14 DAY TRIAL // ASUS introduced at last its latest in the O!Play series, a media player capable of rendering virtually all types of media files and that has built-in, wireless features. As a means to provide quick and easy access to any files on the various devices or data-storage environments that buyers may possess, the new ASUS O!Play Air HDP-R3 can connect to any of them, either through the network or wireless ports, and can deliver a high-quality rendering of the video, audio and other media files.
The media player can connect to PCs, card readers, network-attached storage devices and other SATA and USB ones using its comprehensive O!Link application. The stable connection allows for the full enjoyment of media files and the HDMI 1.3 port provides the player with the needed information to handle mostly any format currently available. The developers used the 802.11n Wi-Fi connectivity. This means that the established connections will be more than enough to enable the HDP-R3 to easily stream videos in 1,080p Full HD image rendering. Specifically, the maximum wireless throughput attainable is as high as 600Mbs.
The HDP-R3 uses the same premium High Definition playback technology as its predecessor, the O!Play HDP-R1. However, the R3 has upgrades that increase the playback options, such as the built-in card-reader slots. This means that buyers will always have available storage possibilities for music and video files, making full use of the high-quality rendering technology. Among the supported interfaces, there are CompactFlash (CF), Secure Digital (SD/MMC) cards, or Memory Sticks (MS/MS Duo).
Naturally, the new O!Play supports LAN connections for high-speed streaming and decoding of media files. Also, to provide the immense bandwidth needed for a high-quality rendering of the images, the player has a built-in eSATA interface that provides a throughput nearly six times faster than a USB 2.0 connection.
As a small perk, the remote control of ASUS's new child comes with a dedicated music-shuffling button. With this, users will not need to arrange their files on their various machines, instead allowing the O!Play Air HDP-R3 to retrieve all the stored musical data and randomize it for a more varied multimedia experience.
This release is a follow-up to a sneak-peak dated last week. The product is expected to soon become available for purchase in Europe at the price of $90.