Connecting the HD2 to the TV couldn’t be easier. You simply use the HDMI cable from the HD2 to the TV and connect/plug in the power adapter. Depending on the TV you have – you then need to navigate to the player. With the LG HD TV we were using, the MENU >> INPUT >> HDMI 1.
From here the HD2 boots to PlayOn! GUI2.0 and we are met with a welcome page listing various categories of media and the available disk space on the internal HDD.
The homes screen inside PlayOn! GUI2.0
Inside PlayOn! GUI2.0 we have a ‘Setup’ section. This allows us to tweak various settings within System, Audio, Video, Network and Misc. Below you can see the Video Settings available.
Video settings within ‘Setup’
There are many ways in which we can feed media to the player but one of the methods with the HD2 is that of wireless connectivity. To access this you need a Wireless USB stick. As soon as this is plugged into a USB port we can then pickup a wireless signal from a router. As you can see from the photograph below this has picked up the “Vortez” network. We then just need to select this network and input the WPA key and the HD2 is then connected to the router and ready to access the internet.
Connecting to the internet via WiFi
Once connected we can then load up ‘Internet Media’ from this page we have a multitude of applications available. Some of the more popular being YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. From here I then selected YouTube and a large keypad appeared allowing me to search YouTube for content. (All of these actions made possible via the HD2’s remote control). I then input ‘Transformers’ and the below items appeared.
Autobots…transform and roll out!
Playing content is then just a case of pressing enter on the remote for a specific video. From here we can then play any video on YouTube. The example below being Transformers Dark of the Moon trailer.
Transformers Dark of the Moon trailer streaming from YouTube
That isn’t all either, the HD2 can be used for so many different applications and uses. You can use it as a NAS, set it up as a Client for BitTorrent, show family and friends photo slideshows, and connect to social media and more!
Throughout the testing period one thing I did discover was that the menu response between the remote and GUI can appear to be sluggish at times. Another element that users may pickup on is the 40mm fan. Although AC Ryan classifies this as low-noise fan, it’s still quite noticeable since any devices around the TV are usually silent. Ideally this fan should be temperature controlled but it isn’t. It spins at the same rate through the time the unit is on.
