CONCLUSION

   Having used the full sized Dune HD BD Prime 3.0 media player for a couple of years followed by the Dune HD Max model since its release a few years back i have to admit that I’m very pleased with the advancements by Dune HD and although i personally prefer full sized media players (sturdier, more features and do look better) there's no denying that the Dune HD Connect is very versatile not only because of its compact portable size but also because of its offered features and performance. Just for the record we've used 3 other similar media players in 2014 wearing android OS (dual and quad core models) but none of those could reproduce our Avatar test MKV file. Granted as mentioned earlier on one hand the Dune HD Connect may not be as customizable as android OS based media players since you have a much wider range of available apps to choose from but on the other hand it offers a far more simplified GUI and a far more solid and lag-free experience. Another thing we liked quite a bit was that you can control the device via WiFi when using the two android apps so in the end it didn't matter if we were right next to the TV set or in the next room. The only thing i could possibly add to the Dune HD Connect would be illumination for the remote control but as things are we really can't complain (besides we can't have it all).

   Dune HD is considered the Mercedes Benz amongst media player manufacturers and so since their products offer a guaranteed level of quality and performance it's really no surprise that they always cost more compared to the competition. Well the Dune HD Connect is not an exception to that rule and although i consider its price tag to be just fine still the 125Euros it costs inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) will most probably seem like quite a bit for some people. That being said we were unable to locate the device inside the USA (although according to Dune HD it does retail for USD119 there) and that's pretty much the sole drawback of this product that i can think of. Leaving out availability however it's good to see that Dune HD is still the best at what they do and although the Dune HD Connect may lack some of the features of its larger brothers it's still great for its size which is why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Size / Weight
- Sigma Designs SMP8674/75 Processor
- Smooth Performance (Tested Up To 50Mbit/s)
- Picture Quality (Crisp With Vibrant Colors)
- Available Software Features (Right From The Factory)
- Built-In WiFi (Media Streaming/Sharing)

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- USA Availability (Currently)