Whirlpool

Has anyone used this media player:
www.popcornhour.com/onli...inoption=catalog

Its called popcorn hour and seems to be doing the same/similar thing as Mediagate 350 and Mvix 750...
I'm not sure if it's available in Australia yet, but would love to hear some feedback, if anyone used it, if so where is it available

cheers

kacmaz writes...

Its called popcorn hour and seems to be doing the same/similar thing as Mediagate 350

It actually does a little more than the MG350 because it can play H264 files. The chipset used in the MG350 does not support those so this is a big plus for the Popcorn device. But .. (there is always a but), the Popcorn device doesn't have wireless networking and that's a big difference as most people aren't going to have network cables running to where their TVs are located and in some cases it is impossible to even get cables to those locations so wireless is the only option.

No wireless! that'd be a problem.
Still, if it is better then Mvix or Mediagate then it'd be worth attaching a wireless router to it!

Would you know where in Australia they sell this?

Wireless model will be released 6 - 8 weeks after inital model released.
Its N Class Wireless so possibly be more expensive than you'd expect.

Wired all the way for me for HD content though.

No reason why you cant setup a wireless bridge for your equipment in ur H/T I know I have.

Does anyone know where this system is available to buy from?

That system looks VERY good.

Honestly, I always thought media centers were a ripoff but this one is sweet.

Just a bump - does anyone have one of these units yet? They look pretty impressive and i'm considering getting one.

Had mine about 2 weeks. Initial setup pretty easy (my lack of knowledge on nfs was a problem).

Currently have it wired (they have hinted they they may be working on a USB wireless setup for those of us who don't have the wireless version). You can set it up to use smb; nfs. It'll run stuff from USB harddrive or even a USB flash drive. You can fit an internal IDE hdd and download stuff to that and run if from there.

Plays just about anything you throw at it iso, mpg, DVD containers (eg VIDEO_TS), avi, .ts, and the list goes on.

You can also download the media streaming setup (Myihome) and load it up on your pc. The only reason I use this part is that you can play either an individual song; whole album; whole genre (depending on how you set up your directory structure) with a shuffle option.

The forum's very helpful www.networkedmediatank.c...ewforum.php?f=14 and the makers seem to be pretty reactive to user concerns/problems/wishlists.

Occasional freeze-ups when watching a dvd but new firmware due that should fix that.

dw1562 writes...

But .. (there is always a but), the Popcorn device doesn't have wireless networking and that's a big difference as most people aren't going to have network cables running to where their TVs are located and in some cases it is impossible to even get cables to those locations so wireless is the only option.

In this case, you can set up a wireless bridge to rectify the issue

Hrmm I'm interested. I use XBMC for my current media playing needs, but the lack of HD ability is the only thing that lets it down..

So does it play downloaded HD content (i.e. MKV files)? From what I can tell it only supports H264 up to HP4.1, and most of the downloadable TV shows are encoded at HP 5.1... can anyone confirm?

wow, looks like it does quite a bit for a low price, i'm impressed if it lives up to the claims!

Looks like the one for me. I've tracked down to one place, price is gone up I thinks, its starting to catch on:

www.divxplayer.nl/index....ufacturers_id=73
€ 249,00

Heat problems:
www.mpcclub.com/modules....iewtopic&t=14709

sparkyboy767 writes...

So does it play downloaded HD content (i.e. MKV files)? From what I can tell it only supports H264 up to HP4.1, and most of the downloadable TV shows are encoded at HP 5.1... can anyone confirm?

Dec firmware fixed it.

Shindou writes...

Dec firmware fixed it.

Really? It plays torrented MKV files? That's mightily impressive...

Where can I get one?

BTW, I found a very detailed review here:

www.mpcclub.com/banner_log.php?id=5049

sparkyboy767 writes...

Where can I get one?

Register here: www.popcornhour.com/onlinestore and they will send you an invite to buy when you reach the top of the list. Your id # can be confirmed by hovering your mouse pointer over the "Edit Profile" button. It will be displayed in the status bar of your browser.

or, alternatively, some are putting their orders through here: www.nuforce.com/Product-Online-AV.htm

PopcornHour courier to Oz through DHL. There have been reports DHL charge a fair bit of money ON TOP OF the delivery fee you've already paid. A purchaser in Australia says they have received an invoice from DHL for another $45. I haven't got one yet but am waiting. Hope I don't. Check out a couple of messages in the forum.

Haxman writes...

No reason why you cant setup a wireless bridge for your equipment in ur H/T I know I have.

What're you using? Recommend it or is there something else you'd buy now?

do we know how much they cost??

Joe writes...

PopcornHour courier to Oz through DHL. There have been reports DHL charge a fair bit of money ON TOP OF the delivery fee you've already paid. A purchaser in Australia says they have received an invoice from DHL for another $45.

that happened to me once when i was bought a gift by someone else from an online store... was not impressed as that was more than the bloody thing was even worth!

timeless writes...

that happened to me once when i was bought a gift by someone else from an online store... was not impressed as that was more than the bloody thing was even worth!

Yeah, customs charges are a PITH

sparkyboy767 writes...

Really? It plays torrented MKV files? That's mightily impressive...

No idea as I dont have one yet, but by looking at the december firmware release note, there were quite a few fixes and new additions such as h264 5.1.

Thresh writes...

Yeah, customs charges are a PITH

is it really a customs fee though? why would courier stuff with DHL be subject to customs when stuff sent through the post is not?

i would have thought it is just DHL rorting customers

in any case, i won't buy something knowing that DHL will deliver it and smack me with those kind of fees, so unless they change their delivery methods or get an aussie distributor, i'll wait :)

Joe writes...

What're you using? Recommend it or is there something else you'd buy now?

I use the Linksys WRT54GL Routers with ddwrt firmware flashed onto them, with the firmware the routers are absoulutly brillant.

timeless writes...

is it really a customs fee though? why would courier stuff with DHL be subject to customs when stuff sent through the post is not?


i would have thought it is just DHL rorting customers

You could be right but that's what DHL list it as. One reason why I never use DHL

timeless writes...

in any case, i won't buy something knowing that DHL will deliver it and smack me with those kind of fees, so unless they change their delivery methods or get an aussie distributor, i'll wait :)

Ditto. There's no way I'd ever buy an electronic product over the net if there wasn't a local retailer or distributor I could return it to if there were any problems with it. It's just not worth the hassle...

Anyway, if this no-name company can develop a product like this, then it won't be long until similar products start flooding the market. I'll just hold off a little while...

Around US$199 + US$45 for delivery. Factor in whatever DHL decide to charge as well.

Wouldnt the quality of the graphics be crap as its only analogue

It's digital - can go upto 1080p. Just as good as watching the real thing.

ZeD writes...

Wouldnt the quality of the graphics be crap as its only analogue

?

it has HDMI and component output - why would the video quality be poor?

I am considering getting one of these
it runs the same chipset as a Divco one that is US$600

I will be waiting till an Australian Wholesale/retail shop
offers this . I wont be giving free money to extorting couriers
or buying something that needs to get posted overseas if
something happens to it .

Main website:
www.popcornhour.com/onlinestore

OVERSEAS PRICE off the above website:
US$179.00 (AU$199.57)

i received my preorder and paid last week after being on the waiting list for little over a month.. next batch is expected to ship starting the 30th march

tafed00d writes...

I will be waiting till an Australian Wholesale/retail shop
offers this .

i think you will be waiting for a very long time... and the money you spend on the courier is nothing compared to the taxes+markup you would pay if a retail store sold it here.

for $240AU delivered i think this is a bargain!

Um i just registered on the site and it says they expect a 2 month wait on the pre-order list. If demand is this high, what the hell are they doing?? And on top of that, people are selling invitation ticket on ebay :(

heh yeah i've seen some of the players going on ebay for $350-400

looking forward to getting mine.. hopefully only a couple of weeks to wait now :)

tafed00d writes...

Main website:
www.popcornhour.com/onlinestore

OVERSEAS PRICE off the above website:
US$179.00 (AU$199.57)

I might have to take the big leap and put some money down on this gem.

Oh well let's just wait it out.

Just curious, do you think this will work with TPG IPTV? If it can, then man my parents won't have to watch crappy tv on a small screen anymore.

I got mine delivered the other day & pretty happy so far.

Has had no problems playing VC1 & mkv files that I have tested on it so far.

The forums are pretty active & looks like the manufacture listens to peoples comments.

I wouldn't say it is at a perfect state at the moment, but with additional firmware tweaks coming along its unbeatable for the price & to boot pretty cool.

I bought mine to replace a Mediagate 350HD.

Can any devices like like these have a TV card in them as well? So you could record tv onto a NAS or something.

Pleasure Paulie writes...

Can any devices like like these have a TV card in them as well? So you could record tv onto a NAS or something.

This thing looks like its getting close to the mark:

www.akihabaranews.com/en...edia+Player.html

No idea when, if ever, it will be released.

sparkyboy767 writes...

This thing looks like its getting close to the mark:

www.akihabaranews.com/en...edia+Player.html

No idea when, if ever, it will be released.

unfortunately even when it's released it will be of limited use to us since it uses an ATSC tuner not DVB-T :/

photodude writes...

do we know how much they cost??

You may be out $350 or so to get it into your hands.

I thought this was going to be the answer as a media player but the cost and shortage has put me right off.

Instead, a little thought and a few small additions to an existing box will turn it into a fully functional SD/HD HTPC for around the same price. Out will go the stand-alone DVD player and the current (Hauppauge) media player, taking the cable count down a lot.

If I want fancy, another $200 for a purpose built HTPC case will easily do the trick.

Another plus. I will have this done by Wednesday with no queuing and no ripoff courier rates.

Pleasure Paulie - You can stream from your pc's dtv card.... i think...

Therefore I am writes...

You may be out $350 or so to get it into your hands.

USD$224 including postage = ~ AUD$243 not $350.

And if DHL decide to charge you one of their customs fees, you can argue with them to get it waived.

any one selling these in aust?

skooter writes...

USD$224 including postage = ~ AUD$243 not $350.

You are right.

OTOH, I paid just $129 for a dual TV tuner, $58 for a Shintaro Wireless Multimedia Keyboard, $25 for a DVI to HDMI cable and I was done.

Home and hosed for $212.

And if DHL decide to charge you one of their customs fees, you can argue with them to get it waived.

There have been mutterings about DHL and "opportunistic" charges for some years. In business, I made damn sure they got no work of any kind from me and have continued that to this day.

A review of this device:
www.digitalreviews.net/r...tank-review.html

I haven't read it, so I'm not guaranteeing its journalistic quality.

Therefore I am writes...

Home and hosed for $212.

But your journey has only just begun my friend - I've been there, and that level of tinkering drove me to XBMC the first time - never again.

While you're kicking around the HTPC forums thread-mining we'll be sitting on our slightly-ripped-off arses watching whatever we want to watch with minimal setup and sufficient ease of use to ensure whatever mass was lost from the arse is soon replaced.

I think I want one to replace my Xbox1 with XBMC.. If only it had a DVB-T tuner, it could replace all my media gear with one little box.

Heads up i just got an pre-order invitation and paid using google checkout with my VISA card This offer expires on 14th i think (i did it yesterday) and the first/second batch will be sent out by the end of this month. CANT WAIT!

just got my pro-order invite but cant decide if i should get it or just continue buying parts for my htpc, what do you guys think?

Well, I just donated my money to Popcorn Hour :)

Also being bought to replace a Media Gate MG350HD as it will never play MKV so no good to me.

And the popcorn hour plays straight from ISO, which is great because all my legitimate movie downloads are DVD-R .img/.iso

Guess I'll find out how good it is whenever it arrives, but damn sure I wont be paying DHL any extra cash.

(NB - Received invite at 8:20pm, paid for by 8:35pm.... Reckon I might be bit overkeen?)

couldnt help myself, just ordered it. play with both and sell what i dont want :)

Its an Awesome little Unit had mine about a Month now , Just 1 thing though can be a Bit Buggy Playing Some MKV's at 1080p, 720p is a better option and unless you have a large TV (42 inch plus) you cant notice a difference anyway

I'm looking forward to playing directly from .ISO, that will definately impress the pants off me.

Currently I have to mount the ISO as a drive, which means having to actually get off the couch! Actually... I could ssh from the laptop....

guys also dont rule out the dvico tvix 4130sh/5130sh, they do everything the popcorn hour does + more, there sold here locally for between $400-$500 (includes hdtv tuner and pvr functionality. I have one and i love it

lol, had to laugh at that one.... legitimate movie downloads? Are they offering paid downloads now?

kbekus writes...

lol, had to laugh at that one.... legitimate movie downloads? Are they offering paid downloads now?

For the sake of legality, lets pretend they are. Or maybe we'll pretend I'm downloading copies of movies I already own, because I feel the quality they achieve is better than what I could.... is it legal yet? :P

Red Krawler writes...

is it legal yet? :P

No. :P

And for those of you eyeing off the Popcorn Hour, you might also want to check out these two players:

www.istarhd.com
hdx1080.com

They're both essentially the same as the PH, with some minor hardware and input/output differences. They may be slightly more expensive, but I think they have a shorter wait time (if any) than the PH.

PH's only selling factor for me is MKV playability.
With 1080p & HDMI the video side is covered.
But did anyone get discrete 5.1 audio through AV receiver?
MKV file info seems to suggest AC3 5.1 but I can only manage dolby prologic or dts neo and not proper dd/dts 5.1.

minbin writes...

MKV file info seems to suggest AC3 5.1 but I can only manage dolby prologic or dts neo and not proper dd/dts 5.1.

got digital output and hdmi audio output activated?
It definately works correctly on mine (ac3 through hdmi)

Thanks for replying.
I should've said that I'm playing MKV files through my laptop connected to AVR via HDMI. Considering but haven't got PH yet.
If you're getting 5.1 off PH, then I can only put my problem down to the software player (VLC & WMP11).

Does anyone know if any of the hardware media players being talked about here can play DV footage? (IE Do any of the players support a DV codec?)

I know that a HTPC will do this. But will any of the stand-alone ones work? Would save me a heap of time not having to "convert" DV footage from tape to DVD (MPEG2).

Cheers :)

Whirl writes...

play DV footage?

I have seen a few of the cheap dvd and hdd recorders with a firewire input. The remote will even give commands to the camera.

bananas_oz writes...

I have seen a few of the cheap dvd and hdd recorders with a firewire input.

Yes I have a cheap DVD recorder.

But what I'm "looking" for is a Media Player that will play DV video footage directly. (ie from .avi files via a DV codec).

Standard DVD recorders / HDD Recorders with iLink inputs convert the DV tape footage to MPEG2 and then play back the MPEG2 files. This process reduces the picture quality of the video footage.

Cheers :)

minbin writes...

I should've said that I'm playing MKV files through my laptop connected to AVR via HDMI. Considering but haven't got PH yet.
If you're getting 5.1 off PH, then I can only put my problem down to the software player (VLC & WMP11).

Well just make sure your computer isn't decoding the AC3 stream before it shoots it out over the HDMI. Should be able to configure that (S/PDIF) in the codec setup, depending which codec you're using.

I have a Popcorn Hour unit, have had it for a few weeks now. It is brilliant!

Out of interest, how long did it take from ordering it to it being delivered?

Mine hasn't been shipped yet, according to Google Checkout.. but they do say to allow a weeks lag (... ouch?) between updates.

Hope its worth the wait :D

Nifty looking device.

How does it go with playing back ISO files?

just made an order! yayaayy

zzzyz36 writes...

just made an order! yayaayy

Thats through PC Hour? Looks like they're they only ones people can order through. Give us some feed back when you can :)

Any ideas about when next firmware upgrade is coming and whether it will support wireless network?

Id say the next firmware should be due soon.
The have been releasing FW around every month for the last few so Id say maybe in the next week or so.

FYI is the change log from the next firmware release in beta testing at the moment. Wireless is in there so it may be available once the firmware is released if it doesn't get pulled for some reason.

Here's the changelog:-
Firmware release notes:

1. Requires NMT apps 00-15-080424-14-POP-402
2. Fixed Browser no longer runs after long idle
3. Turn off analog video output when in HDMI
4. Browser fixes
- fixed myiHomeLite hangs when certain filename listed
- improved memory clearing, reduce time from 390ms to few
milliseconds
- fixed bug where links with #xxx does not work when page is with
OnLoad
- added image changing and on-the-fly loading feature
- added menu frames for file operation UI
- fixed problem changing TV mode when URL prompt is turned on
- fixed focus/unfocus not working when browser frame does not
start at (0,0) location
- all page loading and refresh request disabled when screensaver
is on.
5. Subtitle
- increased subtitle font size to 32 max, swiched to cleaner
method
- subitle time adjust now from -1000sec to +1000sec
- fixed subtitle no aligned to center under certain conditions
- fixed subtitle On/Off not persistent when in playlist
6. Added VC1 in MKV support (no TimeSeek for this yet)
7. Fixed MKV audio sync latency after TimeSeek
8. Able to set system password to None now, just leave it blank
9. Added OSD message when USB keyboard inserted/removed
10. Fixed 1-bit PNG rendering
11. Fixed after photo rotation failed, slideshow paused
12. BT
- recover schedule database after system reboot
- added reset schedule function
- fixed sometimes unable to delete BT schedule
13. Fixed aspect ratio issue for 4:3 TV mode (16:9 TV mode not
affected)
14. WiFi driver
- Atheros USB 11n driver added (only non-secure mode)
- known issue: auto-scan does not work yet, need to connect
manually
15. UPnP
- Marquee tweaks and color customisation
- fixed for TVersity playback issue
- improved crash handling
16. Network share
- Share out removable storage (e.g. USB drives) through SMB/NFS
server
- Reset UDN when restore factory settings
- Removes all network shares after restore factory settings
17. Turn off SPDIF out when exit playback
18. Fixed character 'j' wrong horizontal position when rendering
19. Fixed login page wrong SD/HD server icon
20. Skinnability for browser UI
- Internal test only, will be beta/public after further mods
- added customisable color for fonts
21. Splashscreen flickering issue from 080424 fixed
22. Included traditional Chinese in language selection
23. Added TV Mode 1360x768 60Hz

NMT apps release notes:
1. Minimum firmware version to use this NMT App is
01-15-080424-14-POP-402-000
2. Share out USB / HARD DISK through SMB / NFS server
3. Blank password supported for FTP and SMB server
4. Support SATA drive with NMT partition
5. Fix BitTorrent schedule can't be deleted bug

:o

Look what I got :D

www.filedump.net/dumped/...ur1210032446.jpg

Can't wait to get it home and start fiddling with it. Anyone want to buy a Mediagate MG350HD in perfect nick? Never had a HDD in it, or even used the wifi (yay ethernet).

Hrmm.. due to get a bonus at work.. might have to put my name on the list...

Wow! I never knew such a thing existed.

What are my alternatives if I dont need internal storage?

Does the popcorn support reading from NFS as well as sharing -to- NFS ? (Their website wasnt totally clear on it, neither was the review I read).

Third result for "popcorn hour NFS"

www.gizmodo.com.au/2008/...but_buggy-2.html

Red Krawler writes...

Look what I got :D

Let us know how you go with it :)

There is no list... anyone can order one.

I ordered one today and its shipping 16 may.

If its as good as I think it is then I can finally get rid of my old xbox and XBMC and play 1080P X264 files.

Joe writes...

opcornHour courier to Oz through DHL. There have been reports DHL charge a fair bit of money ON TOP OF the delivery fee you've already paid. A purchaser in Australia says they have received an invoice from DHL for another $45. I haven't got one yet but am waiting. Hope I don't. Check out a couple of messages in the forum.

Better not be true.

I would tell them to get ****'ed.

got mine today and i am wrapped. Played a heap of HD movies x264, only 1 failed and that was transformers 1080p but a few other 1080p movies played flawlessly. Star wars looked stunning. Can't fault it for the price. The xbox is already resigned to the kids room.

Right well I got my Popcorn Hour delivered today and no extra DHL charges or anything.

Somewhat dissapointed that they sent a US connector, although an AU connector was specified on the order and invoice. Though since its just a standard appliance plug inlet into the transformer (which takes 110V - 240VAC) I just used an old computer power cord I had lying around.

Plugged all of 3 cables in (power / HDMI / ethernet) and the thing was up and running. It got an IP from the router, hopped on the internet and downloaded the latest firmware no problems.

Played Hitman (a .MKV Blueray rip... that I did from the copy that I own, I swear) no problems, and a .VOB sample no worries.

A couple of things I'm not overly excited about...

(1) MP3 playing is not flash. It wants the playlists already created, no 'play this directory' or ability to compile playlists on the fly like the MG350HD did. Maybe the feature exists and I havent found it yet (not like I can read the manual, since there isnt one :P)... It plays them seperately fine, though once again a static screen with the info of the file on it. Why cant they include a basic visualisation to stop us poor plasma owners burning ID3 tags into the scren :P Though to its credit it loaded my 'unsorted' mp3 directory (of around 6000 files) which the MG350 simply couldnt.

(2) No optical audio output. Hmm. Havent quite decided how to get the noise from the popcorn hour to my amplifier yet - the MG350HD had DVI and optical audio output, so I used a DVI->HDMI cable for the picture, and optical audio to the amp for the noise. I actually thought our TVs audio out was optical (its just RCA) for some reason, which is what I had planned to use.

Overall its 'better' than the MG350 in so much that it looks prettier, it has more functions, it supports more file types and the firmware updates are far easier to do. But if an MG350 is playing all your currently required file formats, its not worth an upgrade.

NB - I havent put a HDD in it yet, so I havent tested the torrent client or... well much of it at all really.

Urgh, Im such a dork. Theres SPDIF output. So thats the sound 'problem' solved.

Good reads from peoples experiences, keep it up!

Does the popcorn output xvid's as 2ch pcm via coaxial or does it have a "output to all speakers" option like XBMC??

Via an amp?

You can choose raw/bitstream for the various audio types so if you have no amp you would choose to output pcm. If the xvid file had AC3 audio you should still get surround sound I would think.

There is no option as such to output to all speakers.

I output bitstream through an amp/receiver.

Yep to an amp.

Been a fan of how XBMC outputs all sources as DD if you want it.

Still unsure if I should save my cash and get a popcorn or spend the money for a Mac Mini...

If you are using an amp you will still have to put it into PLII or some other sound stage effect to use all speakers. It will put all audio via S/PDIF but it may only be 2 channel.

Not sure if it comes out as 2 channel PCM or if it converts to DD... will have to check on that one specifically.

Redsmeg writes...

Not sure if it comes out as 2 channel PCM or if it converts to DD... will have to check on that one specifically.

Thanks that would be good!

Red Krawler writes...

1) MP3 playing is not flash. It wants the playlists already created, no 'play this directory' or ability to compile playlists on the fly

Yeah that was a bit of a pain. I use myihome for music. It allows you to play everything in a directory as well as everything in the sub-directories. Also gives you a "shuffle" option.

How long is the warranty on this thing and how does one go about getting it fixed/replaced if something goes wrong with the unit?

Part of it is a Customs declaration fee, another part is DHL charging you for handling the customs declaration fee from memory.

Basically when an item is shipped over the customs limit ($1000 now according to www.customs.gov.au/webda...ices/ACN0621.pdf) Customs will charge a fee to clear it plus whatever the tax is on the item. DHL handles this for you and then charges you a fee for expedited handling/declaration and sends you an invoice.

The bone of contention is when DHL sends a small value item (ie, under $1000) through customs for no particular reason then you get hit with the bill of Customs checking it out, then DHL paying Customs to check it out as a declaration, then DHL paying themselves through you for sending it through Customs.

If your item is clearly marked as under $1000 (Au) all up with proper Customs paperwork, you can argue with DHL that it should never have gone through Customs in the first place and you should get the charge reversed. At least, that's my understanding of it...

Thinking I might as well try one of these. Just watched youtube vids of it in action and looks pretty good - was thinking of getting a mac mini and installing xbmc but that ended up being over $1000 and unsure if they are fast enough to decode 1080P X264's.
So has anyone else replaced XBMC with a popcorn? Any regrets?

Gumball writes...

So has anyone else replaced XBMC with a popcorn? Any regrets?

That would have to be my question as well but i am very interested in this :)

There will always be some regrets.

1)If you like playing music through xbmc then don't get the popcorn for now at least. Music support sucks.

2) If you like all the little xbmc plugins like movie details, python scripts etc etc then don't get the popcorn.

3) If you just want relatively no fussed playback of video files - xvid, mkv, mp4, h264, HD ts with relative ease and HD support is a must then get the popcporn.

Personally music is a not a big thing for me. Plugins although neat,are rarely used. For me its all about the HD video and DTS support. Or keep both and have the best of both worlds.

Its worth it just because of the price, if it doesn't suit your needs then ebay it.

Does the popcorn have a usb port that you can put an external hard drive on ? I was thinking of loading my tv shows on an external usb hard drive from the PC, then just moving it to the popcorn to replay. Maybe a dumb question but can you do this ?
Thanks.

Yep it has 2 usb ports

Gumball writes...

Thinking I might as well try one of these. Just watched youtube vids of it in action and looks pretty good - was thinking of getting a mac mini and installing xbmc but that ended up being over $1000 and unsure if they are fast enough to decode 1080P X264's.
So has anyone else replaced XBMC with a popcorn? Any regrets?

Yeah, before I got mine last Nov I looked at options like that as well. But for under $250, the PH is pretty hard to beat. Agree that its not great for music - but I only needed it for video. The interface is pretty plain and boring, but functional.

I stream divx & HD mkv files to my LCD HDTV. Works great.

I mate of mine at work lent me his PH for the weekend, here are my thoughts from some testing I did:

It's simple to setup, I threw an 80Gig hdd (PATA) in it for testing, it was simple. I also updated the box to the latest firmware just for the hell of it.

The menu system is a bit gimped, it's boring and lack's the eye candy of the Apple TV, however the PH doesn't have the processing power to do fancy UI's, it has the power to play video, and thats what we want!

Of course the first thing I wanted to try was a blu-ray ripped 720p MKV file. The first movie I tried was Oceans 13, it played flawlessly via HDMI and the audio passed through to my Samsung LCD too. NICE. I then tried another movie (Casino Royal), also 720p but with DTS audio. No sound pass through from the HDMI. I'm thinking it will come through the digital coax, but for some reason not through the HDMI cable. (perhaps my TV just cant decode it). Not a biggy.

I then tried The Simpsons Movie in 1080p, perfect, no issues with playback or seeking during the movie.

Streaming off a FreeNAS box (using samba) provided no issues with DivX files, MKV files however would stutter and jerk around if I tried to 'seek'. Otherwise the movies themselves played fine over the network.

NFS is apparently THE BEST way to stream films to this box (or http), certainly NOT samba which has speed limitations.

Of course, the best performance is obtained by having the movies on the internal hard disk. I also tried an external hard disk on the PH (formated Mac OS Journaled) and couldn't get the PH to recognize the disk. A shame. It's formatted like this for my Apple TV. Nevermind.

You can copy/paste files from source to source within the PH's UI by pressing a couple of buttons to flag then paste. It works well, it's very slow over the network, and over USB. (again this box doesn't really have the power to do network or USB intensive stuff)

The mp3/music side of things for this box just plain sucks, the Apple TV really trumps it here, but you'd expect that with the ATV really just being an iTunes extension/playback device. Apple know what they are doing in this area.

In conclusion, I'd buy one. They aren't expensive, and play 1080p MKV without an issue, you can throw anything at this box and it plays it. It really is excellent. I would seriously consider waiting for their next device which will no doubt be better and maybe have built in wifi. (and SATA please?)

The UI is bland and boring but like I said, it's for playing anything you throw at it, and it does, and well.

I have no doubt that the UI and features of these boxes will improve over time.

I'd get one if I had a lot of HD content on hard disk, for me, I have a lot of non-HD (divx and mp4) content on disk so the box just isn't worth it for me (I'll stick with my Apple TV and PS3 for now)...

I'm impressed with the Popcorn Hour!

anyone know of a Canberra retailer selling these? Statice doesn't show any.. :(

would like to see one in action before possible purchse (switch from XBMC)

Cybix writes...

Of course the first thing I wanted to try was a blu-ray ripped 720p MKV file. The first movie I tried was Oceans 13, it played flawlessly via HDMI and the audio passed through to my Samsung LCD too. NICE. I then tried another movie (Casino Royal), also 720p but with DTS audio. No sound pass through from the HDMI. I'm thinking it will come through the digital coax, but for some reason not through the HDMI cable. (perhaps my TV just cant decode it). Not a biggy.

Popcorn hour cant do onboard DTS decoding, it just passes it through to the end device, so if you have no amp/receiver inbetween to receive and decode the audio stream you will get no audio for DTS titles.

It is due to it not having a DTS licence to do the audio decoding and the associated increase in cost of including the licence.

Just wondering if its needed to put a HD if all I intend is to stream from my pc? Have had a 120gb in my xbox for 4 years and never ever put any vidoes on it...

Is the torrent thing any good or is just easier to walk to the PC and do it there (I am assuming the latter).

PS and thanks for the advice - ordered one this morning!!

Gumball writes...

Just wondering if its needed to put a HD if all I intend is to stream from my pc? Have had a 120gb in my xbox for 4 years and never ever put any vidoes on it...

Is the torrent thing any good or is just easier to walk to the PC and do it there (I am assuming the latter).

There is no real need to put a hard disk in it, I have one, but as per your case only tested it out of interest. I stream everthing back to my pc with 1.5Tb of disk :-)

If you dont have a local disk you wont be able to use the torrent client. I have looked briefly at the torrent client and it does work and they have added some additional features in the latest f/w. But it wasn't a selling point for me. If you are using private trackers its of no use as you are locked into specific torrent clients.

Have fun.

excellent, would rather it be silent anyway

and pc with 2.2tb is in the next room so its not like its a long walk:)

Lunchguy writes...

anyone know of a Canberra retailer selling these? Statice doesn't show any.. :(

They are only available online through their website or ebay.

Wonder is it better to get it from manufacturer or via ebay though considering the price is the same or even more on ebay compared to what manufacturer is selling them for. Granted, you may have to wait a bit longer to get it from manufacturer, but at least you know you are getting it directly from them. On ebay, you never know.
I asked this before and nobody replied so i'll ask again, does anyone know hpow long the warranty is on one of these and in case of any problems with it, how does one go about fixing it under warranty?
Cheers.

Warranty is 12mths. If you buy from the manufacturer you have to send the unit back to them for repairs at your cost.

I'm getting tempted...

They are made in (and sent directly from) China, so if mine ever has a warranty issue I am totally writing 'Free Tibet' on it before I send it back.

I think I might buy myself one for my birthday... in a couple of weeks.

ArghDee writes...

I think I might buy myself one for my birthday... in a couple of weeks.

Get yourself an early b'day gift. No need to wait 2 more weeks. :)
ow, will you get it from US or e-bay, thats the question now? :)

No need apart from the lack of spare cash. I get a bonus in next fortnight's pay, not to mention leave loading.. I'll put aside the money then.

If/when I get it I think I'll order it direct from the manufacturer's website.

www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12667

Whats this thing good for . Says 1080i output but I take it it doesn't decode divx that's 1080i ?

Red Krawler writes...

They are made in (and sent directly from) China, so if mine ever has a warranty issue I am totally writing 'Free Tibet' on it before I send it back.

You reckon the poor muppet with some Cat5 and a soldering iron will be able to read English or even have a clue what's going on in reality given their media setup? Dear oh dear.

Now I can't decide if I should get one of these or just spend an extra couple of hundred and build a HTPC..

Decisions, decisions...

Hey guys just letting you know the WIFI USB "N" standard is out