Popcorn Hour A-200
We've always had a love-love relationship with networked media tanks, and it's probably because we love to sit on our bums all day (both for work and for pleasure). Today, however, as we finally roll out our verdict on the Popcorn Hour A-200, we realized that it might be time get off our butts and see what else is on the horizon.
Having reviewed 5-star NMTs such as the O! Play, the K200, and the C-200, the A-200 is definitely a step down. Not because it doesn't perform well, but because it doesn't belong in the same tier. It's the more polished version of the original A-110, which started the whole media player craze a couple of years back, but at the same time is essentially a watered-down version of the C-200.
Comparisons aside, the A-200 is a capable machine. It still suffers from the same button lag present in many of its peers and it also has heat issues. Fortunately, the latter no longer makes the machine hang unlike with past PH models.
2 things set the A-200 apart from the lot of NMTs available. First is its "NMJ" or Networked Media Jukebox function, which basically presents all movies, music, and photos in a media wall. It doesn't exactly revolutionize the product itself, but it does make browsing for content easier and more elegant.
With NMJ, you can rate your content and even create your own review, summary, or synopsis. Good luck typing with the remote control's alphanumeric keys, though.
Next is the Apps Market, which, at this point, is a limited collection of 21 apps made specifically for the Popcorn Hour. Some, like the YouTube and Twitter add-ons, are somewhat useful, although they're let down, again, by the remote control. The Market is a nice extra, but ultimately, it's not a make-or-break feature.
Now how about the video-playing capabilities, you may ask? Let's just say we think that NMTs have finally reached the point wherein file compatibility is no longer an issue, especially with constant firmware upgrades. Every HD video we played came out smoothly except for a copy of McGruber, which, for some reason, had several instances of ghosting and banding. Weird.
All in all, the A-200 is something you'll want to buy for P10,500. Just make sure you spring extra for a 500GB++ hard drive to be able to make the most of it.
Click here to see the Popcorn Hour A-200 in the Buyer's Guide.
See also
- Asus O! Play HD2
- Western Digital WD TV Live
- Western Digital WD TV Mini
- Xtreamer
- Kaiboer K200 Network Media Tank
- Popcorn Hour C-200
| Performance |
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| Value |
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Bottom Line
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| Editor's Pick | No |
| Price | P10,500 |
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Tech Specs Connectivity
Web Services
Supported Media File Formats
DRM
Chipset
Memory
Audio/Video Outputs
Other Interface
Network
Power
Dimension
Weight
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