It is not quite an HTPC as it does not seem to have recording capabilities, the WD TV Live Plus HD media playercan stream from your Netflix account, YouTube and various other online media sources making it a little more useful than many media streamers.  It is rather small, about the size of an external HDD case and it consumes about 4W which makes it great for people short on space and free electricity.  Part of the reason it is so small is the lack of internal storage, though it has USB connectivity for those wanting to show movies stored locally.  AnandTech had some mixed feelings about comparing it to an HTPC but do recommend it for those looking for a convenient way to stream online content to a TV.

“Western Digital was one of the first storage manufacturers to enter the world of media streamers. Their latest play in the market is the WD TV Live Plus HD media player. This model attempts to provide users with all their local media, as well as thousands of videos from across the web. We have seen several similar players from Western Digital, including the WD TV HD, WD TV Mini, and the WD TV Live.”

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