Most of the hardware devices that make their way into our HTPC setups are enabled to stream from online locations. If we are talking about Android devices, they have become nearly universal, thanks to applications such as Kodi for Android; and other apps such as SPMC, the Kodi alternative for Android. Yet sometimes we need devices for situations on which the online connectivity is not mandatory; a device that just plays our media from an external storage, and plays it well. There are several alternatives, such as the Micca Speck portable media player, and also the device we will analyze today on this Crenova MP023 review. [Read: Install SPMC on Amazon Fire TV using only AFTV device]
Enter the Crenova MP023; a box-like device that plays your local media. It's advertised to play any media you throw at it, in any way you throw it. Put simply, this device has lots of outputs, which makes your media viewing experience richer, no matter the storage media you choose, or the display device you have. Old TV? The AV output got you covered. LED TV? You have an HDMI output for that. Want to use an old monitor? You have a VGA port available as well. In this Crenova MP023 review we see this box is really versatile, and will fit your setup if you want to play local media. Do not get it if you want to stream with Kodi Add-ons, as this box will not satisfy your needs. In this case, get another device, such as an Android media player or an Android media stick.
Best Android TV Boxes:
- NVIDIA SHIELD TV Pro Home Media Server - $199.99
- Amazon Fire TV Streaming Media Player - $89.99
- WeTek Play 2 Hybrid Media Center - $134.00
- Kukele Octacore Android TV Box - $179.99
- U2C Android TV Box - $95.99
Crenova MP023 Review: A Convenient Media Player
Another positive point we noticed in this Crenova MP023 review is the fact that it includes a remote you can use with your device. This remote will allow you to control basic features, such as browsing your media in your storage devices, controlling the sound output volume and other basic tasks. The Crenova MP023 media player comes with an AV cable and power adapter as well. Let's take now a look at the technical specifications of the Crenova local media box and see what it offers.
Crenova MP023 Review: Technical Specifications
- Audio format: MP3, WMA, AFE, FLAC, OGG, APE, AAC, AC3, DTS etc.
- Picture format: JPEG, GIF, BMP, PNG, etc.
- Video format: RMVB/RM (RV8/9), h.263, h.264 (MOV/M4V), MPEG-1/2 (VOB), MPEG-4 (XVID / DIVX), WMV7 / VC-1, MKV, AVI, TS/TP, VOB, PMP, FLV, etc.
- Support Repeat, Zooming, FF, BF, Rotate functions. Stereo L/R audio output.
- Supporting memory card: SD, SDHC
- Resolution: 1920×1080(Full HD 1080p)
- USB interface: USB 2.0, support external HDD or U disk
- Output: HDMI, AV, VGA, Optical Audio
- Video system: PAL/NTSC
As you can see, you can connect your HDD to the USB port on this device and play media from it. Although it's not a high-speed USB 3.0 port, users report a good performance when playing media from HDD or external storage. You can also store your media on SD and SDHC cards, giving you even more options and flexibility.
Crenova MP023 Review: Do you Recommend this Device?
We have to be clear on the purpose of the device analyzed in this Crenova MP023 review. If you have a media collection in an external storage disk and want to play it without fiddling with settings or complicated software, then this is the device for you. However, if you're looking for a smart TV box experience, you should perhaps consider other options. If you decide getting a device that supports Kodi, you can use these 20 best Kodi addons, or stream movies through these 10 best Kodi movies addons. However, if this is something you do not need, and you just want to play your movie collection, then the Crenova MP023 media player is an excellent and inexpensive option to include in your living room.