Western Digital WD TV Mini | Reviews | Techie.com.ph
5:32 PM | Monday | 03 January 2020

The words "Cooper" and "Me" are often linked to the word "Mini." They're small, nimble yet they're just as capable as their larger counterparts. Sadly, Western Digital's WD TV Mini does not follow this tradition.

First, let's take a look at what it is. The WD TV Mini is a media player that's made primarily for upscaling SD [standard definition] videos. It only has one USB input port thus distinguishing it from the lot of NMT [Networked Media Tanks] out there. It's travel-friendly given its size, and the power adapter can be plugged into both 110V and 220V outlets.

Setup is a no-brainer. You can opt to plug in the WD TV Mini via an old-school composite (red, yellow, white) or semi-high-tech component (red, green, blue) jack. Note: Videos upscale up to 720p or 1080i only when you use the latter. The optical out port lets you connect the device to an amp for true 5.1 digital sound – if the media file supports it, that is.

The menu system looks similar to the WD TV's, but it's zippier and feels infinitely more responsive. The preview pane works wonders especially if you're undecided about which file you would like to watch. We just wish the font size was bigger, as we often found ourselves squinting just to make out the words.

We were able to play all the SD videos we threw the WD TV Mini's way. Same goes with music and photo files. We expected as much, but it's nice to see that it actually delivers. As for the image quality, that depends mostly on what type your TV is and the quality of the file. Remember: Garbage in, garbage out.

If you're not an HD aficionado, the WD TV Mini should satisfy your needs. It's a no-nonsense player that delivers plus, it's as cute as a button. We just wish that its selling price of P4,999 could be a little cuter, too, considering that its HD-playing big brother costs only a couple of thousand pesos more.

Click here to see the WD TV Mini in the Buyer's Guide.