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G2X as Android TV box

My G2X is currently sitting in a drawer, and I was wondering how well it would function as a dedicated set top box for my HDTV. I was wondering if anyone has tried this and has any suggestions on a good rom to use, as wells as accessories.
I was thinking it would be cool to use it as a DLNA client and possibly set up a NAS server. I would also want a keyboard and mouse for web surfing as well as a game controller for playing games. Netflix is also a no brainer. I can't see any reason why this wouldn't work just as well as those cheap android TV boxes coming out of china.
Any Advice?

This may just be my experience but I have had a lot of trouble getting a stable video from my HDMI on it. It may be the rom (EB, 4.0.4 AOSP) but I'm not so sure this phone was ever designed for that. It's possible, maybe, but I wouldn't hold your breath..

I am able to get stable HDMI output. I played some games with my G2X/P999 attached to an LCD screen via HDMI. I'm using the stock V21Y ROM.

Don't see why it wouldn't work. And with CM7.2 you can use a bluetooth mouse, too.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda app-developers app

Any other suggestions on ROMs? Are there any ICS ROMs that have solid 1080p output? I used the HDMI out with cyanogenmod but if I remember correctly it didnt work that smoothly.
With the announcement of full featured XBMC for android I think this could work out pretty well!

redmonke255 said:
Don't see why it wouldn't work. And with CM7.2 you can use a bluetooth mouse, too.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda app-developers app
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I've been searching a lot trying to find a mouse keyboard setup to work for the p999. do you have any more information on how I can make that happen?
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda app-developers app

Bump
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda app-developers app

More than certain this can be done. I've used my g2x to play Game Boy / Game Boy advance games on my 55 inch TV before with a wii remote. Played for a good 4 hours. Although it did overheat and reboot a few times... Though I'm willing to bet that was due to the fact my phone was OC at 1.4GHz and I don't think that emulator had a frame rate limit. Also I've used it to stream from my NAS using es file explorer and mx player to get the best out of the phone. For streaming I watched 4 episodes of Pokemon approx 170mb each episode in one go.
What I did notice though is that if you are going to be using it for this it will drain the battery faster than it can charge. I've never fully drained the battery while it was plugged in during my use so you are going to have to experiment a little on your own to find out how long it lasts.

I finally went out and bought a bluetooth mouse and keyboard, and I can confirm that with an app called "Blueinput" (free but adds text ass your typing unless you register it for 9.99Eur) it does work. You can hook your phone to a charger, mini hdmi to your tv, connect bt mouse and keyboard via blueinput and sit back and use the phone via bt mouse and keyboard. I went full nerd. I bought a logitech keyboard that was made for ICS and has the google buttons on the keyboard, but I'm running cm7 and they dont register in the bt test section of blue input. The mouse is a little touchy, and there is no pointer, so no ability to click the background and add widgets, but any item on the screen can be selected with the mouse and the right click is back. I don't feel like loading ICS again to test on that, but next time I do I will let you all know how it works.
I also bought the wii classic that connects with a wire to the regular wii remote so I can map even more buttons and can now play snes and probably ps1 and better (haven't tried yet). Still think the G2X out does every other phone I have played with/rooted for people.

I have just purchased a g2x specifcally to try and use as a media player i will remove the mainboard from its case and put it into a 2.5" portabld hdd case for better ventilation, put a heatsink on the cpu and wire up some usb ports for extra connectivity, should it all work ok it should be a good little media box neatly packaged into a set top box type casing.
I do have a couple concerns
I have noticed people videos of mirroring from the g2x it only goes into fullscreen when playting a game or video but the desktop displays small, can that be changed and since I have no use for the lcd I want to have the hdmi permanent only output not mirroring.
will shows some pics of it all working when done, if it fails I will pretend I simply lost interest in the project and never be heard from again.

Just a suggestion, why don't you guys try xbmc android? Only problem is how to control it.

Allshare - selected apps or true mirror, wifi or direct?

In my endlessly circular deliberations between Note 10.1 and Nexus 10 I am now focussing on streaming to TV.
Can anyone answer whether the Allshare adaptor for TV
a Works with the Note 10.1
b Mirrors the screen exactly or only streams selected content (video/music/photos etc)
c Requires a Wifi connection as well as an HDMI and separate power source
Many thanks

a. Yes
b. Yes
c. no yes yes

chamberc said:
a. Yes
b. Yes
c. no yes yes
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Click to collapse
Excellent, that may have swung it, as rumours seem to indicate that N10 miracast support is not functioning, despite being capable.
I looked at ipad/Airplay but that's over Wifi which means it's largely non-portable.
Thank you

I very much enjoy my allshare. Plus after registering with samsung, they gave me 50% off, so that was nice, getting the adapter for only 50 bucks!
When watching netflix, youtube, or hulu, it will put the video on the tv and you can use the seek function on the note. Also, with the youtube app, you can have the video play in full screen on the tv and do limited browsing on the note, like the related to videos and stuff like that while you are finishing up your current video. I haven't noticed much out of sync with the videos, I think that mostly has to do the my internets at the time because I have had the same kind of issues using hdmi and my laptop. It is soooo much nicer not having any wires to mess with, just connect on demand. It makes this by far the coolest thing, plus the ir transmitter so you can do everything on the note.
One thing I did have to do, after doing a lot of flashing and changing a lot of stuff, not sure if you would be doing the same, but I had to use triangle away to reset my flash count to get it to work, most other people never have to do that, but for whatever resaon that is the only way I got it to work for me

Great. I probably won't root yet anyway. Unless it is required for all share.
I'm going to wait until the official jb update then root after that.
Swype'd at pace from my Galaxy S2

does the Allshare dongle Support Miracast ? possible to connect via Nexus 7/10 to that dongle? or via Windows WiFi direct+special Tool?
kinda sad that the dongle needa external Power And is huge. But Else cool stuff.

If you are referring to the wireless adapter, it works very well and works with hbo go and YouTube. It works well enough that I just went and bought this tablet due to the fact that I used it with my sgs3.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using xda app-developers app

Miracast vs Chromecast

I just want a HDMI dongle for my tv, that I can cast my phone screen to. Mostly so that, I can use a controller and play my phone games on my tv, the phone acting like a mini-console.
-> What will perform better, chromecast or miracast/ezcast? chromecast dongle costs about twice as much, so I just want to make sure it's worth it
-> how good is the performance with either? will i be getting full framerate etc? I have tried several hdmi cable adapters and none of them seem to work for me (yes, even after plugging in power, best i could manage is choppy/flickery performance) so i'm trying to get this as a workaround
any other info i should know? phone is rooted so no worries there

my chromecast runs fine, it have a bit delay, but it's ok.
Miracast works well too.
I don't see any differences.

have you tried it while gaming? i mean some nice 3d games that are using a lot of the phone's power. for example soulcraft ii (it's free). does it affect the quality of the screen sharing?

DryEagle said:
have you tried it while gaming? i mean some nice 3d games that are using a lot of the phone's power. for example soulcraft ii (it's free). does it affect the quality of the screen sharing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
anyone else have any info?

DryEagle said:
anyone else have any info?
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Click to collapse
There is a noticeable lag with the Chromecast. It is very smooth, but its about a half a second behind. I don't think it would be good for gaming unless you are playing some sort of turn based game.
I also have a LG TV with miracast support, but it is unusable. It shows one frame every 10 seconds or so.

I have miracast. It lags too...I don't think it was meant for gaming. Unless it was a turn based one. There is also a slight loss of video quality

Using a galaxy s6 like desktop pc.

Hello everyone. Recently I was tasked at work to redesign and office space and attempting to use a program to lay out and then provide a 3d rendering of the proposed space. turned out to be a nightmare for me. I work in a facility that is not updated their computer systems since 2005 I ended up making everything work but I had to do it on my phone. My question without HML support is there any way to turn a smartphone reasonably to function like a desktop PC?
So far all I have found is Microsoft's miracast. Most likely have to buy a bluetooth keyboard mouse.
But I want to know if anybody else has tried this what worked what didn't. My goal would be to plug my phone into my monitor at work so I can actually do something. so HDMI is a must.
Hardware found:
https://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/p/wireless-display-adapterPlease help
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Miracast-Video-Adapter-Supports/dp/B00HFAEBWG

what do you need to do at work and why didnt you onsider a hromeast?

Chromecast requires a wifi router. Miracast the phone communicates to the dongle directly. This removes some variables you can not plan for ie. Crappie or no wifi. I only need an HDMI display, a miracast device and my phone and I can work, display, present. Ideally with the two items that fit in my pocket. Especially without having to try and sign on to a WiFi network that may or may not work. Making it so I could walk into any room plug it into the TV connect with my phone and begin.

To be honest with you I recently got into it with my boss. I told him that I can do more on my phone than on the s*** computers they give us. And I kind of want to prove it.

jpetrach said:
Chromecast requires a wifi router. Miracast the phone communicates to the dongle directly. This removes some variables you can not plan for ie. Crappie or no wifi. I only need an HDMI display, a miracast device and my phone and I can work, display, present. Ideally with the two items that fit in my pocket. Especially without having to try and sign on to a WiFi network that may or may not work. Making it so I could walk into any room plug it into the TV connect with my phone and begin.
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Click to collapse
with the new guest mode on hromeast you an ast diretly without needing to be onneted to a wifi network

godutch said:
with the new guest mode on hromeast you an ast diretly without needing to be onneted to a wifi network
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What? Haha
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mentalmuso said:
What? Haha
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Something about sniffing crack out of a
....
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920AZ

This would be really cool. Only phone I have known of that has these features is the old Motorola atrix. Maybe look into one of those new devices like IBM's pc stick. It's basically a donggle that plugs in via hdmi and as a full OS installed on it.

Today I tested the screenbeam 2 http://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-ScreenBeam-Wireless-Receiver-SBWD60A01/dp/B00O14JG2Y
Watched transcendence and great picture only got jumpy 2/3 times. Very minor lag. Some ppl reported the dongle gets hot this is true. Uses a lot of battery wifi direct phone was placed on a wireless charger and still dropped 20% during the hour plus movie. Tomorrow I'm testing a method of making the display more "desktop like" for my proposed use at work. Need to connect bluetooth mouse and keyboard. Along with some phone system tweeks. I could not get connected to my chromecast without the router.
Still looking for input from anyone who has tried this.

Mentalmuso said:
What? Haha
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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His "c" key must not be working

jpetrach said:
His "c" key must not be working
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Click to collapse
Indeed

Question S-Pen App for Using as a Mouse?

I checked the play store and no luck but does anyone happen to know of an app that I can use the S-pen as a mouse so I can point and click/tap from a distance?

Some of the Samsung apps can.
In settings search for "air actions"
Options vary depending on the app.
Universal spen mouse app
I haven't tested it...

blackhawk said:
Some of the Samsung apps can.
In settings search for "air actions"
Options vary depending on the app.
Universal spen mouse app
I haven't tested it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found that on a Google search already. It isn't compatible with either the device itself or the version of Android on it. I have seen the air actions, but I'm looking specifically for something that will let me use it while my phone is several feet from my face and I'm basically using the pen as an air touchpad.

jgruberman said:
I checked the play store and no luck but does anyone happen to know of an app that I can use the S-pen as a mouse so I can point and click/tap from a distance?
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Click to collapse
Unfortunately, the S Pen isn't designed to work as a mouse for than a centimeter from the screen. The proximity sensor on the screen is the limitation.

jgruberman said:
I found that on a Google search already. It isn't compatible with either the device itself or the version of Android on it. I have seen the air actions, but I'm looking specifically for something that will let me use it while my phone is several feet from my face and I'm basically using the pen as an air touchpad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's an older app. Saw it first years ago, had forgotten about it.
Yeah I don't think that's happening. Air moves doesn't work that detailed, the gyros sense gross movement not fine.
I find that feature annoying and don't use it on my N10+'s, maybe the newer spens are better at it.
I'm good with the bt remote and other display based tricks though.

blackhawk said:
It's an older app. Saw it first years ago, had forgotten about it.
Yeah I don't think that's happening. Air moves doesn't work that detailed, the gyros sense gross movement not fine.
I find that feature annoying and don't use it on my N10+'s, maybe the newer spens are better at it.
I'm good with the bt remote and other display based tricks though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So then a change of pace for the question.... Is what I'm describing possible with something BESIDES the S Pen?
I've seen gyro mice before, would they work with the phone as a point and click cursor?

I actually just plugged a mouse into the phone, and the cursor appeared and I was able to move the mouse and click with it. I didn't know that was even possible, but I do have a gyro mouse that I'm going to test out tomorrow. Thanks!

jgruberman said:
I actually just plugged a mouse into the phone, and the cursor appeared and I was able to move the mouse and click with it. I didn't know that was even possible, but I do have a gyro mouse that I'm going to test out tomorrow. Thanks!
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Click to collapse
Yeap, that works. It's a pretty cool trick.
The only hitch is having something hanging out of the C port. If you could use the phone's built in bt to link up with the mouse that be cool. Sounds like it should be possible but never heard of that being done that I can recall. However I haven't looked into it.
I'm still learning tricks that my N10+/Pie can do

blackhawk said:
Yeap, that works. It's a pretty cool trick.
The only hitch is having something hanging out of the C port. If you could use the phone's built in bt to link up with the mouse that be cool. Sounds like it should be possible but never heard of that being done that I can recall. However I haven't looked into it.
I'm still learning tricks that my N10+/Pie can do
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah it's a really nice feature. Honestly, my use case is so niche anyway. I tend to get a lot of massages(better than drinking or gambling, right?) but work from home and do so during work hours. So when I lay on the table, I can now put my phone on the ground and use an air mouse to continue to work

jgruberman said:
Yeah it's a really nice feature. Honestly, my use case is so niche anyway. I tend to get a lot of massages(better than drinking or gambling, right?) but work from home and do so during work hours. So when I lay on the table, I can now put my phone on the ground and use an air mouse to continue to work
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Click to collapse
You got wireless Dex too.
Cigars beat booze. Trying out some pipe smoking too. Relaxing.

blackhawk said:
You got wireless Dex too.
Cigars beat booze. Trying out some pipe smoking too. Relaxing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wireless Dex? I think I have that disabled with the package disabler, but tell me how to utilize that feature?

jgruberman said:
Wireless Dex? I think I have that disabled with the package disabler, but tell me how to utilize that feature?
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Click to collapse
Just like Dex except it's wireless, uses wifi.
I'm still running on Pie on my N10+ so I don't have it. Lol, I never tried Dex as don't need it, I package disable it too... guess I should test it
If you can use it, you might like it.

jgruberman said:
I actually just plugged a mouse into the phone, and the cursor appeared and I was able to move the mouse and click with it. I didn't know that was even possible, but I do have a gyro mouse that I'm going to test out tomorrow. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is because Android has supported mouse and keyboard (both BT and wired) for several years now. At least since 2017 when the Note 8 was released. Probably longer. I was doing it with a Windows Phone back in 2015 with Microsoft Continuum.
You just can't use the S Pen as a mouse more than a centimeter or so from the screen. It would cool if you could, but the way the current S Pen works is not feasible. That goes for DeX mode too. In DeX mode you can use the phone as a mouse, however, you would need to either touch the screen with the S Pen (or finger) or no more than a centimeter with the S Pen.
Honestly, spend a little more and get a decent BT mouse. That way you won't have to worry about wires. On a side note. The S Pen does work very well as a remote camera trigger. That is purely BT and you can trigger the shutter at 30ft or so.

gernerttl said:
That is because Android has supported mouse and keyboard (both BT and wired) for several years now. At least since 2017 when the Note 8 was released. Probably longer. I was doing it with a Windows Phone back in 2015 with Microsoft Continuum.
You just can't use the S Pen as a mouse more than a centimeter or so from the screen. It would cool if you could, but the way the current S Pen works is not feasible. That goes for DeX mode too. In DeX mode you can use the phone as a mouse, however, you would need to either touch the screen with the S Pen (or finger) or no more than a centimeter with the S Pen.
Honestly, spend a little more and get a decent BT mouse. That way you won't have to worry about wires. On a side note. The S Pen does work very well as a remote camera trigger. That is purely BT and you can trigger the shutter at 30ft or so.
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I definitely do use it as a remote camera trigger, and it's quite nice. Can a Bluetooth mouse sync up to the phone directly or will it still need to connect to a dongle first?

jgruberman said:
I definitely do use it as a remote camera trigger, and it's quite nice. Can a Bluetooth mouse sync up to the phone directly or will it still need to connect to a dongle first?
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Click to collapse
It can connect directly, no wires needed. Some older BT mice may have issues. By older, I mean more than 4 or 5 years old.
Fun fact: If you have a newer Samsung laptop, you can connect your phone to it and control the phone from the laptop. I can do it with my Galaxy Book2 Pro 360. I can also use my Tab S7 as a second screen for my laptop.

gernerttl said:
It can connect directly, no wires needed. Some older BT mice may have issues. By older, I mean more than 4 or 5 years old.
Fun fact: If you have a newer Samsung laptop, you can connect your phone to it and control the phone from the laptop. I can do it with my Galaxy Book2 Pro 360. I can also use my Tab S7 as a second screen for my laptop.
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Click to collapse
That's nice as well. Thanks!

jgruberman said:
That's nice as well. Thanks!
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Click to collapse

One final tidbit. The S22 Ultra also supports BT keyboards.