Apple Time Machine
• USB 2.0
• 320 / 500 GB
• MSRP $99-$139
• HFS+JournaledFile system optimized for Mac
• 2-year limited warranty

Both the larger, outlet-powered My Book Essential and My Book for Mac feature an “Illuminated Capacity Gauge” on the spine of the “book.” Here are the rest of the specs:

My Book Essential:

• WD GreenPower eco-friendly drive
• Cool, quiet, fan-less design
• USB 2.0
• 500 GB & 1 / 1.5 / 2 TB
• MSRP $99-$249
• NTFS File system optimized for PC
• 2 -year limited warranty

My Book for Mac:

• WD GreenPower eco-friendly drive
• Cool, quiet, fan-less design
• USB 2.0
• 1 TB
• MSRP $139
• HFS+JournaledFile system optimized for Mac
• 2 -year limited warranty

So there you have it folks. More info about 5 new WD external hard drives, backup software, and security measures than you ever knew you wanted. Hands-on review coming soon.

So two new drives, both at the 2TB capacity point. The 2TB Caviar Black is intended for the home computer market, and the 2TB RE4 is for servers, network attached storage, and file servers. Both use the 7200 RPM spin rate, a 64 MB cache, and SATA 3 for transfers. The RE4 however, uses specialized sensor technology to increase the expected reliability rate for network storage purposes. Both have a 5 year warranty.

From the press release:

LAKE FOREST, Calif., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — WD (NYSE: WDC) today announced that it is now shipping desktop 7200 RPM 2TB hard drives and is qualifying with OEMs enterprise-class hard drives based on WD’s 500 gigabytes-per-platter technology. The popular family of WD Caviar Black drives, now led by the new 2TB capacity, is perfect for gaming, high-performance desktop systems and workstations; while the WD RE4 2TB is suited for servers, network attached storage and storage networks.

High-performance hard drives by an industry leader in performance, WD Caviar Black and WD RE4 2TB drives combine 7200 RPM spin speed, 64 MB cache, dual stage actuator technology, SATA 3 gigabits per second (Gb/s) interface, and an integrated dual processor to deliver ultimate performance in a maximum-capacity drive.

“WD Caviar Black 2TB hard drives maximize the features and functionality of power computing applications such as gaming, photo editing, user generated multimedia and video,” said Jim Morris, senior vice president and general manager of WD’s client storage systems. “With the selection of WD Caviar Black hard drives, WD desktop customers receive the best possible mix of capacity, performance and reliability that is required for intense desktop computing.”

“Specifically designed for enterprise-class applications, WD’s RE4 2TB drives incorporate the best combination of features, optimum performance, and superior reliability that customers have come to expect from WD,” said Tom McDorman, vice president and general manager of enterprise storage solutions for WD. “Our enterprise products are directly aimed at customers who require additional features and extensive testing that are necessary for high-end enterprise environments.”

WD Caviar Black 2TB and WD RE4 2TB hard drives feature the following:

* Dual processor – Twice the processing power to maximize performance.
* Dual actuator technology – A head positioning system with two actuators that improves positional accuracy over the data track(s). The primary actuator provides coarse displacement using conventional electromagnetic actuator principles. The secondary actuator uses piezoelectric motion to fine tune the head positioning to a higher degree of accuracy.
* IntelliSeek(TM) – Calculates optimum seek speeds to lower power consumption, noise, and vibration.
* StableTrac(TM) – The motor shaft is secured at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration and stabilize platters for accurate tracking, during read and write operations.
* NoTouch(TM) ramp load technology – The recording head never touches the disk media ensuring significantly less wear to the recording head and media as well as better drive protection in transit.

Additional Features for WD RE4 2TB Enterprise Hard Drives

WD RE4 drives feature 1.2 million hours MTBF, Active Power Save(TM), enhanced RAFF(TM) technology, multi-axis shock sensor, native command queuing (NCQ), pressure sensors, third generation dynamic fly height, time limited error recovery (TLER), and an extensive and enhanced testing process to ensure long-term reliability for demanding enterprise applications.

The 2TB Caviar Black is currently available from your favorite reseller for $299. The server version (RE4) is for sale only to OEM builders at this time.

Apparently the WD TV wasn’t small enough. The geeks at Western Digital just outed the WD TV Mini that packages most of the original into an even smaller package.

The main difference between the original and new Mini model is that the new one doesn’t have optical or HDMI output, only component and composite. But that might be fine for a second TV, or digital signage. So if you can deal with the lack of HDMI, save $30 over the original and opt for this one. But please, if you have an HDTV and a surround sound system, spend a little more cash and get the full size model that outputs over HDMI. Or you could wait for the WD TV2 that also has an Ethernet port. Actually, that’s probably the best idea.

CG’s favorite little doodad, the WD TV, from last year is a due for an update this year and the blokes over at the AVS Forums have a handful of images of the upcoming WD TV 2. Two new features for the WD TV 2 can be gleaned from the images without official confirmation from WD: DTS support and an Ethernet port!

AVS Forums via The Reg

Oh, how I look forward to the day when a drive can be judged solely by its capacity! Don’t worry, Western Digital. There will always be a place for you in giant HP laptops.

I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of a 256GB SSD to replace the dying Hitachi 250GB HDD in my MacBook Pro, but Western Digital has me thinking twice about going leaner and meaner. WD announced two new 2.5-inch mobile drives this morning in ridiculous capacities. Maybe not ridiculous, but who wouldn’t want a 750GB or 1TB drive in their laptop?!

The WD Scorpio Blue line features a 3 Gb/s transfer rate and WD’s WhisperDrive technology along with ShockGuard and SecurePark. Both models are shipping now through various channels; the 1TB model is currently available in My Passport Essential SE USB drives. The Scorpio Blue 750GB model has a suggested sticker price of $190 while the Scorpio Blue 1TB is a mere $250. The My Passport Essential SE 1 TB portable drive is $299.99 USD and the 750 GB model is $199.99 USD.

• WhisperDrive™ – WD’s exclusive WhisperDrive technology combines state-of-the-art seeking algorithms to produce one of the quietest 2.5-inch drives available.

• ShockGuard™ – Leading-edge ShockGuard technology combines firmware and hardware advancements to meet the highest combined shock tolerance specifications required for mobile and notebook applications.

• SecurePark™ – Parks the recording heads off the disk surface during spin up, spin down and when the drive is off. This ensures the recording head never touches the disk surface, resulting in improved long-term reliability due to less head wear and improved shock tolerance.

Western Digital

It’s interesting to see Western Digital blurring the line between external drives and NAS devices. I’ve had a couple of the My Book products, and found them to be reliable, but I moved away from them after setting a NAS up on my home network. However, when you consider the fact that the new My Book has Gigabit ethernet in addition to the standard USB 2.0, there’s almost no reason to buy a NAS instead of this drive.

We’re going to be reviewing one of these in the near future, and our expectations are pretty high. We’ll have to see how it stacks up performance-wise against a real NAS. You should be able to find them at your favorite retailer right away, with the 4TB version going for $699.99, and the 2TB for $399.99.

Here’s the press release:

The My Book World Edition II network storage system uses RAID 1 (Mirrored1) technology to automatically and continuously maintain a second copy of user’s data. If one drive in the two-drive system ever fails, the system continues to run and the data is safe. In addition, the new My Book World Edition II network hard drive includes software that simplifies the task of setting up automatic and continuous data backup for all the PCs in the home. The My Book World Edition II storage systems ship in Mirrored mode and use half the capacity for file redundancy.

With its media server capabilities and fast transfer speeds, this high-capacity system makes it simple to build a centralized digital media library that everyone can easily share. Music, photos and videos can be streamed directly from the My Book World Edition II storage system to any PC, Mac or connected DLNA® media player (such as TVs, Microsoft® Xbox 360 and Sony® PlayStation®3 game consoles or wireless digital pictures frames) using the integrated UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) media server and iTunes® Music server software. Users can also securely access their files from anywhere in the world through the Internet using the free MioNet® remote access service included with every My Book World Edition II storage system.

“Families have more and more digital media like movies, photos and music to store, share and protect. Having two drives inside the My Book World Edition II network storage system, instantaneously and automatically duplicating data, offers consumers the peace of mind of double safe, real-time protection of their valuable content,” said Dale Pistilli, vice president of marketing for WD’s branded products group. “Families can relax knowing their valuable media is backed up while enjoying the ability to stream their content to a plethora of different devices from PCs and Macs to PS3s, Xbox 360s and the latest connected TVs.”

Price and Availability
The new My Book World Edition II network storage systems are available now in 2 TB and 4 TB capacities at select retailers and WD’s online store (www.shopwd.com). MSRP for the My Book World Edition II dual-drive storage system with 4 TB is $699.99 USD and 2 TB is $399.99 USD.

Features
The new My Book World Edition II network drive features:

* Automatic, continuous backup for all the computers on your network;
* Dual-drive system that mirrors valuable data for extra safe data protection;
* Centralized storage and sharing for all of your family’s digital content;
* Streaming to any connected PC, Mac or DLNA certified game console or media player;
* Easy remote access to all your data from anywhere, anytime;
* Works seamlessly on networks with both Windows and Mac computers;
* Ability to centralize and stream music collection to a Mac or Windows PC using iTunes software;
* USB 2.0 port to turn any USB drive into an instant network drive or extra capacity for the My Book World Edition II;
* Cooler, quieter, eco-friendly design with drives using WD GreenPower Technology™ which run cooler, quieter and consume up to 33 percent less power2;
* User serviceable;
* Capacity gauge to see at a glance how much space is available on your drive;
* High-speed data transfer with Gigabit Ethernet; and,
* 3-year limited warranty.

Today, WD announced the My Book Studio Edition II in a 4TB variety. The RAID 0 configurable dual-drive storage system works with Apple’s Time Machine and has four interfaces: eSATA, FireWire 800/400 and USB 2.0. WD is touting the 4TB behemoth as an eco-friendly product because of the GreenPower drives.

The 4TB My Book Studio Edition II retails for $650 and comes with a five-year warranty.

My Book Studio Edition II [Product Page]

It wasn’t all balls, though; included in the box were a few extra USB cables. I’m guessing this was going to be a special package for some factory worker’s friend, but ended up in general inventory. They should call everyone who worked on the shift that serial number came from, and have them come in and draw and wang. Man, I should be a detective.

Quick version

Without a doubt, the 1TB Western Digital My Book World Edition is the easiest to use NAS I’ve ever tried. There’s virtually no setup, it’s remotely accessible and works flawlessly on both PCs and Macs.

Features (In my opinion)

• Easy to setup – Both Macs and PCs will recognize the drive on the network within minutes of powering it on.
• Remote access – With WD’s Mionet remote access system you can pull content off your drive from anywhere in the world.
• USB 2.0 port – Plug in any USB drive to instantly expand your network drive and share information. FireWire would have been nice, too.
• Media Server – store and stream content from a central location to your Xbox 360, PS3 or DLNA device.
• Unobtrusive – compared to the Iomega StorCenter ix2, the MBWE is much, much quieter and looks better.

Setup

Step 1. Connect MBWE to your home/office router.
Step 2. Power on the MBWE.
Step 3. Unload all your media onto the MBWE.
Step 4. Enjoy.

It really is that easy if you’re on a Vista or Leopard/Tiger machine. I don’t have anything running XP at home or the office, but WD provides software to make it easy for you folks too.

Performance

The MBWE claims to have best-in-class performance with its eco-friendly 7200RPM GreenPower drive, which claims to be environmentally friendly, but it’s always on. I moved a 350MB file from my laptop to the network drive wirelessly (802.11b/g) that took a little over two minutes. I then transferred 1.65GB worth of RAW images and that took about 13 minutes. If you’re planning on moving your entire movie collection over then it’s going to take quite bit of time, so start early in the evening and let it run wild while you sleep.

Extra

I don’t like backing up because the initial setup takes more time than I’m willing to devote, but WD’s packaged Anywhere Backup software is painless. After the initial setup, everything gets backed up instantaneously. If something accidentally gets deleted, you can easily go back and restore through the Anywhere Backup software. Easy peasy!

Oh, the white light on the front of the MBWE acts as a capacity gauge among other duties.

Questionable

Where the MBWE struggles, however, is its web-based interface. That’s not to say it’s horrible – it’s actually well laid out and easy to navigate, but enabling and disabling folder accessibility isn’t very easy to do. Unlike the Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive that Doug reviewed a couple months ago – where you just flip the toggle switch between “everyone” and “secure.”

But if this is just going to serve as a media hub at home then it’s nothing to really worry about. If it’s going into the office then you’re going to want to sit down with the manual and tinker with the web portal.

Conclusion

Western Digital’s My Book World Edition creates an instant hub of entertainment at home or a centralized depot of information for the office within seconds of powering on that also makes backing up painless and easy. If you’re looking for something that’s easy to use and relatively affordable for the size then look no further. But if you’re looking for something that’s RAID-1-able then opt for the 2TB version.

MSRP: $230 for the 1TB model, $450 for the 2TB model.

Product Page

Today, WD announced that their entire My Book line of external hard drives has been bumped up to 2TB of storage. The line is vast and caters to young and old, PC or Mac. The revamped line of 2TB drives includes: My Book Studio Edition, My Book Mac Edition, My Book Home Edition and My Book Essential Edition. Prices range from $329.99 to $379.99.

WD

Western Digital today announced that its ShareSpace high-speed network storage systems are now available with 8 TB of capacity and are DLNA Certified for media streaming. The ShareSpace systems now feature improved read and write speeds up to 30% for large media files. Current WD ShareSpace owners can download the new firmware update to experience these improvements.

The new 8 TB ShareSpace will be available this week at WD’s online store for $1,699.99. That’s roughly $212 per TB, and 21 cents per GB. Amazing. The ShareSpace storage systems are already available in capacities of 2 TB and 4 TB at $699.99 and $999.99, respectively.

Features

The new high-speed network storage systems feature:

• A small-footprint, 4-bay storage system that takes up very little space and provides plenty of storage to go around;
• GigE connectivity with data transfer rates up to one gigabit per second when used in a GigE network;
• RAID 0/1/5 capabilities for data protection and speed;
• E-mail alert system that monitors drive and system health and sends you an e-mail if a problem is detected;
• UPnP/DLNA 1.5 Certified Media Server;
• iTunes server for centralized shared music;
• Microsoft Active Directory® directory service support;
• Plug a USB drive into the front-mounted USB 2.0 port and push a button to transfer automatically all the data on the drive to the WD ShareSpace system;
• Automatic and continuous network backup software including licenses to back up 3 computers;
• WD’s unique MioNet remote Web access service (for PC and Mac) that lets users access the drive from anywhere;
• Download manager that supports scheduled downloads through FTP and HTTP;
• Windows Vista® operating system ready;
• Built-in FTP server;
• 3 USB 2.0 ports;
• Equipped with WD drives using WD GreenPower technology, this system, with its efficient cooling architecture and power saving mode, consumes up to 33 percent less power and is reliably cool and quiet; and,
• 3-year limited warranty.

Backing up my computer is the last thing I ever want to do. I know it’s simple to do these days, but it’s the initial setup that I can’t bear to wait through. But we all know our hard drives are bound to kick the bucket and at the rate I’ve been taking photographs this last year, I can’t afford to lose all those precious memories. Maybe it’s time I just nut-up and do it.

Today, Western Digital unveiled their redesigned My Book World Edition network drives to do just that. These large capacity network drives are great for storing and streaming content to your Xbox 360, PS3 or other DLNA player. Content will make its way to your iTunes or Windows Media Player 11 if you’re into that sort of thing.

WD GreenPower drives occupy the MBWE so they run quiet and cool. The 1TB and 2TB models work seamlessly with Macs and PCs and they’re automatically discoverable on both. They come with a 3-year limited warranty and the 1TB model will retail for $229.99 while the 2TB can be had for $450. Expect mirrored editions later on this year. We’ll have a full review later today.

Features

The new My Book World Edition network hard drives feature:

– Automatic, continuous backup for all the computers on your network;

– Simple file recovery for lost or damaged files;

– Centralized storage and sharing for all your family’s digital content;

– Best-in-class performance;

– Easy access to all your data from anywhere, anytime;

– Works seamlessly on networks with both Windows and Mac computers;

– Media server capability with DLNA 1.5 and UPnP certification to stream content to XBOX 360, Playstation3, wireless digital picture frames and connected audio receivers;

– Centralize and stream music collection to a Mac® or Windows® PC using iTunes software;

– Remote sharing of personal content like photos or documents with family and friends;

– USB 2.0 Utility Port to turn any USB drive into an instant network drive or extra capacity for the My Book World Edition;

– Cooler, quieter, eco-friendly design with WD Green Power Drives which run cooler, quieter and consume up to 33 percent less power1;

– Capacity gauge to see at a glance how much space is available on your drive;

– High-speed data transfer with Gigabit Ethernet; and,

– 3-year limited warranty.

Western Digital

These 2TB drives should be available some time next week, probably for ~$230. They’ve got a 32mb cache and an 8.9ms seek time, which isn’t exactly stellar, but at 2TB you can’t be picky with your performance specs.