Re: What is a "PopcornHour"?
- From: "T Shadow" <blackhole@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 29 May 2008 03:56:28 -0400
"Wes Newell" <w.newell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:bWg%j.33068$3j.19315@xxxxxxxxxxx
On Wed, 28 May 2008 11:08:25 +0000, lordy wrote:
On 2008-05-27, Wes Newell <w.newell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Mon, 26 May 2008 16:35:40 -0700, David Azose wrote:
Can someone tell me what a PopcornHour device does? I have an XPBasically a frontend PC with video out running a video app. Been doing
MediaCenter Edition (2004 I think) PC. I also have a relatively new
Samsung 40" HDTV. The PC is upstairs and the HDTV is downstairs. There
is a Cat5e receptacle close by the TV from my Linksys router.
the same thing for years with regular PC's. The price seems reasonable
though. However, you could build a real frontend PC for about the same
price. Maybe less depending on how fancy a case you wanted. Don't need
much. Case and PSU, MB with onboard video, etc., cpu, ram, and remote.
All that can be had for about $100 these days.
I have a PH, my understanding is that a comparable HTPC (ie CPU/Graphics
that can stream HD content, Component, Digital Audio + HDMI ) would be
more expensive, nore hassle and probably uglier. (Not that the PH is a
great looker but its approx 8"x4"x1" )
The user interface is a bit ropey, but the playback is great.
Lordy
It can be more or less expensive depending on what you want. I think the
PH is great for people that want plug an play simply to stream video from
a main source. It's certainly easier to buy one than to build one.
However, it's not a real application integrated backend/frontend PC that
you can put a DVD player, addition tuners, more storage, or other such
devices in to be a completely integrated *system*. Still it looks to be
something that would easily fill the needs of most people and at a very
reasonable price. I had been wondering when a commercial product like this
would come out. I'd like to give it a try myself, but I really don't need
another frontend.
--
My media player is much smaller than even a micro pc. 200watt power supply.
Portable. Silent until I added a fan because the HDD gets kind of warm. It
will read from an external USB DVD, HDD or flash drive but won't write to
them like it's internal drive. Can be connected to pc as a USB HDD. No
visible O/S to hassle with. I rarely play DVDs so just rip them on the PC to
use in the media player.
I've had mine more than a year. A couple of CoDecs and especially the Bit
Torrent is about the only thing new I notice about the PH. Don't have a use
for either.
Being a player and not a PC is mostly good for this use. It's networked to
the PCs that do the work. The down side is upgradeability. Features have
been added to mine's firmware since purchased but CoDecs or performance
can't be. Worst thing, if it breaks out of warranty it'll probably get
tossed. No cheap replacement cards/parts. PC is a safer investment.
.
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