Page 4 - Performance and Conclusion
Audio/Video Performance
As stated before, the video playback quality of the UEBO M100 is quite good. I have tested the device with multiple videos ranging from DVD quality to full HD 1080p. The player handles all videos well, as I noticed no lag at all. One small issue I did notice was that the fast forward and rewind would at times lag or take a long moment before actually executing the command. I also would have like to see a more complex slideshow program that can incorporate different styles of presentations. As far as analog video performance is concerned, image quality will drop if you switch to composite, but that's an interface issue, and not UEBO's fault. On the other hand, audio tends to drop ever so slightly, and the quality is more noticeable during moments with large and abrupt sound (Explosions, gunfire). The M100 lacks in some of the sound quality that I have heard on other media players; namely the Patriot Box Office with a Cirrus Logic CS4352CZZ DAC. I could talk more about the analog audio quality performance on the M100, but it is just going to be a waste of time, because I would not recommend this to be used as a music player anyway.
USB Performance
One thing that the UEBO M100 can brag about is having the USB 3.0 SuperSpeed interface. In the world of media players, the interface is still fairly rare, and it is surprising to see it present on this product. Just for your information, the UEBO M100 uses a Genesys Logic GL3310 controller -- a USB 3.0 to SATA 3Gb/s bridge controller. This controller managed to obtain an average HDTach read of 68.8MB/s using a Western Digital Scorpio Blue 640GB hard drive. I am sure it can go faster, but my hard drive is the bottleneck here, and not the M100.
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For me, the UEBO M100 is bitter sweet media player. It is stylish and simple. It is perfect as a mobile media player and a non-portable player. The player supports all the video formats one would ever need. It provides full 1080p HD video playback for crystal clear videos for both small and large HDTVs alike. Also included is a card reader slot and a USB 2.0 hub for extra storage solutions, convenience, and the support for USB WiFi adapters. For speed, the player incorporates the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface that will transfer files faster than most media players on the market directly from your computer. Also, other benefits of this unit for your consideration include a outer brushed aluminum shell that protects internal storage solutions, a one touch copy button for quick and effortless data transfers, and a software that is easy and straightforward to use and understand. Lastly, the ability to organize files and folders on the UEBO M100 with ease is fairly nice to have. Now that the sweet is done with, let's talk about the bitter. First and foremost, many areas of the software is lacking. Generally speaking, we need to step away from the Linux stereotype to a more, well, consumer friendly look. As I have said, it is easy to use, but it's not pretty to look at. It simply lacks the usage experience. The menu could benefit from using the extra empty space on the outer edges that could make browsing and organizing much more efficient. The directional pointing that must be done with the remote is at times hard to accomplish, and could take several tries before the media player responds. The amount of software lag is by far the largest flaw of all as it confuses users, wastes time, and makes many actions redundant and inefficient. Also, the M100's audio capabilities are limited to just the HDMI connection and could benefit from having an optical or coaxial output connection. Another USB port would definitely help the unit out if one were to use the media players WiFi features. Lastly, the audio player is lacking in functionality, as it provides little to no features in managing a large music library, nor does it even display album art. Unfortunately, the otherwise excellent hardware and many great ideas are left inhibited by rather poor software. Being priced with a MSRP of $89.99 at press time, I think UEBO got the price right. In theory and on paper, the UEBO M100 definitely looks and sounds amazing. It has everything a portable media player could ever want or need, but yet it is missing the software to back it up. A thorough firmware update is definitely recommended. In the end, the UEBO M100 is stylish outside, but unfortunately, it lacks the genius inside.
UEBO provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Review Focus Summary:
6/10 means A product with its advantages, but drawbacks should not be ignored before purchasing.
5/10 means An average product with no real advantages; drawbacks and advantages just seems to cancel each other out.
-- Final APH Numeric Rating is 5.8/10
Please note that the APH Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other sites.
If you are looking for something small, portable, and reliable, then the UEBO M100 is the perfect media player for you -- you just need to survive the slow and stereotypical Linux user interface.
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Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware
3. A Closer Look - Software
4. Performance and Conclusion
