TechRadar Verdict
Pros
- +
Wide file support
- +
Attractive GUI
- +
Auto cover art
- +
Blu-ray & HDD upgrades
Cons
- -
Lacks Wi-Fi
- -
Simple from box
- -
No movie streaming apps
- -
Poor remote control
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The dedicated media streamer has thus far been a niche product, but that's changing fast. With the latest Apple TV embracing 1080p streaming for the first time, consider the ante well and truly upped in the world of media streamers.
The new Popcorn Hour C-300's maker Syabas is a regular class leader, priced at £340 in the UK and $350 in the US.
With smart TVs able to stream files over Wi-Fi and games consoles, tablet apps and £99 components also getting in on the act, some might wonder why we need a dedicated streamer.
The simple answer is that this player - an update on 2010's Popcorn Hour C-200 - can also act as a NAS drive, decode almost any file in your collection, provides apps, and displays an entire media library complete with cover art.
The only real trouble with the forerunning Popcorn Hour C-200 was a rather horrid user interface, but on the Popcorn Hour C-300 there's a completely refreshed version, alongside new Networked Media Jukebox software for handling its arty side.
Across the front of the Popcorn Hour C-300 is a 2.5-inch display that can be activated to control music without needing a TV to be switched on, something that's never really made sense.
However, the hard-button navigation controls have disappeared.
