Nice (and cheap) 24/96 Network Transport!!

JDUBS · « **on:** 8 Mar 2009, 11:53 pm »

Guys

I've been experimenting with the Popcorn Hour A-110 for use as a network player streaming high resolution (up to 24bit / 96khz!) files over my wired network as an inexpensive alternative to my (now sold) Slim Devices Transporter. The Popcorn Hour is cheap in comparison as just north of $200. Now, it takes some work to make it "acceptable" but when set up properly it works really great. I run the optical output into an M-Audio digital converter to get a coax out that my DCX-2496 can take. Works like a charm. I control it using this great user-developed program called MediatankController. Next step will be to install the MediatankController program on a netbook (Dell Mini 9 with SSD drive for complete silence) for control in the listening room.

To the extent anyone is interested in hearing more, I'd be happy to give some more specifics. Now back to listening to my sytem!

-Jim

mgalusha · « **Reply #1 on:** 9 Mar 2009, 01:34 pm »

I've read a little about this. I have a suspicion there might be a way to add a SPDIF BNC output. Since it has an optical output the data has to be in there somewhere.

BradJudy · « **Reply #2 on:** 9 Mar 2009, 01:54 pm »

Quote from: mgalusha on 9 Mar 2009, 01:34 pm

I've read a little about this. I have a suspicion there might be a way to add a SPDIF BNC output. Since it has an optical output the data has to be in there somewhere.

Yeah, one would expect there to be a SPDIF feed into a TOTX module for the optical output. It might be a relatively simple mod to grab that feed.

mgalusha · « **Reply #3 on:** 9 Mar 2009, 02:43 pm »

My thoughts exactly.

JDUBS · « **Reply #4 on:** 10 Mar 2009, 04:13 am »

I like how you guys think!

I'll see if I can grab a couple of pics of the Popcorn Hour with the top off and then post them in this thread.

-Jim

Lyndon · « **Reply #5 on:** 10 Mar 2009, 01:52 pm »

How does the Popcorn A-110 unit compare to the Western Digital media player?
http://tinyurl.com/dlpy6g

ashok · « **Reply #6 on:** 14 Mar 2009, 09:25 pm »

The WDTV maxes out at a sampling frequency of 48kHz. But based on my reading, it appears to share the same kind of chip as the Popcorn Hour, so a firmware change should make it capable of higher sampling frequencies.

Alternatives to the Popcorn Hour include the ioBox 100, HDX 1000 and Kaiboer networked media tanks. These three come with both optical and co-ax outputs, and in my opinion look to be better constructed than the Popcorn hour.

Check out the forum www.networkedmediatank.com. Some folks there have had success playing 24 bit/ 192kHz FLAC encoded files out of the Popcorn Hour.

Software support for music playback is rudimentary. However, there is a really nice user designed application called Music Jukebox that does a pretty good job of organizing your music. But once you click the remote to play a song, the Popcorn Hour firmware takes over and you end up seeing a generic picture, not the album art anymore (for mp3 files, it will show you the artwork embedded in the song, not for FLAC).

Also, the firmware does not allow you to browse your music collection while a song is playing. So, that is a bit of a hassle. Plus you need your TV to be on, to select the files to play back. Of course, it can also be controlled with an application called MyiHome, which runs on your computer.

I probably should add that I have not personally used an NMT, although I have more or less decided to go with the ioBox. I will run a co-ax or optical cable to the Keces 131.1 (nice DAC, IMO).

Jim, how does it compare to the transporter? Have you experienced any drop-outs or weird noises during play back? Thanks very much.

Lyndon · « **Reply #7 on:** 14 Mar 2009, 09:40 pm »

Ashok,
Am I not understanding this product/thread? I want an interface between my HTPC, that handles music with the highest resolution, as well as dealing with my video files, especially the MKV, H264, etc so I don't have to @#$@#$
recode them.
My plan was to keep the music files on a separate hard drive from the video ones.
Can't one of these boxes handle both of these duties?

Newb Lyndon

ashok · « **Reply #8 on:** 14 Mar 2009, 10:11 pm »

Quote from: Lyndon on 14 Mar 2009, 09:40 pm

...
I want an interface between my HTPC, that handles music with the highest resolution, as well as dealing with my video files, especially the MKV, H264, etc so I don't have to @#$@#$
recode them.
My plan was to keep the music files on a separate hard drive from the video ones.
Can't one of these boxes handle both of these duties?

The Popcorn Hour and variants can take an internal hard drive on which you store all your media files. They can also stream media stored elsewhere on your network. They do come with USB host ports so you can have external drives with media connected to the device.

There cannot be any internal storage on a WDTV. All media must be on external USB drives. It supports up to two external drives. Also, it does not have any networking capabilities like the Popcorn hour. But then again, Western Digital could change the firmware to allow this to happen.

If all your media is on the HTPC, I don't imagine you would want to recopy the files on to external USB drives and then connect to a WDTV.

So, maybe the Popcorn Hour or one of its variants is the way go to. Access media from the HTPC via the home network. The NMT forum I provided the link for is a great resource. You should be able to find most answers to your questions over there, especially about the video formats.

JDUBS · « **Reply #9 on:** 14 Mar 2009, 10:19 pm »

Hey guys, I've never used the WD product before, but, everything I've read would seem to indicate that the PCH is the superior product (should be at 2x the price). Its VERY versatile and is supported by a big user base. You should check out networkedmediatank.com if you're interested.

Regarding its audio performance, it is great with no dropouts whatsoever. I don't use my TV and instead use the MediatankController (a user-developed program for control from a computer) for UI. I don't miss my Transporter at all.

I've used it successfully streaming .flac files (up to 24/96) across my network.

I snapped a couple of photos of the inside and will post soon.

-Jim

JDUBS · « **Reply #10 on:** 15 Mar 2009, 09:31 pm »

Guys, here are a couple of pics of the inside. Happy to take some more if these aren't good. The "QC" writing doesn't help with chip identification....maybe I can take the stickers off.

-Jim

and

You can see the toslink output where my Monster cable is.

I would love some feedback on adding a coax output, replacing the toslink....if possible!

Thanks,
Jim

ashok · « **Reply #11 on:** 16 Mar 2009, 05:29 pm »

Thanks for the pictures Jim. I see you have a 2GB CF card inside. Is that just for storing some NMT applications? All your media is elsewhere, I think.

I have seen a TOSLINK input module at Twisted Pear Audio. Provides a two-wire S/PDIF output on a terminal block, that can be wired to BNC or RCA connector. A little bit of surgery will be required on the PCH. Here is a link: Toslink Input Module. T

The PCH uses a 12V DC supply, so you might be able to tap it for powering the Toslink module.

Ashok

JDUBS · « **Reply #12 on:** 17 Mar 2009, 01:03 am »

Quote from: ashok on 16 Mar 2009, 05:29 pm

Thanks for the pictures Jim. I see you have a 2GB CF card inside. Is that just for storing some NMT applications? All your media is elsewhere, I think.

I have seen a TOSLINK input module at Twisted Pear Audio. Provides a two-wire S/PDIF output on a terminal block, that can be wired to BNC or RCA connector. A little bit of surgery will be required on the PCH. Here is a link: Toslink Input Module. T

The PCH uses a 12V DC supply, so you might be able to tap it for powering the Toslink module.

Ashok

Ashok, you are exactly right. I use the CF card for Popcorn Hour apps. Media comes in through the ethernet cable.

Thanks for the Twisted Pear Link....might be a good alternative if we can't tap the signal for coax directly.

-Jim

BradJudy · « **Reply #13 on:** 17 Mar 2009, 01:17 am »

Jim,

I can't tell much from the photo. An electronics geek would have to have one in-hand to check the lines, but I expect there is a SPDIF line and a power line going to the Toslink output. Converting it to a coax output might be as simple as desoldering the Toslink jack and attacking an RCA jack to the SPDIF output, but someone more knowledgeable in digital signals is needed to say what more might need to be done.

Is that a chip that bridges the IO board to the main board, or just a set of wires?

ashok · « **Reply #14 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 09:31 am »

I finally bought the ioBox 100HD networked media tank (NMT). It is now equipped with a 1TB WD hard-drive, and I have been slowly copying my FLAC library to it. Here are some pictures.

The co-axial output from this unit is connected to my DAC, and it sounds pretty good. The ioBox is capable of higher resolution playback up to a sampling frequency of 192kHz.

The user interface is not as polished as JRiver or some of the other media center software. I use a user-developed application called MusicJukebox which goes through your media library and generates a menu that the ioBox can display.

As of now, I have to turn on my TV to see what I am doing with the NMT. Have not tried the mediatank controller yet (for control from a PC).

Here is what an album looks like on my TV screen.

JDUBS · « **Reply #15 on:** 10 Apr 2009, 04:20 am »

ashok, good stuff! I like how it has both coax and optical outs. Have you tried streaming music over your network to it?

Definitely give the MediatankController a shot. Its a great program!

-Jim

ashok · « **Reply #16 on:** 10 Apr 2009, 10:03 am »

Jim,

Have not tried any streaming yet. All my music is on the internal hard-drive.

I will definitely try mediatank controller. Although from what I have read, it can only show me a list of files to browse through. I don't know if there is any application that can render the NMT video output onto one's computer screen.

But, it is a nice little unit. I like it.

Ashok

JDUBS · « **Reply #17 on:** 10 Apr 2009, 06:53 pm »

Ashok

I'm tempted to sell my Popcorn Hour just so I can get the coax of the ioBox.

Have you tried it with .flac files? If so, what resolution? I've used the Popcorn Hour with .flac files up to 24/96, so far.

-Jim

ashok · « **Reply #18 on:** 11 Apr 2009, 01:20 pm »

Quote from: JDUBS on 10 Apr 2009, 06:53 pm

Have you tried it with .flac files? If so, what resolution? I've used the Popcorn Hour with .flac files up to 24/96, so far.

Jim,

My CDs are all ripped using EAC in lossless form to FLAC. Also tried the 24/96 HD tracks sampler album, and a 24 bit / 192kHz test sample from Linn. My DAC is able to handle it (Keces DA 131.1).

I just need to verify that the NMT is indeed outputting the actual digital signal, instead of capping at 48kHz. I believe if you set the HDMI audio output to OFF, it allows full resolution stereo information to be output on the co-ax/optical ports.

cmryan21 · « **Reply #19 on:** 16 Apr 2009, 02:13 am »

Quote from: ashok on 11 Apr 2009, 01:20 pm

Quote from: JDUBS on 10 Apr 2009, 06:53 pm
Have you tried it with .flac files? If so, what resolution? I've used the Popcorn Hour with .flac files up to 24/96, so far.

Jim,

My CDs are all ripped using EAC in lossless form to FLAC. Also tried the 24/96 HD tracks sampler album, and a 24 bit / 192kHz test sample from Linn. My DAC is able to handle it (Keces DA 131.1).

I just need to verify that the NMT is indeed outputting the actual digital signal, instead of capping at 48kHz. I believe if you set the HDMI audio output to OFF, it allows full resolution stereo information to be output on the co-ax/optical ports.

Ashok,

I am also very interested in this since it looks like high-rez downloads are becoming more popular. I know an apple tv will play 24/96 material but down sample it to 16/44.1. Do you know if there is a fairly simple way to test this or do we need to jump through some complicated and/or expensive hoops?