hellomofo wrote:The review clearly stated that the reviewer would choose the FAT+ over the Patriot, but what about the WDTV Live? For a week now, I've browsed a lot of forums regarding WD vs FAT+ (at work
, i am so productive during the holidays) but have not concluded on which to get.
I don't care about internet apps, and I don't care about wireless performance. Most forums claim the WD live OS is better than the FAT+, but I prefer a simple OS. The video and subtitle and menu bugs are all fixable through firmware updates. (assuming that they are working on fixes, etc). They both output 1080p. The Fat+ is larger than the WD. The WD seems to have more bugs (according to other forums). They both have slow ethernet ports. etc, etc, etc.
To keep this short, it seems that there is a tie here. Can anyone here say which one is better and why? (ignoring internet apps and wireless performance)
Thanks
First of all, welcome to the forums!
Well, the biggest factor for me is playback, and both the WD and FAT+ have the same playback capability. Both units are not perfect in playing & streaming BD ISOs, but their last firmware upgrades gave both a step forward. I'm not really interested in DVD menu browsing, but many people are and both of these players have pretty much the same capability. They both understand and pass the same digital audio codecs. They play the same number of music formats and handle all versions of picture files. Also, both units are fanless which makes a big difference in a bedroom or small living room.
With all of the above being pretty much equal, I think I would prefer the FAT+ over the WD. The FAT+'s OS speed is a little bit zippier than the WD, and I like the various ways you can display your titles and folders. Even though Seagate kind of traps you into buying another one of their products, I really like the "integrated" FreeAgent Go hard-drive dock. The FA Go is not a bad piece of tech either. (For a long time it was under my radar until I got my hands on it...Now, I'm thinking about buying one for a relative with a little desk dock).
Finally, the last WD firmware and how the company handled the debacle is something that has very cautious to recommend this unit. I didn't brick mine, but most of the people I know who bought theirs did. Some were able to swap theirs out at their local Best Buy, but one is still waiting for his RMA unit...not great. In retrospect, I can't really fault WD's response to the problem, but just feel that WD TV Live adopters shouldn't have been placed in that position.
Just a little puppy trying to make it in a big digital world.