INTRODUCTION

   There was a time when i was really into TV screens (LCD & Plasma) so not a day went by without me looking at the specifications of all the new models getting released and since i also happened to supervise an electronics store back then i had the chance to take a look at most of them from up close. Of course back then LCD and Plasma screens didn't come ready with 3D and smart capabilities nor did they feature build-in media players so unlike today people were very interested in those brand new devices just making their debut. Even today however not all TV screens come with build-in media players and amongst the ones that do just a few have really powerful ones capable of reproducing very heavy bitrate files so although demand is obviously not the same as back then there's still interest for standalone media players. Today we'll be testing one of the latest models to hit the market, the MK902 Network Media Player by Rikomagic.

   We were pioneers of the Android Mini PC concept and were the first Android Mini PC provider. Based in Shenzhen, China, Rikomagic aims to revolutionize the digital media player market. Our Research and Development team has extensive expertise in consumer electronics products and the development of network media players. Our core strength remains focused around Android PCs and Android Mini PCs, where we have a great deal of experience. Rikomagic has been at the forefront of the development of multimedia, internet connected devices which truly transform TVs into home entertainment centers. The combination of our forward-looking market research, proven technological expertise and acumen, innovation, and our mature and efficient development process has given us industry-wide recognition. We differentiate ourselves by the quality, value and sophistication of our products. Our customers trust the RKM brand to enhance their entertainment experience, and we always strive to exceed their expectations.

   Rikomagic is not a name well known in the market but people behind it used to work for well-established media player manufacturers such as Egreat so they obviously know what they're doing (you can also tell just my reading the specs-sheet). The android based MK902 Network Media Player wears an RK3188 Cortex A9 quad core processor by RockChip (running at up to 1600MHz), Mali 400 MP graphics processor, 2GB DDR3 RAM and 8/16GB of onboard NAND flash memory (depends on the model). Other features include a microSD card slot, 4 USB 2.0 ports (one Slave for PC connection), optical audio output, Ethernet RJ45 port, built-in WiFi b/g/n receiver, built-in Bluetooth, A/V output, HDMI output and a front mounted 5MP camera (with a microphone). What makes the MK902 unique is that thanks to its 5MP front mounted camera you can also use it to make calls using Skype from the comfort of your lo09p09iving room (or bedroom) something which we haven't seen in the past with the media players we've used and tested. Everything looks great on paper but the time has come for us to check and see how the MK902 really performs.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

We received the MK902 inside a white box that has a product picture at the front along with the Rikomagic logo and three icons showcasing its main features.

The features and specifications list is placed at the rear of the box (our sample was updated to Android v4.4.2 and not v4.2 as written here).

A formed piece of plastic is used to keep the player safe during shipping.

Shipped with the MK902 is the AC power adapter, HDMI cable, USB to USB host cable, A/V RCA cable and the user manual.

THE MK902

The MK902 is a rubber coated network media player that weights 130g and measures 98.3mm in width, 98.3mm in depth and 28.1mm height.

It may not be as tiny as the Dune HD Connect which we tested a while back but it's quite small.

Rikomagic has placed their logo at the top of the player.

Moving at the front we see the 5MP camera, the ON/Off Activity LED and the microphone.

On the two sides of the MK902 we see the 4 USB 2.0 ports (one for PC connection), the microSD card slot, the WiFi Antenna and the reset button.

At the rear we see the A/V plug, HDMI port, optical audio output, Ethernet RJ45 port and the DC in.

USING THE MK902

As mentioned earlier our sample arrived with the v4.4.2 version of Android although you certainly can't tell from the main tab.

There are quite a few useful applications in the MK902 right from the factory including Skype, XBMC and WiFiDisplay.

Before you start using the device for good i suggest taking a stroll in the settings tab since you can do most things from within here. Still one of "drawbacks" we found was that the MK902 has a native resolution of 720p (the output did say 1080p but recorded images where in 720p).

The WiFiDisplay app is not really needed but it does look much better compared to the standard Android WiFi tab.

You can access the contents of the built-in NAND flash (8/16GB), microSD, network and any other storage media you plug into the MK902 from the explorer tab.

If you decide to reproduce video files without using XBMC then we strongly recommend the third (last) player from the top as seen above (it's the best one of the three at least with MKV files).

I took a picture of my bedroom (part of it anyways) using the 5MP camera but as you can see at least in "normal" lighting conditions (sunlight) the quality is certainly not what we were hoping to see.

XBMC

XBMC is perhaps the only application most HTPC users use to reproduce media files (video, audio and pictures) and i have to admit that I’m very fond of it myself.

Rikomagic is using the 12.4 FLUMP version of XBMC which by default has a nice home theater setup as background.

Unlike NAS servers you don't have the ability to change the resolution and audio output from within XBMC but you can change its looks/layout.

You can also check various information screens about the hardware specifications of the player.

Although we were unable to playback our Blu-Ray RIP of Avatar (we used a 32GB microSD card for our tests and that file is over 40GB) we did watch several movies without a single issue.

CONCLUSION

   As some of you know whenever we receive something by a new player in the market we're usually skeptical regarding its quality, features and performance but since i know the people behind Rikomagic since the early days of working with Egreat this time over things were different. Granted the fact that they are using Android as their base OS helped quite a bit since we're using it on a daily basis not only in our smartphones but also in media players so we knew what to expect. Now although the 5MP camera is a good touch i can't say that i was impressed since quality was nowhere near to what I’d consider good and because of that i really hope Rikomagic can use a better sensor (and lens) in future models. The same can be said about the units’ native resolution of HD 720p and even now i still can't figure out as to why Rikomagic chose that path. The good news however is that according to the two TV sets we used the MK902 on the moment we switched to movie playback resolution came up to Full HD 1080p. While testing the unit we also heard that some people were having issues with the optical audio output but it worked fine with the two A/V amplifiers we used so i can't really reproduce that issue (perhaps those issues were caused by a previous FW version?). Now i would like a slightly better WiFi signal but we're not talking about a router here and since it worked fine with up to 1 concrete wall in between i guess we can't really complain.

   Price could be one of the strong points of the MK902 Network Media Player (8GB version) by Rikomagic but it's not ideal since it currently retails for USD90 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 83Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). There are countless cheaper Android Network Media Players in the market as we speak however to be completely fair very few have built-in WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity and even less come with 3 USB 2.0 ports, optical output and a built-in camera which you can use for online calls. Can Rikomagic do better? Certainly and they've released the MK902II version already and the 4K mini PC dongle so we'll get those as well to see how they perform. Overall the MK902 Network Media Player works as advertised and that's why it gets our Golden Award. However if you have no need for the built-in 5MP camera then perhaps you should turn towards the MK902II which sports a better processor (or you can wait until our review comes online to decide).

PROS

- Size
- Audio/Video Quality
- Quad Core RK3188 Cortex A9 CPU
- Mali 400 MP GPU
- 2GB DDR3 RAM
- 8/16GB NAND Flash
- 3 USB 2.0 Ports
- MicroSD Card Slot
- Optical Output
- Built-In WiFi/Bluetooth/5MP Camera With Microphone

CONS

- Camera Image Quality
- 720p Native Resolution
- Price (For Some)