Old Phone as Dedicated MP3 Player - General Topics

Hello, this has probably been talked about before, but I wanted to let anyone interested know how this is working out. I have been doing extensive research on the purchase of a new MP3 player wanting the main features to have Bluetooth A2DP and audible.com compatible.
I realized these features are far and few between, and the players that have these two features are the size of your average WM Phone. When I finally came to this conclusion, I pulled out my old HTC Diamond and have been able to not only have these features, but by turning off the cell radio, I still have wifi, pmp, mp3, A2DP, web browser, touchscreen, etc etc all in one. Needless to say, I love my Diamond again.
I made my today screen bare with just iLauncher on it and wisbar to take away the phone features on top. Other than the hardware buttons, it looks and feels like a good solid MP3 player. Hope this may let other old phones see the light of day again. Thanks for reading.

I gave my old HTC Wizard to my 19 month old daughter to watch her Dora and Yo Gabba Gabba videos on, she also likes the obscene amount of buttons that phone has. So yea, that phone is pretty much just a media player now.

Then allow me to ask then for advise!
I use MediaMonkey on windows to organize my music. I like the program, it suites my needs.
The problem is on the WM phone itself. Which program do you use to listen to music? I've tried Nitrogen, and iMulator... both of them work as they're supposed to. But i could use more. iMulator need to mature, and be a little more customizable. But for a alpha stage, its quite good!
I could use a program with a good media library, probably fullscreen support, touch friendly.
Any advise ?

Related

At last: resume support for Windows Media Player!!

The built-in Windows Media Player has always suffered from a major flaw: it didn’t support resuming the song from the last position after restarting the player. XDA-Devs forum member Wolfman-XP (the same guy that has also developed AVRCP support for GSPlayer) has fixed this: he has released a plug-in that remembers the last position where you press(ed) the Pause button. (Note that you MUST press Pause; as opposed to players natively supporting resume, this is a restriction – but not that a big one.)
Compatibility
I’ve tested it on the following devices:
- HTC Wizard with AMP’s WM6.1 ROM and custom WMP skin
- HTC Universal with WM6.1 Tomal’s ROM version 7.7
- HTC Vox / s710 MS Smartphone with the factory WM6.0 ROM (this January)
- HTC Oxygen / s310 MS Smartphone with the factory WM5 AKU3 ROM
- Dell Axim x51v standalone (no-phone) PDA with WM6.1
- HP iPAQ 210 standalone (no-phone) PDA with factory WM6.0
Of these devices, it was only on the HP iPAQ 210 that it didn’t work at all; all the others did, even the WM5-based models and the non-phone x51v.
Installing, using
Just download the hack HERE, in the first post, install it and off you go. Remember pressing Pause at the position you want it to remember.
After restarting WMP, it’ll take you to the Library (and not the Now playing) screen. To quickly return to the latter, on touchscreen-enabled PPC’s, click the Back arrow in the upper right corner; on MS Smartphones, just press the Back hardware button. (Alternatively, you can go to Now Playing / Play.)
Restrictions
In addition to not being compatible with the HP iPAQ 210 (and, possibly, some other devices), it isn’t able to correctly re-position in AAC files (I’ve tested both standard and HE-AACv2 files). WMA’s and MP3’s, on the other hand, work just great.
Note that...
I’ll publish a LOT of multimedia-related articles in the near future – stay tuned!
Opps! wrong place...
nice... Wolfman-XP you are the man
but Menneisyys what do you think how many people do use wmplayer...because of his pretty dumb,not flexible,and not natural interface,or the usage
tcpmp (called the core player these days) really put the standards high (supported files and intelligent interface without too much crapping around)
pocketmusic is also great...but wmplayer seems to be out of date and overcame
farukb said:
nice... Wolfman-XP you are the man
but Menneisyys what do you think how many people do use wmplayer...because of his pretty dumb,not flexible,and not natural interface,or the usage
tcpmp (called the core player these days) really put the standards high (supported files and intelligent interface without too much crapping around)
pocketmusic is also great...but wmplayer seems to be out of date and overcame
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With this hack, it became pretty much usable. Of course, it sitll has major problems.
Menneisyys said:
With this hack, it became pretty much usable. Of course, it sitll has major problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah you are right and i really really appreciate people's work around here
but it's MS it can't be that good anyway,untill there are about10-15 hacks which our good people developed and not MS
so we have a WMplayer mutation...a player that evolved from wmp ...and in the end after many hacks it will be a whole new player on a totally different base and with different features
i can't be that reckless (because my programming level is average) and ask if it would be better to make a new one instead of developing wmp
but thanks guys people don't forget good stuff and good guys
farukb said:
yeah you are right and i really really appreciate people's work around here
but it's MS it can't be that good anyway,untill there are about10-15 hacks which our good people developed and not MS
so we have a WMplayer mutation...a player that evolved from wmp ...and in the end after many hacks it will be a whole new player on a totally different base and with different features
i can't be that reckless (because my programming level is average) and ask if it would be better to make a new one instead of developing wmp
but thanks guys people don't forget good stuff and good guys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is worth fixing what already exists and supports video as well as audio. It may not be the most intuitive design (simplicity is better) but it is what comes with windows and works with most codecs. mainly important for familiarity, and audio video capabilities.
compatability with IPAQ 210 series
I just wanted to say that I have an IPAQ 214 and the resume plugin works OK.
It wasnt a surprise when I read it wouldnt work- loads of software seems to be unable to cope with HPs install of WM6 - but I am happy to say this isnt one of them (at least for me ;-) )
Does the plugin also work on a htc diamond??
thanx...
Kaiser here, WM 6.1
While all the options work fine, I was curious to see if it worked with shuffle switched on. While you keep your playlist, you lose the last spot on launch and you get a re-shuffle. I can understand why. Any chances of getting an option to disable Shuffle on launch? When listening to a two hour long set losing my position can be a little annoying.
Despite this, very good plugin! I was looking for a way to get around the Camera closing Windows Media Player when it opened. While this doesn't fix that, it solves the missing playlists for when it does! Sweet work.
Was wondering if this will work with WMP 12, if so could someone please help this rookie as how to get this loaded into WMP. Thanks in advance....scotty
Is there any new audiobook software then???????????
scotty47 said:
Is there any new audiobook software then???????????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damd good question.

Touch Pro Pre-Purchase Questions

Hi,
I'm trying to decide between purchasing an HTC Touch Pro or Samsung Omnia. I'm wondering if anyone has any comments regarding the build quality of the Touch Pro, is it improved when compared to the diamond? I've also read the threads regarding the poor 3G reception on t-mobile. Has anyone has similar problems on O2 or Vodafone. Any other comments regarding the two devices are also welcome.
Personally, I don't think there's any competition.
The Touch Pro is a great device and feature rich. Yes I have experienced some reception issues but nothing major. The build quality is good but I can't compare to a Diamond. I had a slight issue regarding the sensitivity (lack of) of the buttons on the face but I think it's just a case of gettng used it and finding the optimum place to press.
The user interfaces is great. I really hope HTC continue down this path even when WinMo 7 comes out. By this I mean their skinning/rewriting of things is a good thing. I just wish they had done this a more/to more apps such as the inbox/messaging application, calculator, all system messages/dialogues, possibly even the PIM apps like tasks, calendar etc.
But this is a great device and I really like it. Best device (both WinMo and in general) experience I've had out of the box by miles I think.
I'd agree with Syphon filter on the out-of the box experiance is the best of any Pocket PC yet. (Since the Psion Series 3 if you're old enough to remember!!!)
The HTC interface is great, but not flawless. The music inteface only seems to show individual tracks and not albums (Thereby allowing you to select an album and then select a track within.) The main home screen only shows one calander appointment even though there is room for more when using the 'small clock' view.
On the upside, the screen is magnificent and the keyboard brillent - the 5th row of keys is the killer feature for me. General speed is great.
I wouldn't consider the Omnia now I have the Touch Pro in my hand!!!
touch pro?
does anyone know if the touch pro will work on verizon CDMA?
Can't see how you can compare the Touch Pro (slider) to the Diamond (candybar)?
The buttons are all identical...!? Apart from that they're both very solid. (Slide excepted!)
The Lazy Slug said:
The music inteface only seems to show individual tracks and not albums (Thereby allowing you to select an album and then select a track within.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to the music tab on touch flo, then tap "library" (above where the left soft key would be if the touch pro had one lol). You can then slide the touch flo tab across from "Now Playing", to Artists, Albums, Genres etc and even create your own playlists!
Happy to help!
Can anyone comment on the audio quality it's capable of producing through a pair of decent headphones. How does it compare to an iPod for example?
Unfortunately you can't connect a "decent" pair of headphones to it without buying an adaptor, the supplied earphones have a usb plug on the end, not a 3.5mm jack. The sound quality is pretty good though, even with the supplied earphones.
Better that the Vario II? I always remember being able to hear a quite hiss in the background of mine.
Yes, the Vario II does have quite a hiss doesn't it! I never really noticed it until now - just tried it again to see. The good news is there's no such hiss on the Touch Pro.
I used the same earphones and the same mp3 file to compare, so it must be the output of the Vario II that causes the hiss, you can even hear it when you mute the volume!
Bluetooth Quality
What is the bluetooth quality like for handsfree? I have the Kaiser and the bluetooth sounds terrible through all of my handsfree devices.
I was also wondering if it has the Internet sharing program on it?
Thanks

Video Editing Software

Does anybody know of any video editing software which works with the Topaz?
The only one i can find details for on wm6 is http://www.trakax.com/software/mobile/trial_version/ however this won't work on the Topaz's screen resolution.
Thanks!
None that I know of...
I run a media production company, and I've got a very basic media "workstation" on my topaz already - a mini Photoshop (pocketartist), a mini Cubase (meteor), MS Office, several audio capture and editing programs, but there are 2 things I need to make draft versions for clients on the move. A simple html editor, although I can use Notepad, and a simple video editing program.
The only thing that I've found was the software you also found. It looks quite capable for simple mockups, and is reasonably priced, but was let down by the lack of wvga support. I did email them to ask about this and they said they'd have it sorted sometime in July!
But if anybody knows a good alternative, or decent html editor, I'd really appreciate a nod in the right direction.
On another note, I am still amazed every day that I can have all this software on my everyday phone, that only a few years ago was unthinkable. I can sit on a train and do what I do in the office, with music playing too!

Remote Controlling Foobar with HTC HD2

Hi. Hope that this is the correct place to post...
I have been playing this weekend with a Foobar plugin that allows web control.
The web interface that this plug-in creates is skin-able, and indeed somewhat predictably there are already a couple of i-phone themes available. I did get them working well with the HTC HD2.
However the graphics quality is not stellar when an i-phone designed interface is scaled up, so I started having a poke at the javascript code for myself... I am no coder by any means, so I have been adapting other peoples work noteably the IxoFith template at the above link...
So far I have a HTC music playeresque theme working, with the odd glitch here and there, I reckon that a talented javascript programmer could do a lot more a lot faster than I can, anyone up for it?
I will continue to fettle this and eventually will post my code at "Justblair's Audio and Electronics Pages" but if you are interested in seeing what damage a ham fisted amateur can do to some competently written code, either comment at my site or contact me through here and I can get it to you..
It is very scrappy at the moment, though functional. I tried to post images, but outside links are a no no for newbies here. Google my site name if you want a taster. Hopefully the mods will lift the restriction soon.
Off-topic, but another way:
GRemote works VERY well with WinAmp, allowing you to browse all your PC files on your HD2, and play or queue files/folders in WinAmp (even tho I hate WinAmp!). You can also launch any file in whatever app you choose, so I can browse all my movies in a very slinky, fast-scrolling manner on my HD2, and whichever one I click starts playing full-screen (e.g. VLC, GomPlayer etc), and a swipe on my phone then gives me Play/Pause, fast-forward, rewind, volume, next file, full-screen/windowed etc.
Just a suggestion if you like finding new ways to play your media
smeddy said:
Off-topic, but another way:
GRemote works VERY well with WinAmp, allowing you to browse all your PC files on your HD2, and play or queue files/folders in WinAmp (even tho I hate WinAmp!). You can also launch any file in whatever app you choose, so I can browse all my movies in a very slinky, fast-scrolling manner on my HD2, and whichever one I click starts playing full-screen (e.g. VLC, GomPlayer etc), and a swipe on my phone then gives me Play/Pause, fast-forward, rewind, volume, next file, full-screen/windowed etc.
Just a suggestion if you like finding new ways to play your media
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's worth a look I am sure. I have tried the freebie version of G-remote which is of course a little limited. I did have a few crashes when using the free version of G-remote, kinda put me off spending on it.
I also happen to like foobar as it has the plug-ins needed to run it as an "audiophile" source, i.e. wasapi and native flac playback. I used winamp a while back and did not like it. I dare say it has improved since then.

Is there an Android Tablet/ROM/App strictly for Controlling/Cast Music?

Hey all,
I have an old (80's-style) full-length cabinet that sits on the floor. It's got a 8-track, FM/AM, and record player built-in, but the radio sucks and the record player is broken. I want to gut the whole thing, install some more modern speakers, install a new record player, and control it all from a tablet or touch screen computer. The big thing I'm looking for is a bit of "future-proofing" so that it can control both the built-in speakers and cast to other devices across the house or even the back patio. We have guests over pretty often, whether to cook out or just hang out in the house. I'd like to be able to pop open the lid of the cabinet and let anybody add/change the music playing, or be able to play the record player throughout the speakers in my house (my wife enjoys the records, while I prefer the convenience of Google Play Music).
I think the best way to do this is through Android, since it's much easier to cast to devices, and I can still change the music playing throughout the house via phones, tablet, and gHomes if I want.
Does anyone have a recommendation for building this solution? I think the most effective way to do this will be to set up the speakers in the cabinet and just plug them directly into a Chromecast Audio. I'll need either a ROM or a home launcher that's more conducive to selecting and limiting itself to a select few music apps & YouTube.
The big hurdles I see are setting up "zones" so that I can pick which Chromecasts the system plays to depending on where in the house we're going to be. I also need a way to feed the external audio (the record player) to the Tablet so it can forward that sound to other Chromecasts. I've looked for how to do this a bit, and it looks like Mozilla figured out a way to do it using a Raspberry Pi. I'm not opposed to this, but I want to be sure that I can use the tablet/computer I build into the cabinet to select which Chromecasts this streams to.
Thanks for the help / recommendations! If I get all of this figured out, I'll be sure to share the end result so people can see how well it all worked out!

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