HD players: for geeks and for consumers
From comments to my other topic :
Let's try to figure out which of these options is better to choose, and which considerations affect the answer.
Immediately I would like to remove from consideration the appearance of the devices. There are no comrades to taste and color: one loves sherbet, the other - pork cartilage. In my opinion, both devices look quite decent, and which one is better - let everyone decide for himself.
WD TV is a completely different device than Popcorn Hour. They are not exactly competitors. Just look at both devices in the back, as well as on their remote controls, and this already leads to certain thoughts.
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WD TV is an economical consumer version with limited functionality. Personally, I would consider it as a good gift to parents. The price is more than democratic - in Moscow a little more than 5000 rubles. (~ $ 150), as I understood.
WD TV does not work without HDD, and this HDD is not included in the delivery, it means that you will buy it separately (or have already bought it). In WD TV it is impossible to install HDD inside the case, this HDD can only be connected via USB. What network protocols does WD TV support? There can be no talk of any protocols, since this is not a network device, it simply does not have a network interface. Does any HDTV format support WD TV? No, the maximum that it can support is 1080p at 24 frames / sec, 1080i at 30 frames / sec, but 720p is supported at 60 frames / sec.
Popcorn Hour A-110 is an option with full functionality, primarily for geeks. The price is, of course, higher: $ 260 (~ 8,700 rubles at the current rate of 33.6), but this is already delivered to your home ($ 215 player + $ 45. delivery). HDD is not included in the delivery, but Popcorn Hour can work without HDD, taking content over the network from your computer or NAS, for example. To unlock all the features of Popcorn Hour, however, the HDD must be inserted. Both 3.5 "and 2.5" SATA HDD can be inserted inside the case. What network protocols does Popcorn Hour support? It has a client bittorrent (Transmission - the same client that is the main one in Ubuntu, if I'm not mistaken), an FTP server (pure-ftpd), an SMB server (Samba), an HTTP server (Apache) with support for PHP, NFS- server, as well as some more exotic services. You can install a telnet or ssh server by yourself. Physically, the player has a 100-mb Ethernet port, and it is also possible for an extra. Money buy a USB WiFi adapter for your wireless network. In addition, the Popcorn Hour A-110 has a USB slave port, through which it can be connected to a computer as an external USB drive, while file sharing between the computer and the player is possible at a speed of ~ 25-28 MB / s, unattainable for 100 Mbps Ethernet. Does any HDTV format support Popcorn Hour? Yes, it supports up to 1080p at 60 frames / sec. Why did I call the Popcorn Hour A-110 a geek machine? Because inside it is the usual Linux (trimmed due to the small available resources of the CPU and memory), go there via telnet / ssh and add / modify as you like. Someone does not like the appearance of the interface - there is support for skins, download the skin that you like, or draw your own. Would you like some program that is not in the delivery (say, Midnight Commander)? Compile and install. And so on. For example, the author himself only because of Popcorn Hour got a real experience of cross-compilation (he had only heard such a term before). I didn’t like the web interface of the embedded bittorrent client - I made another for myself using PHP.
It is clear that only enthusiast will be engaged in all this customizing, normal consumers use the functionality “out of the box” and “not soared”. Nevertheless, it seems to me that Popcorn Hour is a great option, first of all, for geeks who are interested in picking up “what’s inside” and adjusting for themselves.
Just in case, I will add that Popcorn Hour is only 1 avatar (embodiment, implementation) of the Networked Media Tank platform. There are other implementations, with their strengths and weaknesses, the Popcorn Hour did not come together with the light.
And now buy popcorn?Buy WD TV HD, SC local, much cheaper, looks betterI read somewhere that this type of player has an old chip that HD barely pulls ...
Let's try to figure out which of these options is better to choose, and which considerations affect the answer.
Immediately I would like to remove from consideration the appearance of the devices. There are no comrades to taste and color: one loves sherbet, the other - pork cartilage. In my opinion, both devices look quite decent, and which one is better - let everyone decide for himself.
WD TV is a completely different device than Popcorn Hour. They are not exactly competitors. Just look at both devices in the back, as well as on their remote controls, and this already leads to certain thoughts.
WD TV
')
Popcorn Hour A-110
Remote Controls of both devices
WD TV is an economical consumer version with limited functionality. Personally, I would consider it as a good gift to parents. The price is more than democratic - in Moscow a little more than 5000 rubles. (~ $ 150), as I understood.
WD TV does not work without HDD, and this HDD is not included in the delivery, it means that you will buy it separately (or have already bought it). In WD TV it is impossible to install HDD inside the case, this HDD can only be connected via USB. What network protocols does WD TV support? There can be no talk of any protocols, since this is not a network device, it simply does not have a network interface. Does any HDTV format support WD TV? No, the maximum that it can support is 1080p at 24 frames / sec, 1080i at 30 frames / sec, but 720p is supported at 60 frames / sec.
Popcorn Hour A-110 is an option with full functionality, primarily for geeks. The price is, of course, higher: $ 260 (~ 8,700 rubles at the current rate of 33.6), but this is already delivered to your home ($ 215 player + $ 45. delivery). HDD is not included in the delivery, but Popcorn Hour can work without HDD, taking content over the network from your computer or NAS, for example. To unlock all the features of Popcorn Hour, however, the HDD must be inserted. Both 3.5 "and 2.5" SATA HDD can be inserted inside the case. What network protocols does Popcorn Hour support? It has a client bittorrent (Transmission - the same client that is the main one in Ubuntu, if I'm not mistaken), an FTP server (pure-ftpd), an SMB server (Samba), an HTTP server (Apache) with support for PHP, NFS- server, as well as some more exotic services. You can install a telnet or ssh server by yourself. Physically, the player has a 100-mb Ethernet port, and it is also possible for an extra. Money buy a USB WiFi adapter for your wireless network. In addition, the Popcorn Hour A-110 has a USB slave port, through which it can be connected to a computer as an external USB drive, while file sharing between the computer and the player is possible at a speed of ~ 25-28 MB / s, unattainable for 100 Mbps Ethernet. Does any HDTV format support Popcorn Hour? Yes, it supports up to 1080p at 60 frames / sec. Why did I call the Popcorn Hour A-110 a geek machine? Because inside it is the usual Linux (trimmed due to the small available resources of the CPU and memory), go there via telnet / ssh and add / modify as you like. Someone does not like the appearance of the interface - there is support for skins, download the skin that you like, or draw your own. Would you like some program that is not in the delivery (say, Midnight Commander)? Compile and install. And so on. For example, the author himself only because of Popcorn Hour got a real experience of cross-compilation (he had only heard such a term before). I didn’t like the web interface of the embedded bittorrent client - I made another for myself using PHP.
It is clear that only enthusiast will be engaged in all this customizing, normal consumers use the functionality “out of the box” and “not soared”. Nevertheless, it seems to me that Popcorn Hour is a great option, first of all, for geeks who are interested in picking up “what’s inside” and adjusting for themselves.
Just in case, I will add that Popcorn Hour is only 1 avatar (embodiment, implementation) of the Networked Media Tank platform. There are other implementations, with their strengths and weaknesses, the Popcorn Hour did not come together with the light.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/57094/
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