Time for some Popcorn Hour?

B

burnz

Adept
guess what the friendly DHL chap dropped off at my office today? ;)

Popcorn.jpg


in case you're still wondering what it is, Popcorn Hour is a network media player capable of playing 1080p HD media, and perhaps the most important feature of all, .mkv files! for more info, go to Welcome To Popcorn Hour

will this gadget be a HTPC killer and replace my HTPC in the living room? i've just finished playing with it for the past 2hrs and putting it through its paces.. hooked up to my 1080p LCD tv, and streaming media from my Dlink TB NAS via hardwire ethernet and also via 802.11g from my home server rig..

the good:
- perfectly smooth playback of 1080p & 720p .mkv files streamed from my NAS
- similarly for 1080p wmv files
- divx/xvid, mp3s etc work just fine
- has HDMI output
- runs quite cool, barely warm to touch
- user friendly, no frills GUI
- has 2 USB2.0 ports for hooking up external USB hdds; tried playing a 1080p mkv from my external usb hdd and works great

the bad:
- GUI is a bit laggy (2-3 sec lag sometimes)
- 1080p files require about 4-5sec of buffering before starting playback
- experience some stuttering while streaming 720p content wirelessly from my home server rig, but my HTPC had no such problems (might be fixed in subsequent firmware upgrades since product is still new)
- no .flac support (though i've read the latest beta firmware release now has flac support)

overall, i'm not quite sure if i'm ready to ditch my HTPC just yet. a HTPC offers unlimited upgrade possibilities and more versatility, though i've to admit the popcorn hour media player does just about 90% of what my HTPC can do, plus it also consumes a lot less electricity and costs 1/4 of what it cost me to put my HTPC rig together definitely a good buy for those looking for a 1080p media player that supports .mkv, but don't want to invest in a full fledged HTPC..

hope this helps! :hap2:
 
Congrats!!! buddy and this is a very nice replacement for a HTPC as it just consumes around 38W of electricity, thats even less than my Xbox Classic ...............

whats the damage including shipping & where did u bought it from ????
 
total cost was around US$224.. US$179 for the unit, plus fixed US$45 international shipping.. mine came via DHL, so no complaints there..

ordered direct from popcornhour.com... they have a limited pre-order for registered members, and are only taking orders as and when new stocks are available fresh from the factory..
 
Holy cow that's some amazing format compatibility list for video files.

2 Questions there,

1.)Will it work with a standard television via composite cables?

2.)Does it come with a HDD?
 
ok, will definitely try to get some pics of what's included in the package up by tonight. as for screenshots of the user interface etc, it's better covered by this review of the Popcorn Hour by MPC Club:
http://www.mpcclub.com/banner_log.php?id=5049

Ethan_Hunt said:
Holy cow that's some amazing format compatibility list for video files.

2 Questions there,

1.)Will it work with a standard television via composite cables?

2.)Does it come with a HDD?
Click to expand...

it will work with standard def TVs, as it has composite and S video outputs.
HDD is optional; i've read that it may be not be good idea to install the HDD inside as it contributes to the heat buildup within the unit. so it's prob best to use an external USB HDD to avoid heat issues.
 
congrats , gr8 buy and ur a one lucky fella.

most wanted toy must say. :)

More pics of the front and back panel of the player please.

Also of the remote control if any and the menu system also , Please :)
 
Quad Master said:
congrats , gr8 buy and ur a one lucky fella.

most wanted toy must say. :)

More pics of the front and back panel of the player please.
Also of the remote control if any and the menu system also , Please :)
Click to expand...

acha.. by tonite :hap2:
 
Just went thru the .pdf review , seem like its worth every penny.

Does this have a web interface where we can setup the other settings via a PC.

Added this to my must have list.

Fantastic choice must say.

Can u suggest similar devices.

Its so much more than a HD Player.
 
Quad Master said:
Just went thru the .pdf review , seem like its worth every penny.

Does this have a web interface where we can setup the other settings via a PC.

Added this to my must have list.

Fantastic choice must say.

Can u suggest similar devices.

Its so much more than a HD Player.
Click to expand...

check out Review and Discussion on network media player and storage! dvico tvix M-6500A ziova daboda synology em8634 Popcorn hour Thecus website
they have done reviews of the some of the popular HD media players, and also a very active forum that gives a lot of good user feedback. it should give you a very good idea of what are the options available in the market today. the other popular one would be the Tvix players (the latest one being the M6500A) but those are quite pricey.

i did a fair bit of research on it, before settling on the popcorn hour A100. it's a no-frills device that does what it's supposed to do. no mini LCD display or any bling. inconspicuous-looking little thing that does wonders :hap2:
 
Back
Top