Help Choose: Apple TV or Popcorn Hour

Ever since I've made the jump to the world of torrents, I've been downloading feature films non-stop, and even though the iMac's screen is very much adequate for movies, movies are watched at least in a TV. And additional free Hard Drive space is always appreciated.

Burning DVD's is a different matter. Unreliability of the end product for one. I mean, if you burn a DVD, there's always the chance of having a skipping picture. So I've decided to research on HDTV receivers (where you can put movie files and play in HD, since my dad has an HDTV already), and I'm stuck with two solutions: Apple TV and Popcorn Hour. If you can help me determine the better of the two, then I'd be so grateful.

Apple TV

It has a lot of room for improvement, but every time it does improve, it becomes a lot more attractive to buy. Plus, the improvements are free. They say it's painless to set up, and if you want file format support, you can just hack it (but it will void the warranty).

Unfortunately, the Apple TV doesn't come with HDMI cables, I'm afraid to hack it so I can play my AVI files uncompressed (my movie files are mostly AVI files) and you have to re-encode your movies (and inevitably suffer quality loss). Picture quality loss that's not significant isn't that much of a loss for me, but we're talking about a big screen here.

I predict that Apple will inevitably bring out an update that brings support for all the formats Quicktime supports, but it doesn't seem as if it will happen soon. But anything could happen in MacWorld in January.

Still, Wi-Fi is built-in so you can stream straight from YouTube, Flickr, or the iTunes Store (I like watching trailers... in HD!) and the hard drive is already built-in unlike in Popcorn Hour where you have to shell out extra cash. Additionally, the minimalist style is very much appreciated and it's extremely n00b-friendly. To reiterate, enhancements are also very much free, so the product's life will be pretty darn long and replacement would have to take very long.

The quality may not beat Blu-ray, but I don't really care, because the iTunes integration (from multiple computers so anyone dropping by to watch a file in his laptop with you can watch it on TV instead) is a pretty big sell.

The price for 160GB which I'm eyeing on, is supposed to be 16000 pesos when converted from its US dollar price, so I'm expecting that price in Greenhills. Still, you'd also have to buy your own HDMI cables which are pretty expensive unless you look.

Popcorn Hour A-110

Anything you set beside an Apple product comes out unattractive, and while not very ugly, the Popcorn Hour looks like such in comparison. Still, it's the features that matter, and features it delivers.

First and foremost, the file format support. Any format you put in it is very much supported so I don't have to suffer long encoding times, and so that the movies I download are gonna be very much untouched (and thus, may be able to even beat Blu-ray). Additionally, it has a built-in torrent downloader, but it would have to depend on how dependable it is. Plus, you can go beyond YouTube and even view Metacafe videos, etc., etc.. And it's effing cheaper (P10000 when converted from USD).

But it wouldn't be that effing cheaper when you consider the additional stuff you'd have to buy. In fact, it would be extremely close (maybe even slightly more expensive) to the price of the USD-converted price for the 160GB Apple TV. For one thing, the Popcorn Hour doesn't come with a Hard Drive. 

While you can select the capacity of Hard Drive you want, it would bring the Popcorn Hour's price up to par with the Apple TV's (that doesn't include the HDMI cables). And if you want to sync the Popcorn Hour with a PC or Mac, you'd have to format that Hard Drive into the conventional FAT32 or NTFS.

 BUT, the torrent downloader becomes unusable because the Popcorn Hour can't write into FAT32 or NTFS drives (or so they say) thus the torrent downloader becomes unusable.

Additionally, if I want to stream videos wirelessly from the Internet (aka, thru Wi-Fi), I would have to buy yet another accessory! I'm not sure how much it costs, but even without it, it would still cost as much as the Apple TV in hindsight. Plus, the interface isn't as n00b-friendly, so I wouldn't dare leave it to my youngest brother to operate. Of course, that is unless you'd opt for using a USB flash disk as a poor substitute for the hard disk drive.

Still, the file format support is the big sell here. But I'd also like to stream the occasional online video through the Wi-Fi connection we have here without having to expend more.

Which one?

These devices may have already received some sort of upgrade already when we actually get to buying one of them, but being able to decide on a definitive streamer would be very appreciated.

New MS and Sony hardware; Mii's take over Guitar Hero IV

Sony and MS at Leipzig
So the German gaming event has come, and it has shed new light on some new Microsoft and Sony hardware.

On the Sony side, they're introducting yet another PSP model. It may have much of the same stuff as last year's update (PSP-2000 or the PSP Slim), but it promises something new in the form of a microphone. Sony states that it will let users get rid of the headset so they can now directly talk when using Skype or Go!Messenger.
Frankly, I'm not sure how I feel about it. On one hand, I think it's cool that they're giving future PSP owners the convenience and value for money, but on the other hand, I don't see how this won't make the person seem crazy to other people. Just imagine yourself in a Wi-Fi hotspot talking to your PSP... It's like shouting at your DS to say "Objection!".

And this makes me want to ask the question: What next, Sony? A touch screen?

Anyway, it comes in either the Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters PSP Entertainment Pack and a new PSP 4GB Memory Entertainment Pack. The Core Pack will follow eventually.

Moving on, the PS3's also getting a new pack- the 160GB pack to be precise. And it'll include the game Uncharted: Drake's Fortune as well as a download voucher for a game called PAIN in the free online service PlayStation Network. And frankly, I'm finding more and more reason to get a PS3 now, especially since this bundle costs 499 dollars- which is actually of much value than you think.

Plus, Sony also announced a Bluetooth-powered keypad that you can attach on your Dualshock 3. And judging from the size of those buttons, I don't think it looks comfortable. It will arrive this November.
Going to the Microsoft side, it's a bit less significant- especially for the 360 owners- and that's because the new hardware being announced are for the PC- and I mean it.

And why is that? Well, those accessories are just a keyboard and a mouse that are the newest addition to the SideWinder line-up.

The keyboard especially looks butt-ugly though but the numerical pad can be detached, and it has been reported that the LCD screen on the mouse has been removed- probably to cut costs.
Mii's take over Guitar Hero World Tour...
On freestyle mode, that is.

Vicarious Vicions, developer for the fourth installment, did not give Wii owners empty promises after all, especially since it utilizes the Mii's in the game's freestyle mode. What is it, you ask? Well, it's basically a mode where you can do anything you want with an instrument using the Wiimote. So even though the real drums come with the package, you can still use the Wiimote to make "air drums". Kinda like Wii Music- only less.

However, another reason for Wii owners to get excited about the Wii version of this new installment of the famous franchise is the fact that they finally, finally get some real DLC- that's downloadable content for the uninitiated.

What is it for? Well, it's for extending the replay value- basically adding more songs to master in the game. And that alone, finally gives me reason to actually care about the results of Vicarious Vision's attack to Rock Band 2.