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Move Over BoxeeBox, Here Comes PopBox
DeviceGuru writes "Following closely on the heels of the December announcement of D-Link's BoxeeBox, Syabas Technology today said it will ship the PopBox, a $129 Internet-based A/V streaming set-top box (STB) in March. Both new gadgets have the potential to give Roku's popular STB a run for its money. All three boxes can deliver a range of Internet-based A/V streaming and social networking services to consumers' TVs. Like Roku's digital video player STB, the PopBox will include Netflix on-demand video streaming when it first ships. D-Link, meanwhile, is rumored to be scrambling to add Netflix streaming support to its BoxeeBox device as well, prior to inaugural shipments of that device. All three run embedded Linux OSes, and all are expected to sell for less than $200."
I just got a roku for my parents, and at $100 it does what it needs to just fine. I can see Roku easily adding a USB port and "Media" channel to a future box without touching the pricepoint and doing the same thing all of these other boxes do.
Oh and it doesn't look like that stupid melted cube that D-link is trying to sell.
'nuff said (though where's the tag?)
One that hath name thou can not otter
News at eleven.
If this works as well as their spinoff Popcornhour Network Media Tank systems it will(?) be a success. We own two Popcornhours with a 3rd (C-200) coming soon. Great for xvid, x264, DVD ISOs, etc up to 1080p.
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Trolling is a art,
WebTV would have been right on the dot, if the networking infrastructure could have handled streaming video at the time. Everyone had dial-up, which doesn't stream well I would assume.
Of course Microsoft would have locked down the video portion so you could only do "online stuff" anyway, fearing lawsuits or making deals with some company or another. But don't they get some points for being close?
D-Link, meanwhile, is rumored to be scrambling to add Netflix streaming support to its BoxeeBox device as well, prior to inaugural shipments of that device. All three run embedded Linux OSes,
If I read this right, it is believed that D-Link runs Linux on the BoxeeBox and is trying to get NetFlix working. If they can do it, shouldn't I be able to in Ubuntu as well?
Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.
Why the hell can't I get Netflix working on my laptop running Linux? How are these guys doing it, why isn't it available for the rest of us?
Netflix is the only reason I have VirtualBox installed.
Ok, it allows third-party downloadable apps (their own app store?,) but "media-server functions have been omitted."
Can I pull media from my linux fileserver or not?
If the omitted functions just means it doesn't have local storage, then fine. I'm just hoping they don't cripple or disallow apps that can remotely fetch media.
If I could get that plus Netflix on a ~$100 box, I'd be all over it.
Yeah, it does, and it is certainly not worthy or watching on my 50 inch telly. I would like a small box that will connect to a SMB share and stream video from files on there, that supports a load of formats (hey just use embedded VLC) and has HDMI output. I do not want USB sockets or built in youtube just something that works to stream from a shared drive.
I must be way ahead of the curve because I already have a device that can stream netflix, run boxee, xbmc, act as a media server, etc. It's called a computer. You can get one for very little money these days, even with hdmi output for use as a htpc. They do a lot of cool stuff!
We picked up a Samsung BD-P1590 as a replacement for our aging DVD player over the holidays...
It plays DVDs, obviously... As well as blu-ray discs... And it can stream stuff from Blockbuster, Netflix, Pandora, and YouTube. We got ours for about $150 at WalMart, but I'm told they can be had for as little as $80 if you're willing to shop around a bit.
I guess I'm just wondering why you'd buy a Roku for $80 or one of these PopBoxes for $130 just to stream Netflix.
Yes, the PopBox can stream all sorts of other stuff... Plenty of stuff that my new Samsung can't... But what's being advertised as the "killer app" is Netflix support.
In fact, if you look around a bit, there's plenty of hardware out there that can stream Netflix. All sorts of Netflix-enabled televisions and boxes. So I'm having a hard time seeing Netflix support as the "killer app" they're making it out to be...
On a somewhat unrelated note: Has anyone else noticed that broadcast television seems to be rapidly disappearing? We've got boxes that let us stream what we want, when we want it, from various web pages... We've got televisions that are able to stream content right from sites like Netflix... And we've got DVRs to download, record, and time-shift everything else... How long do you suppose it'll be before there's no such thing as "broadcast" television and it's all downloaded/streamed from your local affiliate's website?
"Work is the curse of the drinking classes." -Oscar Wilde
How can I take information about Oto24
My PS3 can stream Netflix and stream video from my PC, at 1080p with 7.1 audio. And it can play BluRay and upscale regular DVDs. Oh and there are some games. Doesn't cost much more than these others and has a very nice user experience.
Why not just get one of them? Hopefully not because it doesn't run Linux.
Perhaps this announcement explains why the Popcorn Hour C-200 is such a disaster. I had such high hopes for that device but it seems like Syabas spent little to no time on QA. They advertised wireless capability and shipped the device without a driver, the blu-ray drive they "approved" is EOL and there is a list of issues as long as my arm.
To me, it appears they were busy with the PopBox and didn't spend enough time on the C-200. I'll pass on anything from these guys in the future
This should be a very large cue to the cable co's to shift their tiered pricing structure to an ala carte format. I, along with untold numbers of others, are sincerely fed up with our $100/mo. cable bills with poor quality video and tons of fluff we never watch. The second I can get access to all of the shows I like via the 'net, is the second I cancel my cable TV sub and go 100% internet based. I'm quite willing to wait a couple days for the shows to be posted on the 'net, if it means cutting my monthly expenditures by three figures.
To have a link here for the petition to Netflix requesting Linux support: http://www.petitiononline.com/Linflix/petition.html
Living in an area with poor over-the-air digital TV reception, my daughter had to make the financial choice between broadband and cable TV. Wisely, she chose broadband. I bought her a Roku unit and she loves it.
With Roku for Netflix and Amazon access and her laptop plugged into her TV for Hulu access she doesn't really miss cable - but she'd really like to have a single set-top unit that provides both Netflix and Hulu.
I've been looking at the Myka ION as a possible Roku replacement/upgrade for her but it seems more capable than necessary and at least $100 over-priced. When something appears that provides Roku capability plus Hulu for around $200, I'll buy one for her. If it also provides access to the websites of CNN and broadcast networks, I'll pay $250 for it.
Note that if it also provided optional access to BBC America, Discovery, TLC, History, and NatGeo, I'd be willing to pay a reasonable subscription fee to each of those companies, buy a unit for myself, and drop my own cable TV serice in a heartbeat.
Now that I think about it, if TV broadcasters were streaming their own content to such a device, I'd also be willing to pay each of them a monthly subscription fee. How much? I don't know. But the fact that Fox was asking Time Warner $1 per month per subscriber tells me what a subscription should cost. $1 each month to each of the probably ten content providers I care about would be perfect - and save me over $60 per month compared to my current cable bill. Buying a new STB for $250 with a 4-month ROI looks like a good deal to me.
Moar Boxxy Plz, KThxBye!
Cable companies are working diligently to find technical and legal solutions to ensure the security of their business model. It is important that the dangerous socialist technologies such as compact discs, magnetic tape, vinyl and radio, which have nearly destroyed the music industry. The cable companies had a close call with VCRs, but luckily these have been nearly eliminated. Unfortunately this required the introduction of DVDs, which further disrupted an industry still reeling from the introduction of talking pictures and the rise of the star actor. Have no fear, legislators are burning the midnight oil to find a method to preserve our freedom and way of life from the horrors of ... oh wait, you want a la carte programming?! You godless communist bastard, won't you think of the poor starving TV stuntmen?
I just got a Sony Blu-ray player (BDP-N460), which sells in roughly the 180 to 200 (USD) price range, and its extra features include the ability to stream video and audio from the Internet, numerous "channels" (services) including Amazon video on demand and Netflix--and the quality is amazing, even a lot of HD'ish crisp video via streaming. If you're looking for a Blu-ray player as well then I strongly recommend this. The only downside (IMO) is that it can only get online via a LAN (Cat-5/6) network cable, although one could spend money on a wireless bridge if desired... in my case I just relocated my cable modem and router/AP to the entertainment center (since a cable line is already there).
... has anyone here played with a Western Digital "WD TV Live"?
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
your TV, computer, xbox, playstation, toaster, wireless router, microwave oven, water heater, fry daddy, and your wife's sybian...
Meh, these dopey boxes don't do UPnP or DLNA, therefore they are worthless.
My xtreamer may be a buggy pain in the butt, but at least it will stream off my ps3mediaserver, and it costs far less than a PS3 or XBox.
http://www.xtreamer.net/
I'd like an AV unit that was source agnostic. Internet source or your local NAS. I've also noticed none of them do Internet radio. That's usually a separate expensive box.
Shai Schticks:"You don't make peace with friends, you make peace with enemies"
You get the fluff channels because the cable companies get paid to carry them.
That's why you always get the home shopping networks if you only get the basic cable service.
Also, many of the networks opt for a 'carry one, carry all' sorta mentality.. if you carry MTV (which you better), then you also have to carry VH1, MTV2, Nick, Spike, and about 20 other channels that no one watches but you better carry.
Also, I'm alittle personally annoyed I get some channels that other people thing are popular. (ESPN/Sunshine Network, I'm looking at you).
I agree, I as a consumer, want ala carte networks. But you have to convince the cable providers to go all IP (and the consumer to upgrade their TV/cable box again), which they aren't ready to do yet.
Your choice is to goto Dish/DirecTV.. but they have their own ways of screwing their consumers too.
----- The internet has given everyone the ability to have their voice heard equally as loud.. even if they shouldn't be
I do NOT want a sea of divided little set top boxes that are merely adequate.
It pisses me off that Netflix HD streaming isn't available on the PC, but it is on dinky little boxes.
I was watching shit via Netflix's streaming service on my PC (connected to my TV) and when the PS3 finally got the Netflix service (you have to use a disc to run the Netflix software, though that should change soon) I noticed that shit was in HD.
Box A supports Hulu and Netflix but not Amazon.
Box B supports Netflix and Amazon and promises future support for other things (will never happen).
Box C lets you stream crap in crappy quality when you're away from home.
I'm amazed that a dumb box for dumb people has done so well. The concept of another box and another remote usually strike fear into the hearts of the plebes. Maybe it was the shitty name "Roku" that got people to love it.
Many TVs and Blu-Ray players already support some sort of streaming service or media channel, but it's never the one you want. This is precisely the kind of crap that SHOULD be standardized (though there's no technical reason to - it's brain-dead simple to stream video to a host on the internet) in order to help the consumer.
I read a lot of bad stuff about the new C-200 Popcorn, but mine seems to work fine as a media player. I have many DVD copies (in FILM_TITLE/VIDEO_TS folders; I don't have .iso files). They play fine, including language and subtitle control. The remote control is quite nice. Definitely better than my DVD player's remote, or the A110 remote. Also, the hard drive tray is cool. Just push a bare SATA drive into it, and that's it.
On the other side, there are a few things against it: it's expensive. The Gigabit network port seems slow. There is no real SSH or Telnet access which would have helped tweak the configuration and backing it up. The web server doesn't let you set it up from your browser (you have to use the remote. It is much bigger than the previous A110, so it's not really portable. The Audio player part is unusable because there doesn't seem to be any sort of playlist support.
In the end, it plays the files I want (DVD copies), and even though I can not tweak it as I wished and cannot install an rsync server on it, I can still use rsync by connecting to it's NFS server, and Windows file sharing for the Windows machines.
The popbox supports UPnP & DLNA (as a client).
For quite a while I was trying all sorts of these media players; trying to find the perfect one. After a few years, many dollars and countries (searching korea) later I discovered that they all suck in one way or another. The best thing? A simple ubuntu box with a logitech mini wireless keyboard.
If something breaks, or some new feature is required you can easily fix it. Once you have a working solution, just freeze it.
Software I like:
XBMC http://xbmc.org/
Boxee http://www.boxee.tv/
YAMJ http://code.google.com/p/moviejukebox/
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Why would anyone want this when you can pay three times more for Apple TV = )