Value and Conclusion
Ac Ryan Playon Hd Essential Firmware Update. The Playon!HD2 is a little cheaper than the Essential, but that's not the only difference. The HD2 has one feature we really keenly felt was missing from the Essential, namely in-built network support via gigabit Ethernet. Here you can download ACRyan Playon!HD2 and Mini Firmware v9.5.3.r7317 for the Playon!HD2 and Playon!HD2 Mini local from Guru3D's servers. ACRyan EU recently went bankrupt. The global website was online serving the firmwares and updates, but for now that website experiences problems as.
- The MSRP for AC Ryan PlayOn!HD2 with the 1 TB HDD pre-equipped is $229 and the Wireless-N 300 mbps USB dongle can be found online for $29.95
- Supports all popular (and even more) video/audio formats
- Very low power consumption
- Managed to play even ultra high bit rate (80 mpbs) MKV files
- EZ slot makes the swap of the disk an easy task
- USB 3.0 port and a (supposed) Gigabit LAN
- Good bundle which, among others, includes a good quality HDMI cable
- Download torrents and watch movies at the same time
- FTP server capability
- Supports USB keyboard/mouse (but no mouse cursor)
- Menu response sometimes sluggish, especially with high CPU or disk load
- Fan is not temperature controlled
- Gigabit LAN delivers only 100 mbit performance
- BitTorrent client can be accessed only through browser and not through player menu (ver 3966)
- Unknown quality capacitors could limit lifespan
- USB WiFi-N dongle costs extra and had compatibility issues with our access point
Ac Ryan Playon Hd2 Firmware Update Version
I've been an owner of the original AC Ryan PlayOn!HD for a while, so it was relatively easy for me to spot the differences/upgrades coming with the new PlayOn!HD2. First of all, what matters most not only to me, but also to many users out there, is the greatly improved menu response. Although sometimes is still sluggish it's way faster in this model. For sure the new CPU and the larger RAM play a big part in this and also responsible for the extended playback capabilities. The original PlayOn!HD had trouble playing MKV files with 50mbps bit rate and above, while the new model played them flawlessly even the 80 mbps bit rate. In addition the inclusion of the new EZ drive slot and the USB 3.0 port highly boosted the player's usability.
On the other hand some issues we noticed in the older model still remain. Namely the fan still remains audible when you watch a movie with low sound volume. Also the menu speed is faster but still there is room for improvement. As for the Gigabit Ethernet, it completely dissapoints. It did not manage to deliver anywhere close to Gigabit performance in any of our tests, not file copy neither video streaming. Thankfully you can easily remove the internal HDD and attach it directly to your PC through a docking station and fill it with your favorite movies, so you will avoid the long transfer times. Finally, I would like to see a new, more elegant, design with smaller footprint. Since the PlayOn!HD2 uses a much smaller PCB I can't see any reason for it to be housed in such a big case.
Bottom line, the PlayOn!HD2 is a far better media player than its predecessor with lots of potential, which could be delivered through future software updates. If you don't mind the drawbacks we spotted and especially if you can cope with the noise that the small fan outputs then this player will be a good companion for one of your TV sets.
On the other hand some issues we noticed in the older model still remain. Namely the fan still remains audible when you watch a movie with low sound volume. Also the menu speed is faster but still there is room for improvement. As for the Gigabit Ethernet, it completely dissapoints. It did not manage to deliver anywhere close to Gigabit performance in any of our tests, not file copy neither video streaming. Thankfully you can easily remove the internal HDD and attach it directly to your PC through a docking station and fill it with your favorite movies, so you will avoid the long transfer times. Finally, I would like to see a new, more elegant, design with smaller footprint. Since the PlayOn!HD2 uses a much smaller PCB I can't see any reason for it to be housed in such a big case.
Bottom line, the PlayOn!HD2 is a far better media player than its predecessor with lots of potential, which could be delivered through future software updates. If you don't mind the drawbacks we spotted and especially if you can cope with the noise that the small fan outputs then this player will be a good companion for one of your TV sets.