ChainsawAsh said:
Here's what I looked for in my media player:
- Can play MKV, MP4, and AVI/DIVX/XVID files
- Can output Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 audio
- Can downconvert DTS 5.1 to 2.0 stereo (when not using a 5.1 setup) - WDTV couldn't do this at the time I bought my Seagate, now it can
- Can read media as it's organized on the hard drive instead of just throwing everything in an alphabetical list (murder on TV show files)
Most of the big name media players can do all of those.
- Can output 480i composite/component, 480p/720p/1080i component/HDMI, and 1080p HDMI (as a bonus, it can output 576i/p and 720p50/1080i50/1080p50, though I can't really use that except on one friend's projector - nice for watching Doctor Who, though)
It would not be fair of me to comment on this because all I use is HDMI. I do not think any of the players that have been released recently would have a problem with those. (Switching between multiple audio and subtitles tracks has never presented me with any problems.)
What added benefit is there to the Popcorn Hour or Playon!HD Mini?
The only real benefit is one that I mentioned before. They play non-standard streams that other media players have problems with. I do not know why, for example, the Playon!HD Mini should handle streams better than the Mede8er or WDTV Live do, but in my experience it does. I play many HDTV broadcasts, which are often problematic, so this is a high priority for me. I have never owned a Popcorn Hour, but from talking to people with similar priorities it seems that the Popcorn Hour is also better at handling HDTV than the others.
Can they do Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD? 7.1 output?
The version 2 of the HD Mini can, and I am almost certain that the version 1 can. You might have to check this though. I care only about decoding and outputting LPCM stereo over HDMI lol. Perhaps the menus on the WDTV have changed, but when I used it they were very basic, whereas the Mini's were far better. They have become even more elaborate with each firmware update, to the extent that I have stuck with a slightly earlier firmware because it's simpler.
To be clear, I would not recommend that you personally buy a Playon!HD Mini, because it is not really an upgrade on what you currently own. I do think that it is better than the other entry level players of a similar price, so I would recommend it to someone who does not own a player, if they really do not want to spend money on a Popcorn Hour or Dune player.