Just a thought on USB host - Touch Diamond, MDA Compact IV General

I read the posts on usb host on Diamond and so far everyone is of the opinion that the hardware is there but not the drivers, or thats my impression
Would it be possible to take a HTC model, say, HTC athena, and dump the ROM and extract the cab for usb host ( if there is one, its just my wild guess), and modify it on the Diamond?
i dont know, just a guess
so far I am so pleased with the diamond (coming from Kaiser, the diamond plays videos MUCH better, I dont have to compress the .avi and can play it right away, and the audio player is so much more user friendly and the audio booster is a huge plus), I find the most limitation coming from the 4 G internal storage (papago takes up 700mb, and with 1 .avi film plus about 10 mp3 albums the space is gone for good)
if USB host can be activated on Doamond then you could just carry your films around on a small storage card, and that would make the diamond a really powerful device
Any thoughts?

I'm interested in that, too... Why don't you just try it?
As soon as my xda arrives I'll start investigations, maybe opening the thing to get to know what usb controller is inside.

Related

alpine and winamp....

hello, i 'm tring to syncromnise my xda with winamp 5.23, with no luck,
it's syncro with windows xp ok, no prob from this angle, but refuse to show up in winamp...
i also want to syncro it with adobe photoshope album starter ed, so i can manage my pict better, no luck, doesn't find the xda,
both these software should detect any usb portable device,
my xda IIi is syncro via usb cradle. and wifi,
help will be rely much appreciated... i did buy this xda for using mostly these features, and kinda spoil the fun of having a so good device that cannot be used ?
windows media player can be sync ok, but i don't use media player....
ok that it.
thanks
currently your device is not being seen as a standard USB removable mass storage device, but there is software you can get that allows your phone to be seen , I can't remember what its called though. Anyway the usb on the uni is rubbish, its only usb 1.1 or something Very Very Very slow you would be much better off getting a USB card reader writer an mp3 is tansfered in less than 2 seconds instead of taking a couple of minutes
currently your device is not being seen as a standard USB removable mass storage device, but there is software you can get that allows your phone to be seen , I can't remember what its called though. Anyway the usb on the uni is rubbish, its only usb 1.1 or something Very Very Very slow you would be much better off getting a USB card reader writer an mp3 is tansfered in less than 2 seconds instead of taking a couple of minutes
yes, Alpine doesnt have usb host, but it can be emulted by special software. (but th one which I used worked too slow and gave access only to SD card an and storage - no access to ROM)

External Camera

I'll cut to the chase and save the boring details for the next paragraph: I want an external SDIO camera connected to my Tilt so I can record videos on bike rides. I've searched high and low, and I have a few products in mind. Can anyone tell me if they know of better products?
What I need:
- An SDIO camera which will work on the Kaiser
- An SDIO (standard SD size) to MicroSD cable/adapter (if microSD SDIO cameras do not exist)
- A way to hook up both a microSD card and the camera (if possible)
- A good shell to keep my Kaiser injury free when (and if) I take a spill
- Any other suggestions are welcome.
What I've found:
On Bluetooth Cameras:
So far I've found absolutely nothing in the way of Bluetooth Camera modules (except the following college research paper and patent application by Kodak) so I might be jumping the gun with Bluetooth, but here they are:
http://www.itn.liu.se/~shago/Exjobb/BT_Webcam.pdf [college research pap]
http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/02/kodaks-bluetooth-camera-module/ [engadget on kodak patent]
On MicroSD SDIO Camearas:
I have found nothing on this subject. If there are any microSDIO cameras that you are aware of or are around PLEASE PM, e-mail, reply, call or IM me!
On SDIO camera modules I've found the following:
- HP Photosmart Mobile Camera
This is for an iPaq with Windows PocketPC 2002 or Windows Mobile 2003. It takes video, but will it work on a Kaiser, considering it's a WinMo6 device? It looks like a good option.
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/pscmisc/vac/us/en/sm/pocketpc/FA185A_specifications.html
http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=534595&SiteID=1 [this link suggests that it works fine under winmo5 and is even usable via camera APIs using some discontinued Veo camera APIs]
- eNnovation (LifeView?) FlyCam SD
For this one I have similar fears that some of the prerequisites are not satisfied by the Kaiser. Specifically they list the following:
CPU : Intel Xscale
OS : Microsoft Pocket PC 2000, Pocket PC 2002 and Pocket PC 2003.
The age of the OSes listed and the CPU requirement make me shy away from this one, although the HP seems just as bad when it come to support for WinMo.
http://www.ennovationtech.com/html/flycamsd.htm#F
http://www.msdner.com/dev-archive/144/11-35-1446805.shtm [this link suggests lifeview makes it and there's winmo5 support and an sdk, but the lifeview site is down.]
- Pretec SDIO 1.3MegaPixel Camera
This little card is just another one of the ones I've found. This one says Win PPC 2002 and higher, so I'm guessing it implies WinMo5&6 support, but that's a crap shoot. This camera also features 20fps max depending on resolution while the above two sport 30fps. Not my top choice.
http://www.pretec.com/epages/Store....s/Store.Pretec/Products/OS-CAS#Specifications
http://www.jactron.co.uk/pretec/io/sdio/sd-smartcam.htm
- Veo SDIO Camera
A lot is mentioned about these cams, but they seem to be discontinued and I am unable to find a place to purchase any of these. Would these be better suited? Anyone own one?
- Spectec SDIO Camera
This camera seems to be a 640x480 only discontinued model also. There is a chance that these do not work well with WinMo5/6 at all.
http://www.mobileplanet.com/p.aspx?i=121109 DISCONTINUED
On SD to MicroSD adapters/converters/cables:
I couldn't find any. The closest thing I found was a post on MoDaCo linking to an SD to MiniSD solution. I also found a camerahacker.com post on detailed images which show the pins are pretty much 1-1. I would also like to thank Chainfire who told me this fact ahead of time on IRC in #xda-devs. Additionally, there seems to have been an April Fool's joke about SanDisk making an SD to MicroSD adapter on another PPC device forum. Thanks to them I nearly soiled myself. I am highly inclined to create my own adapter, but feel free to save my time if one exists or is in development.
http://www.camerahacker.com/Digital/Inside_miniSD_Adapter.shtml [CameraHacker post describing pinouts with pics]
http://www.modaco.com/content/Windo...o-purchase-or-make-an-sd-to-microsd-adapter-/ [MoDaCo post related to this same endeavor]
http://www.diatec.co.jp/shop/det.php?prod_c=460 [Japanese site with an SD to MiniSD solution]
On Connecting Both SDIO Device and MicroSD/SD Memory Card
I have not found any information on any device capable of allowing this sort of chaining an SDIO card with an SD card. I did find a WiFi card and a GPS card which allow a pass-through to a microSD card. None of the cameras listed above had this capability listed, and I did not see it in any of the pictures (although I could have missed it?).
On Protective Cases
I found two suitable solutions for this, and I'm leaning toward BoxWave's Armor Case as it has a screen cover as well. They're both around $30.
http://www.boxwave.com/products/armorcase/armor-case-at_t-tilt_2906.htm [BoxWave's Armor Case]
http://www.tiltdepot.com/a/att-tilt-metal-cases/monaco-aluminum-case-_4-23--3294.htm [Monaco Aluminum Case]
So far this is what I've got, and the idea is that I would mount the camera in my helmet, connect the SDIO connector to a cable that runs to my pocket where it converts to MicroSD and plugs into my Kaiser. I would like to get this project together so I can record some videos of upcoming rides. If you know of any better suited products or shortcuts that I can take please reply!
notten:
Here is something I've been looking at to record videos on bike rides.
http://www2.oregonscientific.com/shop/product.asp?cid=0&pid=709&scid=86
The big drawback is all the reviews say the video quality is not very good..
Using your 'Kaiser' as the recorder for video I would have thought is a little impractical.
Firstly the mini-SD card is not SDIO compatible even if you could get an adapter. Secondly, you have to find some way of protecting both camera and phone. Thirdly, any wireless connected camera (BT or WiFi) will be of low quality due to transmission rates/resolution restrictions (Check out my thread on connecting a Linksys network camera with peer to peer).
I advise you to Google 'Sports video camera' as there are some good packs out there. Then you can convert the video at a later date for viewing on any device.
Not really the answer you wanted but someone else may come up with something.
The microSD slot not being SDIO is slightly disappointing. Are you sure about this? I wanted to have the phone record GPS along with video, so standalone devices wouldn't really do the trick. Thank you both for your replies. So far it's not what I wanted to hear.
Additionally I cannot find any of the cameras I listed except the HP on sale anywhere. The HP Photosmart camera can only take pictures through an SDK which makes the whole project even less viable.
Are you certain the Kaisers don't support SDIO over the microSD slot?
My bet, and this is a gut instinct, is that none of those camera's will work under WM6. Wasn't the processor and achitecture different on the PPC systems to the newer WM6 hardware? I seem to remember programs came in XScale, ARM and other versions depending on the processor your device carried so it would stand to reason that something designed for a XScale processor wouldn't be to happy with an ARM processor. Course I could be way off base here!
The fact that so many phones, PDA's etc these days come with built in WiFi, Camera's, Bluetooth etc would make the market for add-on devices such as this rather small and its unlikely people would waste their R&D time building something for a rather small market place.
How about something like these?
www.helmetcamera.com
www.helmet-cameras.com
OK, now I know I am pushing the envelope here but Coreplayer have said that they have solved the Qualcomm driver issue for streamed video and that the upcoming version (1.2) of Coreplayer works perfect with the 'Kaiser'.
I would bet that if you can find a 'Rugged' housing for any Linksys camera with reasonable resolution, you can have a good peer-to-peer link in your pocket!!!
Hey! wishful thinking for the New Year???
OH, one thing you have to remember on ANY camera setup! How do you record.....
Honestly, I hope you are correct. I will definitely try the Linksys camera if Coreplayer delivers the updated punch to the video streaming. When it does I will come bug you to test the Linksys camera. With good video it's likely to be my solution. Also, I have a very good buddy who might help me fab an aluminum enclosure for the camera.
notten said:
Honestly, I hope you are correct. I will definitely try the Linksys camera if Coreplayer delivers the updated punch to the video streaming. When it does I will come bug you to test the Linksys camera. With good video it's likely to be my solution. Also, I have a very good buddy who might help me fab an aluminum enclosure for the camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well the Linksys WVC54G I have is only a poxy 320x240 cam but as I said in the thread, if you can find a Linksys cam with good resolution it should have the same stream available.
OK, I know Crimble is coming up but I will try to set up a 5V portable supply and test this out for you.....(only cause it looks like I'm doin summat good but you have me REALLY interested now for myself, SMILES).
EDIT; How often do we need GPS waypoint ties to vid recording do you think?? (Soz, brain running on...)
A qvga camera will do for me, but the VWC is just way too large. I don't think I can get those to comfortably stay on a helmet without looking outrageously falmboyant.
If there's anything in 640x480 that will stream to TCPMP and fit on a helmet I'm buying it. What exactly is this Crimble? I couldn't find anything on it, but I'll try to build a portable power supply myself if necessary.
As to the GPS waypoints on video: I'm looking to record cool rides and have the playback showing my location. I think I might've unknowningly stolen the concept from Indy 500, which sends some sort of local positioning system for the camera overlays they do with the races. I wonder what else could benefit from this.
notten said:
A qvga camera will do for me, but the VWC is just way too large. I don't think I can get those to comfortably stay on a helmet without looking outrageously falmboyant.
If there's anything in 640x480 that will stream to TCPMP and fit on a helmet I'm buying it. What exactly is this Crimble? I couldn't find anything on it, but I'll try to build a portable power supply myself if necessary.
As to the GPS waypoints on video: I'm looking to record cool rides and have the playback showing my location. I think I might've unknowningly stolen the concept from Indy 500, which sends some sort of local positioning system for the camera overlays they do with the races. I wonder what else could benefit from this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh... Crimble is my home location's (Yorkshire, England) acronim (you know, you use those in the US) for Christmas!....
Just buying a camera and using it is not in the 'METHOD' of XDA, if we can get it to work, WELL, then we take the guts and suit it to our purpose. If I can't do the hardware, I am sure somone else will look into that. One task at a time...Lets get a good image with GPS tags...

Your Dream Pda/PHONE

WHATS your dream phone and what features wud you want it?
T0 All
basically a kaiser with good drivers and vga. or in other words a smaller athena with slightly less crippled drivers... when i say smaller, i mean abt 3.5 to 4 inch screen rather than 5 inch
So thats 624 mhz processor, 128 ram, 256 rom
16gb flash onboard [this is the new athena]
tactile feedback keyboard
gps
vga
Rory
My dream phone (Tilt) is on the way.... Can't wait! Can I have two dream phones? Xperia X1 is on that list.....
Sony Ericsson Xperia x1.
made by HTC
my dream phone.
look here:-
http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_xperia_x1-2246.php
Shift
The Shift, but with Vista Ultimante, and 160gb hard, - but HTC would have to make it so you can use it like a regular phone.............................
Other wise, the Tilt/TnTY II has done an awesome job, the only complain is i need some ability to do my graphics/audio editing "on the fly". The photos i do edit with two programs from the Tilt, but yet to find a good audio editer of that..... (use Adusity on the desktop at home......)
my dream phone is the iphone with 3g even without the 3g i love it way more than mytilt it does everything it said it would and more plus i can still install apps but i dont really need to too much why because most of the stuff i was installing on the tilt couldve been done on the iphone ie s2p s2u opea mini htc photo album big on screen keyboard its already their on the iphone plus the battery life way better than the tilts even when i would just leave it on edge
ilovemytilt1 said:
my dream phone is the iphone with 3g even without the 3g i love it way more than mytilt it does everything it said it would and more plus i can still install apps but i dont really need to too much why because most of the stuff i was installing on the tilt couldve been done on the iphone ie s2p s2u opea mini htc photo album big on screen keyboard its already their on the iphone plus the battery life way better than the tilts even when i would just leave it on edge
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you work for Apple? No way someone is that happy about the iPhone....
SonyEricsson Xperia X1 by the specs and if it can hold up to what it promises. If it doesnt: a phone similar to the X1 which actually holds what it promises...
Vosberg said:
The Shift, but with ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
we are talking about phones...
anyway, mine:
removable/attachable qwerty kb
128 ram, 256rom
8gb
VGA
600+mhz
great drivers
hsdpa
microsdhc
eten X650 size (not including keyboard)
gps
video out like athena (you can stick a usb there with adaptors)
3mpx camara (good quality)
flaheable w/o voiding warranty
WiFi Draft N (3.0)
Lol. i don't see this phone ever existing.
medellinrob said:
we are talking about phones...
anyway, mine:
removable/attachable qwerty kb
128 ram, 256rom
8gb
VGA
600+mhz
great drivers
hsdpa
microsdhc
eten X650 size (not including keyboard)
gps
video out like athena (you can stick a usb there with adaptors)
3mpx camara (good quality)
flaheable w/o voiding warranty
WiFi Draft N (3.0)
Lol. i don't see this phone ever existing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its an athena with better drivers and a bit smaller
Rory
3.5-4 screen
8gb+
VGA
600+mhz
sd card slot
gps
7mpx camara
flash-able
WiFi
3g
a detachable keyboard like the wizard etc, but can be removed
3.5mm headphone jack
I would be extremely happy with an iPhone with a WM6 emulator.
Although my perfect device would probably be an iPhone with WM6 emulator and the following hardware changes:
1. Removable battery.
2. Slightly shorter.
3. Lighter, less metal, more composites (less than 100g total weight).
4. Thinner, if possible, as thin as the iPod Touch.
5. MicroSD slot.
6. Standard Mini USB connector.
7. Built-in GPS.
8. 3G
I want that one ^^^
My dream phone would have similar but a little more than the specs shown above:
TouchScreen
3.5-4 screen
10gb+
600+mhz
256RAM/512ROM
2 MicroSDHC card slot
Fastest and Best GPS Signal
5-10mp with Flash camara and Even an option for Night Vision Mode
Ability to have 2 SIM Card (and yes its already done)
WiFi able to act as an Access Point with the new Wireless-N capabilities
both 3g & 4g (coming soon somewhere in 2009-2011)
Advance 3D-Acceleration Chipset with Drivers if needed
A/V Output for Video and Images
And all that in under $400 but its only a dream in the year 2008
My perfect Pocket PC would be:
3 inch full VGA touch screen with multi touch support.
Universal-like clamshell design
at least 8GB of built in memory
at least 528mhz dual core
VGA out and full USB 2.0 support (like the Athena)
3.5mm headphone jack
Good tactile keyboard.
Built in GPS
5mp auto focus camera with xenon flash
High resolution video suppor
Tytn II With Video Drivers and VGA. Is that so much to ask? They should call it the Tytn III
two words!
E-TEN V900. now if some one could gimme dat for my bday id b singin n dancin 4 weeks
JimmyMcGee said:
Tytn II With Video Drivers and VGA. Is that so much to ask? They should call it the Tytn III
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, if they'll ever manage to really do it, they should just simply call it "The Tytn". Can't get any bigger than that... (as opposed to the "Tytn"... got the pun...? lol...)
meizu m8 sounds like a dream phone...
if they manage to finish it...
You guys dream small.
Since it's a "dream" phone I would go with the iPhone route with some not so small changes:
3Ghz quadcore inlel or amd proc.
2gb DDR3 ram @ 2000mhz
250 SSD + SD micro
Nvidia GPU that is actually a mobile desktop replacment of the 8800GT*/9800GT* (G92 series) w/512mb GDDR3 dedicated (for outputting higher res to monitor) upgradable through mini port (like the SD micro slot but for GPU's insted of memory)
HDMI out
Multitouch
WiFi a/b/g/n
FTA HD antenna
Vindows Vista compatible but allows for XP installation.
X-Fi sound 24-bit, 96KHz record and playback with full 5.1 surround through Optical S/PDIF
USB and 3.5mm sterio jack
1280x720 5" oled display. (over kill I know)
IR for remote control
Thumb print reader for security
Total control voice recognition
anti reflective screen
500nit brightness
10mp camera with flash and full motion HD recording @ 60fps
Blue Tooth
GPS
1/3 in thick and 100g
And the kicker...
Free with 3yr contract with respected service provider.
It will never happen for another 10-15 yrs or so(maybe never) but if your gonna dream you might as well dream big.
Cheers.
Really Dreaming.
sprecker said:
You guys dream small.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sprecker said:
You forgot a few things sprecker...
To really replace my phone, Gaming PC, Laptop, PDA, Mediagate, PVR, Still and Video Camerra, SatNav, ipod, PSP, xbox, DVD player, universal remote control, pay tv box, we would need just a few additional items to what you suggested, but not many.
A big amount of storage say 800Gb
For the unit to be able to act as a remote control, but also be remote controlled.
A series of docking stations for Office, Car, Lounge, Bedroom, Games room, I would imagine the device would have enough battery power to stay on if you ran from one station to the next. These docking stations could also have TV antena/Satelite/cable inputs for the on board tuner, and bulky items like a DVD player/burner, Keyboards, mouse, also outputs for the TV/Monitor, surround sound etc. Although all of these items could be connected directly as well if you got caught without the station.
Of course it would come with a series of accessories, like wifi gaming handsets, wifi mouse/keyboard, wifi/bluetooth stereo headset, 3D goggles.
If only it could make a cup of coffee, Now that is dreaming...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Accessory review: the Kingston Wi-Drive

This section is flooded with case threads, so I decided to write up some first impressions on a different type of accessory: the Kingston Wi-Drive.
Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Wi-D...=UTF8&qid=1342506312&sr=8-1&keywords=wi-drive
(I bought it from Best Buy since I had a gift card from there)
Flavors: 16gb, 32gb, and 64gb (I got the 32gb)
Specs: http://www.kingston.com/us/usb/wireless/#wid
Since I'm not too experienced with reviews, I'll post a nice one I read before buying... it has a link to a nice video with it in action: http://androidspin.com/2012/03/27/k...adds-new-features-and-just-plain-works-great/
Because I have the 8gb Nexus 7, I looked for some type of portable external storage... and since there currently isn't a way to play files directly from an OTG + USB drive (edited: looks like OTG+USB drive works for some but not for others... there is a thread in the accessories section that is keeping track of the drives that allow you to play media directly from them... thanks for the heads up mewantnexus7), I wanted to look into a wi-fi drive. As there are a few in the market (Seagate GoFlex Satellite, Transcend Storejet, maybe more), I will give you some of the reasons why I chose this one and my initial impressions of the device.
Reasons for choosing the Wi-Drive over the competition:
1. SSD (Seagate and Transcend have received complaints about the drives quitting on their users... both have HDDs)
2. More portable (very small and light... about the size of the Nexus One maybe... but way thinner. Maybe more comparable to an ipod touch... but haven't handled an ipod, so I don't know.).
3. The app works... according to many, the Seagate software was extremely buggy., and the only way to make it usable was to hack it (see hackseagatesatellite.com). Don't know about Transcends software.
4. Reviews online were overall better for the Wi-Drive
My initial impressions:
Before going into the pros and cons, let me just say that, according to my testing, the wi-drive works the best with Dice Player (I have the free version with ads). In Jelly Bean, video would stutter in the default media player and even MX Player. In ICS (tested on a GNex with CM9) and Gingerbread (tested with a rooted G2), those players may have worked okay, but would bring the video up slower than Dice. Overall, Dice worked the best.... and the only player I found that worked on the N7.
PROS:
1. I love how portable and light it is.
2. Easy for folks to connect. Have them connect to the wi-drive's SSID... then they either go into the android/ios app or put 192.168.200.254 in their fav browser, and they are connected.
3. 3 devices can play content smoothly without hiccups
4. It's possible to connect to both the wi-drive and your own wi-fi network in order to surf the night while connected to your drive.
5. Contrary to what some people may think, it is possible to charge and stream your media (just turn the drive on before charging)
6. The app works well (though it force closes sometimes... usually when disconnected from the wi-drive network).
7. The security features are nice... you can hide your ssid and put some type of encryption (WEP, WPA, WPA2, or mixed).
8. It has a pretty nice range. I used it about 18 ft. away with a wall between me and the wi-drive; it showed about 2 wifi bars on the N7... and the video played perfectly. Of course, success may differ due to many different factors that affect wi-fi.
9. You can transfer media from your device to the wi-drive and vice versa (and delete media) through the app. Haven't tried it through a browser. IOS doesn't have that feature which is weird but doesn't concern me since I don't have an IOS device.
10. Battery Life: I haven't tested it, but those that have said that it lasted over 4 hours, which is comparable to Seagate's drive. Being able to watch a couple of movies on a single charge is pretty nice and is enough for me... and, as mentioned above, you can charge and stream as well.
CONS:
1. It gets HOT... extremely hot when streaming. Leaving it out in the open is definitely recommended... for one, so it doesn't burn you while it's in your pocket (exaggerating a bit, but just a bit), and also to keep your drive as cool as possible.
2. The storage size may not be enough for some (which may be a con for them), but I think choosing an SSD over an HDD is worth it.
3. It takes about 2 min and 15 sec from powering on the drive (1 min 30 sec from connecting to the wi-drive) to be able to see content from the app or the browser. Not super-long... and it may be fast for an accessory like this, but I figured I'd just put it on the con side just in case.
4. There's no way to change the wi-drive's IP address (source: Kingston Wi-Drive FAQ)
5. 3 connected devices may be a con to some...and all connected devices seem to have read/write access to your media (haven't officially tested this, but I did see the copy/delete options on a friend's device).
That's all I can think of right now. Will update if I can think of anything else.
RECOMMENDED? Yes!!
I really enjoy this accessory. I love that I can take it around and access the media on all of my devices... essentially extending the memory not only on my N7, but on all of the devices. I can save storage on my devices for apps and other things and put all media on the wi-drive. I think this is a no-brainer for 8gb N7 owners... but even 16gb N7's could use some extra storage.
Feel free to chime in if you have the wi-drive and let me know if I missed something.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium and ZAGGkeys Flex BT keyboard... I'll write a post about this one next.
There /is/ a way to play files directly from a usb drive. Root, install stickmount, and enjoy.
Thanks for the reply.
I initially rooted my N7 hoping that stickmount would allow me to watch movies directly from the otg cable and USB drive... but it wasn't possible at that time. According to one of the threads on xda, it may be hardware (or USB drive specific). For me and my Transcend 32gb USB drive, I was only able to copy/paste between the USB drive and the N7. But I will update my post. Thanks again!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Thanks for the review, wasn't aware of this one. I use a 500GB Seagate GoFlex Satellite for much the same thing. I think the Seagate probably offers better value for money than Kingston's one here.
Thanks for the review. While I think the wi-drive is a useful bit of tech, it's a unitasker (NAS, essentially) which is also a con. It's one more thing to carry around.
Folks who already carry around an Android phone can potentially look to it in order to provide network access as well as storage without the limitations of the wi-drive. The main limitation will still be the amount of storage for some, though SD cards are getting up there!
Thanks for the review, I was thinking about getting one of these.
File Formats
I am interesting in getting this, however many of the reviews suggest that the file formats that can be streamed are quite limited. If it is acting like a USB flash drive, then I do not see how. It sounds like the software app limits its use?
I can currently play HD WTV file from a USB flash drive plugged into my Droid DNA (via an OTG adaptor), however using this method I cannot use the USB port to charge and I have wires sticking out of the phone.
If I get this Kingston WiDrive, would I be able to fill it with WTV files (Windows 7 MC recorded TV files) and play them with MX Player?

Nexus 7 with portable DVD r/w NAS as wireless entertainment system for car or travel

Nexus 7 with portable DVD r/w NAS as wireless entertainment system for car or travel and can be used a wireless access point if you plug into your hotel or home ethernet port. I use a car inverter plug to power the samsung optical smart hub. I can read. write or stream files from cd or dvd or flash storage or hard drive attached to the hub. Can be accessed simultaeneously by 4 people. Two people can watch same dvd at different stages in the movie or 4 people can watch stream files off usb memory. UYou do not need root for doing this. It works out of the box. see my youtube video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dKvwom5K8s
also see my other nexus 7 videos on my link in my tagline below. see my various nexus 7 and android play lists as well, which might be useful for some people. subscribe to my youtube channel if you like my videos as i will be uploading few more nexus related videos as i have shot some more but havent uploaded them yet and will do so soon.
my nexus 7 is in car entertainment system and is portable as not built into dash and can take with me while travelling. My wife and child watch live TV and tv catch up and surf the net or do skype video chats for free (excluding the cost of my unlimited data plan) by tethering it to my samsung galaxy note by wifi hotspot.
my total cost was 189.99£ for 16gb nexus 7 + about 70£ for samsung optical smarthub from amazon + 15£ for car inverter = cheap as chips in car entertainment system / NAS that can be shared by 4 people wirelesly and can play dvds, read / write / copy / stream to dvd / cd / flash drive / hard drive and do device back ups or watch internet tv and radio and skype video chats. Has got ethernet port to connect to hotel ethernet port to use a wifi access point when travelling. Can connect to laptop to act as internal drive via usb or as dvd player for TVs although i havent tried those features.
so I had obvious questions, like software, wifi setup, etc, but I guess this "smarthub" device has much of that built-in. how is it over bumps? lose data connection any? can this work with any video/media file type or does it have to be DVD movies only?
640k said:
so I had obvious questions, like software, wifi setup, etc, but I guess this "smarthub" device has much of that built-in. how is it over bumps? lose data connection any? can this work with any video/media file type or does it have to be DVD movies only?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i cant answer all the questions today but might be able to either tomorrow or over the next few days. I am on holiday for the last week and will be for about a week more. So busy travelling or making travel plans most of the time as am going on short breaks on a daily basis or recovering in between.
They sent me one with a EU plug and the fit into the inverter is a bit loose. Although i get a contact i dont like it being loose so just use an existing EU to UK plug adapter from tesco (think might have been £1 or so) to plug into my car inverter. The nexus 7 has no probs catching the signal or playing dvds or cds. I tried accessing documents and they work fine as do avi videos from what i remember but i emtied that flash drive for other stuff so cant check the formats now.
I didnt get to use the hub much as my 3y child was more interested with playing on the nexus 7 or watching cartoons on the internet television or my wife was watching television on it so i couldnt check it out as i was driving most of the time. Will try to check it out tomorrow or over the next few days.
The techradardeals website seems to have goofed up and i got an email saying my two 64gb flash drives usb 3.0 are not being delivered, so i am busy making other arrangements for my data for the trip. I had deleted some of my movies from my sd cards in anticipation of getting the drives but now have to copy them to alternate flash drives IF i can find some spares tonight as most of my existing ones are filled with other documents. But will definitely try some dvds tomorrow if my child allows it as she will be using the nexus 7 while i am driving! Today and the last few days she was busy playing on the nexus 7 in the back seat or watching internet TV or skype video chatting or my wife was surfing or watching internet TV, so i didnt get much of a chance using the device myself! Am wondering whether to get another nexus 7 now for only myself. This one was my childs present!!! which i thought i could use but my child has other ideas!!! so my PLAN to get a gadget for myself didnt work out!! I still use the tablet when at home or at night though. But my child uses the tablet the entire journey if she is not sleeping, by playing games or watching TV or listening to songs as she now wants to hear it on the tablet rather than the car stereo and she is only three soon to be four years old.
Anyway enough of me digressing from your queries.
You can see more videos and tutorials and FAQs for the device here http://samsung-odd.com/eng/
the user manual here http://www.samsungodd.com/WebManual/SmartHub/SE-208BW/en/index.html
specifications here http://www.samsungodd.com/WebManual/SmartHub/SE-208BW/en/Specifications_Product.html
you can directly connect this to compatible TVs or photo frames with usb slot function http://www.samsungodd.com/WebManual/SmartHub/SE-208BW/en/Using_AV_Function.html
I am not sure what codecs etc are supported. File sizes cant be more than 4gb. There are a couple more videos on this device on my "android accessories playlist" as far as i remember. see the one by mavericchoi if i remember the name right.
got a few dvds to test tomorrow and some videos (m4v, avi) copying to my flash drive now. will check it tomorrow or over the next 3 days and get back here. they work fine in the stationary car, so i dont see why they wouldnt work while moving unless the electrical connection gets loose. wifi signal strength is great.
640k said:
so I had obvious questions, like software, wifi setup, etc, but I guess this "smarthub" device has much of that built-in. how is it over bumps? lose data connection any? can this work with any video/media file type or does it have to be DVD movies only?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dvd works fine in my car and handles the bumps fine. Did not loose connection at any point. Flash drive seems corrupted, as my movies are not working working. But previous hard drive movies played fine.
I bought one of these as well, and it works great with the Nexus 7. I haven't put it in the car yet, as I'm still doing my testing, but here are the things I've noticed so far.
1. My MP4 files aren't playing when using the Samsung Smart Hub app. It always says unsupported media type. I used handbrake and the ATV2 setting, which works for every other third party player I've tried (BSPlayer, ES File Manager player), but the Samsung video player chokes on them. However, if I use the same ATV2 setting, but choose MKV, they play. Definitely an issue with the Samsung player.
2. The Samsung video player cannot handle any HD content without stuttering. That's pretty much a kiss of death for me, because I'm not ripping the DVDs that come with my BDs just to have them for travelling. So, instead I use ES File Manager - the navigation is very easy and the player works great for all of my HD content.
3. If you want to play DVDs using the streaming app, then the Samsung video player definitely works and does the job perfectly. The only issue I had was getting a message about setting the correct region. All of my mobile devices can play DVDs that way (HTC One X, Nexus 7, iPod touch, and iPhone 4s).
4. MP3s play great using the Samsung video player.
Those are really the only things I've noticed so far. I don't have any other media types to try, because I only use MP4 and MP3, but for me this device will do exactly what I want - have a mobile media hub during our long trips, that all of my mobile devices can use.
If you visit the Samsung ODD support website and read the manual, and watch the videos, setup is a breeze. First thing - make sure you already have a USB drive/stick/etc with some movies or songs on it, because the SmartHub will choke when you try to navigate around in the app. I have a 32GB SD card (Amazon Basics - cheap but works great) and a SanDisk MicroMate SD reader plugged into the Hub, and it works great. External USB hard drives work, too - I've tried two different 2.5 SATA drives and both had no issues. After you set it up, plug the USB drive in before doing anything else. I didn't bother with the included setup CD - I just connected the SmartHub to my home network via ethernet cable, let it acquire an IP, then I used IE and browsed to http://smarthub. I could set everything up that way, including doing a firmware update. My device came with A00, and A03 was available, so I went ahead and did the firmware update. Once that was done, I changed the SSID and password (the default SSID and password is on a label on the bottom of the device), changed the SAMBA sharing password, then I disconnected it from my home network and rebooted the device.
Next, I changed my Nexus wireless network to the SmartHub's - that's very important, because you can't use it at all unless your mobile devices and the SmartHub are on the same subnet! I think that's the biggest issue with people having problems getting things to work. I started the Samsung Mobile Smart Hub (previously downloaded from Google Play), set my SAMBA password, and I was up and running.
I don't think I'd use this for my home network streaming/playback, because I already have things in place that take care of media, but I don't think there's a better media hub type device for travelling.
Thanks. OP! I just ordered one as they are on sale for $40 at Amazon (US):
http://amzn.com/B007JUFLS0
Not knocking the Samsung thing -- especially at only $40 -- but anyone considering it should at least look at the (much more expensive) Seagate Satellite. It is a battery-powered 500gb HDD with onboard WIFI and file server. I've installed hacked firmware and can stream four different movies to four different devices simultaneously without problems. Now three kids of differing ages and tastes can watch whatever they want to watch on a long car trip.
At $40, the Samsung thing is a steal -- almost an at-the-cash-register impulse buy. At $160, the Satellite is a good value, but not an impulse buy. But being able to store 500gb of movies... well worth the money IMHO.
SoonerLater said:
Not knocking the Samsung thing -- especially at only $40 -- but anyone considering it should at least look at the (much more expensive) Seagate Satellite. It is a battery-powered 500gb HDD with onboard WIFI and file server. I've installed hacked firmware and can stream four different movies to four different devices simultaneously without problems. Now three kids of differing ages and tastes can watch whatever they want to watch on a long car trip.
At $40, the Samsung thing is a steal -- almost an at-the-cash-register impulse buy. At $160, the Satellite is a good value, but not an impulse buy. But being able to store 500gb of movies... well worth the money IMHO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But does the HDD come with an intuitive user I interface that kids can use and understand in order to select the movie they want to watch? That's the biggest draw with the Samsung solution, even if the interface is a little spartan in design.
SoonerLater said:
Not knocking the Samsung thing -- especially at only $40 -- but anyone considering it should at least look at the (much more expensive) Seagate Satellite. It is a battery-powered 500gb HDD with onboard WIFI and file server. I've installed hacked firmware and can stream four different movies to four different devices simultaneously without problems. Now three kids of differing ages and tastes can watch whatever they want to watch on a long car trip.
At $40, the Samsung thing is a steal -- almost an at-the-cash-register impulse buy. At $160, the Satellite is a good value, but not an impulse buy. But being able to store 500gb of movies... well worth the money IMHO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for sharing this, any chance you could say where you got the firmware from? This could be pretty amazing with a head rest mount.

Categories

Resources