The world of advanced networking and storage was once reserved for the heavy brains or the eager to learn. However, Syabas, a Hong Kong company, wanted nothing and launched a box called Popcorn Hour. We’re now in advanced versions, which come with advancements like a passive cooling design, better chipset, and even broader file support, but is this the best media box available?
Design
The box certainly thinks so, opening it up you’ll find all the essentials to get you started. It even comes with an HDMI cable, which is no longer a given. The book is minimalist, but enough to get you started. Syabas also included a laminated card with instructions on how to change the HDD. I found the operation easy and straightforward, especially with the manual in hand. Finally, the device comes with a USB extension cable, a USB slave cable, and of course, an AC adapter and power cord. In general, I think the contents are enough to keep most users satisfied, despite not being the best.
The Popcorn Hour A-210 is the successor to the A-200, a very well received player except for its plastic design. They responded to the cries and redesigned the A-210 from the ground up. This time you get an all-over brushed metal case that is completely passively cooled. That means no fans to ruin your movie experience. I love syabas’ minimalist approach and find the Popcorn hour A-210 to be among the most attractive players around. That’s largely thanks to the device’s lack of buttons or indicators. Furthermore, the dimensions are suitable for small homes at 270mm x 132mm x 32mm, making it one of the smallest cases available and offering enough space for a bulky 3.5″ HDD.
Also inside is the Sigma Design SMP8643 667mhz CPU. This chipset is specifically designed to play media. The heart of the machine is backed by 512mb of DDR2 memory and 256mb of NAND flash. What does this all mean? Well, in human terms, it’s a year away from being the best, but it’s very understandable for all media.
I honestly can’t fault its design for anything. It looks very modern and clean, definitely a design I would like to see on my devices. The fanless approach doesn’t compromise on cooling, now they’re left with only one audible challenge: the HDD.
Remote
Not brushed metal is the remote control. Syabas felt no reason to change it from the A-200 model, a risky move. My take on the remote is ambiguous because I actually really like the look of it. The silver with black color scheme works very well, and this is one of the few backlit remotes on the market. The button layout takes some getting used to, but in the end it feels pretty logical. That said, the buttons have a lot of wiggle room, it just doesn’t feel firm and modern. Overall, it definitely could have been better; maybe they should copy some designs from the likes of LG, Samsung or Apple.
OS
Popcorn Hour uses its own unique software package, which is great. The update can be done via USB or the Internet and often adds many new features or fixes to the device. Syabas has done a great job creating its own ecosystem of media player software.
I did experience some crashes along the way, especially when using the YouTube app. Very unfortunate because the device is very stable in general, but these small problems limit the user experience.
Navigating the suite of software is also something of a mixed experience. Everything is dressed in a NEON-style outfit, which means the design contains lots of reflections, shimmers, and colors from the outer rings of the color spectrum. If that’s your thing it’s very personal. I think it’s decent but not great, the style has probably passed its expiration date in favor of the sleek and fitted.
What is more objective is the fact that the navigation is sometimes not very intuitive. The home screen is simplified and shows the layout of files and folders on the hard drive. Internet functionality and additional apps are a couple of menus away, which can be a bit of a search. The media portal software is a nice touch, here all your media will be sorted with descriptions and covers, all automatic. It’s not bulletproof and having clear titles definitely helps progress.
Fortunately, the most important part of the operating system is done right. Menus are quick to respond to remote control, a problem that has plagued most media players in the past.
Grid
Popcorn Hour A-210 contains its own app store (@Apple, or can I not use that term?). It allows users to download a large number of different apps to enhance the experience. The offering is vast for a media player and I love the initiative, but it obviously falls short compared to Android/iOS platforms. My personal favorite is the CNET app, which grants access to all the tech shows they have, including the top5, reviews, and Apple byte. The usual is there too, including Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, all of which work decent enough to be useful.
Perhaps the most practical and useful app for the Popcorn Hour A-210 doesn’t even come from the device itself. People who own an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad (>70%?) can download an app and use it as a remote or transmitter. It works instantly without any additional configuration. I could even use my iPhone to browse YouTube and send the video directly to my Popcorn Hour. This is great for family gatherings and shows the fact that this media player enjoys great general support from the community.
The NAS function of the device has proven to work extremely well. It was easy to set up apart from a few difficulties getting it to work with Windows XP. The transfer speed over the cable is about 4-7mb per second, which is about the best I’ve ever seen on an internet cable. I have experienced zero difficulties in terms of instability when using the device as storage; perfect scores here.
backing track
Playing music is still a very simplified experience. Popcorn time does not support playlists, equalizer or advanced things like lyrics, no karaoke here people! However, Syabas did try to at least implement music during navigation, signs that a perfect world of audio is on the horizon. Sound quality isn’t outstanding; I have definitely heard better devices in my time.
Of course, movie playback is where these devices need to shine, and popcorn time shines brightly. You can play just about any format with no issues. Avi, Mpeg, MKV; whatever, and I can probably reproduce it. I did notice a couple of minor difficulties, most noticeable stutters, and audio sync issues on some of the files. Remember though that these issues are minor and occurred in about 1/20 of the movies.
Conclusion
The Popcorn Hour A-210 Media Box is a mature product that does what it says on the box: a lot. It’s a NAS (Network Access System) that can send and receive media from across your living room and display it in flawless HD. A few issues limit the experience, most notably the occasional instability and silly UI. Still, Syabas has created the best media player available today, a title that will stay in Hong Kong for some time.