BetaPlayer with Intel 2700G support - Page 13

e-heli · 11-23-04, 02:36 PM

Hi Picard,

Thanks for your work on the 2700g support in BetaPlayer. It's great! I have a feature request I'd like to present. Would you consider adding support to play the movie full screen via the X50v VGA-out connector to an external VGA monitor? Thanks in advance.

The mirror mode built into the X50v works OK, but it puts the VGA monitor in 800x600 mode (I think) and it mirrors the screen centered in 480x640 portrait mode. Screen refresh is somewhat sluggish until you "disable the touchscreen" as advised in the mirror applet dialog box by pressing the power button and record button at the same time. When you do this, the X50v LCD goes blank and it plays the output on the VGA monitor (as described above), but at full speed without lagging. It still doesn't fill the screen, and going full screen in betaplayer causes the image to be rotated on the monitor, thus requiring the monitor to be rotated for viewing. Rotated viewing still only displayes 480x640 image.

I'm, wonddering if the Mirror applet just copies data from the LCD screen buffer to the VGA output screen buffer by default. Then when you press power+record, it doesn't do the copying, but uses the VGA output as only display screen. I guess there may be some use of the 2700g LCD crossbar switch, but I don't fully understand it.

11-23-04, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by tadw

Would it then be possible to add special exceptions to the GPL license of BetaPlayer?

Only if all authors agree to the terms. BetaPlayer uses some third party GPL libraries made by others, it would be very diffucult.

Originally Posted by Tala

I mean most GPLed projects surly use some system DLLs, which are not open source.

OS and system libraries are the only exception. It is stated in the GPL FAQ too.

11-23-04, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by e-heli

Would you consider adding support to play the movie full screen via the X50v VGA-out connector to an external VGA monitor?

definitly. unfortunatelly i don't have a vga-out connecter. can you check which x50v connector pins are connected to which vga connector? :)

This is how the mirror works: in mirror mode the 2700G drives the VGA output and the PXA270 cpu drives the X50v LCD. The OS and every program uses the 2700G to display things, but there is a background thread which copies the 2700G framebuffer to the PXA270's framebuffer (part of system memory) in cycle. This can be slow, this is why the LCD update rate is very slow. If you turn off the LCD (power+record button) the background copying thread stops (and programs work with normal speed)

To solve your problem you have to change to landscape mode (with wm2003se). Because in portrait mode the vga out is really portrait mode on a landscape VGA screen leaving borders on both sides. So even if BetaPlayer displays the movie rotated, the VGA screen will not be filled and the movie will be actually rotated. On the other hand if you change to real landscape mode the 2700G should output the landscape screen to the full landscape VGA screen and media players should be able to play fullscreen movies.

This is all of course only my guess and I didn't tried BetaPlayer in mirrored landscape mode, there might be still bugs.

e-heli · 11-23-04, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by picard_beta

definitly. unfortunatelly i don't have a vga-out connecter. can you check which x50v connector pins are connected to which vga connector? :)

I will try to figure the pinout and post in the next few days assuming I can do it without destroying the cable, which I don't want to do.

Originally Posted by picard_beta

To solve your problem you have to change to landscape mode (with wm2003se).

Well, this worked beautifully. After enabling landscape mode in WM2003SE, betaplayer's fullscreen mode shows the movie in 640x480 on the monitor with no borders. Disabling the background thread in the Mirror mode (by pressing power+record button) eliminates any slowdown and it plays full speed. Thanks!

11-23-04, 04:47 PM

Darn, i 'm down to the last straw. I'm extremely jelous now that the x50 has beaten the hx4700 in every category thats important to me. I got so excited when i heard the hx4700 would have a ati graphics chip until i found out about the far superior 2700g :nw:
I need 3D now!!!! I wish i could sell my hx and get a x50v but its too late for me :realmad:

JoeQFlyer · 11-23-04, 04:48 PM

Picard

since the 2700decoder is now off your site. I'll be more than happy to test any future pluggins and post the results here or privately. How is a programmer to work without Beta testers? I've beta tested software before (video editing software mostly) and will sign any non disclosure document you may have if need be.
I hope this current event does not slow down your project too much.

regards

-Q-

11-23-04, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by MACMANIA4U

Darn, i 'm down to the last straw. I'm extremely jelous now that the x50 has beaten the hx4700 in every category thats important to me. I got so excited when i heard the hx4700 would have a ati graphics chip until i found out about the far superior 2700g :nw:
I need 3D now!!!! I wish i could sell my hx and get a x50v but its too late for me :realmad:

You've made my day.

And I feel extremely sorry for you.

grapeape · 11-23-04, 05:11 PM

Just do like i did...sell the 4700 and use the extra funds to buy accessories along with the x50v :) I dropped my x5 to get the 4700 when it looked like it was going to be the first of the year before dell released anything. I ended selling the 4700 and going back to the x5 for a few weeks...just got the x50v last week and have no regrets.

11-23-04, 05:13 PM

Offtopic:

Grapeape: You're profile says "Axim x70v".

grapeape · 11-23-04, 05:16 PM

haha your right...i must have been thinking about my old clie :) I gave it to my wife a few weeks ago. It is an nx70v :) nice pda but kinda slow.

tadw · 11-23-04, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by picard_beta

definitly. unfortunatelly i don't have a vga-out connecter. can you check which x50v connector pins are connected to which vga connector?

Picard, have you thought of something like a Paypal donation? I am sure many of us (including myself) would be willing to financially support you for all your efforts in improving the PPC experience.

11-23-04, 05:25 PM

yeah, a few of us already asked picard to set up a paypal donation site ;) <- willing to donate! :)

11-23-04, 05:57 PM

Picard, set up a pay pal!

11-23-04, 05:58 PM

He's trying but he's waiting for a responce from a friend to set up a paypal account ( his country isent supported by paypal so he needs to us a friend in a other country ).

grapeape · 11-23-04, 06:00 PM

Picard had already mentioned that they dont have paypal in his country...He is in Hungary for those wondering. I have suggested someone with authority here at aximsite to oversee an account on his behalf but so far not much has happened :(