CONCLUSION

   Media Players featuring the latest HD chipsets usually carry quite a bit of issues with them (beta testing of such devices prior to getting released would be a nice thing to see) and the S-Series R300 was no exception to that rule since not only did we experience several freezing/movement issues when playing BDISO files (and in their menus) but also when using the latest Gigabit LAN. Egreat however did resolve most of these issues with the release of their beta firmware update so i guess it all ended well. Overall the new RTD1186 chipset by Realtek is by far their best one to date and although not perfect still it's going to be quite hard for Sigma Designs to create the same performance gap they enjoyed in the past (although we have yet to see their upcoming high-end HD chipsets).

   The single real drawback for some people may be the current price tag of the S-Series R300 Media Player by Egreat since it retails for around USD230 inside the USA and 190Euros inside the EU. Of course most of the times you truly get what you paid for so if you want the latest and most powerful HD chipset by Realtek to date coupled with all the features mentioned above then the R300 is not really expensive. However if you don't place much value to those features and you just want a basic media player to cover your needs then there are certainly many cheaper solutions in the market today. Personally since all the issues i came across where resolved i truly consider the S-Series R300 Media Player by Egreat as one of the best media players available currently and that's why it gets our Golden award.

PROS

- Build Quality (Brushed Aluminum Enclosure)
- Performance (Realtek RTD1186)
- 3D Support
- BDISO/VC1/AVC Support
- External Powered SATA Port
- Easy-Swap HDD Space
- Dual Wi-Fi Antenna
- USB 3.0 Ports
- Front Touch Buttons
- HDMI 1.4 

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Initial Issues (Most Of Them Resolved)
- Remote Control Lacks Button Illumination