[Q] Quick Qs - Galaxy S I9000 General

Hey,
Really thinking of getting this phone. I'm in the UK, had an iPhone 2g then 3g and just generally sick of how slow it is now.
I'm really liking the idea of Android and how creative you can be with the customisation, so figured I'd switch. I'd like to try out creating some Apps, haven't delved into programming for a year or two.
1) Is the GPS thing really that bad? I only really use it for finding shops near where I am, such as Starbucks or wherever.
2) Are there any emulators that work on the SGS and what's the performance like? I have one on my 3G and it's not too bad provided I restart every 5minutes.
3) I really like the look of LauncherPro, and the default Android interface, over TouchWiz. Is there anyway to get rid of it? Or are you stuck with it?
4) What's the battery life like?
5) And the music player? Well, media in general. I'd like to throw some movies/tv shows on it, what's the codec support like?
Thank youu!

1. GPS works, if you are not picky about point blank accuracy
2. Gameboy, Playstation, Sega, Nintendo family, Master System, etc, yes they all work very nicely see App Section topics
3. yes you can swap it for whatever you like
4. Not so great if you are like me, i keep all the features on, the battery last 1/2 a day
5. superb out of the box, mkv, avi, mp3, mp4, divX, etc, etc, etc....

There was a video on how smooth FF VII ran on the Galaxy S. That should answer your question as to emulators

AllGamer said:
1. GPS works, if you are not picky about point blank accuracy
2. Gameboy, Playstation, Sega, Nintendo family, Master System, etc, yes they all work very nicely see App Section topics
3. yes you can swap it for whatever you like
4. Not so great if you are like me, i keep all the features on, the battery last 1/2 a day
5. superb out of the box, mkv, avi, mp3, mp4, divX, etc, etc, etc....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely awesome, cheers. Will check out that section. Did GBoid get updated for the Galaxy then? Was what kind of put me off buying it when the Galaxy was first released, but tbh I don't really use the emulator THAT much. I just got bored of the app store stuff.
snapper.fishes said:
There was a video on how smooth FF VII ran on the Galaxy S. That should answer your question as to emulators
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahhh awesome! I'll have a look for it.
Now the G2's out I mayy way to see what that is announced. I just really like stock android.
Cheers for the replies

Related

What are the coolest things you do with your HD2

Hey guys, share with us what are the coolest things you use your HD2 for.
1. Listening to internet radio and watching tv/news
2. Checking my home webcam, no matter where I am (hamachi for connecting and VLC player for broadcasting)
3. Playing youtube videos while at a Dj gig (playing songs customers request and I don't have in my collection)
Composing my own Songs with SunVox-Tracker
I do some Tracks with SunVox.
It's very funny looking at the peoples face while I record myself singing in the train
Playing final fantasy ix on fpsece tends to blow peoples minds, but use the HD2 for everything from movies, music to comics and books, and even throw in a phone call every now and then
Yep, for me, FpseCE is the coolest thing about the phone. Everyone I show, wants an HD2 immediatly after it. Can't thank the developers enough.
Morphgear or FpseCE whilst listenting to some tunes tends to be my fav thing to do on the way to work.
Always turns some heads when I'm sat there playing Tekken 2 on my phone ... lol
The coolest thing i did was sell it on ebay because it sucked ass.
Now i have a different phone that works perfectly.
wrong reply
TheDynamo said:
The coolest thing i did was sell it on ebay because it sucked ass.
Now i have a different phone that works perfectly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then why are you hanging around the HD2 forum? Miss it?
TheDynamo said:
The coolest thing i did was sell it on ebay because it sucked ass.
Now i have a different phone that works perfectly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And if that is true (iphone sniffer?) it will be in better hands, for sure...
biokeks said:
I do some Tracks with SunVox.
It's very funny looking at the peoples face while I record myself singing in the train
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
never heard of it and I'm now checking it out - thank you very much
TheDynamo said:
The coolest thing i did was sell it on ebay because it sucked ass.
Now i have a different phone that works perfectly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well what do you expect when you have (clearly) been holding a pile of **** far, far to long... Iphone.
Best thing for me is by far FPSEce. I love it when i wip out Grantrismo, and the iphone users stuck with 'jellycar' just turn in shame MUHAHAHAH
I like the forums (when the fan boys arn't looking through rose coloured spectacles and actually admit the faults anyway) I also find the work interesting, along with the Android porting discussions etc.
I liked the phone, it had a lot of potential, but it just didnt perform.
TheDynamo said:
I liked the phone, it had a lot of potential, but it just didnt perform.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you give some substance to your statement? I want to know why you think that is true.
I don't have HD2. I currently have a HTC Dream, Android.
I'm going to try to stay on topic
I love SportyPal, it boosted my runs, both frequency and length. Besides that I use it for e-mail, surf the web, watch youtube movies on it, and use it as a windows remote...
Lovely phone.
HD2 is great for video playback. No other phone can play normal SD AVIs without conversion (though 3 years old phone-less Palm T5 could as well). Or you can convert HD video to exact display dimensions, use mp4 format and built-in player .. and it looks just great.
Big screen is cool for maps, PDFs, manga.
But what I do with most please is using it as a torch when going to bed.
Dr.Sid said:
HD2 is great for video playback. No other phone can play normal SD AVIs without conversion
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Er, sorry, but thats just not true. The Samsung i8000 and i8910 both can (along with a few other Samsung and LG handsets), the TG01 also does. I owned the i8910 before having the HD2, and actually its avi playback is much better (and looks better on the AMOLED screen), including its 720p playback.
I'm not saying the HD2 isn't a great phone, I love it and wouldn't go back to the i8910 (which is also very good in its own right), but lets stick to facts here eh?
Coolest things would be FPSece, although I really enjoy G-Remote when my laptops plugged into the television playing video/music, its hardly new but certainly ellicits a good response from people.
Dr.Sid said:
But what I do with most please is using it as a torch when going to bed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol +1......
The coolest thing I did was to show some iPhone users that their fruity phone cannot do what my HD2 can do. The expression on their faces was priceless, money can't buy.
I want to thank all the chefs and developers here to make the HD2 really great.
weenween said:
The coolest thing I did was to show some iPhone users that their fruity phone cannot do what my HD2 can do. The expression on their faces was priceless, money can't buy.
I want to thank all the chefs and developers here to make the HD2 really great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what did you show them?
the screen? duh? The screen is enough for them....

Limitations???

Hello-
I was hoping any and all users can giver their 2 cents here. What are the real world limitations of this device? I have done a fair amount of research and this phone seems to fit the bill, but wanted some feedback on it. I know I want an Android based smartphone, and I must stick with AT&T as it's what my company has and it's the ONLY provider in my rural part of Texas.
While the phone has been labeled "mid-spec" it still seems pretty impressive. I also know being tied to AT&T means I'm REALLY limited, and I do not want an iPhone. My wife has one, I've tried it... It completly DIED after 3 months. I know in other posts people have said iPhone still best bang for the buck for AT&T smartphone, but a smartphone that does not work as a phone, doesn't show the net as it really appears, and has updates that seemingly copy Android does not seem too "smart" to me. Yes, iTunes looks pretty, and I could play "Words w/ Friends," but seems like a lot of fluff.
I have found due to hardware Aria cannot run Google Earth, is there anything else it cannot do? I know there is debate about Gingerbread being compatible, but that seems a ways down the road. I'm really torn, as I like the size of this thing: it still looks like a phone and not a flat panel TV, but the car guy side of me thinks "no replacement for displacement" when it comes to a processor.
That would mean getting a Nexus One, but I worry about the trackball popping out like my sister-in-laws Blackberry, and the cost is hard to swallow. The Desire looks AWESOME but if I have read correctly it will not work on 3G for data, only voice, and it is expensive. Then there is the Samsung Captivate which is coming, but it seems HUGE, or does the camera add 10 lbs???. I'd like to limit the physical size to an iphone-esque size at most so it is pocketable. I also have read Samsung can be difficult to work with from a consumer standpoint with respect to updates, etc.
I also like the Sense UI as it seems elegantly simple and worked well while I messed with the phone in the store.
Overall, I want the most bang for the buck phone. A true "dream machine" would be an Aria sized phone, with the Desire specs, that does it all on 3G. What really would be the closest thing to such a device? I'm open to any ideas and suggestions, but again I CANNOT change providers; seriously, AT&T is the ONLY provider with coverage in my area.
Thanks in advance for any and all answers and help!!!
The phone does have some limitations (you have done your homework). If you want a great phone on att, this is a good choice. The galaxy s (coming soon to ATT) may be better if you must have a high end device.
I would say that if you are stuck with AT&T, the Aria may be your phone. I have a had HTC, Samsung, Motorola, and Apple phones and HTC has been the most solid of all of them. I just came from an iPhone and I can honestly say it has better reception, call quality, and adaptability than my 3GS. Phones seem to be almost a matter of taste, some people will deal with the most ridiculous shortcomings if it has a feature they feel is the most important. That being said, I played with a lot of phones and found the Aria to be the best package for a smartphone on AT&T at this moment. That could change as soon as another high end phone hops on but for now, I'm very pleased. I will say this, the battery life takes some getting used to, but its right in the same area and any other smartphone. Also, the speaker phone is quiet but since I never use it, it doesn't even make my list for pros vs cons. Being that it is locked down to certain apps and such is annoying, but coming from an iPhone makes it seem like a walk in the park to get other apps and such on it. I would say read a little more of these forums to see what some complaints are and see if any of them make your list of important features. But otherwise, you have on recommendation here.
Some of the gripes I have with this phone include:
* The screen isn't quite adequate in size for reading ebooks, which I didn't expect I would do at the time of purchase.
* The speaker is pretty crappy. It's not very loud and it sounds irritating at volume - very tinny.
* It doesn't appear to support very many video file formats. In fact, the only format I've gotten to work with Act1 video player are the base h264 and h263 formats. To my understanding, it is up to the manufacturer to include any extra codecs, so you're SOL if you're planning on using this as a mobile media player.
* It doesn't come with live wallpapers or an option to sideload apps. You can enable both of these by rooting the phone (which is a pain in the ass, by the way), but I've found that the processor isn't up to the task of running some of the more complex live wallpapers (like the mario wallpaper). I'm hoping this will be less of a problem with Froyo and the JIT.
* It gets a little warm when you have the gps on in navigation, but not enough to scald your junk if you're keeping it on your lap. It's actually not that big of a deal, just makes me worry about damaging the battery.
* Typing is a bit hard in portrait mode. Some applications seem to crash in landscape mode, like 'better terminal emulator', but I suspect that's more of a problem with the program and not the Aria.
* The camera is a bit mediocre and doesn't include a flash, but to be fair, it's primarily a phone and not a camera (I have yet to see a phone's camera be on par with a midrange point & shoot).
* Sense UI can't be disabled/enabled as an option, like on the Evo 4g.
I was going to test Google Earth for you, but I can't seem to find it in the Market.
Anyway, in summary, it has a few shortcomings, it's a midrange phone after all, but I love it regardless. It's slips into my pocket comfortably and feels solid in the hand. The interface is nice and smooth (unless you have some crazy live wallpaper enabled). It doesn't bog down when you fill the screens with widgets, and the browser experience thus far has been great. All in all, it was definitely worth the $50 I paid for it from Amazon.com.
P.S. I was considering holding out for something higher spec'd to come along on AT&T, but who knows when that will happen? The Dell Aero was supposed to be out months ago. Likewise, we are actually supposed to have 3 HTC phones running Android to choose from right now, and yet we only have the Aria. The Samsung Captivate is supposed to be 'coming in the next few months,' but I've grown to distrust AT&T's timelines. A major part of why I got the Aria was because I was simply tired of waiting for ATT to get their act together.
I went to an AT&T Retail Store here in Corpus Christi, TX to look at it again and see what they could do for me deal wise because I'm mid-cycle in my contract. The Mgr. told me he is suppose to get the "sample" Captivate on Friday, and it's suppose to be on sale the 15th. I guess to go head-to-head with the X??? I'll wait til Friday to see if it true. He claims there is a lot to coming down the pike with Android OS as it's the "next big thing..." (Well, for AT&T I guess....) I've waitd this long, another couple of days won't kill me to see it, and help reduce buyer's remorse...
lonestarmotorcyclist said:
I went to an AT&T Retail Store here in Corpus Christi, TX to look at it again and see what they could do for me deal wise because I'm mid-cycle in my contract. The Mgr. told me he is suppose to get the "sample" Captivate on Friday, and it's suppose to be on sale the 15th. I guess to go head-to-head with the X??? I'll wait til Friday to see if it true. He claims there is a lot to coming down the pike with Android OS as it's the "next big thing..." (Well, for AT&T I guess....) I've waitd this long, another couple of days won't kill me to see it, and help reduce buyer's remorse...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good luck fighting the urge!
modest_mandroid said:
* It doesn't appear to support very many video file formats. In fact, the only format I've gotten to work with Act1 video player are the base h264 and h263 formats. To my understanding, it is up to the manufacturer to include any extra codecs, so you're SOL if you're planning on using this as a mobile media player.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not exactly. Do a search on 'Rock Player'. It's a media player that's still in Beta, and it expands upon the selection of video codecs that are handled by the standard media libraries.
It plays DivX-encoded videos like a CHAMP.
EDIT: Actually, here's the forum for it: http://www.diffthink.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4
Regards,
Corporate Dog
* It doesn't appear to support very many video file formats. In fact, the only format I've gotten to work with Act1 video player are the base h264 and h263 formats. To my understanding, it is up to the manufacturer to include any extra codecs, so you're SOL if you're planning on using this as a mobile media player.
I was planning on using it as a media player... So, in simple English for my simple mind, what does this mean: that it can only use those two formats? Does it mean it's limited to what can be seen via the internet or does it mean I'm limited to the type of video formats I could directly load from my computer, or both???? Is there a way around these limitations because I want to be able to have infotainment in one device and do not want to drag around multiple devices. (Sorry if this seems like a dumb question but I am FAR from well versed in this field.)
Also, thanks again for the replies and info.. It is GREATLY appreciated!!!
Corporate Dog said:
Not exactly. Do a search on 'Rock Player'. It's a media player that's still in Beta, and it expands upon the selection of video codecs that are handled by the standard media libraries.
It plays DivX-encoded videos like a CHAMP.
EDIT: Actually, here's the forum for it: http://www.diffthink.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4
Regards,
Corporate Dog
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I'll check it out when I get home, don't have any divx files to play here.
lonestarmotorcyclist said:
I was planning on using it as a media player... So, in simple English for my simple mind, what does this mean: that it can only use those two formats? Does it mean it's limited to what can be seen via the internet or does it mean I'm limited to the type of video formats I could directly load from my computer, or both???? Is there a way around these limitations because I want to be able to have infotainment in one device and do not want to drag around multiple devices. (Sorry if this seems like a dumb question but I am FAR from well versed in this field.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To my understanding, there isn't any "CorePlayer" equivalent. I dunno if you're coming from a Windows Mobile world or not, but CorePlayer could run pretty much anything your desktop computer could.
What I meant by my comment was that the Aria appears to be limited to the .mp4 format for videos (I have not tested .flv). So, if you wanted to toss some movies onto the sd card and use the stock media player or Act1 video player (appears to be pretty popular in the market), then you're stuck re-encoding all your videos to h264 .mp4. The iPhone is limited in this way too, or so I hear.
But, from what I've seen with RockPlayer just now, it's seems to be very bare on options but looks like it can play a very wide range of formats. I just played some mp4 videos I had on my sd card and they run flawlessly. Hopefully this program is in active development and will turn into Android's CorePlayer.
Thanks for the info and links; you both cleared up the questions I had. I just want to cover every aspect so when my iFamily tells me I made a poor choice I can show them it does EVERYTHING I want it to and more, not what the manufacturer thinks I need it to do or should do...
I just am not seeing where you can go wrong with this thing compared to other devices.....
lonestarmotorcyclist said:
I just am not seeing where you can go wrong with this thing compared to other devices.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the small size can either be a huge plus or killing minus depending on your habits/needs
for me it s a definate plus
lonestarmotorcyclist said:
Thanks for the info and links; you both cleared up the questions I had. I just want to cover every aspect so when my iFamily tells me I made a poor choice I can show them it does EVERYTHING I want it to and more, not what the manufacturer thinks I need it to do or should do...
I just am not seeing where you can go wrong with this thing compared to other devices.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are buying the phone for yourself or are you replacing iphones for your family?
Corporate Dog said:
Not exactly. Do a search on 'Rock Player'. It's a media player that's still in Beta, and it expands upon the selection of video codecs that are handled by the standard media libraries.
It plays DivX-encoded videos like a CHAMP.
EDIT: Actually, here's the forum for it: http://www.diffthink.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4
Regards,
Corporate Dog
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been using rock player on my Aria for a while, and I am hoping this is just cause it is still beta, but SD AVI files run like molasses. If there is more than one thing going on on screen the video lags and gets out of sync with the audio. You have to pause the video, wait for it to catch up and play it again.
This is my only gripe about this phone, but it may be the program, not the phone.
Whatever phone I get will be just for me. My in-laws got their 3Gs' about a yr ago and like most, thought they were the greatest thing sinced bread. So then my wife "needed" one. I've played with it and it is nice to be able to access the web, and have music right there, but.... there seemed something lacking. I like the concept, but I also like to tinker with stuff. I'll admit, I LOVED the Droid ad campaign of "Droid Does" and since my phone has died, I started looking to get something new. It just seems better in everyway I can think of, but I want to know all I can to properly inform those who will tell me I'm wrong when I get my new phone. (And there will be a lot, I know...)
I just don't see how they really can be compared. Everyone I know who has an iPhone loves them, but they use them for the web, Facebook, Words W/ Friends, and as an iPod. I think it's great there are 200K apps, but I don't know anyone that uses more than 1% of them and every "cutting edge feature" seems to be copied from Android. I guess there is also the fact that there are a truckload of docks and cases to "personalize" them, but I think I rather personalize the stuff that matters.
In reality, I want to blow their socks off with what it can do and know it inside and out as soon as I get it. (You know, the ones that were excited about folders and backgrounds on iPhones. Does that make me a bad person??? Or just honest???)
My wife has an Aria, I have a Nexus One. I'm REALLY surprised when I use her phone, it's actually smoother than my Nexus. Long lists scroll like butter, the launcher scrolls extremly smooth, apps list, etc... I've never seen the phone slow down, it's all very smooth.
She doesn't watch videos on it, but she will eventually load her iTunes music onto it, but hasn't yet. She loves the smaller size, but you're right that it is a tad touchier to type on.
She raves about how fast the browser is.. And how everything just opens, bam... And her GCal euphoria moment was pretty awesome too; suddenly she can see my entire calendar, add to my calendar, see when I'm in a meeting until 5...
She's really been looking for something to complain about moving from her iPhone and so far I don't think she's found anything.
Just an update on the video playback capabilities in RockPlayer - I tested it with a 320x240 mpeg, 700x500 divx, 640x480 .mp4 and a 720p mkv video. The mpeg and mp4 ran perfectly fine, the divx ran pretty slow (maybe 10fps) and the sound was constantly desychronizing, and the mkv was unwatchable. It didn't scale down to the Aria screen size, and it ran so slow that you could see the individual frames (like 2-4fps).
Considering the speed difference between the .mp4 and the divx, I'm assuming this is a lack of hardware acceleration issue with some codecs?

Did I overestimate the Tegra2?

So far, everything seems to work pretty well. No force closes, the few games I have tried look great, everything is nice and smooth for the most part.
But god dammit, I just wanted one thing. ONE THING. To be able to play scene release 720p HD Tv shows, when I'm on the train every day, without having to re-encode. For years, there has been almost no solution to this. I consider it nothing short of a miracle that I can play the lower quality xvid rips on my Evo.
There are always other players like Archos that just play this stuff right out of the box. But I always wished that something I would carry anyway would play it, like my phone or tablet.
I downloaded every media player I could get a hold of with good reviews. Rock Player, VPlayer, qqplayer, arcmedia, mVideoplayer. No success. The best I could get was sound with choppy/lagging video, in Rock Player.
I know there are alternatives, but like I said, for this to be a feature on something I would be carrying on an every day basis for multipurpose use, instead of a dedicated media player is top feature to me.
I'm just trying to figure out if there is any hope of this eventually working on the current slew of Honeycomb Tablets with app optimization, or if the processor just can't handle it. Anyone have decent/extensive knowledge on that subject?
MichaelWestin said:
So far, everything seems to work pretty well. No force closes, the few games I have tried look great, everything is nice and smooth for the most part.
But god dammit, I just wanted one thing. ONE THING. To be able to play scene release 720p HD Tv shows, when I'm on the train every day, without having to re-encode. For years, there has been almost no solution to this. I consider it nothing short of a miracle that I can play the lower quality xvid rips on my Evo.
There are always other players like Archos that just play this stuff right out of the box. But I always wished that something I would carry anyway would play it, like my phone or tablet.
I downloaded every media player I could get a hold of with good reviews. Rock Player, VPlayer, qqplayer, arcmedia, mVideoplayer. No success. The best I could get was sound with choppy/lagging video, in Rock Player.
I know there are alternatives, but like I said, for this to be a feature on something I would be carrying on an every day basis for multipurpose use, instead of a dedicated media player is top feature to me.
I'm just trying to figure out if there is any hope of this eventually working on the current slew of Honeycomb Tablets with app optimization, or if the processor just can't handle it. Anyone have decent/extensive knowledge on that subject?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The hardware is capable of it. You just need to stop buying devices that don't hardware accelerate mkv files. You need to look for something with divx certification. My epic4g plays ridiculously high bitrate 720P mkv files FLAWLESSLY, because Samsung went the extra mile and got hardware acceleration for avi and mkv files. The evo is a mess because its made by HTC and HTC doesn't give a crap about media capability. The evo stutters playing AVI files because it has to software decode them, which makes me laugh at my friend who owns it. That giant screen and it is useless for video. A tablet without divx certification is useless to me, which is one of the dozen or so reasons I will not be buying the Xoom.
Well if they do that for the new Tab, then the Xoom is going right back.. I have 90 days to find out
MichaelWestin said:
So far, everything seems to work pretty well. No force closes, the few games I have tried look great, everything is nice and smooth for the most part.
But god dammit, I just wanted one thing. ONE THING. To be able to play scene release 720p HD Tv shows, when I'm on the train every day, without having to re-encode. For years, there has been almost no solution to this. I consider it nothing short of a miracle that I can play the lower quality xvid rips on my Evo.
There are always other players like Archos that just play this stuff right out of the box. But I always wished that something I would carry anyway would play it, like my phone or tablet.
I downloaded every media player I could get a hold of with good reviews. Rock Player, VPlayer, qqplayer, arcmedia, mVideoplayer. No success. The best I could get was sound with choppy/lagging video, in Rock Player.
I know there are alternatives, but like I said, for this to be a feature on something I would be carrying on an every day basis for multipurpose use, instead of a dedicated media player is top feature to me.
I'm just trying to figure out if there is any hope of this eventually working on the current slew of Honeycomb Tablets with app optimization, or if the processor just can't handle it. Anyone have decent/extensive knowledge on that subject?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you enable hardware decoding in the settings of RockPlayer?
parrotheadmjb said:
Did you enable hardware decoding in the settings of RockPlayer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That only works if the hardware supports hardware acceleration of the filetype, right? Does the Xoom support playing MKV and AVI files in the stock video player?
MichaelWestin said:
Well if they do that for the new Tab, then the Xoom is going right back.. I have 90 days to find out
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats what I am hoping for too. So far the entire line of Galaxy S phones and the Galaxy Tab was divx HD certified. I am hoping and praying that the delicious Galaxy Tab 10.1 with its giant 6860 mah battery has Divx HD certification as well. I can't imagine it wouldn't.
parrotheadmjb said:
Did you enable hardware decoding in the settings of RockPlayer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Software only. :-(
MichaelWestin said:
Software only. :-(
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Idk I turned on hardware decoding on RockPlayer in my Xoom and it started playing the 720P almost seamlessly, but no audio... weird
It is hardware decoding my mkv's though I am hitting an annoying bug where sound stops. going to home and back restores sound though.
The m4v I put on is being decoded in software and it can't quite handle it smoothly.
I will have to try a couple of my mp4 rips.
Yes they really should add more codecs to default Android. I bet they expected some 3rd party apps to arrive.
MichaelWestin said:
So far, everything seems to work pretty well. No force closes, the few games I have tried look great, everything is nice and smooth for the most part.
But god dammit, I just wanted one thing. ONE THING. To be able to play scene release 720p HD Tv shows, when I'm on the train every day, without having to re-encode. For years, there has been almost no solution to this. I consider it nothing short of a miracle that I can play the lower quality xvid rips on my Evo.
There are always other players like Archos that just play this stuff right out of the box. But I always wished that something I would carry anyway would play it, like my phone or tablet.
I downloaded every media player I could get a hold of with good reviews. Rock Player, VPlayer, qqplayer, arcmedia, mVideoplayer. No success. The best I could get was sound with choppy/lagging video, in Rock Player.
I know there are alternatives, but like I said, for this to be a feature on something I would be carrying on an every day basis for multipurpose use, instead of a dedicated media player is top feature to me.
I'm just trying to figure out if there is any hope of this eventually working on the current slew of Honeycomb Tablets with app optimization, or if the processor just can't handle it. Anyone have decent/extensive knowledge on that subject?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A similar problem on the Tegra 2 Notion Ink adam was fixed with a software update or a custom rom.
When shipped, all the players etc, were choppy or desynced or had no audio - but running a custom rom fixed these problems. Additionally, shortly after shipping, Notion ink provided an update that fixed these problems on stock.
Its definetly a software issue - it will be fixed soon im sure.
OK Rockplayer can not handle my default mp4 rips well. They are nothing particularly special though I don't use ... I can't remember the term. "simple mode" I use the higher modes to allow for better quality for size.
Ah well, most of my newer stuff I rip to mkv's anyway (subtitle and alternative audio support).
setite said:
Yes they really should add more codecs to default Android. I bet they expected some 3rd party apps to arrive.
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Click to collapse
CODECs cost money to license them. Google leaves this up to the OEM's to pay the bill.
This handbrake preset produces great videos for my evo...
warb said:
This handbrake preset produces great videos for my evo...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry, not to use a Steve jobsism, but if you have to convert videos for your tablet you have failed. I think it's ridiculous to have to do it for phones, which is why i bought the epic4g. To have to do it on a tablet is ridiculous, especially one with a dual core processor and an eight core gpu. The freaking iPad can play 720p mkv files now with xbmc ported over.
setite said:
Yes they really should add more codecs to default Android. I bet they expected some 3rd party apps to arrive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Strange as I am reading this a Xoom commercial came on the TV saying that the Xoom is "everything a tablet should be" and even showing a video playing on the device. I hope they are not serious about this issue.
+1 thanks for Costco return window
well I dont know what to say.. I tried two different formats (mp4 and mkv) 720p, and both worked just fine, all video and audio was perfect. These were top gear uk episodes. I'll try a dvd rip and see what happens now.
And.... any news in that regard?
If you own an iPad, how is this situation there?
I mean, can you just throw any video files and iPad will play it flawlessly?
I just want to know this comparison.
If VLC is available for Android, do you think this kind of issue will be solved?
I read this is caused by Google not investing on "codec" (licensing), neither does VLC.
If VLC can solve this, why Google does not want to use it
Sorry, if I got this all wrong. I am not an expert on video thing ...

[Q] Xperia Play Browsing !!!

Hello!
I have 4 or 5 questions concerning Xperia Play.
Here they go;
1. How does it feel to read PDFs on Xperia Play; i mean is the screen large enough?
2. How is the web browsing experience on the phone? I mean there are websites out there that offer streamings - both audio and video. If anyone of you could check some website for me - for both audio and video, I would be very thankful.
3. I usually keep taking some notes on my phone and also regularly use any organizer applications; is there any such application on Xperia Play?
4. Can i play a game available for Xperia Play, on Xperia Arc?
5. How satisfied are you Play owners. Because I have heard some complaining that the cons of the phone outweigh its pros. Like poor display, poor colours, poor body material, no radio, incompetent typing and stupid on-screen QWERTY etc. etc. Please all except the radio; because I am sure of it. Some even have gone as far as saying that Android on Xperia Play is no better than Symbian on E7.
5. Assuming that I am interested in nothing but Excellent Web browsing, which would you prefer E7 or Play?
Please reply as soon as possible.
Thank you for your time.
Jack Shepard said:
Hello!
I have 4 or 5 questions concerning Xperia Play.
Here they go;
1. How does it feel to read PDFs on Xperia Play; i mean is the screen large enough?
2. How is the web browsing experience on the phone? I mean there are websites out there that offer streamings - both audio and video. If anyone of you could check some website for me - for both audio and video, I would be very thankful.
3. I usually keep taking some notes on my phone and also regularly use any organizer applications; is there any such application on Xperia Play?
4. Can i play a game available for Xperia Play, on Xperia Arc?
5. How satisfied are you Play owners. Because I have heard some complaining that the cons of the phone outweigh its pros. Like poor display, poor colours, poor body material, no radio, incompetent typing and stupid on-screen QWERTY etc. etc. Please all except the radio; because I am sure of it. Some even have gone as far as saying that Android on Xperia Play is no better than Symbian on E7.
5. Assuming that I am interested in nothing but Excellent Web browsing, which would you prefer E7 or Play?
Please reply as soon as possible.
Thank you for your time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) PDF reading is fine, i use EZ PDF Reader and have no problems
2) Streaming works fine, embedded videos in webpages also work great now flash player supports H/W acceration
3) ofcourse there is ..... this is android and unlike ios there is an app for everything lol
4) most xperia play optimised games have no on screen controlls .... so prob not
5) Are you having a laugh?? the play is an awesome device, the auto brightness problem is an issue but devs are working on switching it off ..... the play is well made, and the pad is really high quality, much higher than the PSP. The play does have the H/W for a radio but sony decided not to include it, im sure one of the devs will get it working before long. if you dont like the stock keyboard ..... download another wtf The play is quick too, because unlike most devices it uses DDR2 Ram and the GPS is awesome, best in any phone on the market.
6) I wouldnt piss on a nokia or symbian if it was on fire ....... so yeah
AndroHero said:
1) PDF reading is fine, i use EZ PDF Reader and have no problems
2) Streaming works fine, embedded videos in webpages also work great now flash player supports H/W acceration
3) ofcourse there is ..... this is android and unlike ios there is an app for everything lol
4) most xperia play optimised games have no on screen controlls .... so prob not
5) Are you having a laugh?? the play is an awesome device, the auto brightness problem is an issue but devs are working on switching it off ..... the play is well made, and the pad is really high quality, much higher than the PSP. The play does have the H/W for a radio but sony decided not to include it, im sure one of the devs will get it working before long. if you dont like the stock keyboard ..... download another wtf The play is quick too, because unlike most devices it uses DDR2 Ram and the GPS is awesome, best in any phone on the market.
6) I wouldnt piss on a nokia or symbian if it was on fire ....... so yeah
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply.
Just a few more questions.
1. How's the multi-tasking.
2. How's the multi-touch.
3. If they have the radio hardware, can't we ourselves install one of the various radio applications available online?
4. Did you reply to my post using your Play?
5. Just do one favor on your XPERIA PLAY if you can. There is this website cityfm89(dot)(com). Main HomePage shows a link saying "Listen Live", click it, then click on DSL, then a Windows Player extension will appear which should start playing automatically in a minute or two. kindly confirm if this works fine at your end.
Thanks.
Jack Shepard said:
Thanks for the reply.
Just a few more questions.
1. How's the multi-tasking.
2. How's the multi-touch.
3. If they have the radio hardware, can't we ourselves install one of the various radio applications available online?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Multi tasking works well, and android handles the device resources well, i think i can usually have about 5 or 6 background applications running before android starts shutting down background processes.
2) Mulit-touch is good, the play supports 4 point multi-touch on the screen, and 4 point multi-touch on the touch pads
3) the radio H/W has been disabled at kernel level, so it need a dev to work out how to get it running, no doubt the CM team will have it working first as they are the only ones not building there kernels from SE kernel source
*edit* If a radio is so important, just download one of the many GPRS/3G/WIFI radios, they work just as good as old fashoned FM
TuneIn radio app has CityFM89 (Pakistan? ) on it's list, so you can just playback their stream using this app. (https://market.android.com/details?id=tunein.player&feature=search_result )
Multitasking is alright on this phone. It's lack of ram can be a bit of a bummer though, especially as some websites eat a lot of ram.
AndroHero said:
1) Multi tasking works well, and android handles the device resources well, i think i can usually have about 5 or 6 background applications running before android starts shutting down background processes.
2) Mulit-touch is good, the play supports 4 point multi-touch on the screen, and 4 point multi-touch on the touch pads
3) the radio H/W has been disabled at kernel level, so it need a dev to work out how to get it running, no doubt the CM team will have it working first as they are the only ones not building there kernels from SE kernel source
*edit* If a radio is so important, just download one of the many GPRS/3G/WIFI radios, they work just as good as old fashoned FM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But is that link working, if you could check; it is not for radio but to check if streaming works. And are you using this Forum on Play.
metcard said:
TuneIn radio app has CityFM89 (Pakistan? ) on it's list, so you can just playback their stream using this app. ( )
Multitasking is alright on this phone. It's lack of ram can be a bit of a bummer though, especially as some websites eat a lot of ram.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just need to check if the streaming works for Web Browser. Yes Pakistan.
The RAM issue won't affect me, because the busiest multitasking I will is listening to a song while reading PDF and if I just receive a call during.

[Q] Wanting Info before I buy

Im considering purchasing an Iconia Tab, spec wise it's a decent all around tablet. What I want is how well will this supplement the rest of my household and mobile devices, can I use this as a fill in for my bulky lap top when I decide to not carry it around, how well will this stream videos across the hdmi port to my tv rather than buying another box for my entertainment system. Just info in general is what I seek, and who better to ask than you guys.
Yes this device is awesome.. Streaming thru hdmi does work . I have done so with much success .Thou there are limitations.. READ THE FIRST STICKY Thread . by Wearcat.. she is awesome with this type of stuff .
as far as other things ..
things i use my tablet for
only thing i check email on.
browser forums
web site stuff google music and can browser my home network from anywhere
GPS
so it can replace most of the things you HAVE TO DO Short of editing images and major documents typing is not great on the tab unless you plug in a keyboard ..
i would say if your buying a tablet get this one over the available tablets.. or wait until tegra 3 comes out.. but waiting will be more costly new tech is not cheap
Not really looking for something to completely repalce my lap top as of yet, granted I havent turned it on really in months other than to charge one of my phones from time to time. Acer to me seems to build a reliable product, I have 2 17" laptops, and I purchased two Acer netbooks for my children. It looks like it would be a great supplement to the rest of my android fleet as well. Really just need something that I can take when I travel light, read emails, check my google voice, read books, watch a video here or there, more or less something to replace some dutie of my phone while at home and to replace some duties of my laptop while away. Will probly use it as gps too since its got a bigger screen would look great mounted in my truck OOOH better yet remove my radio and install bluetooth speakers with a custom built dash mount.
garringm said:
how well will this stream videos across the hdmi port to my tv rather than buying another box for my entertainment system. Just info in general is what I seek, and who better to ask than you guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you live in the US you're in for a treat as you can use Google Videos for renting and streaming movies and Google Music to store all your songs there and streaming them too so you don't have to use tablet's own storage space for them.
And yes, displaying videos through HDMI works just fine, though there are several limitations. Like for example, you will only get 720p output if you use non-default player, the default player is AFAIK the only one that can do 1080p output, but then again the default player doesn't support .MKV files or subtitles or anything.
As for actual movies themselves: the tablet only supports 1080p basic-profile, meaning that you will have to transcode almost everything you might already have. Not to mention that the tablet also doesn't handle AC3 audio, so again you will have to downmix audio first before you transfer the file to the tablet.
You have to decide for yourself if it's worth the hassle, but I would personally suggest getting a Tegra3 - based tablet instead even though it's more expensive, just to save you from the hassle from having to transcode everything. It really is a terribly hassle if you are a film buff like myself.
WereCatf said:
If you live in the US you're in for a treat as you can use Google Videos for renting and streaming movies and Google Music to store all your songs there and streaming them too so you don't have to use tablet's own storage space for them.
And yes, displaying videos through HDMI works just fine, though there are several limitations. Like for example, you will only get 720p output if you use non-default player, the default player is AFAIK the only one that can do 1080p output, but then again the default player doesn't support .MKV files or subtitles or anything.
As for actual movies themselves: the tablet only supports 1080p basic-profile, meaning that you will have to transcode almost everything you might already have. Not to mention that the tablet also doesn't handle AC3 audio, so again you will have to downmix audio first before you transfer the file to the tablet.
You have to decide for yourself if it's worth the hassle, but I would personally suggest getting a Tegra3 - based tablet instead even though it's more expensive, just to save you from the hassle from having to transcode everything. It really is a terribly hassle if you are a film buff like myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a big movie buff, just like to watch them, and really for me watching a movie on it would be a once in a blue moon thing and not a big deal breaker. Most typically stream movies through my xbox, and my tv only plays at 720p so no 1080 for me as of yet. I did read your thread about the handbrake looks involved but not extremely advanced difficult. Thanks for your input think Ill go with this until the tegra 3 comes out then weigh my options then. Maybe by then Ill be able to get a new TV to compliment a new tablet.
And seriously you edited your post because of a missing semicolon? I bet it pains you to read the gibberish I just typed.
garringm said:
Not a big movie buff, just like to watch them, and really for me watching a movie on it would be a once in a blue moon thing and not a big deal breaker. Most typically stream movies through my xbox, and my tv only plays at 720p so no 1080 for me as of yet. I did read your thread about the handbrake looks involved but not extremely advanced difficult. Thanks for your input think Ill go with this until the tegra 3 comes out then weigh my options then. Maybe by then Ill be able to get a new TV to compliment a new tablet.
And seriously you edited your post because of a missing semicolon? I bet it pains you to read the gibberish I just typed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes she does...I think its so cute.her and a few of the guys are on me often for my lack of typing and spelling skills.
But they loves me so i not cry too often. Giggles.
The post for using Handbrake to convert the vids has worked perfectly fine on all the videos I have had to convert and is much easier to do than the instructions make it sound. The instructions are actually just really detailed, so there's less to do than what you read.
One of my favorite uses now for the tablet... I have a Super Nintendo again!. I finally got a wired generic PS3 remote, using some SNES emulator (forgot which), connected to my TV over HDMI, and some, um... "backed up" SNES games and BAM, full SNES center again. I am such a nerd for "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past".
Also, when I'm feeling really lazy, I use TeamViewer to remote into my HTPC and use it as my wireless keyboard/mouse. AND, if you have a Sony Media Streamer, there is a Android app to allow you to control your N100 or N200 from the tablet. Oh, and I read a lot of eBooks on it.
All in all, just as you mentioned, this tablet is a great "supplement", and since I never have the need for heavy duty computing while on the go, the tablet is all I've ever needed when I am not home. The main reason for me choosing this one ovr the others was the built in ports such as the miniUSB, USB, HDMI, and audio ports. Yeah those may have added a little girth and heft to the device, but those were bonuses for me instead of getting a device where you need to buy different adapters to have the same ports.
garringm said:
Not a big movie buff, just like to watch them, and really for me watching a movie on it would be a once in a blue moon thing and not a big deal breaker. Most typically stream movies through my xbox, and my tv only plays at 720p so no 1080 for me as of yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then you should have no issues A500 works just fine for streaming movies, too, though there is no DLNA client on it by default. You can install one from the Market anyways so it's not such a huge issue.
I did read your thread about the handbrake looks involved but not extremely advanced difficult.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It actually isn't all that difficult, I just rather write too much than too little when writing a guide or tutorial. Basically import profile, select file and press Start
And seriously you edited your post because of a missing semicolon? I bet it pains you to read the gibberish I just typed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aye. I sometimes obsess quite a bit over proper punctuation and spelling. But then again, it's not a bad quality for someone who often writes guides, tutorials or tries to help people on the Internets
Well I bought it last night and I gotta say what an amazing piece of hardware. I havent found a feature yet that I dislike. Seems to have ample computing power for what I need, and the display is fairly decent sems a little washed out on the white side but still good. Thanks for everyones help.
Read twice flash once.!!!!!!!
your very welcome thank everyone by reading before flashing so that you don't mess the tablet up.
Something that im guessing is easily done.
Flashed mine 30or so times and never bricked thou close once.
Man.... almost grounds for visiting a "dating" site....
What ever happened to "brute force"?
No, we have to have "correct" punctuation here... Wani wani wani...
Just get the tab. For the money, you will not find a finer device.
Or a better lot of people to support it
I just bought mine a couple of days ago and I am very happy with it. Trying to read as much as I can before the rooting process begins.... You will be happy with it.

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