The O!Play TV Pro is the latest entrant in the O!Play family of home entertainment products, and possibly the shiniest of them in the literal sense. While this may present a consideration in terms of keeping the product smudge and dust-free, it certainly looks incredible as I just found out when the first sample arrived at TiS towers. Once more, I rushed to the nearest location to snap some quick photos. In this case it was mostly the cafeteria and a few other odd rooms.
You can check out the product feature we had about the O!Play TV Pro not long ago for full product details, or the official website from ASUS. In this entry, I’ll be mostly talking about things you can see in the photos.
There may be many boxes like it, but this box is mine...
The retail box is quite nice and informative, but possibly the product image could have shown more gloss in keeping with the actual product inside.
The sticker is for placement on your TV, or the O!Play device
The O!Play TV Pro sits right on top inside the box, protected by a sturdy cardboard tray that keeps it in place during shipping.
Cables. Lots of cables.
In addition to a hefty multilingual manual, you get a variety of cables with the package. Highlights include HDMI and USB PC Link. These definitely save you the cost and trouble of having to buy cables separately. It’s still not that commonplace to have an HDMI cable bundled with a product, so kudos to ASUS.
Cool free movies are cool
If you reside in the UK or Republic of Ireland, you can sign up for Acetrax after launching the O!Play TV Pro. Your account will then be credited with the equivalent value of two movie rentals. The same applies to existing Acetrax users, simply log in to your account from the O!Play TV Pro interface, and your account will get the store credit.
Let's clear the air on this
Also in the retail box is an antenna, or aerial. This is used for receiving free-to-air stations, including digital transmissions in improved quality.
Getting attached is fine
The aerial arrives with a suction cup attachment for secure placement on almost any surface, even your wall. These engineers really do think of everything.
Remote, warranty, and software
Naturally there’s a remote control (batteries included), plus a warranty card and a utility disc.
O!Play TV Pro - reflecting your world since 2012
The high gloss finish is amazingly elegant, I do like it but must concede that in real world conditions it may attract more dust and fingerprints. I don’t have a problem with that per se. The device is meant to sit comfortably in your living room entertainment centre, and doesn’t have to be moved around much. Under such conditions, the O!Play TV Pro is quite the stunner.
A different look
Here’s the device under different lighting conditions. The nice front panel design comes through here, setting the O!Play TV Pro apart from your run of the mill media centre.
Angled beauty
Here you can see that the device has a slightly angled front end, giving it a nice artistic touch. The front is made up of two openings, actually, which reveal the goodies behind.
Open up to connect
On the front left we have easy-access and clearly labelled connectors for important items such as USB 3.0 and a card reader.
Hard drives made easy
The other side of the front panel reveals a standard 3.5″ hard drive tray. It pops in and out quickly, making added storage effortless. This constitutes one of the O!Play TV Pro’s biggest selling points. Hard drive sold separately, so don’t let anyone tell you I said otherwise!
Now this is extensive
The backside of the device has most of the connectors, and the list is exhaustive: a hard reset button (pin, similar to the ones you find on routers and modems), coax, optical audio, composite (RCA), component, USB 2.0, LAN, HDMI, RF in/out, and of course power.
Blue now means happy
For added chic, the pilot light sits under a classy mesh cover that spreads the light for a pleasing blue-tinged effect.
The O!Play TV Pro is a truly complete home multimedia device, with full HD capabilities and an integrated live design that gets you connected to a wealth of online content moments after setup. The really astounding range of ports/connectors, support for over 50 media formats, and easy hard drive usage seal the deal. This is a great machine, if you’re looking to consolidate your home entertainment look no further.
CORRECTION: my friends at ASUS just told me the Acetrax promotion is actually valid wherever Acetrax can be accessed, not just the UK and Ireland. In Europe, that means (as of this writing) the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Denmark, France, Austria, and Liechtenstein.
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