Database Develop

controlling HDMI

As stated in the (www .blogtalkradio .com/motodev) Q&A session yesterday with Motorola about the Droid X, in answer to the question asked at the 29:00 mark,
"The only time that we are enabling the HDMI driver on the device is when you are in the gallery mode. [...] The HDMI driver is not active any time outside the gallery," where the "gallery mode" is their included photo/video viewer.
I'm wondering how true that is...
(www .pcmag .com/article2/0,2817,2365630,00.asp ) PCMag's review stated that the youtube player and blockbuster player were not able to use the hdmi out at all.
As seen in (forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=703111 ) this thread the evo 4g, which also has hdmi out, is capable of allowing any app that uses VideoView to utilize that output, but that's supported by the phone maker.
Will that usability be true on the droid x?
Could we figure out a way to bypass any limitations Motorola includes, and maybe even send (an upscaled version of) the main screen through the hdmi (not just video but anything we could put on the phone's screen)?

I was just at a motorola event and we were able to run nfl mobile through the hdmi.
Yes the tv was in an ice sculpture and yes it was connected to a droid x via the hdmi cable
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App

That's great news, thanks for letting us know!
The more apps with handshakes to the hdmi-out we have, the better for us to get it working completely openly
The whole media-center-and-phone-in-my-pocket is just a great idea imho...
With the hdmi out we could:
put any videos and pictures from any source up on your home tv
connect it to the projector at work and give presentations
go with a few bluetooth controllers to your friend's house and play multiplayer (even online) games on their tv with minimal cords to deal with
maybe even video-chat would be possible if you set up the phone with the camera facing out in front of the tv
... ok, that last one sounds like a pretty lame way to get video-chat, but it would save on having to have a computer/monitor/webcam when you wanted to
Of course this is all far into the future stages of development on the phone, but I'd rather create buzz and excitement to build up a developer and user base

Talked to a moto rep, said it might have been a beta device as licensing is what will prevent this thing from being turned on when it hits consumers hands. At least we know it can be done.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

no fun, i'm not much of a C programmer, but if it's just enabling or disabling the driver, I guess it comes down to the security on the phone. If you go into root, I suppose we should be able to start the driver. The only thing I fear is if the driver is signed and only a signed application can access it, then I think we might be SOL

I'm not particularly worried... if we get access to enough apps that use the hdmi driver, we should be able to document enough of the method.
I believe while the hardware can reject unsigned versions of the OS (roms), most apps are self-signed (see developer. android. com/guide/publishing/app-signing.html) so that shouldn't be a problem. We just have to figure out which hoops to jump through (following the programs that use hdmi) to get it to work. They'd have to leave the hoops pretty wide open or else risk the need of updating the thing every time a new app is released that needs to get through.

This is a mixed bag here. The reason why Motorola limited the hdmi driver is likely so they didn't have to put a fps cap on the droid x like htc put on the evo.
This is pure speculation here but I would imagine the way that the evo devs are going to "truly" overcome the fps cap is to mimic the droid x behavior of toggling on and off the hdmi drivers so that the evo can access up to 60 fps.
You guys are on the other end of the boat where by default your fps won't be artificially capped, but you likely won't have full access to the hdmi drivers at first.
I think the sweet spot for both phones is finding a happy medium where we can toggle the hdmi drivers at will.

Any news on this? I would really like to get rockplayer and youtube working through hdmi. In fact, I would like to get the entire OS through HDMI and possibly a bluetooth keyboard and mouse working so I can use it as a little media center pc.

2 way control
I would lime to see this pushed to.the level of controlling the phone through an hdmi touchscreen.

I thought we would be able to see pandora and other apps through the hdmi...This sucks the way it is...also does anyone think the sound is terrible through the hdmi?

There is no point int he HDMi at all if you can only use it for your pictures and your videos from the phone's camera.
They need to make it show what you see on the phone, but on the screen
I remember there was a windows mobiel program that popped up a small window on your desktop that let you see your phone's screen and interact with it on your monitor when connected through usb
anything like this for android?

sp1kez said:
There is no point int he HDMi at all if you can only use it for your pictures and your videos from the phone's camera.
They need to make it show what you see on the phone, but on the screen
I remember there was a windows mobiel program that popped up a small window on your desktop that let you see your phone's screen and interact with it on your monitor when connected through usb
anything like this for android?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NO, the hdmi dock is a half ass design. For the $, it should do everything. MOTO/VZ dropped the ball on this. Hopefully they will open this up with a sw update.

Update: "Real HDMI" in the market
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=769990&highlight=control+hdmi

Hi,
I'm pretty new to Android development. So my understanding after reading a couple threads here is that HDMI access on the stock Droid X is limited to the gallery only, is that right? And the point of the "Real HDMI" app is that it will automatically redirect all output to the phone's display through HDMI, right? So no API exists which gives programmatic control over the HDMI port? That's a shame if so.
Do any of the Android devices allow easier HDMI port control or do we need these kinds of work arounds for all of them?
Thank you very much for any information anyone can provide.

Sorry to be a pest, but can anybody answer my questions? Should I consider posting somehwere else?
Thanks again.

commie64 said:
Sorry to be a pest, but can anybody answer my questions? Should I consider posting somehwere else?
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe try posting in the Real HDMI thread over at DroidXForums.com because username GMAN (who made real hdmi) has a thread there. I'm sure his knowledge of the subject is pretty extensive.

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.

so... whats the point of chromecast vs HDMI out?

So, I finally bought a chromecast and after 30 minutes was left wondering "why did I buy this instead of just getting a 15' HDMI cable to dual monitor my laptop on my TV.
It seems like casting from a tab uses more resources, uses double the bandwidth, and has limited features compared to just dual-monitoring.
In order to continue using a VPN and chromecast I have to mod the firmware on the router. chromecast uses a fair amount of resources when casting video. And as far as I can tell there's no benefit (besides it being wireless) compared to HDMI out dual monitoring... am I missing something or is it really just nothing that special?

codecobalt said:
So, I finally bought a chromecast and after 30 minutes was left wondering "why did I buy this instead of just getting a 15' HDMI cable to dual monitor my laptop on my TV.
It seems like casting from a tab uses more resources, uses double the bandwidth, and has limited features compared to just dual-monitoring.
In order to continue using a VPN and chromecast I have to mod the firmware on the router. chromecast uses a fair amount of resources when casting video. And as far as I can tell there's no benefit (besides it being wireless) compared to HDMI out dual monitoring... am I missing something or is it really just nothing that special?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Codecobalt,
The main benefit is convenience. There's something just very natural about selecting content from your phone and then having it play on the TV - with how the chromecast connects it's actually the device that creates the connection to the provider and as such there shouldn't be any increased bandwidth usage (only control information is sent via your phone in most cases - excepting applications that pass your data via external services).
If you wish to use a VPN you may have to mod your router however you can normally just add a route or some mechanism to stop it's connection to google DNS servers which will force the device to fall back to locally defined DNS servers if that helps. If you require assistance with the whole router thing let me know (as I've done many of them in many different ways).
Again as I said, the main reason for the device is convienience - I personally although being a tech head don't like the idea of having to launch movies with a mouse and keyboard off a laptop and all the rigmarole that comes with it (since purchasing chromecasts I haven't used my local movie stash in around 3 months).
Well that's my speel about it, if you have any specific requests please do not hesitate to ask and I hope you grow to love the device as much as I do.

I have no real gripes about it, I just don't see the real benefit to me, but I'm a laptop user who always has my laptop in front of me. I can understand though how you like the ability to use your android phone to launch videos wirelessly. I love to use my phone to launch youtube videos on my PS3.
It just seems like so long as you already have an HDMI out connection (and a laptop infront of you at all times) it's more universal to just dual monitor. for instance while casting "Watch ESPN" on my PC to TV, I can't fullscreen the video in the tab so that the video on my TV is fullscreen and still use the PC.. which kind of defeats the purpose. but with dual monitor I can have the video fullscreened on my TV while still using my laptop screen for everything else.
If it were a wireless option to dual monitor I would LOVE IT! but that's not what it was intended to be. I like it being wireless, but since I already have a 15' ethernet cable (just prefer it to wifi when available), usb to mini usb cable to charge my ps3 controller, and a wired headset for my ps3, one extra cable (the hdmi) running across the floor doesn't really bother me too much.
It's cool tech and very affordable for what it is, but it just left me wanting much more... thought I had to be missing the point.
For people without a ps3 or xbox or multiple TV's/chromecasts I can see the advantage.. just not for me I suppose.
I mostly wanted it so that I could watch my comcast xfinity online account (watch espn/2/u, FX, FXX, etc to stream live TV as an alternative to my netflix while I'm away from home and have a real screen. the ps3 doesn't have an xfinity app and I liked the idea of being able to stream only 1 specific tab. but then I have to use the zoom function on the tv to make it fullscreen and still use the laptop.

codecobalt said:
So, I finally bought a chromecast and after 30 minutes was left wondering "why did I buy this instead of just getting a 15' HDMI cable to dual monitor my laptop on my TV.
It seems like casting from a tab uses more resources, uses double the bandwidth, and has limited features compared to just dual-monitoring.
In order to continue using a VPN and chromecast I have to mod the firmware on the router. chromecast uses a fair amount of resources when casting video. And as far as I can tell there's no benefit (besides it being wireless) compared to HDMI out dual monitoring... am I missing something or is it really just nothing that special?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Casting from a tab (or the entire desktop) is not Chromecast's core use case. If that's all you're doing, then you are better off using HDMI or WiDi.
Chromecast's advantage, in addition to the sheer browsing/usage/convenience factor that @Kyonz mentioned, is "offloading" the playback duties. Chromecast's power usage is far less than your laptop, and you're free to take your laptop/phone/tablet and run if you need to while Chromecast continues to play. Someone else in the household can easily take over control of Chromecast from another device as well (there's some annoyance/bad to this too, but it's good as long as everyone plays nicely).
Likewise, I can move where media is being played back in most apps by pausing the playback, and resuming it on another Chromecast. Sadly, it won't turn off the TV though.
The previous paragraph deals solely with Chromecast-native applications, ie, not tab-casting or desktop-casting with the Cast extension from Chrome. Like I said in the beginning, if you're mainly trying to cast your computer's tab or screen, Chromecast is not the ideal solution.

I find the chromecast handy in my TV room... No hdmi cables everywhere. Just pull out my phone or tablet and pull up whatever I want to watch then send it to the chromecast and put the phone down.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

rans0m00 said:
I find the chromecast handy in my TV room... No hdmi cables everywhere. Just pull out my phone or tablet and pull up whatever I want to watch then send it to the chromecast and put the phone down.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
also a nice way to upgrade an older non-smart TV to semi smart......

I never got it to work with my jellybean android phone. installed the app but never saw a chromecast feature in anything... chrome browser, watch espn, gallery nothing... but again didn't really try too hard.. hdmi for me.

codecobalt said:
I never got it to work with my jellybean android phone. installed the app but never saw a chromecast feature in anything... chrome browser, watch espn, gallery nothing... but again didn't really try too hard.. hdmi for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not all apps have the casting feature. Avia does YouTube does. ESPN and gallery do not
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2

One of the Advantages is to be able to stream content to TVs in other rooms for Family and Friends without having to tie up your Laptop.
Truth is a Laptop has the fewest options available for using the CCast. None of the CCast compatible Apps will run on a Laptop and the only real benefit is you can launch a Netflix, Hulu and YouTube movie to the CCast from their Webpages.
So you can watch a movie on your TV while you do other things with the Laptop.

In the OP's case a secondary out from the computer doesn't "tie it up" much except for CPU and network usage. Well, launching a full screen game or something would likely jam things up.
Sent from a device with no keyboard. Please forgive typos, they may not be my own.

When using the hdmi out wont the graphics card be stressed also? Using the chromecast eliminates that altogether i thought...i use plex mostly for my entertainment system and debated getting a dedicated graphics card...in the end i chose casting between my devices because i have the bandwidth to support it and no desire to push my graphics card too hard if i chose to watch a 1080 trilogy....hows my logic?

That's reasonable logic too. Chromecast had hardware processing for the (limited) formats it supports, so it uses far less power than a laptop, perhaps even less power than a tablet because it's not also powering a screen. Personally I like the "start it up and let it go" aspect - no worries about what I do on my phone/tablet/computer once it's playing.

Remix OS carputer build

Hello guys, I'm planning to build my first carputer. 2 years ago I have modified a tablet, Asus zenpad 8, very similar to Nexus 7 in my opinion. Now I want something more.
What I want:
Fully automated pc that works exactly like an android head unit but much better and more flexibility when it comes to external devices like an external DAC with optical output. Actually this is the main reason for not buying an android head unit, didn't find one that works very well with an external DAC. Some other things that I want from this carputer: the compatibility with steering wheel controls, backup camera, fm or even DAB radio, gps, phone calls( via bluetooth), 4G internet and so on. Many of those things are pretty simple to integrate, will talk about them later.
The components:
1. The pc - didn't think about it yet because there are loads of mini pc on the market for good prices. The only problem I'm thinking is the start up on ignition. First I wanted to go for a Remix mini pc but I don't know how could I make it start on ignition and after that automatically play the last song. If I would go for a normal PC, I found a smart PSU which has the possibility of ignition start and stop and puts the computer in sleep mode. That way I will avoid the waiting time for the boot, in fact the computer will be permanently turned on. The only problem I can think of, is the compatibility of this PSU with the android Remix OS. Is it possible?
I've tested the Remix OS and I like it, very quiq, easy to use in car with a touch screen, support all the external devices( wifi, 4g, fm and DAB, external DAC with optical output) and the launcher can be changed. I know I can opt for Windows OS and that way I will be sure that the PSU works but in my opinion windows is not so "mobile friendly", not so easy to use in car.
2. The screen: not so many to talk about, found on ebay some 9" tft touch screens, very good resolution, hdmi connectivity and USB for touch. The best thing with these screens is the AV2 input for the backup camera. The screen automatically switch to this input, has guidance lines, and this way I solved the problem with the camera. And also is quite cheap.
3. Steering wheel controls. Found on ebay the Joycon steering wheel adapter that is compatible with Android. I just have to make an initial configuration and that's it, nothing more, simply works through USB.
4. The other external devices: all of them can be found on ebay for good prices. The only thing that worries me is the bluetooth compatibility. I remember when I built that Asus zenpad tablet, I couldn't find a solution for this. Now my question is, what type of bluetooth adapter should I buy and how do I integrate this in the carputer. And I'm not talking about physical connection, I think I will need some kind of software, app, that knows what to do with this bluetooth adapter.
So, in the end, I would need some help regarding the ignition start, just the hardware part of it, all the other automatic things (launch the app and play the song) can be made with tasker very easy. Also I would need some help with the bluetooth phone calls.
Hope I didn't miss any important thing and I will appreciate any help. Thanks.

yoiedi said:
Hello guys, I'm planning to build my first carputer. 2 years ago I have modified a tablet, Asus zenpad 8, very similar to Nexus 7 in my opinion. Now I want something more.
What I want:
Fully automated pc that works exactly like an android head unit but much better and more flexibility when it comes to external devices like an external DAC with optical output. Actually this is the main reason for not buying an android head unit, didn't find one that works very well with an external DAC. Some other things that I want from this carputer: the compatibility with steering wheel controls, backup camera, fm or even DAB radio, gps, phone calls( via bluetooth), 4G internet and so on. Many of those things are pretty simple to integrate, will talk about them later.
The components:
1. The pc - didn't think about it yet because there are loads of mini pc on the market for good prices. The only problem I'm thinking is the start up on ignition. First I wanted to go for a Remix mini pc but I don't know how could I make it start on ignition and after that automatically play the last song. If I would go for a normal PC, I found a smart PSU which has the possibility of ignition start and stop and puts the computer in sleep mode. That way I will avoid the waiting time for the boot, in fact the computer will be permanently turned on. The only problem I can think of, is the compatibility of this PSU with the android Remix OS. Is it possible?
I've tested the Remix OS and I like it, very quiq, easy to use in car with a touch screen, support all the external devices( wifi, 4g, fm and DAB, external DAC with optical output) and the launcher can be changed. I know I can opt for Windows OS and that way I will be sure that the PSU works but in my opinion windows is not so "mobile friendly", not so easy to use in car.
2. The screen: not so many to talk about, found on ebay some 9" tft touch screens, very good resolution, hdmi connectivity and USB for touch. The best thing with these screens is the AV2 input for the backup camera. The screen automatically switch to this input, has guidance lines, and this way I solved the problem with the camera. And also is quite cheap.
3. Steering wheel controls. Found on ebay the Joycon steering wheel adapter that is compatible with Android. I just have to make an initial configuration and that's it, nothing more, simply works through USB.
4. The other external devices: all of them can be found on ebay for good prices. The only thing that worries me is the bluetooth compatibility. I remember when I built that Asus zenpad tablet, I couldn't find a solution for this. Now my question is, what type of bluetooth adapter should I buy and how do I integrate this in the carputer. And I'm not talking about physical connection, I think I will need some kind of software, app, that knows what to do with this bluetooth adapter.
So, in the end, I would need some help regarding the ignition start, just the hardware part of it, all the other automatic things (launch the app and play the song) can be made with tasker very easy. Also I would need some help with the bluetooth phone calls.
Hope I didn't miss any important thing and I will appreciate any help. Thanks.
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Have you thought about using a rock 64 single board computer like a Raspberry Pi that Android is really supported something like that could work really well as it has gpio outputs for various functions USB inputs for audio dacs and DAB radio and can work with touch screens or even projectors for heads up.

The truth is I know nothing about raspberry pi, heard about them but nothing more. Can you please explain a bit more? Is it possible to make it automatically turn on/off on ignition? How? Apparently that's the hardest part of the job. I've read on the internet that Remix OS doesn't work very well with stand-by function and if I'll make it to shut down completely, I'm afraid that will take too long to boot back. I was thinking about Remix mini pc and a controller that simulates pressing of the on/off button simultaneously with the ignition but it has to be tested.

So, quickly searched on google about raspberry pi and banana pi possibilities, there are some power supplies for in car use, basically they simulate a shut down from the button with a delay. That looks very good, very easy to do and also very cheap. But, how fast can boot a raspberry or banana pi running Remix OS? Does anyone know?

yoiedi said:
The truth is I know nothing about raspberry pi, heard about them but nothing more. Can you please explain a bit more? Is it possible to make it automatically turn on/off on ignition? How? Apparently that's the hardest part of the job. I've read on the internet that Remix OS doesn't work very well with stand-by function and if I'll make it to shut down completely, I'm afraid that will take too long to boot back. I was thinking about Remix mini pc and a controller that simulates pressing of the on/off button simultaneously with the ignition but it has to be tested.
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To make it turn off and on with the ignition, just plug it into a 12v line that is powered when ignition is on. Generally the 12v line to your head unit fits that criteria. If you want constant power to keep the device in standby mode, you can connect a relay to an a wire that is powered when the car is powered, then use the relay to short the pins of the standby button.
For boot time, you can achieve quite a bit of improvement by getting the fastest sdcard you can buy.

Thanks for advice. I've searched on youtube how android works with raspberry pi and in my opinion they don't do it very well, I mean it struggles even on youtube playing videos. So, I bought an ssd hdd, 32gb and made some tests on my pc. Found a version of android 7 special made for in car use and I'm quite happy with it until now. This android has a "special" feature, when the power button is pressed the pc shut down without displaying any confirmation message on screen. That means it will work perfectly with an intelligent power supply like m2-atx, m3-atx etc. In the next few days I'll get a new pc, micro atx mainboard so I'll begin the tests on that. Until now I've got a boot time around 30-40 seconds. Is not a bad time but I'll try to remove the unnecessary apps from startup and see what happens then. I'll post some pictures or even videos when I'll have good results. Any advice is welcome. Thanks.

yoiedi said:
Thanks for advice. I've searched on youtube how android works with raspberry pi and in my opinion they don't do it very well, I mean it struggles even on youtube playing videos. So, I bought an ssd hdd, 32gb and made some tests on my pc. Found a version of android 7 special made for in car use and I'm quite happy with it until now. This android has a "special" feature, when the power button is pressed the pc shut down without displaying any confirmation message on screen. That means it will work perfectly with an intelligent power supply like m2-atx, m3-atx etc. In the next few days I'll get a new pc, micro atx mainboard so I'll begin the tests on that. Until now I've got a boot time around 30-40 seconds. Is not a bad time but I'll try to remove the unnecessary apps from startup and see what happens then. I'll post some pictures or even videos when I'll have good results. Any advice is welcome. Thanks.
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Check these out http://www.hardkernel.com/main/main.php

yoiedi said:
Thanks for advice. I've searched on youtube how android works with raspberry pi and in my opinion they don't do it very well, I mean it struggles even on youtube playing videos. So, I bought an ssd hdd, 32gb and made some tests on my pc. Found a version of android 7 special made for in car use and I'm quite happy with it until now. This android has a "special" feature, when the power button is pressed the pc shut down without displaying any confirmation message on screen. That means it will work perfectly with an intelligent power supply like m2-atx, m3-atx etc. In the next few days I'll get a new pc, micro atx mainboard so I'll begin the tests on that. Until now I've got a boot time around 30-40 seconds. Is not a bad time but I'll try to remove the unnecessary apps from startup and see what happens then. I'll post some pictures or even videos when I'll have good results. Any advice is welcome. Thanks.
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Why don't you get an android head unit?

gtxaspec said:
Why don't you get an android head unit?
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I think you didn't read, I couldn't find any that works with an external sound card(DAC). My audio system is quite expensive, made for sound quality, and of course I want the head unit to be as good as possible. An external sound card with optical output I think is the best you can get.

Google search "raspberry pi alternative" theres lots of these little gadgets now adays, raspberry pi 3B is one of the most popular ( and cheapest) but there are more out there that are more powerful & better hardware.. The ASUS Tinkerboard is becoming popular as well I think I may be getting one for a streaming machine.

I've already purchased the PC and ordered the PSU. The price for all those components(+ a 30gb ssd) was under 100£ so not very expensive. Why I went for a pc instead of a single board pc? I don't know, maybe because I have no previous experience with them. Yes is true that is way much bigger than a raspberry alternative and the power consumption as well but I don't mind, maybe in the future when I'll get bored again I will try one of those pc's.
So, I've tried to install the Android X86 64bit (there is one version on internet with a patch that removes the confirmation message when you want to shut it down) on this pc with no success, all I've got was a black screen or a continuous reboot. Found out that Android X86 64bit is not so friendly with AMD cpu's. Should've search for that before buying it. Anyway, tried the 32bit version so that one works very well but I didn't find any with that patch installed. How can I remove that confirmation message when the power button is pressed?
Thanks.

first tests, quite happy with it, still lot of work to do.
https://youtu.be/lNJmRjXG81A

Odroid C2 with android + kodi

Video out?

I've tried a USB-C hub with HDMI as well as a screen with a USB-C connector, which both work on my laptop. I don't expect anything to work, but did anyone try the USB-HDMI converters that were reported to work on F1 a while ago?
Having a low-latency video output would be a dream come true.

It dont work, i saw a video review before buying the poco X3 .... only lg, samsung, huawei flagships do that...
Sadly I wanted to mirror Snes and PSone emulators to TV with a USB-C/HDMI output dongle and play with my Dualshock 4.. but not with poco X3

Was wondering if the DisplayLink adapters work: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=80746715&postcount=53 - as I know the other cables don't.

The standard is called MHL, and I don't think poco x3 supports it :/

NHL =no
USB c audio adapter /dac =no

YES, video out is possible on the POCOPHONE X3 NFC! )
Since it's my first post, I was prevented from posting outside links. Whenever there was a link, you will now read 'google it'
You read it right, fellers. :angel:
DisplayLink is the name of the magic. Let's break it down:
1. Acquire any of the many DisplayLink enabled dongles or desktop versions. Products at the link:
google it
2. Acquire a USB-A to USB-C OTG adapter like this one:
google it
3. Download and install (no-root required!) the android app "DisplayLink Presenter" in your Poco X3 from:
google it
4. If you've already installed the app and already got your dongle
- plug the adapter's USB-A female end to the dongle's USB_A male.
-plug the cable from your HDMI monitor/TV to the dongle.
-plug the adapter's USB-C end to your X3.
5. Give it a coupla seconds ... Magic! There pops up the same image on both your phone and your TV/monitor! It's a window from the DisplayLink Presenter app. Plug and play, no need to open the app. Close it out, turn your phone sideways and enjoy the picture. Hook up a BT keyboard/mouse and you're good to go.
6. YouTube, Netflix, Vimeo all run with no problem. Games work, apps work, PowerPoint presentations work. Word works. Browsing works.
7. Desktop mode doesn't work. Charging simultaneously doesn't work (with this set up, but there is workaround...). Audio embedded in PP presentation may glitch at times.
That's it, me frends. Enjoy your POCOPHONE X3 NFC mirrored image, with no lag, in the full glory of a large monitor/TV, to the delight of your eyes!
P.S.: And for those interested in going wireless, check this one out:
google Hyper Mirror
Peace.

Just an explanation for you, I've done a truck load of research? on this, while I was deciding what phone to buy.
USB Type C have different types just as USBs do. So USBs went from 1 to 3; USB Type C have both 2 and 3, then thunderbolt, etc.
Essentially, what Xiaomi have done, is use the USB2 internals within the newer Type C connectors. So we get OTG but no video out.
This also means we don't have any more than 480Mbps data transfer speed.
USB3 is 5GB/s, USB3.1 is 10GB/s.
They are actually call them USB2 Type C/USB3 Type C. I honestly don't think a lot of places selling adapters, cables, etc. actually understand what they are selling as they label them all as Type C.
The solution to this, as above, is Displaylink, or equivalent, which I believe are still all Displaylink underneath.
Soooo what you end up with is a nightmare, a lot of people might think it's not worth the headache and carting around everything, especially if you are prone to losing things.
The simplest way to put it is that you need a USB2 Type C OTG cable, which connects from Poco X3 to an adapter (Displaylink/Wavelink/etc.), and a HDMI cable, which connects from the adapter to monitor.
There are other options, depending on how much you want to spend.
The only thing I haven't been able to figure out 100% is whether or not the adaptors can take the lowly USB2 480mbps speed and convert it into 4k. My brain says no way, but due to not finding any people that have used the more expensive adapters, I don't have an actual answer.
If any of this is wrong, let me know, it's only what I've been able to figure out on my own, and funny enough, it's actually more difficult to find than you'd think. Especially when you didn't know what you are starting off from.

Okay so I've found an 'in the meantime' solution that might suit some people. I haven't worked out all the kinks yet, but it does work.
You might have heard of Genymotion, well it's not that. Genymotion who produce Genymotion do a range of applications for android and one of them is called scrcpy.
If you look up 'genymotion scrcpy' the github link should be the first result.
A lot of people seem to dismiss it as not worth even using, I have no idea why, it's very easy to setup and use. It comes up quite often in XDA as well.
You install it on your PC, connect your phone, and then a mirror of your phone comes up on your desktop. It appears to be fully functional, I downloaded a game of the sorts that I play, and it worked despite the rending issues. I've also played some video that I recorded, no issues at all playing that.
I do have some rendering issues but I'm pretty sure that's an individual thing, I use MXLinux, and I know I have a java issue (as in personal setup, not MXLinux), the errors that are displayed in the terminal as it was running all relate to java.
I am still working through all of the possible solutions with the 'video out' converters and adapters, hopefully before too long, I'll be able to actually show you a working example, as I know that there aren't any out there at present, or not that I've seen anyway. And seeing it working is completely different to someone just saying that they have it working in a comment, with no offer of proof that they have.

I use an app called "vysor" on all my android phones. All you need to do is just download the pc app and follow instructions. Basically you just plug your phone to pc like you will transfer data or charge it. And usb debugging must be enabled. When you enable usb debugging and connect your phone to pc, Vysor will install latest android app and that is all. Sounds will come from the phone so i suggest you use a pair of speakers or earphones.

gsser said:
I use an app called "vysor" on all my android phones. All you need to do is just download the pc app and follow instructions. Basically you just plug your phone to pc like you will transfer data or charge it. And usb debugging must be enabled. When you enable usb debugging and connect your phone to pc, Vysor will install latest android app and that is all. Sounds will come from the phone so i suggest you use a pair of speakers or earphones.
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That's the same as MirrorLink used by cheap anything Java that advertises screen mirroring. Used it on a low end Linux machine via browser, lag and distortion, worse than screencast for me
Edit: the native Linux appimage worked well enough,but is limited to 1 Mbps and the full version is rather pricey 40USD. I'm the end,you still need a machine running, not just a single cable solution. Might be worth it for some, maybe try a month first to see how well it works for you
And vysor does not have input options from the machine to android, (MirrorLink does I think) so you'll need extra BT peripherals for input.
edit2: have to enable USB input emulation in Dev settings for KB/M to work. And a free alternative exists, its called "scrcpy", with identical functionality, no need for App on android. Vysor is just an overpriced GUI for a free app imho, probably targeted at Apple users

What about a USB to VGA cable? Will it work?

Guys, bad news?

This is not yet supported on Poco X3. But there was a problem when I updated the software on this device. My X3 immediately went dark after that, I was quite alarmed because this is my new phone when I won the competition to play stickman fighter with my friends. What should I do now?