Acer Iconia Tab Tablet Review
$450.00
Video Controls
If you've ever gotten the opportunity to play around with another Android 3 tablet, you'll be delighted (or horrified) to know that the Acer Iconia Tab has the same exact video playback interface as the other Android 3 tablets on the market. If you haven't been lucky enough to see what it's like, we'll walk you through it.
Video Management
Much like the other high-profile Android 3 tablets, the Acer Iconia Tab sorts its videos by folder, as well as a proprietary system that's a bit unique. Once you tap open the "multimedia" menu, you are greeted with an all-new homescreen, with most of your pre-loaded multimedia apps
Video Formats
Much like Acer's reluctance to publish what file formats the Iconia Tab can read, so too do they neglect to let anybody know which video files will work on their machine. We found that MPEG, H.264, and MP4 files were able to be played on the Acer Iconia Tab , as well as streaming video in the .flv format.
One of the cooler features of the Acer Iconia Tab is the ability to export whatever video files you would like to watch to a TV via the microHDMI port on the side of the tablet. If you don't have an HTPC or streaming device, this can stand in quite well in a pinch. This is a great option if you like to stream media, but don't want to be chained to a computer desk.
Internet Video
Included in most Android-running tablets is a YouTube application which allows users to stream their favorite video clips wherever they have a WiFi connection. The flash support is a wonderful thing to have on a tablet, and even though Apple deems it a drain on battery not worth the hassle, legions of Android fans would disagree. If YouTube gets stale, or if you want to broaden your streaming experiences, there are other applications available to you as well.
Video Battery Life
Much like its performance in other battery tests, the Acer Iconia Tab just does not last long enough to compete with the other high-end models. Turning off WiFi, all other applications, and cranking the backlight, the Acer Iconia Tab was only able to play back video from its own hard drive for 5 hours and 11 minutes. It's not the worst we've seen, but it's still a pretty bad to mediocre score.
