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Fast 8643 chipset, live IMDB scraping, attractive interface
Immature firmware, no Netflix

PopBox
Much anticipated player from Syabas based on the same fast Sigma 8643 chipset as used in the C-200 and A-200. The Popbox promised to break new ground when it was announced owing to the combination of the latest chipset, plentiful on-demand content (including Netflix), and a low price.

Sadly inital impressions are that it has not lived up to the hype. Netflix has not materialised and the 8643 chipset is wasted when lossless HD audio support / Blu-Ray menus are omitted. What the Popbox does have going for it is a great looking user interface and 'live' movie scraping from IMDB (as opposed to YAMJ / Zappiti).

The Popbox was launched late into a market that had already caught up. The WDTV Live plus for instance offers better HD audio support, Netflix, and is cheaper. Whilst the hardware inside the Popbox is hugely capable the software does not currently live up to what was promised.


Manufacturer: Popcorn Hour (Syabas)
Launch Date: July 2010
Target Price: $130 - €? - £?
User Ranking: 3 /172. Number of Votes: Very Low   ?  info 

Chipset: Sigma 8643   ?  info 
Storage:  eSATA(*) USB(*2) SD Card(*1)
Network: Ethernet 100*   ?  info 
Fan: No
Size: 203*154*32mm (0.99L)

Video Outputs: HDMI 1.3 Component
Audio Outputs: Stereo Analogue TOSLINK S/PDIF

DVD ISO: Yes. With menu
Blu-Ray ISO: Yes. No menu (lite)

On Demand: ?  ?  info 
UPnP: Yes

HD Audio: DTS DmixTrueHD DmixDTS-HD MA Dmix
DTS PassTrueHD PassDTS-HD MA Pass   ?  info 
Page last updated: 20-Jul-10
Links
• Official Website
• PopBox Twitter
• Official Forum
• AVSForum /PopBox 		Reviews
• SXSW Preview Video
• Gear Live Video Review
• EnGadget Hands-on 		Places to Buy
• Amazon $129.99
• Google Shopping   

Product Discussion

?
There are 6 comments
Elpee
July 22, 2010 - 14:13

Thanks for your new update, iboum.
Do you think situation will change in a next few months in which Netflix, lossless HD audio, and Blu-Ray menus will be supportedby Syabas' software?

Dave
July 15, 2010 - 23:01

Launched now, can't wait!

tweakradje
May 20, 2010 - 08:53

When will it be available in USA?
@Syabas: Please consider distribution to Europe/NL.
Cheers

Dan – USA
April 07, 2010 - 17:50

I really want this box, any news on when it will be released?

Johnny – Florida
April 07, 2010 - 05:32

Is this thing even releasing anytime soon or was just some vaporware?

ano – Thailand
January 11, 2010 - 03:43

When shut down by remote control, does the machine completely turn off power to the USB external HDD?

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 		Detailed Specification
ManufacturerPopcorn Hour (Syabas)
ModelPopBox
Launch Date SummaryJuly 2010
Price $ US130
Price € Euro
Price £ UK
Rating3
Max Resolution1080p [Full-HD]
Chipset ManufacturerSigma
Chipset Family864x
Chipset ModelSigma 8643
Chipset Mhz667
Memory 512MB DDR2 SDRAM
Internal HDD
HDD Num
USB (Host)2
USB (Slave)
USB Version2.0
SD1
eSATA
Other Storage
File Systems
UPnPYes
Network ProtocolsSamba, Bonjour, DLNA, WM-DRM
Wired NetworkEthernet 100*
Wireless Network
HDMI Video1
Component Video1
Composite Video
HDMI Version1.3
Video Other
Stereo L/R Audio1
S/PDIF TOSLink1
S/PDIF Coaxial
AV Recording
AV Inputs
Video Formats (Codecs)H.264, XVID SD/HD, MPEG-1, MPEG-2 MP@HL, MPEG-4.2 ASP@L5, o 720p, 1-point GMC, MPEG-4.10 (H.264), BP@L3, MP@L4.0, HP@L4.0, HP@L4.1, WMV9, MP@HL, SMPTE 421M (VC-1), MP@HL
Video Extensions (Containers)MPEG1/2/4 Elementary (M1V, M2V, M4V), MPEG1/2 PS (M2P, MPG, DAT, VOB), MPEG2 Transport Stream (TS, TP, TRP, M2T, M2TS, MTS), AVI, ASF, WMV, Matroska (MKV), MOV (H.264), MP4, RMP4, FLV, F4V
Audio Formats (Codecs)AAC, M4A, MPEG audio (MP1, MP2, MP3, MPA), WAV, WMA, FLAC, OGG
Audio Extensions (Containers)AAC, M4A, MPEG audio (MP1, MP2, MP3, MPA), WAV, WMA, FLAC, OGG
Image FormatsJPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF
Subtitle FormatsMicroDVD (*.sub), SubRip (*.srt), Sub Station Alpha (*.ssa), Microsoft’s Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange -SAMI (*.smi)
DVD ISOYes. With menu
Blu-Ray ISOYes. No menu (lite)
Dolby Digital (AC3) DownmixYes
Dolby Digital (AC3) PassthroughYes
Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC3) Downmix
Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC3) Passthrough
Dolby TrueHD Downmix
Dolby TrueHD Passthrough
DTS DownmixYes
DTS PassthroughYes
DTS-HD HR Downmix
DTS-HD HR Passthrough
DTS-HD MA DownmixYes
DTS-HD MA Passthrough
Internet Radio
On-demand mk1Netflix 2.0, Photobucket, SHOUTcast, Revision 3, Weatherbug, Twitter, Channels.com, FunSpot
On-demand mk2
Bittorrent
Web Browser
Browser Detail
DVB-T
FanNo
Front LCDNo
PowerInput 100~240V AC, 50~60Hz. Output 5V DC, 3A max
Power Usage Standby15
W (mm)203
D (mm)154
H (mm)32
Volume (litre)0.99
Weight (kg)0.47
W (inches)8.0
D (inches)6.0
H (inches)1.3
Weight (lb)1.04
Added to iboum2010-01-05
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