While the first Popcorn Hour C-200 shipments have hit homes all over (including ours) subsequent deliveries have been slower to arrive, with the second batch finally due to ship right about now, with a delay until October 26th estimated for the next group due to a variety of reasons detailed on the official forums. Of course, we feel terrible for media streamer fans who don't have one yet (even though we have one) keeping a spot open for yet-to-arrive devices, refreshing email looking for a shipment confirmation and trawling forums for updates can be devastating. Unfortunately we can't relate (since we have one) but we'll be sure to get a full fledged review out in the intervening period to let you know just how wonderful things could be.

[Thanks, G.R. Medina]

Popcorn Hour's latest all-accessing all-playing media device has finally made its way into our hands, and while we haven't had nearly enough time to put the C-200 completely through its paces, we did spare a moment to take some pictures and play a movie or two. Other than using RF (no line of sight needed here) the remote is mostly unchanged from the earlier A-110, though we have had some issues with the box not responding to inputs, tightening the antenna seems to have made things better for now. Slipping a SATA hard drive in requires only the lightest tug on the drive bay door, it really couldn't be easier -- we'll have to see how a Blu-ray drive fits soon. With the exception of slight noise from the HDD we put in, the C-200 is nearly silent in operation, and home theater nuts will be glad to know that bright blue display up front can be dimmed all the way to off. An extra USB port front and back hasn't hurt usability either, though it would have been nice if it recognized a keyboard when we were setting up new RSS feeds. Thanks to DLNA support, Windows 7 Play To functionality worked sufficiently playing media, but we couldn't get the titles to display properly on the C-200 whether initiated from the PC or on the box itself. So far it's played everything we've thrown at it, from legitimately downloaded trailers to less MPAA-authorized material. Anything you want to see tested as part of our full review? Leave ideas in the comments while you check out the pictures.

It looks like Popcorn Hour's C-200 media streamer is making its way into end-users' hands, so prepare yourself for a flurry of reviews. Our friend Brent over at GeekTonic should be jumping into the fray soon, and has kicked things off with a preview. Yeah, the C-200 is bigger than its sibling A-100, but it brings so much to the table that we'd say Popcorn Hour has packed in just as much -- if not more -- goodness per cubic inch. With space available for a hard and/or Blu-ray drive, wired and wireless networking, and USB ports to round out the input connectivity, the C-200 then adds a smorgasbord of codec support just to make sure your bits will survive the translation back into entertainment. With the "it plays anything" kind of capability the C-200 is promising, we've got a feeling that a positive review or two might be the only thing standing between us and a $300 dent in our credit cards.

[Via ZatzNotFunny]

As you may have noticed, the new Popcorn Hour C-200 media box didn't quite make its anticipated July launch, but the company now says that as of 12 a.m. PST August 27, pre-orders will open allowing the willing faithful to put in a request for the first batch, anticipated to ship September 3 or thereabouts. Don't remember the June announcement? The $299 Sigma powered box takes HDD, Blu-ray discs, USB or network inputs of nearly any video or audio codec available and brings them to your living room. Since then, pics and video of the units guts and interface have leaked out on the forums, check after the break or beyond the read link for a better look.

[Via MediaSmartServer.net]

Looking for a more official announcement than a forum post? Beyond the read link awaits Popcorn Hour's official press release for the C-200 containing some of the details we so desperately wanted, like a July release window and price of $299. Otherwise the details remain the same with support for nearly every codec we could ask for and a front mounted drive bay ready for HDD or optical drives of your choosing. We sent over a query about the Blu-ray and Blu-ray live support mentioned, but were unable to nail down any new details -- we'd bet on being able to play back your de-AACS'd rips & backups but that's about it. Any other questions that need answering once we score some hands on time with this do it all media box?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

The followup to the popular PopcornHour media streamer series has finally been announced, and the list of features makes it look worth the wait. Revealed in a post on the Networked Media Tank forums the C-200 contains an upgraded Sigma SMP8643 667 Mhz processor, HDMI 1.3 out, two SATA slots, a drive bay for mounting your own HDD, DVD or even Blu-ray drive (requires internal HDD or 1GB USB stick) and supports a list of networking standards, codecs and containers far too long to recount here. At first glance, only DivX jumps out as missing from the list, have a look at the forum posting and let us know if you spot. Of course, there's already a video unboxing available, seen after the break (along with the copied list of specs) or check out the full Google translated early hands on impressions from HomeTheater.co.il. The most pressing questions of when will these be available and for how much, will have to be answered at another time.

[Via HomeTheater.co.il & Geek Tonic]

We've been on a media streamer kick lately and decided to check the Popcorn Hour A-110 to see what all the fuss is about. Our first impressions are positive, but we'll hold out sharing too much until we've had more time to play. We're willing to share a few details though like the fact that the remote feels really good considering the price point ($179), the thumbscrews on the top give easy access to the drive bay (drive not included). And on top of all that, we have to admit we appreciate it it when an HDMI is included. Stay tuned for more...

Talk about broadening one's product portfolio. Popcorn Hour, the outfit that started small with a heralded media streamer last Fall, has delved head first into the wide, wacky world of digital signage. The minuscule S-210 media streamer was built to run around the clock with little power consumption, and it packs 2GB of internal USB flash storage along with no "complicated PC architecture." Everything that goes through the device is controlled by a bundled PC app, and the included HDMI 1.1a / VGA outputs link your advertisements (or other media) to a display. Check the read link for the lengthy list of file format compatibility, and if you're into it, add one to your cart at $219.

[Thanks, elmopio]

Generally speaking, it's tough to find someone who doesn't love their Popcorn Hour media streamer. Not to say everything's perfectly kosher, however, as the lack of internal WiFi is a niggle that many cord haters have found inexcusable. Curiously enough, we heard back in May that the outfit was preparing a new trio of streamers, and one of 'em was destined to have WiFi built-in; we're still waiting on that unit, but Popcorn Hour is more than happy to give the option of retrofitting. The WN-100 is a draft-N WiFi adapter that adopts MIMO technology, supports 64- / 128-bit WEP encryption (along with WPA / WPA2, etc.) and comes sporting with a $37 price tag. Or, you can snag the A-110 with WN-100 bundle and save a whopping two bucks from buying separately.

[Thanks, AFB]

If you've been putting off that purchase of Popcorn Hour's evolutionary A-110 HD media streamer or all new B-110 motherboard, here's a decent compilation of facts and opinions to help you make up your mind once and for all. The cats over at DigitalReviews took the time to not only detail, test out and report back on the newest duo from the company, but it also revisited the original (and heralded) A-100 in order to give a better comparison. Overall, critics did tend to prefer the A-110 over its predecessor, but the minor list of changes made it a hard sell for folks teetering on upgrading. The B-110 was seen as an even tougher sell, with only the hardcore DIY crowd likely to even find it worth investigating. Nevertheless, we won't spoil the rest for you -- head on down to have a look for yourself.

[Thanks, Anton]

Ah, ha! There you are, Mr. B-110. When your partner in crime, the simultaneously announced A-110 HD media streamer, was spotted over at CNET UK, we knew you wouldn't be too far behind. Sure enough, the DIY motherboard -- which was designed for individuals looking to concoct their own HTPC -- has been unboxed and handled over at the aforementioned site. There is one part in particular that caught our eye in reading through the preview; the 7.1-channel analog outputs that are on the mobo will not be activated on this model, with CNETers suggesting that another, more robust version could be on the horizon. Yeah, HDMI 1.3a is still there for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD pass-through, but we are somewhat dismayed by the analog news. Anywho, check the read link for a few more snapshots and a read of what it's packing.

[Thanks, John]

While we can only imagine that the lead time for one of Popcorn Hour's A-110 HD media streamers is at least a week or so judging by the demand of the predecessor, at least one of these things has managed to make its way out. CNET's UK branch was able to wrap their paws around the latest Networked Media Tank, and while they did note that the design was essentially the same, the changes that were made (HDMI 1.3a in particular) were "seriously worthwhile." For a brief preview and a few more shots, check out the read link below.

[Thanks, John]

Who knows if Popcorn Hour really is still working on a couple more HD media streamers, but its latest one is definitely up for pre-order. First whispered about a few months back, the $215 A-110 is a revamped A-100 that adds 2.5- / 3.5-inch SATA HDD and USB Slave functionality, HDMI 1.3a support (for full HD audio pass-through) and an optical S/PDIF to replace the coaxial S/PDIF socket. For those of you looking for even more flexibility, you can take a look at the outfit's new B-110 Baseline. This "Home Theater Motherboard" arrives with the media enthusiast in mind, boasting support for HDMI 1.3a, optical / coaxial S/PDIF connectors, four USB 2.0 ports and a mini-ITX form factor. Both pieces should ship out within two to four weeks, but considering just how sticky things were when the A-100 launched, we'd tack on a few weeks to that estimation just in case.

[Thanks, Stephen and Jeff]

Popcorn Hour's A-100 just can't seem to stay out of the spotlight, but even with a product that's universally loved, there's always a few things it could be better at. Now that you've had a few months to toy around with this thing, what aspects would you like to see improved? Head on over to Engadget Classic to chime in.