Media player for TV. Digital media player. Media players: why they are needed and how to use them

Using multimedia players, you can expand the functionality of your TV and play videos, photos and music on it from a PC, network storage device or from the Internet. CHIP tested ten of the best models. ASUS O!Play Air HDP-R3 (left) is the best media player in its class. WD TV Live, with its low price, has almost caught up with the winner Network media players are a relatively new and very promising class of devices. Perhaps this is the first successful attempt to use just one device in conjunction with a TV and speaker system to store and play home multimedia content. The media player is capable of transmitting films, music and images from a PC directly to the TV screen in optimal quality, and the computer can be used for work at this time. Moreover, the network player can be equipped with a built-in hard drive or connect to external media. In this case, you don’t even need to turn on your PC to view it, especially since many players allow you to view web pages.

The market for network media players is now developing very dynamically. New devices have greater functionality even compared to products introduced on the market a year ago. Thus, at the beginning of 2011, many network media players were equipped with a built-in TV tuner, and also had slots for installing hard drives and an optical drive. Moreover, all the devices that took part in our test today are not equipped with a TV tuner, and most do not even have a slot for installing a hard drive and optical drive, since this feature is not in widespread demand. But if for “outdated” players a wireless connection (WLAN) was a clear luxury and was declared as an option in only a few models, then almost all modern devices have a WLAN module as standard. However, it is worth considering that it is not possible to comfortably watch Full HD video over a wireless network. We also note that a network media player in tandem with a TV is a good alternative to Smart TV technology. New models support many Russian-language Internet services and allow you to view streaming video from the World Wide Web.

In principle, everything that a multimedia player is capable of can be done by a desktop computer or laptop, but it is not always convenient to connect the latter directly to a TV and audio system or to move it from room to room. A media player allows you to distribute work and entertainment across different devices and even rooms, while the desire of your family to watch a movie will not prevent you from working or relaxing.

Equipment and ergonomics: the golden mean

Convenient controls, clear menus and support for Internet services are the main criteria when choosing a network media player.

It is interesting that the general principle of matching the equipment of devices to their price in media players is not followed in our test. This is probably due to the rapidly developing market for this equipment, so other pricing mechanisms are still working. Thus, the maximum score for equipment was given to one of the most inexpensive devices in our test - the TV Live media player from Western Digital, which as a result was awarded the title of optimal choice. It’s even strange how they managed to fit so much into such a small case: this is the smallest and lightest model in the review. I was also pleased with the 100% localization of the device: not only the media player menu is Russified - in addition, WD TV Live works with Russian file names and displays all tags correctly.

The test also includes another well-equipped Full HD media player, ScreenPlay TV Link DX, from Iomega. The remote control of this device contains a full QWERTY keyboard. As for the winner - the ASUS HDP-R3 media player, the equipment is not the strong point of this model: of the video connectors, this media player, in addition to the obligatory HDMI connector, has only a composite video output. In addition to the eSATA port, the body of this device has a USB connector, as well as a card reader, which allows you to connect external drives to it.

Smart TV: more than a media player

The LG ST600 Full HD media player, which earned maximum points for ergonomics, is capable of turning any TV into a modern Smart TV. A network connection allows you to access popular Internet resources through the LG Smart TV service, providing the ability to display web pages on the TV screen without using a PC. You also get access to LG Apps - a proprietary store of applications specifically designed for viewing on the TV screen. It allows you to download both entertainment and educational programs. You can control the device using a remote control or a regular computer mouse connected to a USB port. And the “Smart Share” function makes it possible to transfer content from tablets and smartphones directly to the TV screen. The leader of our test, the ASUS HDP-R3 media player, is almost as good as the LG ST600 in terms of ease of use, while significantly surpassing it in other characteristics. This media player allows you to view many Internet TV channels and supports displaying RSS news and stock prices.

At the beginning of the 21st century, watching quality movies on TV required a DVD player. Then the developers of plasma models began to equip their creations with USB connectors, allowing you to view your favorite movie masterpieces from flash drives. But even after this, the development of multimedia technologies continued. The result of this development was the emergence of special media players, thanks to which the TV can be turned into almost a full-fledged personal computer. What models of such devices are best to buy? This review of the TOP 3 best media players of 2017 will help you find the answer to this question.

Media player Rombica Cinema 4K

This model is considered one of the best representatives of its class of technology. It has a wide range of functions, easy operation, convenient sizes and an affordable price. Let's study its characteristics in more detail.

Delivery set, external design. This device is sold inside a black cardboard package. In addition to the media player itself, the package includes an AV cable, a USB 3.0 cable, a power supply, and a remote control (though without batteries). The model is made of black plastic with a glossy surface. This decision by engineers has its pros and cons. On the one hand, the appearance of the player turned out to be attractive and modern, but on the other hand, the glossy finish quickly becomes covered with scratches and marks from touches. The top of the device is completely clean (no inscriptions or design features). As for the front part, it contains an inscription, thanks to which the name of the manufacturer becomes clear. Also, the front panel is equipped with an on/off button and an IR sensor that picks up the signal from the remote control. The bottom of the Rombica Cinema 4K is equipped with four rubberized legs and special holes through which air is ventilated. The left side has a compartment designed to install an additional hard drive with a capacity of up to 3 TB. The right side of the model is dotted with special connectors, the purpose of which we will talk about a little later. There are also several functional sockets on the rear panel.
Ports and connectors. As mentioned above, all functional ports are located on the right and back side of the device. So, on the right there are 3 USB inputs, with one socket intended for version 3.0. The first two inputs can be used to connect a keyboard and mouse (this will make controlling the media player even easier). Port 3.0 will allow you to connect a flash drive containing your favorite movies, music or family photos. The rear panel is equipped with an audio output, another socket for USB 3.0, an input for wired Internet, an HDMI output, and a socket for a power supply. In addition, Rombica Cinema 4K is equipped with a Wi-Fi antenna that provides wireless network connection.
This element contains all the important buttons that will allow you to control the device quickly and without problems. The remote control will allow you to switch channels, launch the necessary applications, exit them, and set custom settings. In addition, this control module can be used as a mouse, although the presence of this function is difficult to explain. The cursor will move around the screen, as if fidgeting with a mouse, but at this time the user will simply click on the arrow buttons.
Interface and software. The developers have equipped the media player model in question with two interface options. The first option is called Nova Launcher. Essentially, it is an adapted copy of the Android operating system. The menu design is quite convenient and colorful. There will be no difficulties when choosing the required option. However, Android itself has become quite boring, since it is used in almost all mobile devices. Therefore, most likely, the future owner will be more interested in the second interface option - the Rombica branded menu. This type of design is also quite colorful, but most importantly, it contains all the applications with which you can run the main functions of the media player. By the way, the number of preinstalled programs is small, but this is more of a plus than a minus. The device’s memory is not clogged with “junk” programs that a person will never use anyway. There are definitely applications for playing music and video files. If the owner wants to expand the program list, the Play Market will be available to his services. The only flaw in the software is an error when launching the YouTube application. However, there is hope that this bug will be fixed when a software update is released (yes, there are updates too).
Technical content and functionality. The “brain” of the device is a processor called Cortex-A. It is equipped with two cores, each of which operates at a frequency of 1100 MHz. Graphics functions will be provided by the Mali-400MP video card. In order for the device to work without “brakes”, it was equipped with 1 GB of RAM. Data storage will be provided by a built-in 8 GB drive. Of course, this is catastrophically not enough for storing films, but we must not forget that Rombica Cinema 4K contains a niche in which you can place an additional 3 TB hard drive. From the name of the model it is clear that its main function is to play video in Ultra HD (or 4K) format. Initially, the media player has pre-installed programs that allow you to open files of this type. Moreover, Rombica Cinema 4K will open up other types of video: from regular AVI to Blu-Ray.

The price of Rombica Cinema 4K in Russia is approximately 8,000 rubles. Below is a detailed video review of this multimedia device:

Media player Dune HD Solo 4K

This is another high-quality type of multimedia TV set-top box that can turn watching your favorite films into a real pleasure. It contains solid hardware and an impressive set of functions, giving the owner a lot of possibilities.

Delivery set and appearance. The device is sold in a white cardboard box. Inside the package, the user will find the media player itself, a remote control, an HDMI cord, a power supply and several attachments for it (so that the owner can connect the set-top box to the network via any outlet), two antennas for Wi-Fi, a separate IR sensor, and an analog video/audio cord , special brackets that allow you to mount the player on the wall. In addition, the standard set includes an instruction manual. The exact dimensions of this technical product are unknown, but it looks like a stack of 3-4 computer disks. The body is made of black plastic. The top of the model in question has a matte surface. Also, the upper part is decorated with the manufacturer’s brand logo. The sides of the media player are glossy, which makes them look quite elegant. Functional connectors are present only on the front and rear. The back of the device is equipped with protrusions necessary for attaching Wi-Fi antennas. At the bottom there are 4 rubberized feet that protect the device from slipping. There is also a cover, opening which the user will find a niche for installing an additional drive.
Ports and connectors. The front panel is equipped with an output for USB 2.0. At the back there is a DVB-T/T2 antenna socket, an HDMI 1.4b output, a port for an IR sensor, a gigabit Internet connector, a USB 2.0 socket, and an input for the power cord. Above the last port is a button to turn the device on/off.
Remote control. This element of the kit has a compact design, so it can be used with one hand. The control module does not slip out of your hands and lies extremely securely in them. Almost all buttons are painted black. Also, there is one key each in red, green, yellow and blue. The button travel is very good. A corresponding clicking sound serves as a signal that the key has been pressed properly. Buttons that are similar in functionality are located next to each other.
Technical content. The performance of the device is ensured by a 2-core processor called ARM Cortex A9. The operating frequency of its cores is 1.2 GHz. Video functions are provided by the Mali-400 MP4 board. The amount of RAM is 1 GB. Memory for physical data storage is represented by only 4 gigabytes (however, this drawback can be corrected by installing an additional hard drive). There is also an active cooling system inside the case. This system has no significant flaws; It performs its main tasks perfectly and at the same time works almost silently.
Menu. The interface of the media player model under consideration is represented by a horizontal ribbon, which includes 10 main points. It is possible to select one of several design themes, among which the highlight is a theme called Silver (this is one of the cosmetic innovations added by the developers). Scrolling through the menu, the owner will be able to find applications that launch TV, radio, and music player. Also, the menu contains icons, by clicking on which a person will find out the weather, open social networks, enter the search engine, and go to settings to optimize the player’s performance. Naturally, Dune HD Solo 4K has players installed that open all kinds of video file formats. But, judging by the name of the model, the most important format for which you need to buy this device is 4K Ultra HD.
Performance evaluation. In principle, the device reproduces 4K films quite well. However, the frame rate is far from high. This model will play a video file at a maximum of 30 fps. Of course, you don’t need more for now, but over time, Ultra HD resolution will become more popular, and there will be films that need to be played at a speed of up to 60 frames per second. When this happens, Dune HD Solo 4K will simply go out of fashion. As for other film formats, there are no complaints here. The device reproduces both standard AVI and high-quality MKV equally well.

The price of Dune HD Solo 4K in Russia is about 300 euros. A video review of the model is provided below:

Media player Rombica Ultimate v02

This model will definitely appeal to all fans of high-quality video content. It has a nice design, compact dimensions, and good technical components.

Delivery set, appearance. The device is sold in cardboard packaging, on which the characteristics of the product are briefly described. Inside the box, the user will find the media player itself, its power supply, remote control, batteries for the remote control, an RCA cord, an instruction manual, and a warranty receipt. We can say that the equipment is almost complete. The only negative is that there is no HDMI cable (you will have to spend money on it separately). Almost the entire body (except for the front side) is made of matte black plastic. The front panel is also plastic, but its surface is already glossy. Under the “gloss” is hidden an IR sensor that responds to commands sent from the remote control. Functional connectors are located on two sides: on the right and on the rear panel.
Ports and sockets. The right side of the device contains a pair of USB sockets. In addition, this part of the player has a slot for a microSD flash drive. The back side of the described model is equipped with an input for the power supply, an AV output, an HDMI connector, a network port, and an optical audio output of the SPDIF type.
Technical content. A 4-core chip called Cortex A53 is responsible for the performance of the device. The clock frequency of its cores is quite respectable - 2000 MHz. Graphics operations will be performed by the Mali 450 board. The integrated processor supports two types of hardware decoding: H.264 and 265. The amount of RAM is 1 GB. 8 GB of space will be allocated for storing files. You can increase the player's memory using an additional card.
Software and practical capabilities. The Rombica Ultimate v02 interface can be of two types: the standard one - the launcher, and also the proprietary one - Rombica. Type 2 is considered more convenient. Already upon purchase, the player model will contain all the necessary applications for watching videos and listening to audio recordings. The number of applications can be increased using Google Play. Rombica Ultimate v02 is capable of playing movies of any quality, but its main highlight is the ability to play Ultra HD format. The playback process itself goes quite smoothly. A characteristic feature of this media player is that it can produce full 60 fps in 4K resolution.

The price of Rombica Ultimate v02 in Russia is 6,630 rubles.

Our review of the TOP 3 best media players of 2017 is over. We hope that the information provided will help you choose the right model of television set-top box that will give you hundreds of hours of exciting movie sessions.

It’s worth starting the guide to choosing media players by mentioning the fact that recently there has been an active development of Smart TV systems. TV manufacturers are increasingly including support for external storage devices and various multimedia formats in their specifications. This directly affects the media player market, or more precisely, its budget component.

However, the media player as a separate device, despite the development of alternative options for playing video content, continues to be in demand due to its functionality and convenience.

What and how to choose

You need to choose a specific media player model for a home multimedia complex or entertainment center based on the following main characteristics:

form factor;
supported interfaces;
playback formats;
network functions;
Ease of use;
hardware platform, presence of a TV tuner.
and, of course, the price.

Let's see what you can find in stores.

Media player form factor

All media players can be divided into two large categories by appearance and size:

Small devices that resemble a flash drive and run Android OS. Often such media players are also called Android Stick. Features: minimal dimensions and low price;
Monoblock systems in housings of different sizes. These media players can run Android OS, as well as specialized platforms from Sigma Designs or Realtek . They can be characterized as the next stage in the development of such a class of household appliances as DVDs and modern Blu-ray players.

Please note that the large overall dimensions of a media player do not always indicate its hardware power and performance. In fact, this device needs a relatively large case only to have enough space to install an HDD (if this option is provided), as well as the number of interfaces (connectors) for transmitting video and audio to a TV, amplifier or sound bar. The signal processing system itself does not take up much space.

Interfaces used

In principle, all the variety of interfaces is now gradually dying out. In most cases, users use the HDMI connector, since it transmits a video signal with the best quality, as well as audio to a multi-channel system. At the same time, players built on the basis of Sigma and Realtek chipsets can transmit raw sound using bitstream technology, using all the capabilities of high-quality multi-channel acoustics. Media players with chips based on ARM Cortex architecture usually transmit the already processed audio signal in stereo via HDMI.

Media players are connected not only to modern technology, but also to somewhat outdated televisions. Therefore, in addition to HDMI, players almost always have some kind of analog interface. The most common and well-known is the composite output. These are well-known connectors for connecting “tulips”, designated as RCA or AV Out. Using this interface, a video signal is transmitted over one wire, and a stereo audio signal through another two. The image quality when connected via this interface will be the worst.

The media player may also have:

Component output. It is usually denoted YPbPr or YUV Out. Signal transmission is carried out using the same “tulips”, but three cables are used to transmit the image, and sound is also transmitted through two wires. The good thing about this interface is that its use allows you to get the best image quality of all analog interfaces;
Instead of tulips, there may be a SCART connector. It is now almost never installed on media players. The peculiarity of SCART is that it has contacts used for video and sound. Moreover, it can transmit both composite and component signals;
S-Video. This connector, like the previous one, is now becoming less and less common. It is a connector with several contacts. At the same time, the image quality when transmitted over this interface is slightly better than that of a composite “tulip”.

Small media players such as Android Stick are equipped with only an HDMI port and connect to such a port on the TV. Additionally, such devices usually have a miniUSB port.
In addition to interfaces for connecting to a TV, media players are required to be equipped with USB ports. There can be from one to four. The more such ports there are, the better. They are used to connect flash drives or external drives, as well as various peripherals. For example, if you choose a player on Android OS, you will notice that controlling it using the remote control is not very convenient. Therefore, such players may require a mouse connection. In addition, USB is used, for example, to connect web cameras and other devices.

Video formats that media players understand

The good thing about a modern media player is that it is practically “omnivorous”. Your device will surely be able to play any video files encoded in Divx, Xvid, H.264 or MPEG codecs. Players can easily understand such common Internet containers as AVI, MP4, and MKV. This means that files compressed at DVDRip quality or the more attractive BDRip or BDRemux in terms of image quality will play back without problems.

In order for the viewing effect to be maximum, it is worth paying attention not only to video support, but also to audio codecs. Choose the right player that supports codecs such as DTS, Dolby True HD or Dolby Digital Plus. In this case, you will not have any problems listening to the audio track; its quality will be guaranteed to be high, provided you have a good source (a file with a high-quality encoded movie).

However, problems may arise when choosing a media player. The fact is that not all models support, for example, 3D video playback. This is because 3D movies are often available as disk images or file folders within the structure of the same disk. Convenient playback of such films or videos can only be done by media players that support 3D content, or more precisely the ISO BD3D standard. However, you need to understand that no media player is capable of fully reproducing the menu available on Blu-ray. Navigation through disk images or information copied from them is carried out using a simplified menu called BD Lite. A number of players simply find a file called M2TS in such images or folders and launch it, offering users only playback of the movie, without convenient access to additional materials available in the file structure of the disk. In this way, manufacturers solve problems with claims from organizations involved in protecting digital copies from copying.

Network functions

All modern media players support data exchange over the network. Even inexpensive Android Sticks almost always have a Wi-Fi module. Larger models are equipped with an Ethernet port. As a result, it is not necessary to connect the storage media with the video you are interested in directly to the player; it is simply placed on the home server in your media library.
Of course, players can connect not only to your home network, but also access the Internet, including access to the popular YouTube.

Players running on Android are attractive in terms of network functions because they can offer owners not only watching videos, but also using clients to access social networks, instant messengers and much more.

It is worth noting that media players on the Sigma and Realtek platforms are equipped with additional services. But a significant part of these services are designed primarily for Western buyers and are sometimes unavailable in Russia or offer limited content. Please note that a significant part of online cinemas, as well as services built into the media player, operate on a paid basis with payment for a subscription or for certain films or programs.

Managing media players

A very important point in using any household appliance is ease of use. At the same time, the interface of players based on Sigma and Realtek chips was initially designed to be controlled from a standard remote control, similar to a television one. Therefore, controlling them is simple and convenient using a regular remote control. Multi-step menus are usually clear and easy to navigate.

It's more difficult with Android devices. The controls in this operating system are designed for a touch screen, and player developers are trying, with varying degrees of success, to convert it into multifunctional remote controls, which are often equipped with a special Air Mouse mode and a keyboard with a large number of buttons.

Hardware platform

As noted above, all media players are equipped with three types of chipsets: universal ARM Cortex, as well as specialized Sigma and Realtek. The first chips are used in systems running Android OS. When talking about the performance of these chips, the clock speed is usually mentioned. But at the same time, you need to understand that the main calculations, that is, video processing, are performed not due to the fast operation of the processor, but due to hardware decoders. Performance and hardware decoder also affect what video resolution the player can play. The simplest ones can only play 720p video, most are Full HD, and the most powerful ones are 4K.

In general, if we focus on synthetic tests, then the advantage in them is on the side of Sigma chips. But this platform is quite expensive; systems with equivalent capabilities on the Realtek platform usually cost less.

Among the additional functions, we can note the presence in media players of their own TV tuner. It's good if it is of the DVB-T2 type. If your home TV only supports analogue television broadcasting, and you are not going to change it yet, you can use a media player to receive digital television signals. In addition, the tuner can be used to record TV programs broadcast at inconvenient times for you.

Having a download manager will also be useful. If the player is equipped with a HDD, if there is such a function, implemented, for example, using a torrent client, you can set up downloads of interesting videos and not waste time monitoring the download, the media player will do everything on its own.

About Apple TV

Finally, it is necessary to mention such a category of players as Apple TV. These are devices that perfectly play the content you purchase from Apple's iTunes digital store. They provide very good image quality, have many additional services, which, unfortunately, are often useless with us, since they work in a limited mode or do not work at all. If you actively use Apple technology and buy multimedia products from iTunes, Apple TV will be a very good purchase.

Of course, a personal computer or laptop is the most universal tool for working with media content. The ability to install any codecs and use any players attracts many users. However, from the point of view of convenience, in addition to single viewing, there are certain complaints about this solution. First, you need to ensure that the device is connected to a widescreen TV and/or receiver, which can be difficult if they are located remotely. Secondly, you need a remote control and setting up a program or multimedia shell for it. Thirdly, you need to pay attention to the system configuration and software selection. Of course, many users successfully cope with these tasks, but all this takes time and experience.

An alternative to this approach are ready-made network media players. After minimal configuration, the user has the opportunity to comfortably work with video, music, photos, online services and broadcasts on a large screen over the network - using the media library on a PC or network drive. Moreover, the cost of the solution can be significantly lower than the simplest computer.

A couple more options that are worth mentioning are watching videos through modern game consoles and players built into TVs, but today we won’t talk about them in detail.

Let us list in the table the comparative advantages of modern media players and computers for solving the problem.

Currently, there are many models of media players on the market, differing both in capabilities and cost. In general, the minimum list of functions looks like this: work over a network and from USB drives, an HDMI output for connecting to a TV or receiver, support for video up to Full HD inclusive, built-in tools for working with online resources. Additionally, the following may be available: built-in storage devices, an optical drive for BD and DVD discs, a built-in wireless controller, network storage services, as well as downloading files from p2p networks, and the ability to install additional software. Detailed reviews of interesting models can be read in the “Multimedia” section of our website.

Today, as an example, we have chosen the C-200 player from the famous Popcorn Hour brand. A year and a half ago, this model was already tested on our website, but since then some changes have been implemented in it, so we’ll tell you a little about the device.

Media player Popcorn Hour C-200

This model belongs to the top class of modern media players. It is designed in a standard rack-mount format and supports all current media content sources. The basis of the device is the Sigma Designs SMP8643 chip, which is capable of playing video in all formats, with the exception of stereo Blu-ray. To connect to audio/video equipment, the player has a wide range of appropriate outputs - from composite video and stereo audio to HDMI 1.3a. An interesting feature of the device is the remote control, which operates via a radio channel. This allows you to freely choose where to install the device. The manufacturer has also provided the ability to control the player via Wi-Fi from mobile devices through special programs for Android and iOS.

In some cases, a fairly large monochrome matrix screen may be useful. With its help, you can, for example, play audio compositions without turning to the TV.

The storage media can be drives connected via USB ports, SMB/NFS/DLNA network resources, as well as hard drives and optical drives installed inside the device. The mount for the latter in the modification under consideration allows you to simultaneously use a standard 3.5″ hard drive with quick replacement through a special compartment and a “thin” BD or DVD optical drive. They are connected to two SATA ports of the main processor.

Popcorn Hour C-200 supports a wide range of online services, has the ability to change the appearance of the interface and implement advanced network functions.

There is a built-in FastEthernet port for working with a local network. Additionally, you can purchase a proprietary 802.11n wireless controller, which is also installed inside the player. The WMP-ND02 model we used is based on the Ralink RT2880+RT2850 chipset and allows operation at speeds of up to 450 MHz in the 2.4 or 5 GHz bands. Its three antennas are installed through the provided holes in the device body. Support for the not yet very busy 5 GHz band allows this controller to wirelessly view even high-definition video, including BD images. But, of course, the user will also need an appropriate router. Alternatively, compatible USB dongles or Wi-Fi-Ethernet bridges can be used.

Assembling and connecting the player

First, you need to understand the hardware options of the device, in particular the configuration of the drives installed inside the player. The most versatile option would be a BD optical drive and a hard drive. To install the first one you will have to be smart and attentive. A hard drive can be added at any time through the quick-swap bay on the front panel. The disc may already contain files and they will be immediately available through the player menu.

In addition, you need to pay attention to the possibility of installing a USB storage device inside the device. It can be useful for implementing full-fledged operation of the BD menu, as well as operation of additional NMT applications. You can use any 2-4 GB model. The advantage of this option is that the drive will not occupy external ports and will be constantly available to the player. It is also possible to connect a hard drive to this connector if you want to increase the volume of your media library and/or have a permanently connected high-capacity drive.

If you purchased an original wireless module, then it also needs to be installed inside the device.

The last point that you need to pay attention to is ensuring a comfortable temperature regime in the Popcorn Hour C-200 case. The manufacturer talks about installing the fan in the place provided for it in the case only if problems arise with the operation of the player or disk. We would recommend doing this if you constantly use the internal 3.5″ hard drive. In testing, when watching HD videos or downloading torrents for a long time, the temperature of the used 1 TB Seagate drive reached 48 degrees.

After these operations, the player body can be closed and installed on the workplace. Many other player models also allow installation of a hard drive inside the device for storing files and implementing additional functions. Very compact devices usually work only with external drives with USB or eSATA interfaces.

In addition to the power cable, at a minimum you need to connect a TV or projector. The most convenient and high-quality option is through the HDMI port. If you need to have multi-channel sound through the receiver, it is connected between the player and the TV, and if the receiver does not have an HDMI port, you can use the digital audio outputs of the player.

Basic player settings

In most cases, after turning on the player and TV, you will see the Popcorn Hour C-200 interface on the latter. If this does not happen, you need to check the settings of the display device and/or change the type of video output of the player using special combinations of buttons on the remote control.

The main settings of the player include choosing the interface language, audio/video output parameters and setting network connection parameters. For video, the best option is to use the digital output and enable the option to automatically select the frame rate depending on the parameters of the file being played, if this is supported by the TV. Setting up audio includes specifying the processing option for audio track formats - output to the receiver in its original form or decoding inside the player and mixing in stereo (“downmix”). The second of them can be useful when installing a player only with a TV without a receiver.

For media players, we recommend using a wired network connection. Only it can guarantee the playback of all high-resolution video options from network resources. This is due to performance - the maximum video bitrate today is about 40 Mbit/s. The cable connection is capable of operating at this speed in any case. But the quality of wireless communication significantly depends on the state of the airwaves - obstacles, interference and neighboring networks. And not all of these parameters can be controlled by the user. The 802.11g standard, with its actual speed under ideal conditions of about 25 Mbps, can only be used on video files up to 15 GB per movie (a very rough estimate). With 802.11n the situation is much better. With good hardware, it provides speeds of 100 Mbps and above, and the ability to operate in the 5 GHz band further increases the chances of lag-free video playback.

In this regard, the player model in question looks very good - its built-in controller is capable of operating at high speeds and has support for the 5 GHz band.

A joint test of the Popcorn Hour C-200 and the WMP-ND02 card with one of the fastest routers - ASUS RT-N66U - showed that at 2.4 GHz, in the presence of a large number of other wireless networks on the air, the player is capable of displaying files up to BD , however, while viewing them, friezes and scattering of the picture are possible. If you switch the adapter to the 5 GHz band, then there will be no problems - you can view files specially prepared for the test with a bitrate of 50 Mbit/s and higher.

Note that for the convenience of entering wireless network passwords and other text fields, you can connect a regular USB keyboard to the player.

As for setting up IP addresses, in most cases you can use automatic receipt of them via DHCP from the router. However, if you plan to work with the device’s own network services, then it is better to configure the router with a fixed assignment of addresses based on the player’s MAC address.

Working with network resources

To view files from USB drives, you just need to select the desired document in the player’s browser. But working with network resources will require creating and configuring the latter. However, this is not difficult to do.

Most player models support SMB/CIFS, NFS and DLNA protocols. The first is the standard option for Windows-based networks. The description of the network resource in this case consists of the name (or IP address) of the server, the name of the shared folder on it and the name/password of the user who has access to it.

We have already configured such resources on the network storage device. For convenience, you can program a special user in the drive for access from the player, giving him read (or full) rights to the desired network folders. A similar setup is carried out on a computer - select a folder and provide shared access to it, not forgetting about the list of users.

Next, you need to specify these parameters in the player in the “Network Resources” section. Here you will also be able to enter your own resource name for the player. After programming all the links, they will be available from the main menu of the device in the “network” section.

Using the NFS protocol can be useful for those users who have Linux installed on their computers. In addition, it is usually supported in modern network storage devices. For the player model under consideration, NFS does not have significant advantages, however, for less powerful devices it can potentially provide higher speeds (smoothly playable video bitrate).

Let's look at the setup using the Synology network drive as an example. After enabling the NFS server, you must allow access to it from the required IP addresses in the properties of the share. As a result, the parameters for accessing data will consist of the name or IP address of the server and the path to the shared resource (it will be shown in the settings window on the network drive). Usernames and passwords are not used in this case. Please note that in some cases you need to use the “NFS TCP” protocol option, which is also supported by the player.

To simplify setup, you can use the built-in network browser - then you only need to enter the resource name and user data.

The third protocol by which the player can receive data from the local network is DLNA (previously known as UPnP AV). It was conceived as a simple way to connect numerous home network devices, including PCs, players, game consoles, cell phones, into a single whole for sharing videos, photos and music. Unfortunately, even today, even with certificates, you can encounter partial incompatibility of devices or lack of support for certain functions.

To implement a DLNA server on a PC, you must use special software (for example) or standard Windows Media Player, which can also perform this function. Server settings are usually minimal - you only need to select the folders in which the media content is located and allow access to a specific player. Unlike the standard network protocols described above, files are sorted and searched on a DLNA server not by directories (although this option is usually also provided), but by specially created indexes. For example, for music files this could be information from tags - artist name, album name, year of release. To compile them, the server must spend some time, which must be taken into account when using it. The indexing process, depending on the server and its settings, occurs at the user’s request, according to a schedule, or when new documents appear.

Setting up a server on a network storage device consists only of selecting folders to scan.

The advantage of DLNA, which may be of interest to some models of players with weak processors, is the use of the HTTP protocol to transfer content, which is “lighter” and allows you to slightly increase the maximum video bitrate available over the network.

DLNA resources are connected automatically in the player. They do not need to be programmed anywhere in advance.

Internet services

Popcorn Hour C-200, like most others, have built-in clients for viewing content from Internet resources such as YouTube, SHOUTcast, flickr and dozens of others. You don't need to make any special settings to work with them. You just need to ensure the player has access to the Internet.

Additional features

In our opinion, the most correct option for organizing media viewing on a home network is a network drive with a library and the required number of simple network players with access to it. This allows you to have a single place for storage and processing, simplifies the setup of players, and they themselves can be compact and quiet, with only a network connection.

But this scenario is not always possible. For example, if there is no network storage, you want to have local media in the player for watching high-bitrate videos or the ability to use it offline or at a party.

In this case, the ability to implement additional functions by the player itself will be useful.

Thus, a special set of applications can be installed on devices of the family, which will allow it to be used in new scenarios. To store program code, you need to allocate a special partition on one of the local drives. You can use the internal USB port for this by connecting a flash drive with a capacity of 2 GB or higher. This will allow you to easily change the hard drive installed in the front bay without worrying about the performance of applications. On the other hand, installing on a hard drive will simplify the use of data on the hard drive for built-in services.

Direct installation of programs is carried out from the “Maintenance” → “NMT Setup Wizard” menu. If the player is connected to the Internet, then it can download all the data necessary for installation on its own.

During installation, new partitions are created on a blank drive - one allocated for applications and one for user files in the remaining space. Please note that the default file system of the data partition is EXT3, which is not accessible from Windows without special drivers, but files can be written to the disk over the network.

The standard set of applications for this family of NMT players consists of UPnP AV, myiHome, FTP, SMB, NFS servers and clients for downloading torrents and files from Usenet networks.

The first two servers can be useful if the player uses a capacious hard drive with a media library and there are other players on the local network. Using these protocols, other players will be able to access files on this device. You can also use SMB and NFS for this.

FTP and SMB will be useful for reading/writing data to the player's disk from a computer. Unfortunately, the system does not provide any access control to directories - there is a single user account (name - nmt, default password - “1234”, but it can be changed), which has access to all read and write resources. Note that with NMT applications installed, you can change the device’s network name and workgroup name.

The built-in torrent client allows you to download files directly to the player without a PC. This model has two programs installed at once. It is perhaps more convenient to use the second - the well-known transmission utility. Its web interface is available at http://pch-c200:8077 and is password protected. If necessary, you can provide control via the Internet - just configure the router to broadcast port 8077 to the player’s IP address. If the capabilities of the web interface are not enough, the Transmission Remote GUI or transmission-remote-dotnet programs, which can be found on the included CD, will come to the rescue. For efficient downloading and distribution, you also need to open the port of the service itself (default 51413).

When working with additional services, do not forget that although the processor used in media players copes well with video decoding, if we talk about the functions of a network storage device, an offline file download system or other non-core functions, then by modern standards it is relatively weak. No need for high-speed characteristics: given that a 100 Mbit/s network controller is used, the writing speed over the network (SMB protocol) is about 6 MB/s, and the reading speed is more than 7 MB/s.

As you can see, setting up a network player on your home network is very simple and accessible to everyone. Using this type of equipment will allow you not to waste time setting up your computer and software, but can be used to comfortably watch your favorite series on a widescreen TV in a large company.