Topic: Popcorn Hour A-200! Jukebox, Apps Market, Torrent Downloader,3D,Facebook

[anya618]

Hi sirs,

I would just like to know.
Is there really an over heating with issue with the A-200?
Has it been fixed?

Thanks!

so far wala akong problema sa a200, tried doing marathon more than 12 hours straight watching movies in a no aircon room 

[hokage]

Thanks for the reply sir Clondalkin and sir anya618!

[wacksy1021]

What overheating issue?

Nakakatulugan or naiiwan naming powered lagi ang A200 and it just stays warm - but I dont install HDD internally.  Meron bang HDD player na hindi umiinit?  It's like a CPU+VGA card so it has to get very warm.

I agree, mine has an internal hard disc of 2 TB and it warms naturally but no overheating experienced. I alos bought a laptop fan in CDR king and used 1 usb to power and cool my unit. This really helps it maintain the temperature even if I use it for long times.

[ert]

Please check on the link

music part from the Popcorn Hour Jukebox UI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTRvlvPKmOs&feature=player_embedded

coming soon... 

[Clondalkin]

When is soon?

[Gsound]

tagal ng coming soon yan ha!

[scifi-fan]

The new GUI is informally called "Network Media Jukebox" aka NMJ

Syabas just released an Alpha version a few hours ago. I am downloading and installing it for evaluation.

Given the timetable what I think will happen will be;

The firmware with new SDK will be first (within 2 months)
- includes fixes for HD Audio in MKV

The firmware with NMJ will be released 2 months after the first.
- includes bug fixes from prior firmware
- NMJ

A200 owners usually get firmware 2 weeks after it's first released for the C200.

[renton]

I got a PCH A-200 Yesterday at Gogadgets! I selected the PCH because of my perceived software support, roadmap of the product and stability. though it was pricier, I also believe in getting what you pay for.

While at it I also got a Samsung PX2370 HD/HDMI LED monitor for 15.5k in the area to complete my bedroom setup, which the monitor although only one HDMI port can connect with a PS3, Sky Cable HD Box and maybe my Apple Macbook ( or a Mac Mini/ATV in the future ) via the DVI.

I got the PCH A-200 with their 1 Terabyte package with movies (HD2). Also left another 1 Tb HD for more movies. Also got the Wifi USB dongle which works pretty well. Started watching a few movies and so far so good. Picture quality is superb.

Of course being new to the product I have some issues. Any tips will be appreciated.

I would like a better UI and also since I have about 500 Gig of files on a Mac formatted (HFS+) which is mostly music, I need a way of migrating that. Or maybe a separate player for music instead since the PCH interface is not equal to iTunes.

[scifi-fan]

If you are a Mac user like me, here's my suggestions;

1. Install NTFS-3G.

NTFS is still the most accessible format for storing media. Always use NTFS for storing files. You'll thank me later.

2. Get a USB HUB to increase the number of ports (there's only 1 in the back and 1 in front, the other one is USB slave).

3. Get ANOTHER 4~8GB USB Stick (less than 1k) Sandisk Cruzer is verified working. You'll need your existing USB stick for flash upgrades.

4. Install NMT Apps to USB stick. Setup > Maintenance Menu > NMT Setup Wizard
- select typical install
- choose USB stick to install to.

5. Format your spare 1TB to NTFS (using NTFS-3G driver and Disk Utility).

6. Plug NTFS drive into A-200.

7. Setup > Maintenenance > NMT Setup Wizard
- select MEDIA Select
- choose NTFS drive.

What does the above do?

It allows you the freedom of moving the Hard Drive in the future to other Media Players since NTFS is common and you don't have to recopy over and over (that sucks)

NMT Apps on USB stick means you can avoid formatted EXT2/3 on the Hard Drives you own. Ext2/3 is HARD to support unless you are a die in the wool linux user.

8. Install Handbrake on your MAC.

AAC which are used for Apple audio isn't completely error free when played on the PCH. You'll need to convert them to MKV with AC3/DTS for stability.

9. After a couple of weeks or months, when you're bored with the A-200. Read up on YAMJ (Jukebox) or wait for the NMJ when it comes out of alpha/beta testing.

10. Plug the USB slave port of the A-200 to your MAC so you can easily tranfer media to it. Way faster than network copying. With the slave port, it's like a big external USB hard drive

[gaol]

If you are a Mac user like me, here's my suggestions;

1. Install NTFS-3G.

NTFS is still the most accessible format for storing media. Always use NTFS for storing files. You'll thank me later.

2. Get a USB HUB to increase the number of ports (there's only 1 in the back and 1 in front, the other one is USB slave).

3. Get ANOTHER 4~8GB USB Stick (less than 1k) Sandisk Cruzer is verified working. You'll need your existing USB stick for flash upgrades.

4. Install NMT Apps to USB stick. Setup > Maintenance Menu > NMT Setup Wizard
- select typical install
- choose USB stick to install to.

5. Format your spare 1TB to NTFS (using NTFS-3G driver and Disk Utility).

6. Plug NTFS drive into A-200.

7. Setup > Maintenenance > NMT Setup Wizard
- select MEDIA Select
- choose NTFS drive.

What does the above do?

It allows you the freedom of moving the Hard Drive in the future to other Media Players since NTFS is common and you don't have to recopy over and over (that sucks)

NMT Apps on USB stick means you can avoid formatted EXT2/3 on the Hard Drives you own. Ext2/3 is HARD to support unless you are a die in the wool linux user.

8. Install Handbrake on your MAC.

AAC which are used for Apple audio isn't completely error free when played on the PCH. You'll need to convert them to MKV with AC3/DTS for stability.

9. After a couple of weeks or months, when you're bored with the A-200. Read up on YAMJ (Jukebox) or wait for the NMJ when it comes out of alpha/beta testing.

10. Plug the USB slave port of the A-200 to your MAC so you can easily tranfer media to it. Way faster than network copying. With the slave port, it's like a big external USB hard drive

Hi Sci-Fan, If I install the NMT apps on a USB flash drive, I suppose I would have to keep it plugged to have the NMT apps running especially Torrent? Also, where would Torrent save the downloaded files, on the flash drive or on the internal drive? Thanks!

[scifi-fan]

Correct... sacrifice mo na USB stick for NMT Apps... cheap lang siya.

If you do part 7 correctly, torrent downloads will be dumped on the NTFS drive.

[HD_MOVIES]

is YAMJ compatible with NMJ? if i have existing YAMJ, when NMJ comes, this will need reconfiguration/redownloading of imdb infos? tnx

[scifi-fan]

Sige tagalugin ko para hindi ma-google tong sagot (medyo sekret kasi)....

Oo kung meron ka nang setup na YAMJ merong paraan ma-migrate siya sa NMJ.

Ang abiso ko lang para dumali ang trabaho mas lalo na terrabytes ng pelikula ang naipon ay siguraduhin na meron .nfo lahat ng pelikula mo at sa luob ng nfo ay nakatalaga ang imdb address ng pelikula.

Ang pinakamahalang pinagkaiba ng NMJ sa YAMJ ay hindi niya kailangan ng PC upang i-generate ang jukebox. It's all built-in the firmware.

Here's the following improvements with the new SDK2 firmware;

- PGS subtitles (woohoo!). Hi-res na ang subs so large TVs will show them beautifully (not blocky).
- SimpleBD now also available when playing MKV, meaning pwede na mag-switch ng chapters, subs and audio din.
- Forced subs, default subs now detected in BDMV/BD ISO
- Avatar BDMV/ISO/BD works

Also, MakeMKV will be the de-facto choice of software to backup Bluray discs. One click backup solution and it's output will be 100% compatible with PCH including subtitles.

[HD_MOVIES]

tnx bro.. buti na lang lahat merong *.nfo..

[renton]

If you are a Mac user like me, here's my suggestions;

1. Install NTFS-3G.

NTFS is still the most accessible format for storing media. Always use NTFS for storing files. You'll thank me later.

2. Get a USB HUB to increase the number of ports (there's only 1 in the back and 1 in front, the other one is USB slave).

3. Get ANOTHER 4~8GB USB Stick (less than 1k) Sandisk Cruzer is verified working. You'll need your existing USB stick for flash upgrades.

4. Install NMT Apps to USB stick. Setup > Maintenance Menu > NMT Setup Wizard
- select typical install
- choose USB stick to install to.

5. Format your spare 1TB to NTFS (using NTFS-3G driver and Disk Utility).

6. Plug NTFS drive into A-200.

7. Setup > Maintenenance > NMT Setup Wizard
- select MEDIA Select
- choose NTFS drive.

What does the above do?

It allows you the freedom of moving the Hard Drive in the future to other Media Players since NTFS is common and you don't have to recopy over and over (that sucks)

NMT Apps on USB stick means you can avoid formatted EXT2/3 on the Hard Drives you own. Ext2/3 is HARD to support unless you are a die in the wool linux user.

8. Install Handbrake on your MAC.

AAC which are used for Apple audio isn't completely error free when played on the PCH. You'll need to convert them to MKV with AC3/DTS for stability.

9. After a couple of weeks or months, when you're bored with the A-200. Read up on YAMJ (Jukebox) or wait for the NMJ when it comes out of alpha/beta testing.

10. Plug the USB slave port of the A-200 to your MAC so you can easily tranfer media to it. Way faster than network copying. With the slave port, it's like a big external USB hard drive

These are great tips. I have the NTFS 3-G and its pretty helpful.
Would a NAS like eTrayz be a good investment so I can swap external disk ?

I guess Ill get the spare thumb drive, a good USB hub and an HDMI switch in the next few days.
I think I won't rush and spend some time enjoying the movies in the current internal 1 terabyte disk.

But I know what to do now ..well most of it though. Some are decisions I have to make, I still want an Apple TV when a new one comes out or someone sells it really cheap. Maybe for renting movies or to manage the music part. Unless the NMJ is really good.

[wacksy1021]

I got a PCH A-200 Yesterday at Gogadgets! I selected the PCH because of my perceived software support, roadmap of the product and stability. though it was pricier, I also believe in getting what you pay for.

While at it I also got a Samsung PX2370 HD/HDMI LED monitor for 15.5k in the area to complete my bedroom setup, which the monitor although only one HDMI port can connect with a PS3, Sky Cable HD Box and maybe my Apple Macbook ( or a Mac Mini/ATV in the future ) via the DVI.

I got the PCH A-200 with their 1 Terabyte package with movies (HD2). Also left another 1 Tb HD for more movies. Also got the Wifi USB dongle which works pretty well. Started watching a few movies and so far so good. Picture quality is superb.

Of course being new to the product I have some issues. Any tips will be appreciated.

I would like a better UI and also since I have about 500 Gig of files on a Mac formatted (HFS+) which is mostly music, I need a way of migrating that. Or maybe a separate player for music instead since the PCH interface is not equal to iTunes.

Welcome to the club sir renton... enjoy your new a-200...

[scifi-fan]

These are great tips. I have the NTFS 3-G and its pretty helpful.
Would a NAS like eTrayz be a good investment so I can swap external disk ?

I guess Ill get the spare thumb drive, a good USB hub and an HDMI switch in the next few days.
I think I won't rush and spend some time enjoying the movies in the current internal 1 terabyte disk.

But I know what to do now ..well most of it though. Some are decisions I have to make, I still want an Apple TV when a new one comes out or someone sells it really cheap. Maybe for renting movies or to manage the music part. Unless the NMJ is really good.

I don't like eTrayz, Dlink-323 or even xTreamer Pro. 2 bays is BITIN and extra power consumption.

I use a DAS (Direct Access Storage). I use bare hard drives parang videotapes he he he. Since A-200 has built-in NFS/SMB server/client it's the one I use to store everything including my music/photos. I can access them on my Macs sa bahay.

The NMJ is kinda like the PS3/PSP Cross Media Bar, it's either you like it or you dont

[Clondalkin]

- PGS subtitles (woohoo!). Hi-res na ang subs so large TVs will show them beautifully (not blocky).
- SimpleBD now also available when playing MKV, meaning pwede na mag-switch ng chapters, subs and audio din.
- Forced subs, default subs now detected in BDMV/BD ISO
- Avatar BDMV/ISO/BD works

-First one works well with BDMV and BD ISO already.  Yeah MKV subs are fugly as dot matrix printout.

-2nd one - cool - you mean some kind of menu will be generated on MKVs?  if the MKV encode has chapter, multi-subs and multi-audio, they already work well with FW 2.0.x.  You dont mean the A200 will generate chapters and multi-subs and multi-audio kahit wala sa encode?  hehehe

- I dont understand the 3rd one.  BDMV/BD ISO subs work well with FW 2.0.x

- Avatar BDMV can be dodgy at times but AVATAR BD ISO is perfect already (sans menu).

Tell them to fix HD audio first and foremost, then I might buy a new AVR.  They're probably not working on the right contents/encodes...similar to Framestor case... hehehe

Great tip on USB flash drive.    I think we should meet in July.  hehehe
 

[renton]

I don't like eTrayz, Dlink-323 or even xTreamer Pro. 2 bays is BITIN and extra power consumption.

I use a DAS (Direct Access Storage). I use bare hard drives parang videotapes he he he. Since A-200 has built-in NFS/SMB server/client it's the one I use to store everything including my music/photos. I can access them on my Macs sa bahay.

The NMJ is kinda like the PS3/PSP Cross Media Bar, it's either you like it or you dont

I think Im okay with the cross bar. I have a barely used PS3 which I will introduce to the bedroom mix tonight. I think eventually Ill get a single storage for all but maybe ill figure that out as things come together. Someone gave me a Linksys network media hub but I really don't like it.

[I am really looking for a good NAS and backup drive for our office network of about 5 Macs and one Windows laptop. Just in case you can recommend something.]

I played some orig blue ray disc in my PS3 before, a bit expensive buying titles.
the PCH will pay for itself in just a week or two of watching movies.

BTW, can i get a cheap USB DVD drive from CDR-King and attach it to the PCH and make it play DVDs ?
Maybe for just removing another player on my desk and saving the PS3 for orig titles ?
Just curious, though I may not really do it.

Lastly, is it just me or do you crave for real popcorn with the PCH ? 

[scifi-fan]

The A200 can't play DVD discs with encryption.

Jack Sparrows pwede because these have been stripped of Macrovision encryption.

[belphegores]

A-200 user here

tanong ko lang.. kung yung NMJ eh hindi talaga gagamitan ng PC tsaka kung saan nadownload yung alpha fw.. thank you!

[renton]

This is more of an Apple TV question I guess, but I would wan't to hear if there are PCH users who also have or have tried an AppleTV+ATV Flash.

If I get an Apple TV and add ATV Flash, what would be the limitations compared to  The Popcorn Hour A-200 ?

Are there formats that cannot be played on the ATV+Flash such as those due to hardware limitations ?

I have an existing A-200 but would prefer to use ATV for music, is there a way for me to read the NTFS formatted disk or should I just to an SMB or NFS share and AppleTV+Flash can access it from the network ?

I just wan't to look at how the two will co-exist in my desk in the future . Thanks!

[scifi-fan]

Just setup the NFS share and see what the A200 can handle. It can handle more codecs than the AppleTV ever can.

[renton]

Now running the Torrent up in the PCH A-200. I set the media to download to the internal disk.
I compared the speeds that I get downloading files in Vuze on Mac OSX. Seems the downloads in the PCH is a little slower. What's your experience on this ?

Would it be better to download to the internal or an external disk ?
I think sooner than later i'll have the internal 1 TB, then 2 external 1 TB.
Any tips on how to organize ?
Favorite movies on internal drive and archives and downloads on external ?

Also tried making the PCH a slave drive for me to organize/copy the files.

Thanks again!

[scifi-fan]

A PC running torrents will ALWAYS be faster.

However a PC also consumed more power so there's always a trade-off.

I only have a 1.5Mbit DSL line and I can max it out (150Kbps) so it's fast enough for me.

You can download wherever you want pero think ahead because the last thing you want to do is change your mind and have to endure 17~24 hours copying media off a 1TB drive to another.

For me, the internal HD always hold stuff that's "erasable" meaning TV shows and some random video I grab off the net. The Keepers I always prefer to use external drives just so that I can move it to other players/nas device in the future. Avoid too much writing/erasing on these so the disc has less chances of corruption requiring you to boot a PC to run chkdsk on them.

[renton]

Thanks again. I definely need to think ahead and plan this out well to avoid duplicates.
Also need to write down which movies are keepers.

Any recommendations for an enclosure to house a 1 Tbyte HD ?
or maybe a branded 2 Tbyte external would provide better value.

Now I realize that they can easilly fill up with those bluray 1080p movies.
I saw 35 gig files, I wonder how many days will that take with my basic Sky Broadband subscription

A PC running torrents will ALWAYS be faster.

However a PC also consumed more power so there's always a trade-off.

I only have a 1.5Mbit DSL line and I can max it out (150Kbps) so it's fast enough for me.

You can download wherever you want pero think ahead because the last thing you want to do is change your mind and have to endure 17~24 hours copying media off a 1TB drive to another.

For me, the internal HD always hold stuff that's "erasable" meaning TV shows and some random video I grab off the net. The Keepers I always prefer to use external drives just so that I can move it to other players/nas device in the future. Avoid too much writing/erasing on these so the disc has less chances of corruption requiring you to boot a PC to run chkdsk on them.

[scifi-fan]

Thanks again. I definely need to think ahead and plan this out well to avoid duplicates.
Also need to write down which movies are keepers.

Any recommendations for an enclosure to house a 1 Tbyte HD ?
or maybe a branded 2 Tbyte external would provide better value.

Now I realize that they can easilly fill up with those bluray 1080p movies.
I saw 35 gig files, I wonder how many days will that take with my basic Sky Broadband subscription

Back read;

http://www.pinoydvd.com/index.php/topic,107770.msg1152367.html#msg1152367

Here's the kinds of files you will encounter;

1. BD "Untouched" BDMV/ISO (45~50GB@)
These are essentially full backups of Commercial Bluray Discs stripped of encryption.
They contain all the content of the disc including;
- Main Feature video (m2ts container, MPEG4, h264, AVC or VC1 encoding)
- Supplementary Video (special features, advertisements, trailers, commentary, Picture in Picture)
- Multiple HD "lossless" Audio tracks (DTS-MA, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby DD in languages according to Region)
- PGS "Hi-resolution" subtitles (again multiple, forced, default, other languages)
- Bluray Menu (java based). BD-Live features

2. BDMV/MT2S standalone or encapsulated in MKV (25~30GB)
These are just the needed files for the Main Feature to play. Usually stripped from "Untouched" versions.
- Main Feature Video
- Main HD Audio track (DTS-MA, Dolby TrueHD, DD) DTS is derived from DTS-MA tracks (called core audio)
- PGS Subtitle (PCH will handle this now this), other players require "user encoded" SRT/SUB files for subs.
1TB drive will hold;

3. Premium MKV encodes (12~18GB)
Same as above but;
- Main Feature transcoded to x264 with reduced quality vs. untouched to save space
- DTS-MA track (DTS is better choice since it has core audio unlike Dolby which needs 2)
- SRT/SUB files for subtitle support

4. Standard 1080p MKV (8~12GB)
Same as above but;
- instead of DTS-MA or Dolby TrueHD, you only get a standard "lossy" audio track (DTS/DD)

5. Standard 720p MKV (4~6GB)
Same as above but;
- Main feature re-encoded for 720p resolution

My process is to get #1 type first and as time moves on, it gets "downgraded" depending on what value I place on it. Kung low replay-ability... down to standard 720p MKV.

The A200 can only handle Simple BD so even if you get full bluray backups with BD Menus, it will NOT play the supplements/special features. As of now only the C200 is the only player distributed in the Philippines that can play full bluray "untouched" backups.

The A200 can handle AVCHD too so content from HD camcorders will work with chapter stops.

That's why IMHO you get what you pay for.

[Clondalkin]

I'd place this at 1.5 (even at 1 depending on the title)

Eureka's BD ISO in BD25 - the guy is a real genius.  This type of encode sets the A200 apart from the competition.

[HD_MOVIES]

Just got my A200 today.. Back to PCH again.. From PCH100 -->WDTV -->Egreat 31b --> PCH110 --> AP100 --> AP300 --> wdtvlive --> AP360 --> xtreamer -->PCH200. Time to revive my Jukebox..

[RastaSega]

wow dami.

di ko nga alam kung ano yung ibang model numbers hehehe