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(More customer reviews)Only a few short months after the debut of the ASUS O!Play HDP-R1, Asus gives us the O!Play Air (HDP-R3). It adds wireless connectivity and a media card reader to an already solid media player. For users in search of a versatile wireless media device, this is a serious candidate for your entertainment dollar.
Physically, the Air is identical to its predecessor. It's the same boxy plain-Jane black housing except with a new LED indicator (for Wi-Fi) on the front and 3 media reader slots on the left side (CompactFlash, SD, Memory Stick). Inside, it is the same Realtek chipset and software, therefore, it inherits all the strengths of the R1 as well as all its flaws. For more details on the usability issues, please read my review on the O!Play R1 page.
Instead, I'll focus mostly on the wireless playback capability of the Air, since it is marketed principally as a wireless media player. If you don't need wireless, by all means, save yourself some $ and go with the R1. But if like me, your router and storage devices are too far from your media player/TV and you don't want to be running wires all over the house, then the Air is for you. An alternative is to use powerline ethernet technology, which sends network traffic through your home electrical wiring, but such adapters like the ZyXEL PLA401 200 Mbps Powerline HomePlug AV Wall-plug Adapter (Starter Kit--2 units) are an extra $80-150 to start (and you need at least 2).
Like the R1, set up was a breeze. Do you have to supply your own HDMI cable though (only a composite is included). The AC adapter is very smartly designed and is a regular 2-prong plug like a laptop adapter, not an awkward wall-wart that blocks other sockets. A side benefit of this design is that it affords you about 12 feet of extra cordage to position the Air at a convenient spot on your desk or entertainment rack. Upon plugging it in, it goes to the configuration screen where you enter the video and network settings. It took several tries to find my SSID and connect to my network initially, but once configured, it works without a hitch and connects instantly upon powering up. It's now happily streaming hi-def content off my media servers in the basement (a DNS-321 and DNS-323 NAS (network attached storage)). The interface is still ugly, spartan, and a bit obtrusive (it'll do a needless connection speed test for EVERY file before you can play it), but now I have all the power and flexibility of the R1 without being tethered to a router.
As reported by the unwanted speed test, I get anywhere from 11-17 Mb/s on average from my D-Link DIR-655 Extreme N Wireless Router running in mixed mode (g/b/n). Sometimes it's higher, but it's adequate for all my content which are mostly 720p MKV files ranging from 4GB to 11GB. It is able to see my Mac on the network and connect to it, but it couldn't see any files. Comparison to WD TV Live:
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I'm pleased with the ASUS O!Play line so far, and there's definitely a lot of room for improvement, but you are probably wondering how it stacks up against the Western Digital WD TV Live, its main rival. First, the Air gives you wireless connectivity straight out of the box. With the Live, you need to purchase a separate compatible N dongle (about $30), giving the Air an edge on price. With RMVB playback, a media reader, and an e-SATA port, the Air is a better value pound for pound, but it is twice the size of the Live and not much to look at.
The Live has the edge on overall polish, design, and user-friendliness. The interface is beautiful and very intuitive. I don't have to drill down several layers through redundant network folders just to get to the videos directory. On the O!Play, I have to jump through a series of hoops. From the main menu I have to select: Movies -> Folder -> Network -> Workgroup -> DNS-321 (my NAS) -> [login popup dialog] -> then finally the drive volumes -> file listings. If you tell the player to save it as a shortcut, it's still a series of hoops: Movies -> Folder -> Network -> DNS-321:/ -> drive volumes -> files. The first 3 menu layers are totally unnecessary and this is a major impedance to usability, particularly if you are trying to explain this to less tech savvy users, like my dad.
Note: It is important to use the Network browser menu option, not UPnP, which is spotty on all devices I've tested. UPnP just doesn't work at all for me. Only a handful of files show up on the list. With Network, all the files are there.
The Air's remote is big, but a bit oddly arranged. The remote on the Live is small, making it easier to lose, and skipping ahead is quite awkward. With the Air, you can set it to skip at a fixed interval (1/5/10/15/30 mins) and just push on the remote. On neither device, however, can you go to a specific time code.
The Air lets you change the encoding of external subtitle files on the fly, sparing you the hassle of re-saving files as UTF-8 that you'd have to do on the Live. If you're dealing with non-Western characters, this is important. Subtitles are easier to read on the Live, however, because it puts an outline around text. On the O!Play, I found myself having to change the colors repeatedly when I was watching one movie because it kept blending into the scenes.
Lastly, the Live has YouTube and Pandora streaming, giving you access to web content. It can also check for update itself and install them. The Air has no access to the outside world.
Overall, I like this player a lot. The ASUS has proven itself to be a versatile and capable media player in my home, despite all its warts and rough edges. The Live and the O!Plays are the only two serious contenders in the home media player market, in my opinion, and you can't go wrong choosing either one of them.
UPDATE: 2/15/2010 - Wow! ASUS just released a firmware update today (1.09) greatly expanding the capabilities of this player! (A corresponding update with the same features was also released for the HDP-R1). It adds internet radio, Picassa, Flickr, weather, and internet TV (but no YouTube)! I watched some educational programming from NHK about Japanese candymaking. The video is blurry, like most internet video, but this is a very exciting addition to the device! There are 100 channels on the list, from all over the world. The top ones on the list are from Asia, and further down, I saw sites from Egypt and other parts of the world. This won't replace cable by a long shot because of the low video quality, but it's a nice add-on for those who enjoy international programming and don't want to pay high cable fees for additional channels. (For me to add Japanese TV, it's an extra $25/month! That's for ONE channel.) I am upgrading my rating to an enthusiastic 5 because of this new functionality. The interface still needs a lot of polish, but the features definitely make the ASUS R1 and R3 an excellent value for your money.
Click Here to see more reviews about: ASUS OPlay Air - Wireless N TV HD Media Player
ASUS O!Play Air - now with integrated wireless N and a built-in card reader, it is the most convenient way access your media files to your TV/monitor.Stream your media content wirelessly or through the LAN.Also equipped with a eSATA, USB, card reader for a variety of storage support.This device is easy to use and highly compatible with many video and audio formats. Experience full HD 1080p playback through the HDMI port.
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