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Crystal Acoustics MediaMatchBox
Tiny media player with fantastic format support
Teeny, tiny yet packed with codecs
The MediaMatchBox made short work of my test folder of file types: AVI, WMV, MPEG, FLV, TS and MKVs all played. Subtitles are adjustable, with selectable colour and size.
HDMI and a composite video adaptor cable are your only video outputs
The MediaMatchBox can also cope with DVD and BD ISOs, offering multichannel bitstream or LPCM audio streaming.
If you’re more interested in using this media player for music, perhaps in conjunction with an older AVR, then you’ll find equally robust compliancy. It’s happy with MP3, AAC, APE, Flac, Ogg, WAV and WMA files. Audio post processing is limited to a Night Mode range suppressor. Album art is displayed when available.
The UI isn't a gem of aesthetics, but it's functional
It can also display JPEGs, BMP, PNG and Gifs.
Crystal Acoustics hasn’t done much to pimp the interface of the MediaMatchBox - it offers the basic Realtek UI. That said, it’s sharp and colourful, with direct navigation to Movies, Music, Photos and Settings. The HDMI output is variable up to 1080p/24 and there’s a video zoom for anyone that can think of a use for it.
Using the remote feels like popping bubble-wrap
I still found it the MediaMatchBox a little slow when it comes to scanning connected drives. It occasionally misses stuff as well, requiring you to resort to the File Management tool to riffle through nested folders. There is some basic file editing built-in, with Copy, Paste, Delete and Move options on files or folders.
Verdict
The MediaMatchBox is a great advert for the new Realtek chip, and a super little media player in its own right. If you’re looking to upgrade your TV or AV system it provides a slick user experience in a tidy chassis. ®
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