update: have made lot of progress, please refer to post # 22. -thanks!

alright folks - i have been reading the popcorn hour threads, and frankly - i dont get it! i just bought a PH and really want to use it well, but dont even know where to start.
So i am starting this thread - hopefully some of the questions and answers here will help other, less knowledgable people like myself.

Anyway so here goes:

1. i believe that the popcorn hour has a usb port, and i can connect a usb drive to it. correct? can i connect a flash drive? what about the mini drives that draw power from the usb connection - will those work?

2. i believe i can also insert a hard-drive - what kind? SATA? anything else i need to keep in mind while buying an internal hard-drive?

3. Networking: for now i am going to use powerline adaptors (whether good or bad, i dont have a choice). i am aware that i wont be able to stream 'true' hi-def but thats ok for now. but how exactly do i network? once i connect the powerline adapter to the PH, how do i find media on my computer? this is the part that i am most confused about, and would appreciate a detailed and dumbed down answer

4. I am most interested in playing standard-def ISO's for now - can i stream them? some-one mentioned that streaming ISO's doesnt work well with one of the softwares - i forget which.

5. i have also recently purchased a canon hf100 hd camcorder that uses the AVCHD format. will i be able to play these videos (either stream or using the hard-drive)? will i need to convert the videos or will they work automatically?

i realize that these are a lot of questions - but i promise to keep reading and adding information as and when i come across it.

thanks a lot!!!!

Don't know if I'm an expert, but I'll do my best:

alright folks - i have been reading the popcorn hour threads, and frankly - i dont get it! i just bought a PH and really want to use it well, but dont even know where to start.
So i am starting this thread - hopefully some of the questions and answers here will help other, less knowledgable people like myself.

Anyway so here goes:

1. i believe that the popcorn hour has a usb port, and i can connect a usb drive to it. correct? can i connect a flash drive? what about the mini drives that draw power from the usb connection - will those work?


Yes. Yes. Yes.


2. i believe i can also insert a hard-drive - what kind? SATA? anything else i need to keep in mind while buying an internal hard-drive?

PATA (IDE) harddrives are supported internal. It is a small case so it is advisable to get a harddrive that doesn't put out much heat. A 5400rpm one would probably be best.


3. Networking: for now i am going to use powerline adaptors (whether good or bad, i dont have a choice). i am aware that i wont be able to stream 'true' hi-def but thats ok for now. but how exactly do i network? once i connect the powerline adapter to the PH, how do i find media on my computer? this is the part that i am most confused about, and would appreciate a detailed and dumbed down answer


There are a couple of different options:

1) Windows Shared Folders (SMB): The PCH can browse to find them or you can enter in the address manually. SMB has the worst performance.

2) NFS: Another way to share files on a network. Nativelly supposed in Linux & OSX(I think), will require custom software to share from a windows machine.

3) UPnP HTTP Streaming Server: There are multiple options here. There are all software that runs on a host PC and streams content to the PCH. Below are some of the most popular ones:
- MyiHome: Software available from popcornhour.com. Works on Windows/OSX/Linux. Java based.
- Llink: SOftware written by lundman (http://www.lundman.net/wiki/index.php/Llink). Can run on Windows/OSX/Linux. Less resource intensive than myihome. Supports rar files. Not as user friendly as myihome (no installer, text based config file)



4. I am most interested in playing standard-def ISO's for now - can i stream them? some-one mentioned that streaming ISO's doesnt work well with one of the softwares - i forget which.

I don't believe ISOs work streamed. You can however use SMB or NFS to browse them.



5. i have also recently purchased a canon hf100 hd camcorder that uses the AVCHD format. will i be able to play these videos (either stream or using the hard-drive)? will i need to convert the videos or will they work automatically?


Don't know. Sorry.


i realize that these are a lot of questions - but i promise to keep reading and adding information as and when i come across it.

thanks a lot!!!!

Hope I helped.

Scyber

thanks a ton! very helpful. some follow-ups:

2. so i should look for PATA not SATA - right?
3. I am still a little confused here, but will wait till i receive the PH and come back....

4. "I don't believe ISOs work streamed. You can however use SMB or NFS to browse them."
i am confused by this statement - if i cant stream ISO's what does it mean that i can use NFS to browse them?

thanks a ton!

ISO's and VIDEO_TS cannot be streamed via the myihome media server software that comes with the PCH. This is software that is meant to be installed on your PC and help organize your media files. It basically turns your PC into a UPnP/AV server. It is meant to make using the files on your PC quick and easy.

However if you know all about Windows permissions and how to set up a Windows (SMB) share you can have your PCH attach directly to the HDD and folders on your PC. Using this method on the PCH you browse the file structure on your PC via the PCH TV interface and then select the ISO file that you would like to play. Or you can install a HD in the PCH (yes you are looking for a PATA drive - stay away from the Western Digital brand since for what ever reason these HD's cause funky remote issues and the mounting holes do not line up correctly with the holes in the PCH) and load the ISO files on the HD and play them that way.

Clear as mud huh? :)

Laters,
Jeff

ISO's and VIDEO_TS cannot be streamed via the myihome media server software that comes with the PCH. This is software that is meant to be installed on your PC and help organize your media files. It basically turns your PC into a UPnP/AV server. It is meant to make using the files on your PC quick and easy.

makes sense! this part is clear...

However if you know all about Windows permissions and how to set up a Windows (SMB) share you can have your PCH attach directly to the HDD and folders on your PC. Using this method on the PCH you browse the file structure on your PC via the PCH TV interface and then select the ISO file that you would like to play.

how would i do this? is there a link i could look at? meanwhile i will give google a try and see what shows up

Or you can install a HD in the PCH (yes you are looking for a PATA drive - stay away from the Western Digital brand since for what ever reason these HD's cause funky remote issues and the mounting holes do not line up correctly with the holes in the PCH) and load the ISO files on the HD and play them that way.

this is something i want to avoid for now...could i play ISO files of an external hard-drive? that would be a better option for me as compared to an internal...

Clear as mud huh? :)

actually getting clearer...:-)

Laters,
Jeff

thanks a ton!!!

Here is a link that should get you going on sharing your PC harddrive on a network (yes you need a home network in place for this to work. Wired, not wireless, is the most reliable):

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp/filesharing.htm

I believe that you can use an external USB HD for playing ISO files but I have not tried it.

Laters,
Jeff

Congratulations you bought a great product, I find it amusing that you do the researching after buying it :p. And to answer your questions..

1. yes to all
2. PATA only
3. You will need to share the folders on your PC
4. Streaming DVD isos works just fine, but requires an NFS Server installed on your PC, because SMB (your usual network protocol) is too slow.

SMB is no longer to slow with the SMP8634/35 and is more than enough for video streaming except heavy duty H.264 files in some rare cases... He should be fine with SMB...

^^ Hmm interesting, I have updated to latest Popcorn firmware and still I'm not able to stream high bitrate DVD isos without problems using SMB. When I use NFS though the same isos stream without problems.

So would that mean there is something wrong with my setup? (I have heard that some people have had problems with DLink DIR-655)

Congratulations you bought a great product, I find it amusing that you do the researching after buying it :p. And to answer your questions..

1. yes to all
2. PATA only
3. You will need to share the folders on your PC
4. Streaming DVD isos works just fine, but requires an NFS Server installed on your PC, because SMB (your usual network protocol) is too slow.

Ok - let me stop you there for a second...what do you mean by 'install NFS Server'? how would i do this? if i can do this, i think i am on my way...

thanks a lot for your help!!!!

^^ Hi-Jack has a guide about it here:

http://www.mpcclub.com/temp/MPC_SMB_and_NFS_Guide_PCH.pdf

although as he suggested may not be needed

thanks guys - all this info is very very useful...i think i can get started now...

just waiting for the PH to be delivered...

I plan to play a lot of .mkv 720p container TV Shows (1.1 gb each), so...

If I connect an external USB Hard Drive to PCH, and then connect PCH to my wired network, can I share out the external USB Hard Drive and copy files onto it from my PC (Win XP)?

Will PCH play .MKV files from an external USB Drive smoothly?

Any opinions regarding external USB drive? Brands, Models, etc. I'm looking for a 500 GB model in the $150 range.

Thanks!

No, the USB is only taccessible by the PCH then. The only one that can be shared on the network would be the internal drive. As for SMB performance, ever since I started using NMT firmware / players, i'm on SMB for DVD and HD files and never had to go back to NFS so far but it's still more stable and faster, however not necessary like on the earlier models...

Two brands keep popping up when issues are reported:
D-Link and US Robotics

In some cases, switches seem to be the problem and directly connecting the player to the router solves problems sometimes as well (not to a Gbit switch but the a 10/100 router). All has to do with compatibility and how brands handle stuff. The players cannot have all possibilities installed due to limited flash memory and such so these usually stick to "generic defaults" for support and that includes external drives (stay away from iomega, Freecom and Lacie and the likes) ...

Nothing a little research will not reveal if you're on the right site :-)
PS: Ok, that was a low blow :-) lol

Thanks HJ =)

alright - got my PH...the only thing i am not able to configure is NFS...can someone help me?

here is what i did:

1. downloaded hanewin nfs server, and shared my file as follows using the text editor:
C:"\Documents and Settings\vc\My Documents\My Videos" -readonly -name:videos 192.168.1.123

2. clicked on 'Restart Server'. In the hanewin server list i can see my directory as /videos

3. then in the popcorn hour, i set up a share as nfs://laptop:/Videos by browsing to my work-group, selecting the my videos folder and then changing it from SMB://Laptop/my videos to nfs://laptop:/Videos

4. then i click on 'add'

5. when i goto media source on the PH, on the list of shares, i see the following:
[NFS]LAPTOP::Videos

6. when i click on this, the icon starts rotating (like its going to open the link) but thats it....it just keeps rotating and nothing happens...

what am i doing wrong?

thanks a ton!

alright - got my PH...the only thing i am not able to configure is NFS...can someone help me?

here is what i did:

1. downloaded hanewin nfs server, and shared my file as follows using the text editor:
C:"\Documents and Settings\vc\My Documents\My Videos" -readonly -name:videos 192.168.1.123

2. clicked on 'Restart Server'. In the hanewin server list i can see my directory as /videos

3. then in the popcorn hour, i set up a share as nfs://laptop:/Videos by browsing to my work-group, selecting the my videos folder and then changing it from SMB://Laptop/my videos to nfs://laptop:/Videos

4. then i click on 'add'

5. when i goto media source on the PH, on the list of shares, i see the following:
[NFS]LAPTOP::Videos

6. when i click on this, the icon starts rotating (like its going to open the link) but thats it....it just keeps rotating and nothing happens...

what am i doing wrong?

thanks a ton!

bump

another question -

firmware upgrade...what the consensus on this? worth doing? or there bugs and better to wait for now? also if worth doing - what is the best way...through the internet directly or through USB stick?

thanks!

btw - i think i figured out whats going on with NFS...there is some problem with the comodo firewall...and just turning it off is not enough...it needs to be uninstalled...

i will try it today and report back...

I would try using the actual IP address of the NFS share instead of the word laptop. Also it will be case sensitive so if in the Server list you see "videos" but on the PCH config line you are typing in "Videos" these are not the same and will give you errors. Also you may need to supply a user name and password for the NFS share (also case sensitive).

I have done all my firmware updates directly through the internet without any issues.

The newest version is the most stable although there are some items that are flaky with it. The biggest is that they changed how the SMB and NFS shares are mounted. You are supposed to only have to delete the shares and then re-add them. I had actually do a factory reset to clear out the shares and then NFS worked fine.

Laters,
Jeff

I have updated to the lastest FW and it was worked quite well thus far. I updated via USB thumb drive, no issues at all, takes a few mintues.

The issues I have had are as follows:
- My ISO files via an external hard drive either do not even show up, or do not play at all. Every other file has played perfectly (h.264, .ts, etc.)
- Subtitles. Attempted to play the movie The Black Book, and no subtities appear. The movie has built in subtitles that work when I play it on the computer. I also dl some .srt subs and threw them in the folder, same name, and those don't show up either. Any thoughts???

- Overall, very happy so far. Still needs a lot of work. Current beta has a lot of positive changes in it though, cant wait till its released.

Anyone that plans on sharing mkv's on their network should really skip the NFS/SMB and share via HTTP. I was getting stuttering badly on one of my mkv's till I did this. It would play correctly on the internal hard drive, but stutter badly across the network. I set up Swisscenter/Simese today and it works fantastic, no more stuttering. It is located here: http://www.swisscenter.co.uk/content/view/49/54/ , READ the README, it is not easy to setup and mkv's are not enabled by default (you have to add the extension yourself), it is not too difficult if you follow the directions in the PDF file.

Jim

Alright folks - i have made a lot of progress in the last 2-3 days with my ph, and i feel its my duty to share my experiences, since everyone has been very helpful. also, i think my experience might help others in the same boat as me.

anyway, here goes:

background: i have a desktop connected to router with a 200mbps powerline adapter, and the PH is also connected using the powerline adapter...so right there, i am losing some of the benefits of hardwired ethernet.

set-up:
smb - i was able to set-up smb which i think is pretty easy...but the performance was horrible. i have a couple of dvd's ripped into VOBs and that didnt work so well. i also have a couple of 720p music videos and that didnt work out too well either.

myihome - i was able to connect to my computer using myihome, and this worked surprisingly well...was able to stream most of my hi-def videos and they didnt stutter at all...

nfs - this was really really difficult (see my post above)...finally got it to work by doing the following...unistalled comodo firewall ...(just disabling it doesnt help). opened up specific ports in windows firewall (see post above), disabled avg antivirus and then was able to connect. once i connected, i turned on the antivirus and it didnt affect the connection...nfs is really good...am able to stream dvd rips (VOBs) flawlessly...havent tried ISO's yet...will try it tonight...

and the best part - i have mts files from my panasonic camcorder, and was able to stream those files directly using myihome...it is just super...no stuttering, and the quality is stunning...

oh, btw also updated the firmware, and (so far) no problems...

youtube - tried a few clips and they work well...

once again - thanks so much for all the help!!!! and please let me know if i can help someone....

cheers...

Can you have the PH output the video through the component and the audio through the HDMI? I am waiting to get a tv with HDMI, and figured I could avoid getting a coax cable and just plug the HDMi into my Denon 3808ci, and then run the component into my current tv. Will this work?

No, the USB is only taccessible by the PCH then. The only one that can be shared on the network would be the internal drive.

In a normal PCH yes. I would throw in that if you know what you are doing, it is quite easy to let smbd/ftpd/nfsd access the USB mount. But if you want to be able to write to it, it would add even more complications if it is NTFS, it would be better to use ext3.

Lund

Apparently in the next firmware release (a week or so away) PCH will be adding support for sharing out usb external hard drives. Just FYI.

hi

i am having a strange problem, and was wondering if someone could help...

i have a bunch of dvd rips in the form of ISO's. I am able to see them through my NFS link and even start playing them...suddenly, about 5-7 minutes into the movie, the file starts stuttering horribly...

i have no clue why this happens...if bandwidth was an issue then why after only 5 minutes? plus i am using powerline adapters and they should not have a problem streaming ISO's, i am guessing...any suggestions? this is driving me nuts...

btw - i have updated to the latest firmware...however, in the settings i have not entered a password / username for the NFS link...could that be an issue?????

as always - thanks a ton for reading and responding....

The PopCorn hour should have no problems streaming any DVD iso with NFS (I have tried with crazy high bitrate concert DVD's too).

So considering this I see three possible reasons:
- Network, Server or overheating problems

Overheating on the PCH should not be a problem, unless you have installed a HDD that generates lots of heat (and you can easily test if problem is caused by overheating, by just playing back from a USB Stick or HDD for an extensive period of time).

Considering the movie starts having problems after a while, this hints that the streaming is not keeping up. I would believe the problem lies in your Network or the File Server. I would mainly suspect the powerline adapter, because I have only heard bad things about their actual performance. While they may have good performance in bursts, it is questionable how stable they perform in the long run. Try connecting the PCH directly to your PC, and see how that works..

Another possibility is that your PC's NIC is not configured optimally, try setting it to 100mbit full duplex (and not autonegotiation). Try Flow Control to Tx & Rx Enabled. Decrease the size of jumbo packets to minimum.

Still no go, it is possible that your PC (assuming it is your file server) is running background tasks while being idle. In Vista for example file-indexing service.. many antivirus software are set to scan HDD for virus while system is idle.. So try eliminating as much as possible, disable antivirus, firewalls etc... for troubleshooting purposes.

alright - now this is strange and really irritating!!!

i played an ISO from an external usb drive attached to the PH - played fine for 30 mins and started stuttering!!!

does anyone have an idea why this is happening??? could i have a bad piece? should i just exchange it?

also - can i go back to the previous firmware? could that be the issue?

thanks!

Their DVD player needs work. You can pause the video, then play again. I do believe it is on the BUG list already.

thanks!

btw - another question. i have the option of placing my modem & router in one of these 2 locations:
1. next to the PH and stream from a desktop which will be connected to a powerline adapter
2. next to the desktop and stream to PH which will be connected to a powerline adapter

which is a preferable option? Basically is it better to have the desktop hardwired or the PH?

thanks!

hi all - it seems like all discussion on the PH has gone silent...i wonder what happened...

anyway - i have a noob question, and hoping someone can help me...

please see this thread:
http://www.networkedmediatank.com/viewtopic.php?t=4875

can someone pls dumb these instructions down for me...i have asked the original poster, but no response from him/her...

my set-up is as follows:

bunch of regular ISO's on my desktop, PH accesses desktop through NFS...

thanks a ton!!!

hi all - it seems like all discussion on the PH has gone silent...i wonder what happened...

anyway - i have a noob question, and hoping someone can help me...

please see this thread:
http://www.networkedmediatank.com/viewtopic.php?t=4875

can someone pls dumb these instructions down for me...i have asked the original poster, but no response from him/her...

my set-up is as follows:

bunch of regular ISO's on my desktop, PH accesses desktop through NFS...

thanks a ton!!!

It looks like werner's answers are correct. An html gallery like that should work for NFS served ISOs, the link will just need to be formatted correctly.

As for the conversation, I've been too busy watching movies :) PCH hasn't released a new firmware in a while, so it has kinda been status quo for alot fo PCH users. I actually reverted to the previous firmware b/c I had some DTS dropout issues. I hope the new firmware resolves those issues.

Not much to discuss when the thing does what it's supposed to do.:D I'm sitting back at the moment on these graphical movie interfaces as it seems like several are in development.

thanks!

i was wondering if someone could help me with the steps - as i dont really understand what he is saying...

1. i have downloaded EMM and installed it and scanned my ISO's from the following folder:
c:\downloads
2. I see that there is a folder called C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\eXtreme Movie Manager\Downloads

2. Now i dont know what to do?

Would really appreciate someone taking a few minutes and helping me.

thanks a ton, in any case...

I hooked up a 2TB MyBook to my Popcorn Hour but it would not recognize it. It recognized my other 1TB drive without incident. Is there a limit to the drive size?

thanks!

i was wondering if someone could help me with the steps - as i dont really understand what he is saying...

1. i have downloaded EMM and installed it and scanned my ISO's from the following folder:
c:\downloads
2. I see that there is a folder called C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\eXtreme Movie Manager\Downloads

2. Now i dont know what to do?

Would really appreciate someone taking a few minutes and helping me.

thanks a ton, in any case...

These moviejukeboxes require that you use an internal hard drive in your PCH. The html files that are created need to be placed on the PCH hard drive.

These moviejukeboxes require that you use an internal hard drive in your PCH. The html files that are created need to be placed on the PCH hard drive.

i dont think thats true...you can do it through NFS - thats what i think i read...

Has anyone i do mean anyone managed to set up SWISSCENTER using a MACINTOSH....
Do you really need a internal Hard drive? and many other questions .
arrrrg.
I am operating on a MAC G5 Duel 1.8 ppc with 10.5.4
I have a Linkstation Pro Duo 1 TB (i would love to use as the media server not just as a back up)
all is hard wired.
I have managed to run the MYIHOME but the interface is less then desirable (no cover art support) and movies are clear as a bell but the interface is fuzzy...using Svideo to back of Television.
i am an end user (reason i have a MAC) I need step by step help so any assistance you may offer i would be most grateful.
V/R
chris

i dont think thats true...you can do it through NFS - thats what i think i read...

Well, since this thread has been resurrected I'll have to admit my mistake and agree that, yes, a moviejukebox can be installed just about anywhere on your network. I can say that with confidence since I finally got around to installing one successfully.:o

How are the menus for movies in the A100 and A110? I have a bunch of TV Shows ripped to xvid. Is there anyway to get episode synopsis or cover art for each show or is it just a generic list? Anyone have screenshots?

How are the menus for movies in the A100 and A110? I have a bunch of TV Shows ripped to xvid. Is there anyway to get episode synopsis or cover art for each show or is it just a generic list? Anyone have screenshots?

Here is one of the moviejukeboxes (http://www.indocomp.com/pch-code/movie-flow/mtk-movie-flow.html).

I hooked up a 2TB MyBook to my Popcorn Hour but it would not recognize it. It recognized my other 1TB drive without incident. Is there a limit to the drive size?

2TB drives use a driver internally to mount both disks as 1. This means it is no longer a standard USB driver which is the only one that will work on these players... That will likely be your issue with the 2TB disk...