The Ultra Bay for ultra people

This review is pretty much exactly the same as the SilverStone MFP51 in regards to software as both use the exact same display modules; only the packaging has changed so excuse the blatant copy and paste action.

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The box which the Ultra Bay comes in is plastered with Verdana font which explains how this is the best product for the media lover. The box itself has a couple of windows which shows you the bay and the remote before you purchase. While this will be lost on anyone ordering over the internet, its nice to see that SoundGraph have put some effort into the box design.

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This version is different from the MFP51 as it’s not a single 5.25” bay, but instead two. This means that there is extra space which has been used for two knobs which are ‘clickable’ which control navigation (left and right, click to select) and volume (click to mute). Between these knobs are a whole bunch of buttons, and the top row controls music, movie, photo, DVD and TV sections of the iMedia application. The bottom row is for playback, with previous, rewind, stop, play/pause, fast forward and next. The reasoning behind this is to make your media PC into a more DVD player type unit, allowing you to use it without the remote.

Unfortunately, it’s not all flowers and roses for the dual bay design. Pretty much every single media case has a maximum of two drive bays, using this display is possible, but then you lose the optical drive space. This completely destroys the point of a media PC and you will then only be able to play content which is stored on the devices hard disc, or have to stream from another PC. Either way, it’s not the most elegant solution. However, if you just want to upgrade your current desktop, then the twin bay design is unlikely to cause an issue.

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Another issue is that the unit is half-length. While this won’t affect anyone who uses a standard method of mounting, anyone whose case only allows you to use mounting rails will have a problem. It seems odd that they haven’t extended the bay just to satisfy everyone who could purchase this product.

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The screen on the Ultra Bay is reflected, hence why you can see our office mini garden in the shot below. You can’t see the LCD traces which makes it look that little bit more professional. Next to this display is the iMedian launch key which has the same logo as on the remote. Running through the centre of the facia is a groove which is interrupted by the IR sensor on the left-hand side.

Click to enlarge - Ultra bay left, MFP51 right

The remote is the same design as the MFP51, but has an iMon logo at the bottom. The functionality is exactly the same and works in tandem with the iMon application. The middle multi-direction thumb pad allows you to control the mouse from a distance and there are buttons for right and left click.

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In the package, you get the same as the MFP51, which includes an ATX splitter (allowing the bay to be powered even if your PC is switched off), a USB cable, a USB to header cable, a manual, the remote with two AAA batteries, a setup CD and four mounting screws.

The rear of the unit is clean and easy to understand, with the correct cables only fitting in one place and to the labelled socket. You have the connections for the USB cable, motherboard power switch header, ATX power and power switch out.

The power switches allow you to use the unit to turn on your PC using the remote, and it essentially is a pass-thru connection, which allows you to also use your case button if you wish.