# Warning to owners of Popcorn Hour/Syabas NMT



## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

If you own a Popcorn Hour or other Syabas powered Network Media Tank (www.popcornhour.com) and since the latest HR2x firmware upgrade your Popcorn Hour has become inoperative or constantly reports "Request Cannot Be Processed" the problem lies with a conflict between the device and the HR2x.

We can't be sure which company's software is causing the problem and there are reports going back and forth of cooperation/non-cooperation.

At the present time the only way to easily allow your Popcorn Hour device to operate is to disconnect all of your HR2X DVRs from the network. The PCH should immediately free-up and operate properly. You will of course lose the network enabled features on the HR2x.

Hopefully, one or both of these companies will realize that it might be customer friendly to fix the issue and do so.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Well, here's an update on the matter. If the Popcorn Hour/Syabas people are to be believed the problem lies with the HR2x. Let's hope DirecTV can resolve this issue. 

Thank you also to the DirecTV engineer willing to admit to the error and hopefully he/she will be allowed to fix it.

It's a shame that something wasn't done about this three months ago when it was originally reported.
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DirectTV engineer acknowledge us that they found some issue on their upnpav server and currently trying to do the testing on their patch. They said will give us the result next week. Meanwhile, we also working with a customer to try out our upnp workaround for this issue. From the Ethereal captured packet, seems like DirectTV return an invalid response to our upnp browse command.
by: Popcorn Hour Support on 10/28/2008 4:05:53 AM


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

A little further information. According to the PCH support group DirecTV has said they will have some kind of fix within the next two weeks.


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## AJ500 (Jul 19, 2007)

Ken S,

Thanks for keeping your foot on the pedal for this issue!


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

No problem. The Thanks should go to the Popcorn Hour support group. They're open and willing to communicate with customers...it's refreshing.

From what I've heard DirecTV really needs to clean-up their UPnP implementation. They had problems with UPnP cameras early on, now the PCH and their network services.


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## durl (Mar 27, 2003)

I just got a Popcorn Hour and experienced the problems. Thankfully, the Popcorn Hour forum helped me figure out what's going wrong. Unplugging my HR20 from the network got my PCH working.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but if the HR2x and the Popcorn Hour unit can learn to play together, wouldn't that mean that I could stream my HR2x recordings to the Popcorn Hour in another room?


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## rahlquist (Jul 24, 2007)

durl said:


> I just got a Popcorn Hour and experienced the problems. Thankfully, the Popcorn Hour forum helped me figure out what's going wrong. Unplugging my HR20 from the network got my PCH working.
> 
> Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but if the HR2x and the Popcorn Hour unit can learn to play together, wouldn't that mean that I could stream my HR2x recordings to the Popcorn Hour in another room?


If it can do DLNA client and support the proper encryption I believe it should?


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Anyone at DirecTV want to comment on fixing this problem? I wonder what other UPnP devices/servers the HR2x series is breaking as well.


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## durl (Mar 27, 2003)

I'm still learning about it's capabilities but I believe it can handle the DLNA client aspect, but I'm not sure about encryption.

Before I unhooked the HR20 from the network, I was able to see it as a Source option on the PCH (until the PCH hit it's error loop). I really liked the idea of having MRV at my disposal.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

durl said:


> I'm still learning about it's capabilities but I believe it can handle the DLNA client aspect, but I'm not sure about encryption.
> 
> Before I unhooked the HR20 from the network, I was able to see it as a Source option on the PCH (until the PCH hit it's error loop). I really liked the idea of having MRV at my disposal.


My guess is it's not just the capability to handle encryption that is important, but it would have to a have a key of some sort from DirecTV.


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## rahlquist (Jul 24, 2007)

Ken as our resident authority on the popcorn box..

I just had an epiphany reading the issues thread for 0x29b. Is it possible since we seem to have an issue with other UPnP devices on the network, that other UPnP devices/requests are what cause the HRx hangs we see that are alleviated when people disconnect them from the LAN? 

Just a thought. Maybe we should try to bash a lan with a HRx on it with UPnP requests and see what happens? It may be me prominent a problem where people are using hub instead of etherswitches on their network as well.


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## islesfan (Oct 18, 2006)

Ken S said:


> Anyone at DirecTV want to comment on fixing this problem? I wonder what other UPnP devices/servers the HR2x series is breaking as well.


Yesterday, the exact same thing started happening with my ViiV server and the HR20 and 21. (this was the first time I had tried media share since the software update). I re-booted the HR21 and the problem went away on both machines (the 20 is networked throught the 21).


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## David MacLeod (Jan 29, 2008)

rahlquist said:


> It may be me prominent a problem where people are using hub instead of etherswitches on their network as well.


you may have something there, even people using the router as a hub may be included.
I use switches and seemingly have less problems than a lot with lockups and stuff, wonder if this does affect it. I've never had to unplug lan on any of my 3 units.


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## rahlquist (Jul 24, 2007)

David MacLeod said:


> you may have something there, even people using the router as a hub may be included.
> I use switches and seemingly have less problems than a lot with lockups and stuff, wonder if this does affect it. I've never had to unplug lan on any of my 3 units.


Yeah my own layout is;

Hr20-100-to Etherswitch to router And
Hr22-100-to-WGA600n-Router

So I could be fairly well isolated too, but this just may be the issues folks report.


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## fornold (Sep 4, 2006)

Just to add to the data. My HR20 and HR21 are both connected through a switch. I also have a wireless printer hub that is UPNP tied to the router. 

I have not had any issues with lockups.


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## evan_s (Mar 4, 2008)

Ken S said:


> My guess is it's not just the capability to handle encryption that is important, but it would have to a have a key of some sort from DirecTV.


I don't believe they would need a key or anything from DirecTV. The encryption is a link level encryption that is setup when the stream is started and is not tied to or related to the normal encryption of the signal at all.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

rahlquist said:


> Ken as our resident authority on the popcorn box..
> 
> I just had an epiphany reading the issues thread for 0x29b. Is it possible since we seem to have an issue with other UPnP devices on the network, that other UPnP devices/requests are what cause the HRx hangs we see that are alleviated when people disconnect them from the LAN?
> 
> Just a thought. Maybe we should try to bash a lan with a HRx on it with UPnP requests and see what happens? It may be me prominent a problem where people are using hub instead of etherswitches on their network as well.


Yes, it is possible over a year ago I worked with a DirecTV engineer (through a former host here) on fixing a UPnP issue where a Panasonic wireless camera would lock up the HR20 almost immediately. DirecTV was able to fix that problem in their code.


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## rahlquist (Jul 24, 2007)

Ken S said:


> Yes, it is possible over a year ago I worked with a DirecTV engineer (through a former host here) on fixing a UPnP issue where a Panasonic wireless camera would lock up the HR20 almost immediately. DirecTV was able to fix that problem in their code.


Ok so what may help here in the future is anyone who clears their lockups by taking their HR off their LAN should post anything and everything they have networked and/or accessing their network?


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Here's the latest from the Popcorn Hour folks.

1. It is a confirmed problem with the DirecTV network responses. It's not specific to the Popcorn Hour and could cause problems with other networked devices.

2. They (PCH devs) are developing and testing a "workaround" to hopefully be included in their next firmware release.

3. DirecTV has contacted them and may do a build in the next week or two that addresses this issue. I don't know whether this build would be available here or anywhere publicly.


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## rahlquist (Jul 24, 2007)

Ken,

Thanks for the update. Is there any way we could get more detail on this or are we bordering on trade secrets or is it standard networking stack stuff?

They say it can affect other devices, could the affected device in turn send out a packet that then locks up an HRx?

NM found the thread.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

rahlquist said:


> Ken,
> 
> Thanks for the update. Is there any way we could get more detail on this or are we bordering on trade secrets or is it standard networking stack stuff?
> 
> ...


Rahlquist,

There have been cases in the past where the HR2x was locked up by another UPnP device on the network (a bug in the HR2x at the time)...that was not caused by this specific bug, but it is possible that there could be other flaws.

The strange part about this is it's not very hard to find the specifications for this type of stuff...it's also not hard to test...but somehow once again a NR on the HR2x is not within the specs and this time they are causing problems with other networked devices. It's very sloppy work and even worse testing that continues to let these types of bugs make it to national release.


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## gimp (Jul 29, 2006)

Happy New Year!

Was this ever resolved? I have a HR20 and PCH. The PCH workaround was a beta fw update, which I tried but it did not resolve the problem in my case. I ended up disconnecting the HR20 from the network and don't miss it all that much. Thanks for any news.


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## kirkusinnc (Apr 24, 2006)

Last info I got from Sybas was the next firmware release is supposed to contain a fix. They apparently will ignore any DirecTV box when looking for uPNP servers.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

kirkusinnc said:


> Last info I got from Sybas was the next firmware release is supposed to contain a fix. They apparently will ignore any DirecTV box when looking for uPNP servers.


That's sort of true. It will work, but their "fix" is to crash their UPnP AV client so while it will not go into a loop it also will not be able to connect to servers like TVersity and PlayON. This is as of the last beta firmware from Syabas (12/28).

Both Syabas and DirecTV should fix this issue. Supposedly DirecTV applied a fix a long time back but my testing shows it was ineffective.


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## pfueri (Jan 22, 2007)

What is a Popcorn Hour ?What uses would I use it for?What or is there an advantage to having one?


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## bwclark (Nov 10, 2005)

pfueri said:


> What is a Popcorn Hour ?What uses would I use it for?What or is there an advantage to having one?


http://www.popcornhour.com/onlinest...g&task=info&item_id=10&main_id=0&category_id=


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## gimp (Jul 29, 2006)

Ken S said:


> That's sort of true. It will work, but their "fix" is to crash their UPnP AV client so while it will not go into a loop it also will not be able to connect to servers like TVersity and PlayON. This is as of the last beta firmware from Syabas (12/28).
> 
> Both Syabas and DirecTV should fix this issue. Supposedly DirecTV applied a fix a long time back but my testing shows it was ineffective.


Since I use PlayON to watch Netflix Instant and Hulu via my PCH, guess I'll wait for a HR20 fix. Given the lack of responsiveness, I won't hold my breath. DTV probably has all of their resources debugging the 771 problem


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## snoots (Oct 29, 2007)

This pisses me off; There are standards used for these devices. I have quite a number of them on my network and have NEVER had an issue until the HR20s started terrorizing my network. 2 HDTIVOs , PS3 Linkplayer2 all coexisting and the PS3 and Linkplayer playing back DirecTV via UPNP server from the networked HDtivos. Now I have to unplug the HR20s so my IstartHD ( syabas based player) will work. I'm betting my money on the HR20s being non UPNP complient to support DRM.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

In theory, the HR20 is/will be DLNA compliant using DTCP-IP. DTCP-IP is less common in DLNA products as it is an optional part of the standard--except for those devices that need to support DRM.

So it is possible the DTCP is causing the problems, but we still don't know if the HR2x is compliant with DTCP or the other devices are (at least tolerant.)

Alas, DLNA specs are expensive or I'd get copy and sniff my network. 

Cheers,
Tom


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## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

I use a lot of UPnP devices on my network with the HR2x receivers and have had no issues at all. Not saying the issue does not exist, just questioning why it only seems to happen with the Popcorn Hour based devices.


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## Jolliec (Sep 1, 2006)

I am thinking of getting a Popcorn Hour. Does this problem render the Popcorn Hour useless? Will it still play movies/files from my server/share on my network?

Thanks


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Jolliec said:


> I am thinking of getting a Popcorn Hour. Does this problem render the Popcorn Hour useless? Will it still play movies/files from my server/share on my network?
> 
> Thanks


It will play movies from a network share it will not be able to work with other media servers (TVersity/PlayON, etc.) as the Popcorn Hour AV client will crash because of the DirecTV non-compliant/faulty responses.


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## durl (Mar 27, 2003)

Jolliec said:


> I am thinking of getting a Popcorn Hour. Does this problem render the Popcorn Hour useless? Will it still play movies/files from my server/share on my network?
> 
> Thanks


I just unplug my Directv receiver from the network while Popcorn Hours are in use. It's not ideal but it's also not a huge hassle in my case.

Hopefully, a fix will be put into place soon from either Directv or PCH.


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## Jolliec (Sep 1, 2006)

Could you tell me your overall rating of the Popcorn Hour? Any drawbacks? I mainly want to use it to play movies stored on my HP MediaSmart Server.

Also, is there any function to use parental control ratings on folders/devices? 

Thanks


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Jolliec said:


> Could you tell me your overall rating of the Popcorn Hour? Any drawbacks? I mainly want to use it to play movies stored on my HP MediaSmart Server.
> 
> Also, is there any function to use parental control ratings on folders/devices?
> 
> Thanks


At present I give it a B-. It's a neat device, but has some bugs. It plays a lot of different formats. If you put a HD in it the functionality gets even better. For the price it's a very nice substitute for an HTPC. It's a nice value for the money...just know you're getting in on the leading edge.


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## trekologer (Jun 30, 2007)

Without looking at the protocol and exchange between the two and going on the description of the problem only, I would put the blame sqarely at the makers of Popcorn Hour. Even if the HR2x was sending non-compliant data (and I'm not saying it is--I don't know the specifics), the Popcorn Hour device should be robust enough to not crash upon bad input. Its just a fundamental of design that you should always assume you'll get bad data and code/check around it. Even if its the HR2x triggering a problem, who is to say that another application/device wouldn't trigger it as well. Or maybe the user did something stupid and set the network's MTU to 150 and every packet is fragmented, or what ever it might be. Or it could very well be that the HR2x is compliant but the Popcorn Hour just doesn't parse the data correctly. Who knows... in any case, bad input shouldn't cause a crash.


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## durl (Mar 27, 2003)

Jolliec said:


> Could you tell me your overall rating of the Popcorn Hour? Any drawbacks? I mainly want to use it to play movies stored on my HP MediaSmart Server.
> 
> Also, is there any function to use parental control ratings on folders/devices?
> 
> Thanks


Check out online reviews from people like Engadget, etc.. Basically, most reviewers I read love the machine. It can handle just about any format and the price makes it a great value.


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## Jolliec (Sep 1, 2006)

durl said:


> Check out online reviews from people like Engadget, etc.. Basically, most reviewers I read love the machine. It can handle just about any format and the price makes it a great value.


I think I have now read about everything I can find on the web, reviews etc. The only thing that seems to be consistent is the poor UI. Everything else seems to be very positive. I was really hoping to find a skin/theme for the PCH that would allow me to display the DVD art.

I went to order one today and they are not shipping for a while (Chinese New Year delay), so I figured I had some more time to think about it.

I am considering this or a Dell Studio Hybrid used as an HTPC. I am not convinced that I really want to spend the 1K+ for the Dell as I most likely would only use it to play/organize my movies.

Thanks again for the info.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

trekologer said:


> Without looking at the protocol and exchange between the two and going on the description of the problem only, I would put the blame sqarely at the makers of Popcorn Hour. Even if the HR2x was sending non-compliant data (and I'm not saying it is--I don't know the specifics), the Popcorn Hour device should be robust enough to not crash upon bad input. Its just a fundamental of design that you should always assume you'll get bad data and code/check around it. Even if its the HR2x triggering a problem, who is to say that another application/device wouldn't trigger it as well. Or maybe the user did something stupid and set the network's MTU to 150 and every packet is fragmented, or what ever it might be. Or it could very well be that the HR2x is compliant but the Popcorn Hour just doesn't parse the data correctly. Who knows... in any case, bad input shouldn't cause a crash.


trekologer,

So by the same logic the person that doesn't run A/V software is the only one at fault when they get a virus?
Yes, Syabas should have a better fix than they do for this, but if we're going to live in a world with interconnected devices it is very important that each company care enough to follow the standards and NOT release devices they know will cause problems. When they find out about a problem they should fix it.


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## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

Ken S said:


> trekologer,
> 
> So by the same logic the person that doesn't run A/V software is the only one at fault when they get a virus?
> Yes, Syabas should have a better fix than they do for this, but if we're going to live in a world with interconnected devices it is very important that each company care enough to follow the standards and NOT release devices they know will cause problems. When they find out about a problem they should fix it.


The problem with not following standards is that even if errors 1, 2, and 3 are compensated for because the source device is not following the standard, what surely follow are future errors that cause similar problems. Yes, some effort should be put into error trapping, but you can't trap what you don't know is there (and is not supposed to be there if there standard is followed).

Is Popcorn supposed to be engaged in a perpetual "chase the tail" because D* is not following the standard protocol?

I don't use Popcorn, and I have no obvious problems with my two NAS drives, but I am sympathetic to not following standards as the root cause for what has been reported. If both devices implement the standard properly, then there shouldn't be "many" problems due to errors or corruption in the data. When the source device doesn't even give a baseline (i.e., strictly following an agreed upon standard protocol) to evaluate as to deviations, then I don't see how the Popcorn device will ever have any peace.

I'm not trying to be simple-minded, but really...aren't these problems *exactly* what standards are meant to avoid, or at least minimize? If we took the same cavalier attitude toward tcp/ip, we would have no internet.


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## durl (Mar 27, 2003)

Jolliec said:


> I think I have now read about everything I can find on the web, reviews etc. The only thing that seems to be consistent is the poor UI. Everything else seems to be very positive. I was really hoping to find a skin/theme for the PCH that would allow me to display the DVD art.
> 
> I went to order one today and they are not shipping for a while (Chinese New Year delay), so I figured I had some more time to think about it.
> 
> ...


Yes, the UI is quite...plain. There are skins created by users that will dress up the default UI. You can find those on the forum website: www.networkedmediatank.com

There are a few jukebox programs available that will let you display cover art and other movie info that give you a MUCH better interface. Details for those are also available on the website listed above.


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## rahlquist (Jul 24, 2007)

Ken S said:


> trekologer,
> 
> So by the same logic the person that doesn't run A/V software is the only one at fault when they get a virus?
> Yes, Syabas should have a better fix than they do for this, but if we're going to live in a world with interconnected devices it is very important that each company care enough to follow the standards and NOT release devices they know will cause problems. When they find out about a problem they should fix it.


Ken, I am sorry but really Syabas needs to get the fixed. Like someone else said every device should aspire to perfect output and be capable of handling the worst input AND be capable of defending itself from an attack. What the D* bug has shown is the popcorn hour has a possible attack vector, its up to Syabas to get it fixed on their side and D* to fix it on their end as well, neither device short of sending 120VAC over the LAN should be able to affect the other devices operational status.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Ken S said:


> trekologer,
> 
> So by the same logic the person that doesn't run A/V software is the only one at fault when they get a virus?
> Yes, Syabas should have a better fix than they do for this, but if we're going to live in a world with interconnected devices it is very important that each company care enough to follow the standards and NOT release devices they know will cause problems. When they find out about a problem they should fix it.


Actually your analogy would be closer if you said that because one chose not to install the fix from Syabas, they would be at fault... 

Or Windows is at fault for not having built robustness into their software, thus requiring the whole concept of A/V software in the first place. Almost all security holes are from lack of robust programming techniques. (A few are lack of robust design techniques in the standard itself.)

Remember, bad data happens. Happens all the time. Good systems ignore bad data.

And I'm not trying to say "DIRECTV is not at fault here". I am saying they might be at fault too (actually likely are given the evidence). But like most things in life, a balanced perspective is the wise course.

Cheers,
Tom


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Tom Robertson said:


> Actually your analogy would be closer if you said that because one chose not to install the fix from Syabas, they would be at fault...
> 
> Or Windows is at fault for not having built robustness into their software, thus requiring the whole concept of A/V software in the first place. Almost all security holes are from lack of robust programming techniques. (A few are lack of robust design techniques in the standard itself.)
> 
> ...


Tom,

Every time I bring this issue up I state that Syabas needs to protect themselves against this type of issue. They have told me they have a new patch coming out that will.

The problem remains that DirecTV's sloppy work with a pretty basic standard (UPnP) caused an issue and they basically chose to not fix that issue. That's not good..especially when DirecTV sends down updates without warning and without information. How many people had their PCH broken because DirecTV updated its software and spent hours trying to figure out why?

Yes, programming needs to be robust...but it's a bit one-sided to say every company that has devices on a network needs to be able to protect itself against any potential problem brought about by the sloppy non-standard work of another company.

Your idea of balance seems to really minimize the root cause of the problem. As a consumer who has no control over the programming of any device on the network...which device should be considered the higher risk to network operation? The answer is clearly the HR2x.

So, yes...we should all run A/V, wear seat belts, overcoats, and developers should all try to protect their devices from other developer's faults...but mostly companies should properly test their network devices and make sure they comply with basic standards prior to release. They should also NOT release a product they know to cause a problem (which is what DirecTV did) and they should fix problems that are affecting other devices on a network in a timely manner. At the very least once they're made aware of an issue they should let their customers know about the problem.

I would say that for DirecTV, Microsoft, AOL (which created a similar mess at one time) and any other company that did the same type of thing.

If you don't believe that to be balanced I'm sorry...but I would also think your scale may be tilted a bit in one direction.


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## heathramos (Dec 19, 2005)

Jolliec said:


> Could you tell me your overall rating of the Popcorn Hour? Any drawbacks? I mainly want to use it to play movies stored on my HP MediaSmart Server.
> 
> Also, is there any function to use parental control ratings on folders/devices?
> 
> Thanks


I have a popcorn hour A-110 and like it a lot. My favorite toy.

I use it to play standard, hd-dvd and bluray movies. The builtin bit torrent option is kind of cool option as well. So far I only had one file that didn't play right away but I changed the audio format and it worked fine.

Set up is pretty simple. Install myihome on PC, select what folder has the movie files and that's about it. If you download and extract a zip file, you can enable a plugin to it that downloads the movie poster for a much better interface (as long as you name the files right). Video comes across really nice and no lag at all. Can't say anything negative besides the problems it has with the Directv HD-DVRs.


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## gimp (Jul 29, 2006)

Jolliec said:


> Could you tell me your overall rating of the Popcorn Hour? Any drawbacks? I mainly want to use it to play movies stored on my HP MediaSmart Server.
> 
> Also, is there any function to use parental control ratings on folders/devices?
> 
> Thanks


With fairly regular firmware updates my PCH A-100 stability and capabilities have steadily improved since its purchase early last year. When the stars are aligned it plays recorded HDTV and DVDs flawlessly. However, it still does not gracefully handle exceptions, and therefore I still find myself powering it off/on regularly. Case in point, yesterday I had started a SyncToy copy from my PC to my NAS of some HDTV recordings. Not realizing the copy was not done, I tried watching an altogether different HDTV recording on the NAS using the PCH. The NAS doesn't have enough power to handle both, so the PCH wouldn't play the video. However, once the copy was complete, the only way to get the PCH to play any video was to power cycle it (it failed to respond to the reset using the remote, which is not unusual). This is why they added a front panel reset button on the A-110.

Bottom line is if you want high reliability, look elsewhere (maybe TVIX?).

For me, I'm willing to put up with it considering all its capabilities. For example, I can now watch Netflix instant, how cool is that?


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

gimp said:


> With fairly regular firmware updates my PCH A-100 stability and capabilities have steadily improved since its purchase early last year. When the stars are aligned it plays recorded HDTV and DVDs flawlessly. However, it still does not gracefully handle exceptions, and therefore I still find myself powering it off/on regularly. Case in point, yesterday I had started a SyncToy copy from my PC to my NAS of some HDTV recordings. Not realizing the copy was not done, I tried watching an altogether different HDTV recording on the NAS using the PCH. The NAS doesn't have enough power to handle both, so the PCH wouldn't play the video. However, once the copy was complete, the only way to get the PCH to play any video was to power cycle it (it failed to respond to the reset using the remote, which is not unusual). This is why they added a front panel reset button on the A-110.
> 
> Bottom line is if you want high reliability, look elsewhere (maybe TVIX?).
> 
> For me, I'm willing to put up with it considering all its capabilities. For example, I can now watch Netflix instant, how cool is that?


How are you watching NetFlix with the PCH and on the same network with an HR2x?


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## Jolliec (Sep 1, 2006)

Well Ken, I finally ordered the PopCorn Hour.

I think it will do what I want. Now, I just wonder how long it will take to get here 

Thanks again for all the info!


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## gimp (Jul 29, 2006)

Ken S said:


> How are you watching NetFlix with the PCH and on the same network with an HR2x?


I disconnected my HR2x from my network long ago and don't miss it at all for the following reasons:
1) DoD content extremely limited (Netflix, Hulu, etc., on my PCH vastly superior)
2) DirecTV2PC doesn't work on my PC for some unknown reason.
3) I stream music from my Twonky NAS directly to my Denon AVP-A1HDCI processor.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

gimp,

That's what I figured...was just hoping you had figured out some amazing solution to leave them both on the network together.

How are you access Netflix and Hulu on the PCH? PlayON?


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## durl (Mar 27, 2003)

I was thinking about asking if other Popcorn Hour users had noticed the PCH and Directv receivers playing nicely together lately but I encountered problems last night.

I had 2 PCHs connected as well as my HR20 and HR21 and there were no conflicts for a couple of weeks, it seems. Then last night I encountered my first error in quite some time. I unplugged the receivers and we're back to working just fine.

I had recently downloaded new PCH firmware so I was hoping that the conflict issues had been resolved. Guess not.


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## gimp (Jul 29, 2006)

Ken S said:


> gimp,
> 
> That's what I figured...was just hoping you had figured out some amazing solution to leave them both on the network together.
> 
> How are you access Netflix and Hulu on the PCH? PlayON?


PlayOn


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## deltafowler (Aug 28, 2007)

One week and no posts or updates.
Is DirecTV addressing this issue?


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Syabas has a beta version which ignores the DirecTV HR2x series of receivers.
DirecTV also has a fix for this and many other HR2x problems in the works...see this thread.

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=138443


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## Jolliec (Sep 1, 2006)

Ken,

Were you able to get the PCH beta software? How can I get it?

I have searched that thread for PCH, popcorn upnp, and I cannot seem to find the post(s) you are refferring to on the PCH...


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Jolliec said:


> Ken,
> 
> Were you able to get the PCH beta software? How can I get it?
> 
> I have searched that thread for PCH, popcorn upnp, and I cannot seem to find the post(s) you are refferring to on the PCH...


Jolliec,

There is nothing in that thread about PCH it's about a completely different company doing a DVR for DirecTV customers. I feel that's the only way this will get fixed.

As for the beta of the PCH firmware...put in a support request there and ask.


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## durl (Mar 27, 2003)

For Popcorn Hour users:

New firmware updates for the PCH have just been released that includes a fix for the Directv receiver conflict.

Excellent news!


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## gimp (Jul 29, 2006)

durl said:


> For Popcorn Hour users:
> 
> New firmware updates for the PCH have just been released that includes a fix for the Directv receiver conflict.
> 
> Excellent news!


They call it a workaround, not a fix. So the question arises what does that really mean? Trying to download but only getting a transfer rate of 2.75kb/Sec. Will try one of the mirrors and report back.

A-100 Details:
Release Date : 02 April 2009
Firmware Version : 01-17-090201-15-POP-402

Release note:
10. Workaround DirecTV UPnP crash issue.


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## durl (Mar 27, 2003)

gimp said:


> They call it a workaround, not a fix. So the question arises what does that really mean? Trying to download but only getting a transfer rate of 2.75kb/Sec. Will try one of the mirrors and report back.
> 
> A-100 Details:
> Release Date : 02 April 2009
> ...


You're exactly right...I should have defined it as a "workaround."

I performed the firmware upgrade and plugged my HR20 back into my network. So far, I've had no conflicts with my 2 PCH units. Whatever they did appears to have done the trick so far.

My upgrade went fine. It did seem to take quite some time (maybe 10 minutes?) but I just left the room and let them do their thing.


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## gimp (Jul 29, 2006)

I can also confirm that the latest PCH FW enables the PCH and DirecTV to coexist on the same LAN without conflict.

Release Date : 02 April 2009
Firmware Version : 01-17-090201-15-POP-402
NMT Apps Version : 00-17-090115-15-POP-402


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