Patriot Box Office Media Player Review

Patriot’s (Optional) Wireless USB Adaptor

Our Patriot Box Office also came with the optional wire-less USB accessory which actually was included for free to anyone who pre-ordered this media player. Basically, this $25 add-on device should allow for wireless content streaming over 802. 11 b/g networks. It is however not only compatible with the Box Office but also with any USB-equipped device from PCs to Netbooks to Laptops.


As you can see the box this wireless adaptor comes in is fairly small, yet colourful. The front of the box has a small plastic window so you can see the USB stick in all its glory. More important than the window or the bright colours was the fact that Patriot makes no bones about what this stick is: a b/g only adaptor. We really, really wish it had been N capable as G simply is on the tight side for streaming large, hit bit-rate video via a wireless connection.


To be totally honest we were not expecting any accessories to come with this item and we were thus not surprised in the least when the accessory list turned out to be nothing more than a utility CD. Since this is designed to seamlessly work with the Patriot Box Office the CD is not needed for the purposes of this review. However, if you do at some point plan on using it on a Microsoft Windows PC the CD will come in handy as it contains the necessary drivers for proper operation.


Patriot’s wireless adaptor is rated for a maximum output of 200 milliwatts (23dBM) and as such we expect it to perform extremely well and punch through numerous walls, floors, ceilings etc and have a reach that is right up there near the limits of 802.11G devices (indoor/outdoor is limited to 24dBM or 250 milliwatts). To be blunt, there is only so large an antenna you can shoe-horn into a compact USB device but for all these inherent limitations this is a very decent example of what you can do. For example 15 dBM (32mW) is the typical transmission power found in laptops and 20dBM (100mW) is what many wireless routers output. So the output of this unit is not the absolute most is could be certified for under the law but it is awfully darn close. This can translate into better signal reception and data transmission.


Simply put we have no issues with the power output of this wireless adaptor, but sending a signal is only half the equation. In fact, some would say that for wireless streaming of high bit-rate video the ability of the unit to receive is paramount and we agree with them. This is why we had some initial doubts regarding this product’s performance when paired up to the Box Office.

Remember, you will be inserting this device into either the front or the back of a reasonably sized metal device which is likely surrounded by other AV components which means the prospects for good signal reception aren’t looking too great. To minimize the "shadow" of the Patriot Box Office you really are going to have to carefully consider where your router is located to in relation to the USB stick and place this little adaptor between the router and the metal box.