Popcorn Hour

[longballs]

Many people on here got one of these?

 

I picked one up 6 weeks ago after months of thinking about it. It is the best techie thing I have bought. I wanted it for playing my x264 tv eps and bluray/hd-movies and it does that and much more. I stuck a 2.5" laptop HDD inside it and the whole unit is totally silent. I can even transport it to a mates house and watch on their setup.

 

 

A couple of days ago they opened up themes on it and a good little community is forming with people building xbmc type themes.

[discuit]

I like the look of that, i have a few xboxes with xbmc on, but that looks tiny

 

Can you stream over the network on it?

[hamstrung]

I have no idea what this thread is on about.

 

Sounds ace though.

[longballs]

I like the look of that, i have a few xboxes with xbmc on, but that looks tiny

 

Yea, it is very neat, it is the size of an external hdd enclosure but has no fans so it is silent.

 

Can you stream over the network on it?

 

 

Yes you can, works beautifully too. The program for streaming is really easy, it is called myihome and is a bit like a cut down version of TVersity; you install it and point to a folder on the hdd and you can browse via the remote and select your movies, music pics etc. They have a wireless dongle for it as well.

[longballs]

I have no idea what this thread is on about.

 

Sounds ace though.

 

 

heh, I am sure you do. It is about watching downloaded films (specifically HD / Blue ray downloads) from a unit that acts as a media pc.

[RedinSweden]

That looks ace. At the moment we just have a laptop with a DVI to HDMI cable but the laptop is my missus' work one and we don't download on it so I have to either plug in the external harddrive or whack it on an SD card.

How easy is it to install a HDD inside it?

 

*goes off to investigate*

[RedinSweden]

Another question, can you record films/programmes from a HDMI input to an installed HDD?

 

Edit: Just realised, the HDMI is output...

[longballs]

That looks ace. At the moment we just have a laptop with a DVI to HDMI cable but the laptop is my missus' work one and we don't download on it so I have to either plug in the external harddrive or whack it on an SD card.

How easy is it to install a HDD inside it?

 

*goes off to investigate*

 

It is very, very easy to put a HDD inside it, you just connect the ribbon cable and the power mux. You can still plug an external HDD in to the PCH (Popcorn Hour). You can also FTP or download direct to the PCH becuase it runs bit-torrent apps. You can unrar the files on there too.

 

Another question, can you record films/programmes from a HDMI input to an installed HDD?

 

Edit: Just realised, the HDMI is output...

 

You can watch and record TV to it if you use a DVB-T dongle.

[discuit]

And it streams HD Content fine, does it stream X264 or whatever shitty format the interent is obsessed with that neither my 360 or XBMC can handle

 

How much is it?

[RedinSweden]

It is very, very easy to put a HDD inside it, you just connect the ribbon cable and the power mux. You can still plug an external HDD in to the PCH (Popcorn Hour). You can also FTP or download direct to the PCH becuase it runs bit-torrent apps. You can unrar the files on there too.

 

 

 

You can watch and record TV to it if you use a DVB-T dongle.

 

I have read a bit more and yes, i see how easy it is. What is like for heat though if you have a HDD installed inside with no fan? Is that why you went for the laptop one?

 

As for TV, I have a HD digiatal box, can i connect the signal from that?

[longballs]

And it streams HD Content fine, does it stream X264 or whatever shitty format the interent is obsessed with that neither my 360 or XBMC can handle

 

How much is it?

 

 

Yes, that's the reason I bought it. It is designed for blueray/hd x264 format.

 

 

The cost depends on where you live. RiS will be fine becuase he is in Sweden and they have resellers there so he will pay about £120. There are no UK resellers atm (on ebay they are ~£200). Because of this we have to buy direct in dollars and have it imported from their factory in Hong Kong. This means shipping and import VAT costs. In total I think it cost me £130 which I am well pleased with because I was looking at the Tvix which is £300 + and does no more than the PCH for me.

[longballs]

I have read a bit more and yes, i see how easy it is. What is like for heat though if you have a HDD installed inside with no fan? Is that why you went for the laptop one?

 

As for TV, I have a HD digiatal box, can i connect the signal from that?

 

 

Some people on the Networked Media Tank :: Index forums (their site) have complained about heat but I did put an old PATA 250GB 3.5" disc in and it was fine for me. It probably comes down to what they are using.

 

The reason I went for a laptop hdd was to keep the unit silent. The HDD I put in originally was pretty old and so added a bit of noise when it spin up/down. Plus yes, there will be less heat which can only be better for the unit long term.

 

You wont be able to connect the HD digi box to it and record nope. There is loads of development going on all the time but you stream internet TV to it (i.e. footy matches etc).

[RedinSweden]

 

You wont be able to connect the HD digi box to it and record nope. There is loads of development going on all the time but you stream internet TV to it (i.e. footy matches etc).

 

I thought that was the case. Cheers. Shame, damned near to being the absolutely perfectest gadget I could imagine. If it could have done that then we would have been cooking on gas. I will monitor developments.

 

Do you know of any other way of ripping digital tv without owning a digital box or DVD player with HDD?

[longballs]

Do you know of any other way of ripping digital tv without owning a digital box or DVD player with HDD?

 

 

I just download HD rather than capture it myself. I am not sure I understand the question, but myself I have a linux based satellite receiver which I can stream to via http or vlc and record. You get a capture card or usb win-tv (maybe look at something like the Hauppauge HD Tuners

1170 Hauppauge WinTV-HVR 4000 HD Digital Satellite DVB-S2 TV Tuner Stuff-UK.net but these are quite pricey)

[RedinSweden]

I just download HD rather than capture it myself. I am not sure I understand the question, but myself I have a linux based satellite receiver which I can stream to via http or vlc and record. You get a capture card or usb win-tv (maybe look at something like the Hauppauge HD Tuners

1170 Hauppauge WinTV-HVR 4000 HD Digital Satellite DVB-S2 TV Tuner Stuff-UK.net but these are quite pricey)

 

I have HD box through which I get my cable TV. I would like to record some of the programmes off that like you used to with a video recorder.

[longballs]

I have HD box through which I get my cable TV. I would like to record some of the programmes off that like you used to with a video recorder.

 

 

Not sure, probably calls for a separate thread ;)

 

I have a freeview pvr box with a dvd recorder which cost me a packet but I know that I cant connect my satellite box to it and record. It will probably need another hardware layer in there.

[Guest TK-421]

These look pretty snazzy but I'd rather be able to do all this shit on my PS3, I wish Sony would release more firmware updates so that more file types were supported but it's only DivX so far. I guess they don't want people to be able to stream HD content or whatever as it will impact on the sale of Blu Ray discs.

[discuit]

PS3 can already watch X264 files i believe. its the only thing that tempts me to getting one

[discuit]

I have one of these arriving in the next couple of days.

[longballs]

I have one of these arriving in the next couple of days.

 

Nice, did you go for the a100 or the a110 ?