A-300 Questions

[Fennec]

Hi, I have a number of questions regarding the PCH A-300, and hope I have posted in the right forum....

1.) Perhaps I've overlooked "http://www.popcornhour.com" but there does not seem to be a forums section for their official website. Is this the official forum for PCH devices?

2.) How is the quality of the cover art/backdrops for the PCH A-300? Does it use .jpg or .png?
I've tried to look at videos of the UI on youtube, but It's difficult to tell.
I use a Western Digital SMP, and the cover art quality is distorted/low definition so I'm wondering about the A-300. I like HIGH QUALITY images and a flashy UI.

3.) I have 2 3TB Western Digital USB 2.0/3.0 Drives that I'd be looking to connect to this device. I'm wondering if they will work. I took a look at the hardware list on Wiki, but my drives are not confirmed to be operational with the A-300

4.) How is the speed of the UI? From what I've seen in videos it seems pretty fast aside from when you look at TV show stuff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbXsSVyFOMU and watch at 3:55 in - When the American Dad episode switches screens It's very sluggish-looking.

5.) Is there any theme development for this device?

6.) Does anyone know if there is a store retailer in Canada I can purchase this device from - as I do not like ordering stuff online.

[mjsgem]

(02-07-2012 10:35 PM)Fennec Wrote:  Hi, I have a number of questions regarding the PCH A-300, and hope I have posted in the right forum....

1.) Perhaps I've overlooked "http://www.popcornhour.com" but there does not seem to be a forums section for their official website. Is this the official forum for PCH devices?

2.) How is the quality of the cover art/backdrops for the PCH A-300? Does it use .jpg or .png?
I've tried to look at videos of the UI on youtube, but It's difficult to tell.
I use a Western Digital SMP, and the cover art quality is distorted/low definition so I'm wondering about the A-300. I like HIGH QUALITY images and a flashy UI.

3.) I have 2 3TB Western Digital USB 2.0/3.0 Drives that I'd be looking to connect to this device. I'm wondering if they will work. I took a look at the hardware list on Wiki, but my drives are not confirmed to be operational with the A-300

4.) How is the speed of the UI? From what I've seen in videos it seems pretty fast aside from when you look at TV show stuff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbXsSVyFOMU and watch at 3:55 in - When the American Dad episode switches screens It's very sluggish-looking.

5.) Is there any theme development for this device?

6.) Does anyone know if there is a store retailer in Canada I can purchase this device from - as I do not like ordering stuff online.

I'm In Canada too and I got mine online from the PCH site. Google checkout is safe (thats what they use) I'm in Windsor and I don't know of any resellers. This is a user forum where users help other users. as long as your devices are factory formated and not quick formated you should be OK And the coverart and fan are are great quality. I belive they just changed where to get the images from because the resolution was low before the switch. They use .jpg.

[halfelite]

1. This is the official unofficial forum. Its owned and ran on a popcornhour server, Some of the popcorn hour team is here. But its ran by users like yourself.

2. The quality is decent. You dont have to use the built in NMJ and use something like yamj/eversion which the quality looks like 1080p pretty much for images

3. yes for usb drives they should work. the compatibility is more for internal drives and installing NMT apps on them.

4. I dont use the stock UI I use yamj/eversion myself so cant comment.

5. There is development for this box. The stock theme is supposed to be user changeable in the future but at the moment you cant change it. Unless you run yamj/eversion

6. no clue about canada retailers

[Fennec]

@mjsgem

The reason I ask about store retail outlets is not due to online security risks. I simply don't want to order stuff online because -

1.) If I buy something at a store I can simply return the item to the store within 15-30 days if it's defective or if I don't like it.

2.) Buying a PCH device from the official site = 15% restocking fee plus shipping on top of that. I almost may as well not return it for a refund if I don't like it. Plus they do not have a toll-free support line should something happen with the device. Also there's no guarantee that my external HD's will work with the A-300. Heck my external HD's had issues working with the WD SMP and they are made by the same company! There are quite a few reasons why I wouldn't want to order from the PCH site.

@Halfelife

2.) So the movie/tv show art quality for the NMJ is only "decent" ?
Hmm....
What is yamj/aversion - is there a link to it so that I may do some reading? Does it slow the UI being that it's using much higher quality images?

***What made you guys decide on a PCH device? 'Cause there's so many media players out there these days..... I'm surprised that people from Canada order them being that local retailers here don't sell them - or so it seems. Best Buy and Future Shop here sell the Western Digital media boxes plus Boxee Box primarily.

1.) How is the 3D on this device? Will it play any 3D movie?

2.) Are there any major issues with the A-300 that I should be aware of?

Sorry for all the questions, I just wish I had done my research before I bought a WD SMP.

[halfelite]

1. The quality is decent around 720p if I had to guess But like I said I dont use the stock interface much.

yamj/eversion http://www.dentedboxes.com/doku.php

3d playback will only do Side by side or top and bottom half resolution it wont do full 1080p 3d iso files

My A300 runs pretty solid a few hickups every now and again but they do take some learning curves.

I picked PCH mostly for the community at the time, I have owned a player from almost every company out there and still own some but alway stuck with PCH myself

[mjsgem]

(02-08-2012 12:13 AM)Fennec Wrote:  @mjsgem

The reason I ask about store retail outlets is not due to online security risks. I simply don't want to order stuff online because -

1.) If I buy something at a store I can simply return the item to the store within 15-30 days if it's defective or if I don't like it.

2.) Buying a PCH device from the official site = 15% restocking fee plus shipping on top of that. I almost may as well not return it for a refund if I don't like it. Plus they do not have a toll-free support line should something happen with the device. Also there's no guarantee that my external HD's will work with the A-300. Heck my external HD's had issues working with the WD SMP and they are made by the same company! There are quite a few reasons why I wouldn't want to order from the PCH site.

Well I see what you mean. OK well I have got 2 of them so far, One for Dad for christmas and when my uncle saw it he wanted one. Ive got a mybook usb3.0 3tb connected to one, and seagate goflex 3tb usb3.0 to another. (both have 2tb WD cavier Internal Green HDD's) I still Have yet to get my own. So if you end up getting one and dont like it you could always PM me I'll be looking for one or two more soon. The support the users give in the forum is pretty great and quick. I've only had to contact support once and I have unlimited Long distance so that wasn't an issue for me.

[Fennec]

@Halfelite

1.) Not sure if you answered this or not, but does Yamj/Eversion slow down the UI at all, cause any glitchy behavior or is it solid?
I was watching some videos on Yamj/Eversion and noticed some load time, but being that you use it I figured I would ask instead rather than make assumptions.

2.) Is it easy to set-up and use Yamj/Eversion?

3.) You mentioned that you've owned media players by almost every company out there. How would you rate PCH against the Western Digital line?

4.) What sort of "hickups" do you encounter - care to explain?

5.) What is "side by side" or "top and bottom" half resolution for 3D mean?

@mjsgem

Thanks for the offer, if I get a PCH A-300 in the near future and I don't like it, I'll send you a PM. Right now I'm sort've waiting on Western Digital to fix .PNG files (which they broke in a firmware update.) If it's not sorted in a few months I'm probably jumping ship, because the cover art thumbs generated via the SMP look like someone's kid busted out finger painting - it's like not even standard definition quality. Mucho disappointed. Oh, did you have to pay for shipping when you ordered the device?

[mjsgem]

(02-09-2012 01:33 AM)Fennec Wrote:  @Halfelite

1.) Not sure if you answered this or not, but does Yamj/Eversion slow down the UI at all, cause any glitchy behavior or is it solid?
I was watching some videos on Yamj/Eversion and noticed some load time, but being that you use it I figured I would ask instead rather than make assumptions.

2.) Is it easy to set-up and use Yamj/Eversion?

3.) You mentioned that you've owned media players by almost every company out there. How would you rate PCH against the Western Digital line?

4.) What sort of "hickups" do you encounter - care to explain?

5.) What is "side by side" or "top and bottom" half resolution for 3D mean?

@mjsgem

Thanks for the offer, if I get a PCH A-300 in the near future and I don't like it, I'll send you a PM. Right now I'm sort've waiting on Western Digital to fix .PNG files (which they broke in a firmware update.) If it's not sorted in a few months I'm probably jumping ship, because the cover art thumbs generated via the SMP look like someone's kid busted out finger painting - it's like not even standard definition quality. Mucho disappointed. Oh, did you have to pay for shipping when you ordered the device?

The unit (popcornhour A-300) is $219 http://www.popcornhour.com/onlinestore/i...nItemId=45
shiping $28

I think duty was like $40

I got a 2tb cavier Green Hard internal drive for it. low power, noise and heat, its the one recomended in the forum. $180 with tax.

$470 canadian all together

[jeragu]

(02-08-2012 12:33 AM)mjsgem Wrote:  

(02-08-2012 12:13 AM)Fennec Wrote:  @mjsgem

The reason I ask about store retail outlets is not due to online security risks. I simply don't want to order stuff online because -

1.) If I buy something at a store I can simply return the item to the store within 15-30 days if it's defective or if I don't like it.

2.) Buying a PCH device from the official site = 15% restocking fee plus shipping on top of that. I almost may as well not return it for a refund if I don't like it. Plus they do not have a toll-free support line should something happen with the device. Also there's no guarantee that my external HD's will work with the A-300. Heck my external HD's had issues working with the WD SMP and they are made by the same company! There are quite a few reasons why I wouldn't want to order from the PCH site.

Well I see what you mean. OK well I have got 2 of them so far, One for Dad for christmas and when my uncle saw it he wanted one. Ive got a mybook usb3.0 3tb connected to one, and seagate goflex 3tb usb3.0 to another. (both have 2tb WD cavier Internal Green HDD's) I still Have yet to get my own. So if you end up getting one and dont like it you could always PM me I'll be looking for one or two more soon. The support the users give in the forum is pretty great and quick. I've only had to contact support once and I have unlimited Long distance so that wasn't an issue for me.

---

hi fennec i have one my book essential 1.5 tb and I use a Mac but my popcorn don't recognize it I see that you say you have the same hard drive. Can you tell me in which partiion you have that one?

(02-08-2012 12:33 AM)mjsgem Wrote:  

(02-08-2012 12:13 AM)Fennec Wrote:  @mjsgem

The reason I ask about store retail outlets is not due to online security risks. I simply don't want to order stuff online because -

1.) If I buy something at a store I can simply return the item to the store within 15-30 days if it's defective or if I don't like it.

2.) Buying a PCH device from the official site = 15% restocking fee plus shipping on top of that. I almost may as well not return it for a refund if I don't like it. Plus they do not have a toll-free support line should something happen with the device. Also there's no guarantee that my external HD's will work with the A-300. Heck my external HD's had issues working with the WD SMP and they are made by the same company! There are quite a few reasons why I wouldn't want to order from the PCH site.

Well I see what you mean. OK well I have got 2 of them so far, One for Dad for christmas and when my uncle saw it he wanted one. Ive got a mybook usb3.0 3tb connected to one, and seagate goflex 3tb usb3.0 to another. (both have 2tb WD cavier Internal Green HDD's) I still Have yet to get my own. So if you end up getting one and dont like it you could always PM me I'll be looking for one or two more soon. The support the users give in the forum is pretty great and quick. I've only had to contact support once and I have unlimited Long distance so that wasn't an issue for me.

---

(02-08-2012 12:33 AM)mjsgem Wrote:  

(02-08-2012 12:13 AM)Fennec Wrote:  @mjsgem

The reason I ask about store retail outlets is not due to online security risks. I simply don't want to order stuff online because -

1.) If I buy something at a store I can simply return the item to the store within 15-30 days if it's defective or if I don't like it.

2.) Buying a PCH device from the official site = 15% restocking fee plus shipping on top of that. I almost may as well not return it for a refund if I don't like it. Plus they do not have a toll-free support line should something happen with the device. Also there's no guarantee that my external HD's will work with the A-300. Heck my external HD's had issues working with the WD SMP and they are made by the same company! There are quite a few reasons why I wouldn't want to order from the PCH site.

Well I see what you mean. OK well I have got 2 of them so far, One for Dad for christmas and when my uncle saw it he wanted one. Ive got a mybook usb3.0 3tb connected to one, and seagate goflex 3tb usb3.0 to another. (both have 2tb WD cavier Internal Green HDD's) I still Have yet to get my own. So if you end up getting one and dont like it you could always PM me I'll be looking for one or two more soon. The support the users give in the forum is pretty great and quick. I've only had to contact support once and I have unlimited Long distance so that wasn't an issue for me.

[Fennec]

@jeragu

I don't have that drive. I have the 3TB Western Digital My Book Essential drives.
It's just factory formatted. Whether that's NTFS, or what it is, I'm not sure. I don't have the drive here with me to check.