Hello everyone, I am planning on picking up a EVO 4G on launch day (if I can find one), but am very curious if there is a way to get analog video out of the device natively, or by converting the digital HDMI output back to analog component/RGBHV by using a device like the HDFury line of devices.
I commonly work with projectors and media presentation switchers which are almost exclusively VGA-only type devices, or will occasionally have component or composite inputs.
In the course of reading about the HDFury, I have read that some devices will not properly work with the first generation device because of handshake issues due to the use of a HDMI->DVI adapter. I have also read that the HDFury 2 resolves many of these issues, but it comes at a greatly increased cost (nearly 3x the price).
Does anyone have some first hand experience with the HDMI output on the Evo not recognizing some displays or digital to analog converters?
I was thinking about this yesterday and I don't see why this wouldn't be possible.
According to Motorola all the Laptop Dock is, is a screen keyboard and mouse. In the interest of saving money, why not just take an old netbook, take out the internals and convert it? I'm not exactly skilled with electronics but I don't see why this wouldn't be possible, you would need to either keep the DC board (if it is separate) or remove it from the motherboard itself. Then it would just be a matter of converting the LCD to HDMI Input and linking the USB's to the Atrix. At which point you just plug your phone via 2 cables and voila, it would work. Granted you would clearly need to change the connectors for the Keyboard and trackpad, but strip down an HDMI Multimedia dock and I could easily see this being done and saving money. (easily being subjective)
That might be challenging. Adding an HDMI input to a screen that wasn't designed with it is very difficult and potentially expensive. Most netbooks are using analog inputs and HDMI is digital.
The main way to go from analog to digital is a video capture device that encodes the analog signal. Those tend to have a fair bit of latency and are neither small nor cheap.
If you started with a display that supported HDMI input you could build a home brew laptop from that. Power might be an issue at that point though.
From what I have seen the Webtop is merely a feature of pluggin in the HDMI cable and selecting the appliction. The HDMI dock is not going to add much value other than be a convient and nice form factor.
I have considered doing somthing like you are suggesting but I am struggling with the HDMI issue. Currently the only option seems to be taking a display that supports HDMI and converting it into a homebrew laptop. At this time I can't find a digital display that is smaller that 20". An 11-15 inch screen that supports HDMI doesn't seem to exist.
I have thought of the same thing. The sticking point in my mind is the HDMI connection to the screen. The keyboard and mouse are likely just regular usb devices.
The next problem is that my Frankenstein device may cost $100+ to create and will likely look like crap.
The next problem is that the webtop appears to be locked down unless you have a tethering plan.
My conclusion from all of this is that it is cheaper and cleaner to buy a netbook and either add tethering only when necessary or root the device and add barnacle wifi.
If I'm not mistaken though, a netbook with an 11.6 inch display probably isn't only analog. I have a Toshiba T215-S1150 as well as an Asus EeePC that I'm looking into doing such with.
Granted off the top of my head a Pixel Qi display may accomplish such but I'm not sure if that is a Digital Input display.
I could be wrong though but I thought that in the end it's an LCD panel, the inputs are sodered on as to how you want to allow a Video Input.
You say the laptop dock is locked down without a tethering plan, one thing I did notice is you can buy the HDMI dock and it doesn't require it. You can use it with webtop also, I don't see how AT&T can determine if you are using Webtop on a Laptop or on a Desktop. Especially since from what I can tell, plugging in an HDMI cable will bring up the option for webtop also.
I don't see how the Frankenstein device is going to look bad especially since you will be removing most of the internals, you just remove a VGA port or plug an HDMI cable into the HDMI out. Then you use the USB as it was intended to connect the device to the rest of the internals. I know I'm not an electrical engineer or anything, but I know enough of the basics to see how this could work.
krkeegan said:
I have thought of the same thing. The sticking point in my mind is the HDMI connection to the screen. The keyboard and mouse are likely just regular usb devices.
The next problem is that my Frankenstein device may cost $100+ to create and will likely look like crap.
The next problem is that the webtop appears to be locked down unless you have a tethering plan.
My conclusion from all of this is that it is cheaper and cleaner to buy a netbook and either add tethering only when necessary or root the device and add barnacle wifi.
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In regards to the tethering plan:
As I understand it the only requirement to have the tethering plan is to get the subsidy on the Laptop dock.
If you purchase the laptop dock outside a subsidized bundle then there is no need for a tethering plan.
As naturefreak85 said. The dock will allow webtop to launch as will a basic HDMI cable.
There is a video on you tube of a guy doing a demo where he plugs in an HDMI cable and webtop gives an option to launch.
AT&T is merely foisting the tethering plan on people who get the laptop dock on the $500 bundle. If you want to drop $500 on teh dock seperatly there is no requirement.
Mod's and Homebrew can look good. Thats up to the artist. For me its not about circumventing the $500 dock. Its about building somthing cool.
In regards to the HDMI/netbook thing... I did a little more thinking on how that works.
The motherboard has an LCD controller on it which sits between the video adapter on the MB and the LCD.
It goes:
Motherboard->Video Adapter (on silicon)->LCD controller->ribbon cable->LCD
There is also a LCD backlight and inverter involved.
If you just try to plug into the ribbon cable you loose the controller (and backlight inverter)
The contorller is the missing link and they are difficult to purchase on their own in any cost effective manner.
That is where canabalizing a monitor would workas it has a controller with it. The netbook/laptop has thecontroller embeded or loosely couple with the MB.
The hunt goes on.
I'll have to do some research on the schematics of my 1000HA and see the connection the display has to the motherboard. I figure it could be done in terms of converting the display to HDMI, just a matter of figuring out the right pinout and still supplying the right amount of power.
I would love to bring this to fruition because I've never done too much modding, but always been interested in such. I envision the ability to lift up the keyboard and plug the phone in, then lay the keyboard right back down. To the average viewer, it's a laptop but you are keeping your phone nicely protected/connected in it especially nice on an airplane. Much harder to leave a laptop behind vs a phone.
emoose said:
As I understand it the only requirement to have the tethering plan is to get the subsidy on the Laptop dock.
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We will likely found out the answer to this on Monday, but the ATT page seems to say that tethering is required for use of firefox in the webtop mode.
The Atrix page on ATT's website states:
Code:
Full Firefox® browser use with AT&T Mobile Broadband requires DataPro 4GB Personal plan.
** Although, on second thought, that may be an "ATT Requirement" but it doesn't necessarily mean that the browser won't work.
Right as I read that it means, in order to use Webtop on 3G you need the tethering plan, but at the same time, I'm not sure how they can differentiate between desktop firefox if you change the ID tag of it. Plus they don't restrict it if used on WiFi.
krkeegan said:
We will likely found out the answer to this on Monday, but the ATT page seems to say that tethering is required for use of firefox in the webtop mode.
The Atrix page on ATT's website states:
Code:
Full Firefox® browser use with AT&T Mobile Broadband requires DataPro 4GB Personal plan.
** Although, on second thought, that may be an "ATT Requirement" but it doesn't necessarily mean that the browser won't work.
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Click to collapse
naturefreak85 said:
I'll have to do some research on the schematics of my 1000HA and see the connection the display has to the motherboard. I figure it could be done in terms of converting the display to HDMI, just a matter of figuring out the right pinout and still supplying the right amount of power.
I would love to bring this to fruition because I've never done too much modding, but always been interested in such. I envision the ability to lift up the keyboard and plug the phone in, then lay the keyboard right back down. To the average viewer, it's a laptop but you are keeping your phone nicely protected/connected in it especially nice on an airplane. Much harder to leave a laptop behind vs a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The issue is laptop displays typically use LVDS, which is very incompatible with DVI/HDMI signals. You basically need a DVI>LVDS board, which will run into the hundreds of dollars to buy like that.
Unless your laptop uses DisplayPort for it's display connection (unlikely on a netbook,) in which case it would basically be a matter of including a 'cheap' DVI>Displayport converter then pin-matching it to the screen.
I'm actively working on a way to achieve it, too, though (with my Asus Eee 1215T.)
Sjael said:
The issue is laptop displays typically use LVDS, which is very incompatible with DVI/HDMI signals. You basically need a DVI>LVDS board, which will run into the hundreds of dollars to buy like that.
Unless your laptop uses DisplayPort for it's display connection (unlikely on a netbook,) in which case it would basically be a matter of including a 'cheap' DVI>Displayport converter then pin-matching it to the screen.
I'm actively working on a way to achieve it, too, though (with my Asus Eee 1215T.)
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Doing a little bit more research and we have a possible solution, it may require splicing out the HDMI cable to get audio off the connector but this could work.....and it's $29
http://www.google.com/products/cata...og_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCAQ8wIwAA#
naturefreak85 said:
Doing a little bit more research and we have a possible solution, it may require splicing out the HDMI cable to get audio off the connector but this could work.....and it's $29
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a board designed for a specific miniITX motherboard - it takes whatever the mobo puts out and turns it into DVI and LVDS. If you could figure out what signals you need to provide to that board, then make those out of an HDMI signal, you might have a way in. Not sure just what functions that board actually provides, and it would be a rather extensive project to find out. I'm guessing that since it has a fair bit of circuitry behind the DVI port, it's not a natively DVI/HDMI-compatible signal.
That means a bit of reverse-engineering though, which I'm not *too* keen on doing. My current line of thought involves using some form of portable media player with a decent screen, since they typically accept some form of video input, haxxed into a case with a USB keyboard and (maybe) touchpad. The hard part is finding a usable screen that is actually better than the one on the Atrix.
That, or find a broken (not the screen! ) modern, high-end laptop that uses Displayport for it's display..
Ok so in my room I have one of the older Hitachi plasma tv's that was made before they started putting HDMI in as standard. Still in great working condition so I really see no need to upgrade it for now. Now my question is.. it does have these OTHER ports that look kinda like HDMI ports but I know they arent. Anyone know of like some sort of special cable or adapter I could use to go HDMI direct from the phone to the tv?
You can get something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/GefenTV-HDMI-to-Composite-Scaler/dp/B0013LTNF8
Obviously this is a pretty expensive option. I did a 10 second Google search and found this. I'm sure there are cheaper methods.
If it's an HDTV, then it either has a DVI input or component inputs. If your TV had DVI, you can use something like this with the regular EVO HDMI cable:
http://cgi.ebay.com/DVI-D-HDMI-Adap...836?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b96e20fc
If your TV only has component inputs, then you need an actual converter box like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/HDMI-5-RCA-Comp...024?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0d942cc0
What Cares posted is a scaler that actually converts an analog signal into digital. You already have a digital signal being sent from your phone via HDMI to a digital TV, so all you need is a converter/adapter.....you don't need upscaling.
Hope that helps..........
Hi all.
I recently bought a Fire TV stick. When plugged into an HDMI socket on the TV it works fine, but if I plug it into a spare HDMI socket on my AV receiver the playback is rather jerky, as if the processor on it is struggling to maintain the frame rate. This happens both on HD content from Prime and on 480p video played with Plex.
This makes no sense to me. Surely the Fire TV doesn't care what it's plugged into - it just outputs video. Can anyone shed any light on what's going on here? It isn't the end of the world but obviously it's a lot easier to switch inputs on the reciever than on the TV.
Thanks
John
Is the receiver doing any kind of processing on the video? Someone mentioned a while back that their TV had some video mode that would cause the same kind of issue.
Well, not that I'm aware of. It doesn't do upconverting or anything like that. Presumably it is extracting the audio to process locally, but the TV does the same since I still get 5.1 sound through the amp. The system has Control for HDMI, whatever that means.
a number of fire TV users have reported that the device is picky about which HDMI cables they use - it's entirely possible that an av receiver could be sending back information to the fire TV that it has to think about, slowing it down, or that the internal connections within the receiver are noisy - writing inside receivers is often amusingly lightweight, makes you scratch your head over the thousands of dollars some folks sink into cabling for an amp that's using a printer ribbon to route multichannel audio internally (including some very good amps, expensive enough gear that if the manufacturers wanted to add 100 bucks to the price for a few feet of heavier wire, they wouldn't likely lose many sales.)
Interesting. I did actually buy a cheap HDMI extension cable so that the stick wouldn't be behind the amp. Perhaps I should try using plugging it into the TV using that cable to see if it's at fault?
It would be interesting to know. And it can't take more than a few minute to find out...
Ok, tried out the HDMI cable at the weekend and it's not that.
I have the 2nd gen 4K Fire TV. It is rooted and all works more or less as I expect. HOWEVER, because the 2nd gen version doesn't have a digital audio link to connect directly to my amp (which is connected to a 5.1 speaker setup), I have been forced to use a USB to SPDIF adapter (Fanmusic FM-6011, but there are many alternatives available). It is a very solid adapter and works without issue whenever my projector is off. When I fire up the projector, however, the audio signal is sent directly to the projector's built-in speakers via HDMI and I lose the SPDIF connection to my amp.
I have tried all the available audio configurations in the Fire TV settings, but none of them make any difference. Given that the audio works when the projector is off, this surely indicates that the problem is not with the USB connection or the SPDIF adapter. Is there any setting or program or workaround that will allow me to send the HDMI signal to my projector and the corresponding audio via the USB adapter to my amp?
If not, is there a cheap gizmo that I may be able to source on eBay which will allow me to split the HDMI audio signal from the HDMI video signal? Such a shame that they decided to drop the audio port on the 2nd gen.
I'd be very grateful for any pointers from anyone who has any experience with a similar setup.
pfhastie said:
I have the 2nd gen 4K Fire TV. It is rooted and all works more or less as I expect. HOWEVER, because the 2nd gen version doesn't have a digital audio link to connect directly to my amp (which is connected to a 5.1 speaker setup), I have been forced to use a USB to SPDIF adapter (Fanmusic FM-6011, but there are many alternatives available). It is a very solid adapter and works without issue whenever my projector is off. When I fire up the projector, however, the audio signal is sent directly to the projector's built-in speakers via HDMI and I lose the SPDIF connection to my amp.
I have tried all the available audio configurations in the Fire TV settings, but none of them make any difference. Given that the audio works when the projector is off, this surely indicates that the problem is not with the USB connection or the SPDIF adapter. Is there any setting or program or workaround that will allow me to send the HDMI signal to my projector and the corresponding audio via the USB adapter to my amp?
If not, is there a cheap gizmo that I may be able to source on eBay which will allow me to split the HDMI audio signal from the HDMI video signal? Such a shame that they decided to drop the audio port on the 2nd gen.
I'd be very grateful for any pointers from anyone who has any experience with a similar setup.
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I had similar issues myself with my aftv2, wanting to have digital audio sent to my pioneer av system.
My pioneer av system is hdmi but unfortunately the hdmi part no longer works.
I stumbled upon a thread which advised of a certain gizmo what was exactly what I needed,
Here is the exact device I bought :
Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/250970565434
The only drawback I had with this is its only 1080p, where as the aftv2 is 4k, so your limited to 1080p.
Not too bad as I cant tell much difference.
sconnyuk said:
I had similar issues myself with my aftv2, wanting to have digital audio sent to my pioneer av system.
My pioneer av system is hdmi but unfortunately the hdmi part no longer works.
I stumbled upon a thread which advised of a certain gizmo what was exactly what I needed,
Here is the exact device I bought :
Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/250970565434
The only drawback I had with this is its only 1080p, where as the aftv2 is 4k, so your limited to 1080p.
Not too bad as I cant tell much difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, ye gads! Thank you so much. Yes, it was madness losing the digital audio on this version, but as long as there's a workaround, I can happily live with 1080p for now (it'll be a while before I can afford a decent 4K projector). A great help.