Getting movies, music and photos from your PC to your TV is easy — as long as you don’t mind a PC in your living room. If you prefer a more discreet solution to media shifting though, then the ASUS O!Play Air HDP-R3 could be just the gadget you need.
This compact black box connects to your HDTV via HDMI and a home network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi (802.11n), and then acts as a bridge between your other networked computers and your TV screen.
The O!Play Air HDP-R3 supports an extensive array of audio and video (up to Full 1080p) file formats and the bundled remote control means that you don’t need to get out of your seat to press the Play button.
There’s more to home entertainment than media streaming, of course, but the O!Play Air HDP-R3 also provides onboard USB 2.0 and eSATA for when you want to watch something that’s stored on an external storage device.
Multi-format memory card slots also mean that you can view digital photos directly from your digital camera and the O!Photo Picture Manager will even automatically transfer your snaps to your PC, organising them according to their EXIF data.
Set-up is simple, and it takes just a few mouse clicks to add the O!Play Air HDP-R3 to your home network — though you’ll have to plug the cables in yourself!
Specifications
- Supported video formats: MPEG1/2/4, RM/RMVB, VC-1, H.264 (.mp4, .mov, .xvid, .avi, .asf, .wmv, .mkv, .rm, .rmvb, .flv, .ts, .m2ts, .dat, .mpg, .vob)
- Supported audio formats: MP3, WAV, AAC, OGG, FLAC, AIFF, Dolby Digital AC3, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS Digital Surround
- Supported still image formats: JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF
- Supported subtitle formats: SRT, SUB, SMI, SSA
- Inputs: DC Power In, 1x USB 2.0 port, 1x USB 2.0 / eSATA combo port, RJ-45 LAN Port, CompactFlash, SD+MMC, MS+MS Duo, 802.11n
- Outputs: Composite video, composite audio L/R, S/PDIF, HDMI 1.3
- Supplied accessories: AC Adapter, power cord, remote control, composite A/V cable, quick start guide, CD (user manual)
- Dimensions: 181 x 125.3 x 47.7mm (W x D x H)
- Weight: 479g
- Power Source: 12VDC, 2A
- Power Consumption: <10W
- Operating Temperature: 5°C (41°F) ~ 35°C (95°F)
James Kidder