Popcorn Hour - Warning, avoid if you want to use for VIDEO_TS

["rb_ziggy" <rb.lists@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

So, having struggled to get my Mac Mini to display properly on a
50" plasma (overscan problems) I decided to have a go with the Popcorn
Hour - afterall, it's a lot cheaper than the Mac.

I wasn't too sure that the interface would be acceptable / good enough
after the Mac but my first impressions were that it was ok but not great.

My second impression when trying to stream a ripped DVD in a video_ts
folder from my NAS over the LAN was... "wot's up, screens gone
black".  Only resurrects with a power cycle.  After repeated attempts
with exactly the same result I consulted Popcorn's forum and guess what,
this is a widely experienced problem/issue/bug that's been known about
since about October last year.

This makes the device completely useless as all my DVDs are ripped to
video_ts and I'm not about to start converting them to ISO or something
unless someone here has a really good case for why that's a great idea
(other than getting them to play on Popcorn).  Life is too short.

Consequently my current impression is that this device is a pile of
steaming c**p if you want to stream video_ts.  Avoid like the plague in
these circumstances.  It may work for some, but why risk it?

Is it any good otherwise? Possibly but I don't know really because I don't
intend to use for anything else.  (Oh it comes in quite a nicely made
little box and it's quiet.)

You might gather that I'm one very, very unhappy camper right now.

(For the avoidance of doubt, absolutely no pop implied at anyone here who
has reviewed/praised this device. Purchasing decision entirely down to me
after looking at a lot of sources.)

Regards

Richard





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