BBK PopcornTV NP101S Network Player Review
Or a tale of friendship TV and corn :)
From a dozen years ago, the presence of a home computer could be considered a weighty sign of wealth, but now everything is different - almost everyone has computers, some even have two or three. Today you will not surprise anyone with this - practically all categories of the population stick at computers, because they allow you to do almost anything.
')
But no matter how you look at it, a computer is not always the right tool to perform a task. For example, watching movies. Yes, even the most unpretentious personalka easily cope with this task, but this very personku sometimes even ashamed to put it somewhere in sight. Therefore, I increasingly notice that PCs have become “unloaded”, trusting some of the functions to worthy helpers - playing music and movies, storing data, etc.
Today I will talk about a decent multimedia assistant. His name is BBK PopcornTV NP101S and yes, one of his appointments is to be always in sight;) Detailed overview, traffic .
It is not uncommon for some unknown company to invent something that many manufacturers continue to pick up. This happened to a certain Californian company Syabas - once it developed a software platform called Networked Media Tank (NMT, Network Media Store), which appealed to many manufacturers of hardware media players. Based on the Linux kernel, this platform involves the device performing the roles of a media player, media server and network storage. Initially, the company worked for their own HD-player Popcorn Hour , but now their work has been reflected in a number of other devices.
But in our understanding, NMT is, rather, not a software platform, but a whole class of devices designed to open new horizons of opportunities in working through the network. In other words, manufacturers want their devices to listen to music, watch HD videos, download gigabytes through torrent networks, and all this bypassing the computer. Well, the idea is interesting, a start has been made, and now we’ll see how BBK contributed .
BBK PopcornTV NP101S - in fact, is an analogue of the foreign Popcorn Hour A-100 , but it would be foolish to just copy the device. But what to talk about it - they do not cook their popcorn, and buying technology has long been a common practice. I practically am not familiar with the A-100, so I would like to tell the NP101S from the beginning to the end, in as much detail as possible.
Dimensions (mm): 270 Ă— 132x32. Weight - 1 kg;
Chipset: Sigma Designs SMP8635;
Hard Drive: 500GB;
Memory: 256MB DDR SDRAM, 32MB Flash.
Supported formats :
- Video containers: MPEG-1/2/4, MPEG-1/2 PS, MPEG-2, VOB, AVI, ASF, WMV, (MKV), MOV (H.264), MP4;
- Video codecs: WMV9, H.264, VC-1, DivX, XVID SD / HD, MPEG-1/2/4 / 4.2, AVC (HD);
- Audio containers: AAC, M4A, MPEG audio, WAV, WMA;
- Audio codecs: AC3, WMA, WMA Pro, OGG Vorbis and others;
- Disk images: ISO, IFO;
- Subtitles: SRT, SMI, SUB, SSA.
Hardware features :
- Built-in Dolby Digital and AC3 digital decoders for multichannel sound;
- HDMI interface that provides HDTV (1080p) quality images;
- Component, composite and S-Video video outputs;
- Stereo and digital coaxial audio outputs;
- Two USB ports (2.0) for connecting USB-compatible devices;
- Network port LAN (Ethernet).
The first difference from similar devices is the hard disk in the basic configuration; in this case, its volume is 500GB - of course, not so much by today's standards, but for the first time just enough, as well as for the storage of various files every day. For everything else, I decided to use a full-fledged Synology DS209 + NAS, with which the device became friendly without any problems.
Demonstratively I take out the box;)
Inside, in the thickness of the foam material intended for safe transportation, hid:
- HD player BBK PopcornTV NP101S ;
- Remote control;
- AC adapter and power cord to it;
- A network wire 2 meters long;
- Two cables - AV and HDMI;
- Documentation.
I will immediately note the presence of two batteries in the console - I have not seen how many remotes, almost anywhere batteries are not included.
The manual - a black and white book with a blue cover, written entirely in Russian - contains all the necessary information with a large number of words like "Please." I also add that there is a wealth of information and documentation on the Internet.
The network wire was not enough for me, so I had to pull a separate “Internet source” under the carpet to the TV) So, I note the lack of a built-in Wi-Fi module, which in this case could ease and beautify life, because the device installation is meant in a visible place (well or at least in the range of the remote control). On the other hand, the Wi-Fi module (on the Atheros chip) can be installed additionally, if, of course, you manage to find it. From certified - it is Popcorn Hour WN-100 , and from just suitable - TP-Link WN821N . This solution will take one of the two available USB ports on the front side (probably the top one), but it will be more free to “breathe” behind the nightstand.
The device weighs about a kilogram and takes up very little space - just over a thousand cubic centimeters - this is at dimensions (in mm) 270 Ă— 132x32) A fully metallic black matte body, and the front panel has a fine polishing texture.
The body is not very susceptible to prints, and if it is stationary in space, the maximum care will be in the elementary rubbing of dust with a damp cloth. The body is characterized by a fairly sharp sharp edges. Looking at the slightly protruding front panel, it creates the false impression that the device should be inserted into some kind of rack. In general, a fairly minimalist design that is likely to fit into any interior.
On the front panel, from left to right, the following functional elements are located: a button for turning on the device, two USB ports (2.0) and an IR receiver with indicators of the device operation. In addition, there is a manufacturer's label and model name, as well as a big bright sticker that you just want to tear off for non-inscribability in the overall design)
For the same “non-recognizability” I want to tear off the sticker located on the upper side of the device - where there is nothing besides the extruded “ PopcornTV ” inscription. The inscription looks, by the way, very cool. There is nothing more on the upper side.
There are also no functional elements along the side parts - perhaps, one bolt each, which, with rare exceptions, have a certain “fitability”, giving some sort of zest to the appearance of the metal box.
On the lower side there is a pair of air vents and 4 rubberized legs, which ensure the immobility of the player.
The most interesting is on the back of the device. Among the numerous connectors are listed: component, composite and S-Video video outputs; stereo and digital coaxial audio outputs; HDMI interface for transmitting high quality images (1080p); LAN network port (RJ-45, 10-100 Mbps) and power connector. Everything is signed - the student can also connect without instructions.
Remote control In general, consoles are quite a sore point for many manufacturers of equipment, which is even strange in the current age of designer perversions. But in this particular case, the remote is surprisingly good.
The remote control from the front side is made of glossy plastic, and on the reverse side rubberized soft-touch prevails.
A total of 50 buttons on it are nicely glowing in the dark, 5 of which are represented as a circle in the central part - they are responsible for navigating the menu and selecting elements (Enter in the center). At the very top is the power button and the device menu control buttons, below is the numeric keypad through which typing takes place. Yes, yes, I’ll have to remember how they typed text messages on the phone (the owners of the communicators will understand me). By the way, a rather unusual procedure is to enter aypishniki from the remote control. At the very bottom there are player control buttons and 4 mode buttons that can also be used in various applications.
I cannot mark something else about the appearance, and I did not look under the cover due to warranty considerations. But, I think, in the near future I will still look under the inside, at least with one eye)
I think no one has any problems with the placement of this device, as I have not. Turn on.
On the front panel, at the IR receiver, the device operation indicator lights up. It works almost silently, because there is no active cooling inside; all that is noisy is a hard disk, and there, it must be admitted, is more than calm.
The device comes into a fully working state approximately in minutes after switching on, which, in my opinion, is quite long. The signals from the remote control are caught well enough - it is not necessary to direct the target.
After loading, the main player menu appears in front of us. On the left side, almost all the time, there is the main menu, from which you can go to the data, access Internet services or settings. All remaining space is reserved for the content part - directory listing, settings, etc.
First of all, I go to the settings, which are quite a few there. All I want at the moment is to join my home network, for which I entered the necessary data.
After another light caught on my router, the player hinted that there is a newer firmware version on the network and it is advisable to install it. No sooner said than done.
After the reboot, a new, more beautiful interface was waiting for me, so I’m not going to talk about what happened before it) Do not worry, the shell was typical for various players ... but what a shell it was! And yet, in our century, I want to see something more modern) Yes, yes, I love it when beautiful.
All movements on the menu items - due to the remote, to which, by the way, you quickly get used to it. But here's the text, however, how not to try, to quickly type will not work. As an option - you can connect an external USB-keyboard, but I did not. In some moments, the player thinks for a couple of seconds, but basically everything is without a hitch.
If you connect a USB flash drive or an external hard drive, then in the “Media Library”, in addition to the built-in storage, there will be another drive from which you can read any of the supported files. You can perform various actions on files — delete, copy, move, rename, etc. All this is done, again, through the console. After an evening of working with a piece of iron, I was no longer confused with the buttons and quite quickly came to what I needed - I think this can be considered a success of the manufacturer)
So, what is the player capable of?
Without looking at the services page, he is able to do quite a lot - show pictures, including in the slideshow mode. Able to play music - all that was on my flash drive, he easily devoured; In my opinion, there is not enough support for the covers inserted into the track - while instead of them, just a kind of stub is inserted during playback.
Regarding the video playback - what was available on my small home network, everything was lost without any problems. No, that is, ALL AND WITHOUT PROBLEMS IN GENERAL) I started with small video recorders of various formats that are abundant on a flash drive in the Downloaded folder. From what was, everything was lost, although, of course, there is no pleasure from watching such video cards on the big screen)
The next step was to watch a one-and-a-gigabyte screen of the Ice Age 3 - since there is no time to go to the cinema, then at least I’ll admire the squirrel. Admired.
DVD rips of excellent quality are also played without problems, rewinding works as it should - it rewinds scenes, and not “thoughtfully hiccups with plots”. From the high quality films I tried three pieces - what was available on the network and what was enough patience - all in a bunch.
Realizing that there are no problems with the video, I downloaded from the desktop computer all seasons of “How it's made”, which my parents love so much. Let them feel at least some pleasure from "my soulless glands."
For the sake of interest, the player downloaded from the torrents one short animated cartoon. After a while, the file was in the Download folder, and was well played.
I note an unpleasant feature of the device - when you turn it off through the console, it after a while ... turns on again! And for no apparent reason - just twists the disk again and that's it. It helps only to turn off from the outlet, which, you see, is inconvenient. I am looking for a solution to the problem.
pros
- A credible appearance;
- High-quality materials, good assembly, solid construction;
- The possibility of flashing, support for external devices;
- Remote control, the presence of HDMI, built-in hard drive 500GB;
- Omnivorous and fast enough work;
- Built-in BitTorrent client;
- Silent work;
- Internet services *
- Price from 9000r.
No matter how great the list of advantages is, I didn’t mark such moments as easy setup, detailed documentation, friendly technical support, the ability to add my services, accessibility, Russian lanvage, etc.
Minuses
- Turning on the device takes about a minute;
- Sometimes the player thinks for a couple of seconds;
- The case is very hot during prolonged operation, although not yet to the detriment of the device;
- The device turns on after turning off;
- Did not find how to enter Russian letters.
* This article could have two options for development - to fit everything into an enormous article that no one will master and which it will be difficult for me to track with the PDA, or fit everything in a couple of paragraphs, without telling anything new. I chose the third option - in the first part of the article I spoke in detail about the device itself, and in the second I will tell in detail about the most interesting services)
What not to say, but the device turned out very interesting! There will be no exceptions - someone will say again in the comments that “ I will collect for this money ... ” - collect) Many other people will go the other way - “they will buy, supply and switch on”. No, of course, enthusiasm is good, but this does not mean that you should turn a blind eye to ready-made solutions.
After reading the reviews on the Internet, I concluded that BBK PopcornTV NP101S is currently one of the best in its price range. There are no critical flaws here, many little things, I hope, will be corrected in new firmware versions. But now the manufacturer offers the user a fragrant bunch of multimedia features that work a little more than just well!
I do not see any further price drops in the near future, so you can safely take it - you will not regret. And I sincerely wish the manufacturer further success!
In the second part - talk about services, wait soon (to repent for the quality of the photos from the screen started now).
A couple of links:
- PopcornTV
- NMT
- Forum on PopcornTV
Boomburum
From a dozen years ago, the presence of a home computer could be considered a weighty sign of wealth, but now everything is different - almost everyone has computers, some even have two or three. Today you will not surprise anyone with this - practically all categories of the population stick at computers, because they allow you to do almost anything.
')
But no matter how you look at it, a computer is not always the right tool to perform a task. For example, watching movies. Yes, even the most unpretentious personalka easily cope with this task, but this very personku sometimes even ashamed to put it somewhere in sight. Therefore, I increasingly notice that PCs have become “unloaded”, trusting some of the functions to worthy helpers - playing music and movies, storing data, etc.
Today I will talk about a decent multimedia assistant. His name is BBK PopcornTV NP101S and yes, one of his appointments is to be always in sight;) Detailed overview, traffic .
It is not uncommon for some unknown company to invent something that many manufacturers continue to pick up. This happened to a certain Californian company Syabas - once it developed a software platform called Networked Media Tank (NMT, Network Media Store), which appealed to many manufacturers of hardware media players. Based on the Linux kernel, this platform involves the device performing the roles of a media player, media server and network storage. Initially, the company worked for their own HD-player Popcorn Hour , but now their work has been reflected in a number of other devices.
But in our understanding, NMT is, rather, not a software platform, but a whole class of devices designed to open new horizons of opportunities in working through the network. In other words, manufacturers want their devices to listen to music, watch HD videos, download gigabytes through torrent networks, and all this bypassing the computer. Well, the idea is interesting, a start has been made, and now we’ll see how BBK contributed .
BBK PopcornTV NP101S - in fact, is an analogue of the foreign Popcorn Hour A-100 , but it would be foolish to just copy the device. But what to talk about it - they do not cook their popcorn, and buying technology has long been a common practice. I practically am not familiar with the A-100, so I would like to tell the NP101S from the beginning to the end, in as much detail as possible.
Technical Specifications BBK PopcornTV NP101S
Dimensions (mm): 270 Ă— 132x32. Weight - 1 kg;
Chipset: Sigma Designs SMP8635;
Hard Drive: 500GB;
Memory: 256MB DDR SDRAM, 32MB Flash.
Supported formats :
- Video containers: MPEG-1/2/4, MPEG-1/2 PS, MPEG-2, VOB, AVI, ASF, WMV, (MKV), MOV (H.264), MP4;
- Video codecs: WMV9, H.264, VC-1, DivX, XVID SD / HD, MPEG-1/2/4 / 4.2, AVC (HD);
- Audio containers: AAC, M4A, MPEG audio, WAV, WMA;
- Audio codecs: AC3, WMA, WMA Pro, OGG Vorbis and others;
- Disk images: ISO, IFO;
- Subtitles: SRT, SMI, SUB, SSA.
Hardware features :
- Built-in Dolby Digital and AC3 digital decoders for multichannel sound;
- HDMI interface that provides HDTV (1080p) quality images;
- Component, composite and S-Video video outputs;
- Stereo and digital coaxial audio outputs;
- Two USB ports (2.0) for connecting USB-compatible devices;
- Network port LAN (Ethernet).
The first difference from similar devices is the hard disk in the basic configuration; in this case, its volume is 500GB - of course, not so much by today's standards, but for the first time just enough, as well as for the storage of various files every day. For everything else, I decided to use a full-fledged Synology DS209 + NAS, with which the device became friendly without any problems.
Demonstratively I take out the box;)
Equipment
Inside, in the thickness of the foam material intended for safe transportation, hid:
- HD player BBK PopcornTV NP101S ;
- Remote control;
- AC adapter and power cord to it;
- A network wire 2 meters long;
- Two cables - AV and HDMI;
- Documentation.
I will immediately note the presence of two batteries in the console - I have not seen how many remotes, almost anywhere batteries are not included.
The manual - a black and white book with a blue cover, written entirely in Russian - contains all the necessary information with a large number of words like "Please." I also add that there is a wealth of information and documentation on the Internet.
The network wire was not enough for me, so I had to pull a separate “Internet source” under the carpet to the TV) So, I note the lack of a built-in Wi-Fi module, which in this case could ease and beautify life, because the device installation is meant in a visible place (well or at least in the range of the remote control). On the other hand, the Wi-Fi module (on the Atheros chip) can be installed additionally, if, of course, you manage to find it. From certified - it is Popcorn Hour WN-100 , and from just suitable - TP-Link WN821N . This solution will take one of the two available USB ports on the front side (probably the top one), but it will be more free to “breathe” behind the nightstand.
Appearance
The device weighs about a kilogram and takes up very little space - just over a thousand cubic centimeters - this is at dimensions (in mm) 270 Ă— 132x32) A fully metallic black matte body, and the front panel has a fine polishing texture.
The body is not very susceptible to prints, and if it is stationary in space, the maximum care will be in the elementary rubbing of dust with a damp cloth. The body is characterized by a fairly sharp sharp edges. Looking at the slightly protruding front panel, it creates the false impression that the device should be inserted into some kind of rack. In general, a fairly minimalist design that is likely to fit into any interior.
On the front panel, from left to right, the following functional elements are located: a button for turning on the device, two USB ports (2.0) and an IR receiver with indicators of the device operation. In addition, there is a manufacturer's label and model name, as well as a big bright sticker that you just want to tear off for non-inscribability in the overall design)
For the same “non-recognizability” I want to tear off the sticker located on the upper side of the device - where there is nothing besides the extruded “ PopcornTV ” inscription. The inscription looks, by the way, very cool. There is nothing more on the upper side.
There are also no functional elements along the side parts - perhaps, one bolt each, which, with rare exceptions, have a certain “fitability”, giving some sort of zest to the appearance of the metal box.
On the lower side there is a pair of air vents and 4 rubberized legs, which ensure the immobility of the player.
The most interesting is on the back of the device. Among the numerous connectors are listed: component, composite and S-Video video outputs; stereo and digital coaxial audio outputs; HDMI interface for transmitting high quality images (1080p); LAN network port (RJ-45, 10-100 Mbps) and power connector. Everything is signed - the student can also connect without instructions.
Remote control In general, consoles are quite a sore point for many manufacturers of equipment, which is even strange in the current age of designer perversions. But in this particular case, the remote is surprisingly good.
The remote control from the front side is made of glossy plastic, and on the reverse side rubberized soft-touch prevails.
A total of 50 buttons on it are nicely glowing in the dark, 5 of which are represented as a circle in the central part - they are responsible for navigating the menu and selecting elements (Enter in the center). At the very top is the power button and the device menu control buttons, below is the numeric keypad through which typing takes place. Yes, yes, I’ll have to remember how they typed text messages on the phone (the owners of the communicators will understand me). By the way, a rather unusual procedure is to enter aypishniki from the remote control. At the very bottom there are player control buttons and 4 mode buttons that can also be used in various applications.
I cannot mark something else about the appearance, and I did not look under the cover due to warranty considerations. But, I think, in the near future I will still look under the inside, at least with one eye)
Turn on and work
I think no one has any problems with the placement of this device, as I have not. Turn on.
On the front panel, at the IR receiver, the device operation indicator lights up. It works almost silently, because there is no active cooling inside; all that is noisy is a hard disk, and there, it must be admitted, is more than calm.
The device comes into a fully working state approximately in minutes after switching on, which, in my opinion, is quite long. The signals from the remote control are caught well enough - it is not necessary to direct the target.
After loading, the main player menu appears in front of us. On the left side, almost all the time, there is the main menu, from which you can go to the data, access Internet services or settings. All remaining space is reserved for the content part - directory listing, settings, etc.
First of all, I go to the settings, which are quite a few there. All I want at the moment is to join my home network, for which I entered the necessary data.
After another light caught on my router, the player hinted that there is a newer firmware version on the network and it is advisable to install it. No sooner said than done.
After the reboot, a new, more beautiful interface was waiting for me, so I’m not going to talk about what happened before it) Do not worry, the shell was typical for various players ... but what a shell it was! And yet, in our century, I want to see something more modern) Yes, yes, I love it when beautiful.
All movements on the menu items - due to the remote, to which, by the way, you quickly get used to it. But here's the text, however, how not to try, to quickly type will not work. As an option - you can connect an external USB-keyboard, but I did not. In some moments, the player thinks for a couple of seconds, but basically everything is without a hitch.
If you connect a USB flash drive or an external hard drive, then in the “Media Library”, in addition to the built-in storage, there will be another drive from which you can read any of the supported files. You can perform various actions on files — delete, copy, move, rename, etc. All this is done, again, through the console. After an evening of working with a piece of iron, I was no longer confused with the buttons and quite quickly came to what I needed - I think this can be considered a success of the manufacturer)
So, what is the player capable of?
Without looking at the services page, he is able to do quite a lot - show pictures, including in the slideshow mode. Able to play music - all that was on my flash drive, he easily devoured; In my opinion, there is not enough support for the covers inserted into the track - while instead of them, just a kind of stub is inserted during playback.
Regarding the video playback - what was available on my small home network, everything was lost without any problems. No, that is, ALL AND WITHOUT PROBLEMS IN GENERAL) I started with small video recorders of various formats that are abundant on a flash drive in the Downloaded folder. From what was, everything was lost, although, of course, there is no pleasure from watching such video cards on the big screen)
The next step was to watch a one-and-a-gigabyte screen of the Ice Age 3 - since there is no time to go to the cinema, then at least I’ll admire the squirrel. Admired.
DVD rips of excellent quality are also played without problems, rewinding works as it should - it rewinds scenes, and not “thoughtfully hiccups with plots”. From the high quality films I tried three pieces - what was available on the network and what was enough patience - all in a bunch.
Realizing that there are no problems with the video, I downloaded from the desktop computer all seasons of “How it's made”, which my parents love so much. Let them feel at least some pleasure from "my soulless glands."
For the sake of interest, the player downloaded from the torrents one short animated cartoon. After a while, the file was in the Download folder, and was well played.
I note an unpleasant feature of the device - when you turn it off through the console, it after a while ... turns on again! And for no apparent reason - just twists the disk again and that's it. It helps only to turn off from the outlet, which, you see, is inconvenient. I am looking for a solution to the problem.
Check weighing
pros
- A credible appearance;
- High-quality materials, good assembly, solid construction;
- The possibility of flashing, support for external devices;
- Remote control, the presence of HDMI, built-in hard drive 500GB;
- Omnivorous and fast enough work;
- Built-in BitTorrent client;
- Silent work;
- Internet services *
- Price from 9000r.
No matter how great the list of advantages is, I didn’t mark such moments as easy setup, detailed documentation, friendly technical support, the ability to add my services, accessibility, Russian lanvage, etc.
Minuses
- Turning on the device takes about a minute;
- Sometimes the player thinks for a couple of seconds;
- The case is very hot during prolonged operation, although not yet to the detriment of the device;
- The device turns on after turning off;
- Did not find how to enter Russian letters.
* This article could have two options for development - to fit everything into an enormous article that no one will master and which it will be difficult for me to track with the PDA, or fit everything in a couple of paragraphs, without telling anything new. I chose the third option - in the first part of the article I spoke in detail about the device itself, and in the second I will tell in detail about the most interesting services)
Total
What not to say, but the device turned out very interesting! There will be no exceptions - someone will say again in the comments that “ I will collect for this money ... ” - collect) Many other people will go the other way - “they will buy, supply and switch on”. No, of course, enthusiasm is good, but this does not mean that you should turn a blind eye to ready-made solutions.
After reading the reviews on the Internet, I concluded that BBK PopcornTV NP101S is currently one of the best in its price range. There are no critical flaws here, many little things, I hope, will be corrected in new firmware versions. But now the manufacturer offers the user a fragrant bunch of multimedia features that work a little more than just well!
I do not see any further price drops in the near future, so you can safely take it - you will not regret. And I sincerely wish the manufacturer further success!
In the second part - talk about services, wait soon (to repent for the quality of the photos from the screen started now).
A couple of links:
- PopcornTV
- NMT
- Forum on PopcornTV
Boomburum
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/66460/
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