Unboxing and Initial Impressions
Unboxing the HornetTek Fantasy and removing everything from the box is a very simple process. The box is actually quite large for the size of the device in the box. It is smaller, in my opinion, than the Roku that would be this device’s competition.
My initial impressions are not the strongest, if I am honest. The device only comes with a set of Composite video cables (the red, yellow, and white connectors). Also, there is a complete lack of a network port or built-in wireless. Even though the Fantasy carries a relatively low base price of $64.99, the Roku starts at $49.99 (It should be noted that the Roku that supports 1080p video playback carries a $79.99 price tag).
I will be making a lot of references to the Roku and other media players in this review, as I believe there are some that will be a direct comparison to the Fantasy.
Another weird thing to take note of is that the Fantasy actually has a power toggle switch. Most of these devices always stay on, because they use so little energy. It is nice though that they’ve included it, but during testing I do not really see myself using it.