Hello Guys!
I am planning to get one of the Transformers (probably 32G+dock) and sell my notebook (will still have a desktop computer).
Now, I'm on a performance notebook (with piss-poor battery life), but I do not use it - only for web surfing, chat, watching movies, sending stuff & downloading - and maybe some games (1x a month LOL)
So my question is - what are the features you like or MISS in the Transformer compared to a notebook.
Thank you!
1) Proper browser with adblock.
2) Proper audio player (like Amarok/Clementine/Exaile etc.).
3) USB port for attaching keyboard (I don't have the dock).
Better task swapping(alt+tab) or windowed view.
Text selection. Android NEEDS a better text selection desperately.
Other than that it makes a pretty good laptop replacement for simple things. Using remote desktop to a windows machine, greatly improves #1, and moderately improves #2.
Magnesus said:
1) Proper browser with adblock.
2) Proper audio player (like Amarok/Clementine/Exaile etc.).
3) USB port for attaching keyboard (I don't have the dock).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
firefox is available in android, and you can add the adblock plugin.
also a system-wide adblock via apps.
i have no idea what you would qualify as a "proper" audio player. unless you're refering stictly to that list as "proper", the stock player is also a proper player, as well as plently you'd find in the market.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
gottahavit said:
Better task swapping(alt+tab) or windowed view.
Text selection. Android NEEDS a better text selection desperately.
Other than that it makes a pretty good laptop replacement for simple things. Using remote desktop to a windows machine, greatly improves #1, and moderately improves #2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alt+tab works with the keyboard dock.
Windowed view won't happen until there is a significant increase in system resources available to these devices. Everything currently runs in full screen because 1GB of RAM is just barely sufficient for most of the current apps, and Android devices don't use swap, which means apps get flushed out of memory if the system starts running low on RAM. Windowed apps would crash or degrade under the current Android memory management scheme, which was instated because phones and tablets are so starved for resources when compared to traditional desktops and laptops.
Text selection requires a long press because click and drag on a touchscreen handles panning. I'm not sure what else you're expecting from text selection when many apps allow you to modify the size of the selection to your heart's content. Those that don't integrate nicely with Android's built-in text selection are the fault of the developers.
Thank you for the replies.
Well, Just as finalhit said - firefox has a plugin, and AFAIK Dolphin Browser, too. And by the way, Ad-free is not working on these devices? Like on my rooted Desire?
Proper audio player - I saw the transformer in action and the stock player is great, also have purchased PowerAMP for my phone and the developer says, it'll work on HC 3.2, too. Will see.
Carrying on with Text Input ~
Android needs to be able to support Rich Text in Browser Email Apps (e.g. Yahoo) and also Copy/Paste text into an Email.
Copy/Paste works in Gmail but not in say Yahoo Mail.
What I miss most, is that the TF does not have a digital audio output via USB.
A notebook can simply be connected with a DAC by USB and I can listen to MP3s over my Hifi system ...
FrankRr said:
What I miss most, is that the TF does not have a digital audio output via USB.
A notebook can simply be connected with a DAC by USB and I can listen to MP3s over my Hifi system ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd like that too, I tried plugging my USB SoundBlaster in but nothing happened.
What I miss most is a decent productivity suite, WP & Spreadsheets. I am using the beta of SoftMaker Office & it will do the job when it's released, but at the moment it crashes a lot & isn't mainstream.
Printing isn't that easy either ....
1) Definitely better text selection/manipulation - it works, but it doesn't feel right
2) Right mouse button - yes, it has long press, but it's long press, meaning it's not very fast. Make the right track pad button function the same as long press, and it will feel almost like a notebook.
3) Better file manipulation/transfer speed. Copying and pasting/moving files is a pain and is very very slow. Astro works, but it's nothing compared to the ease of windows/linux.
Android has all the functions I want, a lot of them just don't feel natural, or are cumbersome to use.
I like my TF, but I think it can't replace a notebook, unless we can port windows 7 on it..
mikelt89 said:
I like my TF, but I think it can't replace a notebook, unless we can port windows 7 on it..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Windows 8 might run on it, as it has arm support and the TF meets the minimum requirements that MS has released so far.
cottinghamm said:
What I miss most is a decent productivity suite, WP & Spreadsheets. I am using the beta of SoftMaker Office & it will do the job when it's released, but at the moment it crashes a lot & isn't mainstream.
Printing isn't that easy either ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Documents to Go works well (given the limitations of the input methods, screen size, etc.)
Printign is a major issue. There are paid apps that I hear do printing OK, but they require a server program to run on a computer already connected to the printer. I have yet to find one that works well with a networked printer (either shared through the native Windows functionality or a dedicated print server).
FrankRr said:
What I miss most, is that the TF does not have a digital audio output via USB.
A notebook can simply be connected with a DAC by USB and I can listen to MP3s over my Hifi system ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can indirectly output to a DAC if you use the HDMI port. I have an Asus VH238H monitor that includes a SPDIF out, so I just hook up the Transformer via HDMI and have the monitor output the sound to my DAC.
For printing I use CloudPrint So far it works greatly (home & office) on my Desire - so that won't be a problem.
finalhit said:
firefox is available in android, and you can add the adblock plugin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Firefox for Android is very far from a proper browser (in my opinion, proper browser is for example Google Chrome and desktop Firefox) and it's adblock is far from it's desktop counterpart. Maybe the new version will be better. In my opinion actually Firefox is worst browser for Android (the best being Dolphin Pad).
i have no idea what you would qualify as a "proper" audio player. unless you're refering stictly to that list as "proper", the stock player is also a proper player, as well as plently you'd find in the market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try using Amarok, Clementine, Exile or sth similar (or Foobar if you only have Windows, but it's quite bad looking). I tested most the music players in the market and none of them are even comparable. So I resigned from using Tranformer for listening to music and bought USB sound card for my laptop instead (without it the sound quality of my laptop was... well quite horrible ).
Amarok/Clementine/Exile have clear interface with your files or library on the left (you can use both) and a playlist on the right. You can add tracks to the playlist, remove them, shuffle them, star songs, generate playlists based on the stars, select to repeat a track or repeat the whole playlist, filter the library (for example - you type John and you get all John Williams albums listed), the playlist is created by drag and drop etc. Also they play all music formats (flac, mpc included). If you never used a music player like this - try them, they are really good.
Most (all of them?) players in android market are designed for playing one album at a time (no playlist), have interface more suited for phones than tablets and no ability to use folder view (some can but are regenerating the index every time I unmount my samba share - and it takes ages). If I'm wrong - and there is sth like Amarok on the Market - please tell, I'll buy it in a second.
Magnesus said:
Try using Amarok, Clementine, Exile or sth similar (or Foobar if you only have Windows, but it's quite bad looking). I tested most the music players in the market and none of them are even comparable. So I resigned from using Tranformer for listening to music and bought USB sound card for my laptop instead (without it the sound quality of my laptop was... well quite horrible ).
Amarok/Clementine/Exile have clear interface with your files or library on the left (you can use both) and a playlist on the right. You can add tracks to the playlist, remove them, shuffle them, star songs, generate playlists based on the stars, select to repeat a track or repeat the whole playlist, filter the library (for example - you type John and you get all John Williams albums listed), the playlist is created by drag and drop etc. Also they play all music formats (flac, mpc included). If you never used a music player like this - try them, they are really good.
Most (all of them?) players in android market are designed for playing one album at a time (no playlist), have interface more suited for phones than tablets and no ability to use folder view (some can but are regenerating the index every time I unmount my samba share - and it takes ages). If I'm wrong - and there is sth like Amarok on the Market - please tell, I'll buy it in a second.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just because the default Music player doesn't show the now playing and playlist views on the same page together doesn't mean you don't have such functionality. Remember what you're dealing with here; it's just a 10.1 inch screen. It doesn't take much to clutter the UI with a lot of menu options, especially when all the UI elements have to be doubled and tripled in size in order to be legible on the tiny screen.
Now, as far as the features of the default Music app, there's plenty to keep most listeners happy. Upon starting the app, in the upper left hand corner you have the ability to sort your music collection by New and recent, Albums, Artists, Songs, Playlists, and Genres. On the right, you can Search through all of your music, refining your results by the previously mentioned sort categories. Once you choose a specific artist, for instance, you can tap once on the "All songs" option to play all of the artist's selected music, or you can just select one album of theirs to play, either of these options taking you to a list of songs added to the queue. Long press will allow you to add the selected songs to the playlist of your choice. Once in the now playing queue, you can sort the songs by name or by album, or shuffle the whole thing. Then once you finally play a song, the now playing screen allows for toggling shuffle and advanced repeat functions just like what you're used to with other applications. The default player also supports mp3, ogg, and flac, and probably some other formats that I haven't tried yet. The only thing missing is the ability to "star" your music, which is a feature I always saw as pointless.
Seriously, why would you even bother with third party music apps at this point?
And what about the microSD slot on the tablet? I'm planning to get a 32GB A-DATA - will it work normally like with my Desire?
rtadams89 said:
Documents to Go works well (given the limitations of the input methods, screen size, etc.)
Printign is a major issue. There are paid apps that I hear do printing OK, but they require a server program to run on a computer already connected to the printer. I have yet to find one that works well with a networked printer (either shared through the native Windows functionality or a dedicated print server).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
printing works well for me, but yes, requires a server at this point -- free app: https://market.android.com/search?q=printershare&so=1&c=apps
I do use it as a laptop replacement. I find that 95% of the time I do not need to go back to my laptop; however, I do miss the ability to have more than one app on the screen at once (chatting and browsing at the same time is annoying). I also miss a full office program. I have tried DTG and polaris, and both work quite well by comparison to other office apps, but are not a replacement for MS Office or Libreoffice.
I also have a server in the basement for media serving running ESXi 4.1. I have 2 VMs on it: File/media server running ubuntu 11.04 and a windows VM for running various other things like video transcoding. I would not want to do either of those functions on an android tablet either.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Related
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.
BubbleUPnP on Google Play [current version: 3.8.0.2, released on March 18th 2023]
BubbleUPnP on Amazon appstore [current version: 3.8.0.2, released on March 16th 2023]
BubbleUPnP latest APKs, Google Play version (notably for side-loading on Android TV)
BubbleUPnP latest APK, Amazon appstore version (notably for side-loading on Fire TV)
BubbleUPnP 'Audio Cast' Xposed Module. Only needed on Android < 10. (current version: 1.1, released on April 28th 2021)
BubbleUPnP Server home page (download and documentation) [current version: 0.9-update46, released on February 4th 2023]
BubbleUPnP home page
Stream all your music, videos and photos to various devices in your house:
Chromecast
DLNA TVs
gaming consoles: Xbox, Playstation (from XMB)
UPnP/DLNA renderers: XBMC, WDTV Live, other Android devices, ...
various HiFi gear from Sonos, Denon, Pioneer, Onkyo and many more
local Android playback
BubbleUPnP can access your media from a lot of sources, including:
UPnP/DLNA media servers: most NASes, XBMC, Plex, Twonky, Serviio, Windows Media Player and many more
local media stored on your Android device
cloud media: Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, Google Music, Google+
SMB Shares
WebDAV (ownCloud, NextCloud, webserver...)
media from other apps such as web browsers and file managers, using Share/Send
captured audio from most other apps. Requires Xposed (root)
Shoutcast radio (with XiiaLive)
BubbleUPnP is a versatile app packed with many features for you to discover, some of which are:
extensive Chromecast support: play incompatible Chromecast media with transcoding (*), subtitles, audio/video track selection (*)
fast and secure Internet access to your home media while on the go, from mobile and WiFi networks (*)
playback queue, editable playlists, scrobbling, sleep timer, various shuffle modes
integrated full screen image viewer and controller
media download to your SD Card
...and much more!
(*) Some features are provided by BubbleUPnP Server, an optional software that can be installed on any machine on your local network to provide additional services. To learn more about BubbleUPnP Server, visit https://bubblesoftapps.com.
Some features are restricted and can be unlocked by purchasing the BubbleUPnP License app.
If something is not working, you can record a log file and mail it to me at [email protected]:
- launch the app
- go into More > Gear icon > Control
- Enable "logging to file" (at the end of the page).
- IMPORTANT: Exit the app (More > "X" bottom left icon)
- restart the app
- run the app and trigger the problem to troubleshoot
- exit the app
- email me the files found on internal storage:
On Android 10 and below:
/Android/data/com.bubblesoft.android.bubbleupnp/log.txt
/Android/data/com.bubblesoft.android.bubbleupnp/prev_log.txt
On Android 11 and higher:
/Documents/com.bubblesoft.android.bubbleupnp_log.txt
/Documents/prev_com.bubblesoft.android.bubbleupnp_log.txt (if present)
You can access them with a file manager app and share them to your email app for sending them.
IMPORTANT: Make sure to not restart BubbleUPnP until you have sent or saved the log file as it is overwritten on app startup.
Looks like an awesome app - all the features I want... BUT it is not currently recognizing my Synology NAS (upnp/dlna). Win 7 media player works great.
EDIT - Sorry it did eventually show up. It would be nice to have some asynchronous loading notifications. Also, if I queue up an entire genre, for example, it takes a looong time to load/start playing (thousands of songs). Otherwise looking good.
radeon_x said:
Looks like an awesome app - all the features I want... BUT it is not currently recognizing my Synology NAS (upnp/dlna). Win 7 media player works great.
EDIT - Sorry it did eventually show up. It would be nice to have some asynchronous loading notifications. Also, if I queue up an entire genre, for example, it takes a looong time to load/start playing (thousands of songs). Otherwise looking good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the feedback.
I'll think again about async loading notifications (I suppose you mean loading of folders here), but I do not like the additional clutter they involve.
For the second point, the playlist is not designed to handle thousands of tracks. What what your exact use case ? Doing shuffle on an entire genre ?
--------
I updated the first post with an Android Market link to install the app.
bubbleguuum said:
For the second point, the playlist is not designed to handle thousands of tracks. What what your exact use case ? Doing shuffle on an entire genre ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, exactly. But after using it for a while, I don't mind the delay all that much since it only happens on the initial adding the songs to the playlist. Once the songs are added there are no slowdowns.
No other complaints really - hands down the best functioning and looking UPnP audio player on the market.
excellent app, works great with PS3MediaServer
minor issues:
reports search as not supported but I guess that's a PS3MediaServer problem?
doesn't show any album art
I have a DLNA TV (LG_42LD790) but it doesn't show up as a renderer, only local renderer available
how much are you going to charge for the unlocker?
jonengland said:
excellent app, works great with PS3MediaServer
minor issues:
reports search as not supported but I guess that's a PS3MediaServer problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it doesn't support searching at all.
I tried PS3MediaServer and it is not the best server you can find for audio (only folder browsing, no search, some bugs in returned data).
I found 2 bugs in less than 1h usage
doesn't show any album art
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It likely doesn't expose any album art to the app.
I have a DLNA TV (LG_42LD790) but it doesn't show up as a renderer, only local renderer available
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most DLNA TV are not remotely controllable to push content. You can just browse from their interface to play content.
how much are you going to charge for the unlocker?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Undecided yet but it won't break the bank .
Correction: album art is working ok with ps3mediaserver, think I must have been playing tracks without art, doh!
1: has the potential of being better than upnplay (although the latter is free & ad-free)
2: needs a landscape mode (or use system/sensor detection)
3: exit on back key press
4: ability to add WAN server
5: use built-in player (like you already do for music types) for divx+mp3,x264+aac,mpeg2 files (detect via 4cc and/or extension - avi,divx,mkv,mp4,mpg,mpeg,vob,m2v)
open external player for other file types (mov/qt/rm/ac3); the system, hardware renderer should be able to decode most of the aforementioned files, thus eliminating the need for an additional app expressedly for that purpose (vplayer/mobo etc)
This COULD give you an edge over the other upnp/dlna solutions, since none of them provide this functionality (yet).
My Setup: Twonky Media Server and WD TV Live as Renderer!
This setup works fine with other apps, also on iOS...
BubbleUPNP looks really good, BUT:
- the timeline / song progress bar (dont know how you call it) doesn't work (even if use the setting 'use other...')!
-> so as a result, the next song in the playlist doesnt play
So by now, the app is useless. Would like to use yours, all the others work, but yours seems more smooth and has a better usability.
Looking forward to some updates!
Would def. pay for this if the issue gets fixed!
adwinp said:
1: has the potential of being better than upnplay (although the latter is free & ad-free)
2: needs a landscape mode (or use system/sensor detection)
3: exit on back key press
4: ability to add WAN server
5: use built-in player (like you already do for music types) for divx+mp3,x264+aac,mpeg2 files (detect via 4cc and/or extension - avi,divx,mkv,mp4,mpg,mpeg,vob,m2v)
open external player for other file types (mov/qt/rm/ac3); the system, hardware renderer should be able to decode most of the aforementioned files, thus eliminating the need for an additional app expressedly for that purpose (vplayer/mobo etc)
This COULD give you an edge over the other upnp/dlna solutions, since none of them provide this functionality (yet).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the feedback
2. Not a priority for the initial stable version but in consideration for future versions. Landscape is mostly useful for tablets as it is the natural orientation.
3. You can exit the app via the "Exit" menu action found in the Now Playing tab.
4. definitely on the todo list although probably not in the first stable version
5 in consideration for a future verson
debay said:
My Setup: Twonky Media Server and WD TV Live as Renderer!
This setup works fine with other apps, also on iOS...
BubbleUPNP looks really good, BUT:
- the timeline / song progress bar (dont know how you call it) doesn't work (even if use the setting 'use other...')!
-> so as a result, the next song in the playlist doesnt play
Would def. pay for this if the issue gets fixed!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for reporting, it is a sign that the app has trouble getting timing info from the WD TV Live. There's logging inside the app that should be able to tell why and allow me to fix it. Can you record a log file following the step below, and send me the log to [email protected]:
- launch the app
- go into the Settings page (Menu > Settings) and then in the Advanced Settings section
- check "Enable logging to file".
- IMPORTANT: Exit the app using the "Exit " menu item found in menu of tab "Now Playing"
- restart the app.
- handle the app to trigger the problem
- connect your phone to your PC or MAC and mail me the file /Android/data/com.bubblesoft.android.bubbleupnp/log.txt found on the SD Card
Using as Renderer and Controller on two devices
Hi,
I am using your app to control my old HD2 (CM7) connected to external speakers with my Galaxy S2.
I am having some issues that when I start it up to control the renderer and the renderer have been running for some time, sometimes it will not find/connect to the renderer.
If I restart both apps then they will usually pick up and connect to each other again. I am not sure if this is my HD2 going to sleep in some way that makes it not being visible. But it will still continue to play music from my upnp server (WMP7) though I can't control or add new tracks...
I will put both devices to log when I am home later tonight and send you some log files that hopefully will help.
Thanks for all the hard work!
Cheers
Jonas
jonolo said:
Hi,
If I restart both apps then they will usually pick up and connect to each other again. I am not sure if this is my HD2 going to sleep in some way that makes it not being visible. But it will still continue to play music from my upnp server (WMP7) though I can't control or add new tracks...
Jonas
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just upgraded my SGS from stock 2.2 to CM7 and fixed today a WiFi connectivity issues that is related to sleep mode. It is not CM7 specific but related to how the WiFi chipset operates when going into power save mode.
So look forward to the next beta which should be out soon.
Using WMP as media player
Hi,
I just installed BubbleUPnP, and it looks really great. I already tested a few similar apps (2Player, Andromote, etc) but it's definetely the most impressive and promising one.
I just encounter a small problem when I enqueue a few music files and then launch the playlist. it sends each file to WMP but directly goes to the next one until the last one. So, only the last file is read.
A workaround is to launch the playlist with only 1 item, and then add other items while playing. Don't know if the problem comes from BubbleUPnP or WMP...
Also FYI, my Synology is well recognized, as well as my Samsung LED TV.
[email protected] said:
Hi,
I just encounter a small problem when I enqueue a few music files and then launch the playlist. it sends each file to WMP but directly goes to the next one until the last one. So, only the last file is read.
A workaround is to launch the playlist with only 1 item, and then add other items while playing. Don't know if the problem comes from BubbleUPnP or WMP...
TV.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for reporting, I can reproduce this issue so it will likely be fixed in the next beta.
Can you try playing a video on your Samsung TV an tell me if it works ?
I haven't tried it as there is no point, being a BubbleDS user already (and loving it, might I add...feels like a factory app and works far better than anything on the Apple side). But just out of interest, will this be a separate product or will BubbleDS be merged with it?
Sent from my Desire HD
lambomanx1 said:
I haven't tried it as there is no point, being a BubbleDS user already (and loving it, might I add...feels like a factory app and works far better than anything on the Apple side). But just out of interest, will this be a separate product or will BubbleDS be merged with it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BubbleUPnP and BubbleDS will remain separate apps (mostly to avoid to clutter BubbleDS with unneeded stuff).
The next major version of BubbleDS will be updated to use the same codebase than BubbleUPnP, which will bring some fixes and even some new functionnality (Shuffle Library).
As a bonus, BubbleUPnP will be a free app to use for BubbleDS owners, as it will act as an unlocker.
Thanks for the clarification
Sent from my Desire HD
bubbleguuum said:
Can you try playing a video on your Samsung TV an tell me if it works ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I tried. It works like a charm. Furthermore, my TV shows SRT subtitles as if I launched the video from the TV itself.
0.9.9.1 available on the Market.
WDTV Live as a renderer may be partially or totally fixed, needs testing.
Library: fixed "Browse timeout" errors specific to Android 3.0.1+ (tablets)
Library: faster browsing
Library: display spinning wheel while loading folders / searching
Library: browse compatibility fixes with some Media Servers
Library: tweaked album list layout to make more of the album title visible
fixed wifi issue (on some devices) preventing from playback advance in playlist (and possibly other network issues) after screen has turned off
fixed track advance in Playlist not working correctly with WMP and likely other renderers
videos can now be downloaded in the Videos subfolder of the download folder
Now Playing: display container format of videos
Settings: added rate app button, known issues button
obscure crash fixes
Hi,
at the moment I own iPad 1 with 3G. I do not really like iOS and the way the whole device works but I bought it instead of a (any) Honeycomb tablet anyway. There were few reasons behind my decision and they are still valid.
But... from what I have seen playing in the shops with Honeycomb tablets - I really, really prefer Android to iOS (and from what I have read this will not change once the iOS 5.0 is introduced).
I am patiently waiting for a HC/ICS tablet that will meet my expectations but device itself is just a part of the success. I will also need software that I am using now. I would appreciate if you could tell me names of equivalent apps (preferable the same apps) I am using now.
Netflix - it was the main reason to get iPad instead of HC tablet. But since I am based in Poland I want to make sure Netflix app installation will be as easy on Android as it was on iPad (I just needed account in US iTunes - that is it).
I read there is an update to TF that brings Netflix support - is it for all users (regardless of location) or just for TF's in USA?
Buzz Player - beside 720p mkvs it plays everything I have stored on my NAS drive (it is using Samba protocol to access). Subtitles (people are complaining about it) are not an issue since I do not use them.
WD Photos - already know it is available on Android - any one kows how does it look/work on HC instead of smartphone with A 2.x?
VoD apps - ABC Player, BBC iPlayer, 4oD, Crackle, ITV Player - all available ass apps for iPad (unless because I will have Flash I do not need them - but will video from them work on mobile device without any hacks?)
Office - Pages and Numbers equivalent
Facebook dedicated app - as Friendly
iBooks - I got quite a lot of books on my NAS (epub format) and there was no trouble in putting them to iBooks, iTunes was not needed and they look awesome. I want app like this, with page flipping, etc....
Pandora - ?
Google Music designated app - that I do miss a lot nowe as using it through the Safari is a nightmare
XC Currency
Flipboard
MobilesRSS (or something looking as nice that works with Google Reader)
Filebrowser (to access all files on my PC's nad NAS drive)
TeamViewer
Evernote
Skype
Download manager (with support for hosting services like Rapidshare or Filesonic)
Proper support for VPN connections - all I do now is choose a connection to one of VPN servers and click connect (no need to enter password every single time).I use hem a lot because of Netflix, BBC, etc.
Basic I got access to all free apps in US, UK and Polish iTunes store and I did not had to do any Jaibrake or anything like this.
I really hope I will be able to get the same level of usability form Transformer 2 (maybe Archos Gen9) or in general a HC/ICS tablet.
Since I do not have any android based device I am unable to access Android Market myself and check if applications are there and (what is more important) how do they perform.
THANKS for help (I presume a lot my my questions are quite obvious ones - sorry).
I think netflix is US only at the moment if you are unwilling to root. I have no idea about some of the stuff you ask for but ive seen evernote, skype, and some of the other th ings you mentioned. I really like the office app that comes with the device (polaris) and i think i saw some threads mentioning vpn crap. Anyway, if you wanna use android, id say, expect less apps that dont really matter, but youll probably find decent apps that most normal people require. Plus, you get to tinker with it and stuff withiut fear of steve jobs haunting you at night.
Apps mentioned above or their equivalents are the ones that I require. Beside that I do not care home many millions of other software is available for iOS or that Android has a smaller choice because that is the only thing I need. If I can not use services I am using now there is no point in spending money on a new device.
Any ex-iPad owners here?
What i really was trying to get you to do was to hit the search bar and look for these yourself.. since that's probably going tobe the difference betweeb the ipad and android devices.. Notice how i alluded to having seen peple mention these things.
That's a long list of software.
I'll do my best to list off what I have currently installed, or apps that I've heard will work.
Netflix - I'm not sure how to help you with that one. You'll probably need root to get it working properly.
Buzz Player - Dice Player is probably the best Android video player so far, plays 720p mkv with no hassle and has full hardware acceleration. Subtitle support is built in too, just in case you feel like using subs in the future. Currently there are less supported formats than Buzz Player, but the developer is constantly updating. As far as accessing files stored on your NAS, you will definitely need root if you want Dice Player to be able to stream. Once rooted you just have to install the cifs module, then use the Cifs Manager app to auto mount your NAS to a folder that Dice Player can see.
WD Photos - Never used it, but it is listed as being compatible with the Transformer. No idea if it will work.
VoD Apps - Availability of native Android apps is all dependent on your region. Often times though there are Flash-based workarounds for watching them through your browser.
Office - Polaris Office comes pre-installed on the Transformer, so you'll have basic functionality for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents.
Facebook - You can side load the phone version of the app, or use Friend Me. Personally I prefer Friend Me.
iBooks - There are several ebook readers available. Asus' MyLibrary comes pre-installed and has page turning animations and native support for epub format.
Pandora - There is a native Android app in the Market.
Google Music - Comes pre-installed on the tablet integrated into the default music player app. You just open up Music and add your Google account, and you're set.
XC (XE?) Currency - Another app that has a native Android version in the Market.
Flipboard - Feedly is a reasonable alternative. Personally I use Pulse for all of my news consumption, but that's a completely different UI.
MobilesRSS - Try the native Google Reader application.
File Browser - File Manager HD is my favorite. To browse Samba shares, you simply add one under LAN Connection in the menu.
TeamViewer - A native Android app is available.
Evernote - A native Android app is available.
Skype - A native Android app is available, although video chat has not yet been implemented on tablets. There are however several other video chat apps available, and Google Talk has native video chat capability on all Honeycomb devices.
Download manager - I would give DownDroid a try. I don't typically do a lot of downloading on my tablet, so I can't attest to how well it works.
VPN connections - Again, several different apps available that do basically the same thing. I've heard good things about NeoRouter VPN, but I would suggest trying several different apps to see which one you prefer.
PPTP VPN is supported natively (not sure about the others). I only use PPTP and OpenVPN (which requires root). For Office, look into QuickOffice HD, although it costs 19.99. I strongly suggest Splashtop HD over TeamViewer, just because its ALOT smoother. For RSS I suggest Reader HD, it looks and works better than Google Reader.
First of all thanks for taking time...
If you do not mind I would like to add additional (NO!!! NOT APPS!!! ) questions.
earlyberd said:
Netflix - I'm not sure how to help you with that one. You'll probably need root to get it working properly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- so Netflix as such is still not available for HC tablets?
earlyberd said:
Buzz Player - Dice Player is probably the best Android video player so far, plays 720p mkv with no hassle and has full hardware acceleration [...]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- Buzz Player on iPad just simply uses Samba protocol and if the Android Buzz Player can do the same than it is no problem. I do not use that many different file formats. So, Dice Player does not support Samba or uPNP (these are supported by my NAS My Book World Edition)? As to 720p mkv's... I still read comments form ppl. that they stutter on Tegra 2 based devices. I suspect that that depends on ripped file itself. But since I know I do not want a Tegra 2 based tablet (lots of threads about it already here) it is not a big problem.
Just a news. Friend of mine came over with his iPad 2 few days ago. Some of my 720p playd fine on iPad 2 but some ot them stil stutter and were unwatchable. All of them play super smooth on my netbook (Atom 330 + nVidia ION). This means that current gen. of ARM SOC's is not there yet. I am really interested how new Gen9 Archos will perform here (with TI Omap 4 1,5 Ghz under hood - all good but why are those tablets so ugly? ;-) )
earlyberd said:
VoD Apps - Availability of native Android apps is all dependent on your region. Often times though there are Flash-based workarounds for watching them through your browser.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In case of iTunes and iOS that simply meant - get account in US or UK store and free apps became available. Setting up such account is also no problem. Has anyone tried to get free apps from let say US in UK or the other way round or (unlike in stupid iTunes) free apps (like those players) are available to download and install for everyone (they might not work due to wrong IP but this is a different matter).
In another words (I do not know sht about rooting) how hard will it be for noob like me to get them?
earlyberd said:
iBooks - There are several ebook readers available. Asus' MyLibrary comes pre-installed and has page turning animations and native support for epub format.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And putting books (epub files) I already have on my NAS drive or PC will not be a problem?
earlyberd said:
MobilesRSS - Try the native Google Reader application.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use it when I am next to my desktop but and app (compatible with Google reader - like this Mobile RSS) and designed for tablets is just much nicer
earlyberd said:
File Browser - File Manager HD is my favorite. To browse Samba shares, you simply add one under LAN Connection in the menu.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is hjow it works in Filebrowser and in Buzz Player. They both see NAS in the network and both use Samba to get access.
earlyberd said:
Download manager - I would give DownDroid a try. I don't typically do a lot of downloading on my tablet, so I can't attest to how well it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not have plans like that either - but just in case ;-)
earlyberd said:
VPN connections - Again, several different apps available that do basically the same thing. I've heard good things about NeoRouter VPN, but I would suggest trying several different apps to see which one you prefer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmmm... in iOS VPN support is built in. I do not need any additional apps to make it work as I only set-up additional connections under settings -> VPN.
So, HC does not support VPN connection on its own??? Strange as (besied ppl. like me who use VPN to watch movies from USA in EU) it is important business feature...
Also... if I need and additional app to create VPN connection... and connect to the server... question is how and if will it affect apps like Netflix Player or internet browsers as both Netflix and HULU require US IP in order to allow stream.
frosty5689 said:
PPTP VPN is supported natively (not sure about the others). I only use PPTP and OpenVPN (which requires root). For Office, look into QuickOffice HD, although it costs 19.99. I strongly suggest Splashtop HD over TeamViewer, just because its ALOT smoother. For RSS I suggest Reader HD, it looks and works better than Google Reader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that to you as well!
galtom said:
First of all thanks for taking time...
If you do not mind I would like to add additional (NO!!! NOT APPS!!! ) questions.
- so Netflix as such is still not available for HC tablets?
- Buzz Player on iPad just simply uses Samba protocol and if the Android Buzz Player can do the same than it is no problem. I do not use that many different file formats. So, Dice Player does not support Samba or uPNP (these are supported by my NAS My Book World Edition)? As to 720p mkv's... I still read comments form ppl. that they stutter on Tegra 2 based devices. I suspect that that depends on ripped file itself. But since I know I do not want a Tegra 2 based tablet (lots of threads about it already here) it is not a big problem.
Just a news. Friend of mine came over with his iPad 2 few days ago. Some of my 720p playd fine on iPad 2 but some ot them stil stutter and were unwatchable. All of them play super smooth on my netbook (Atom 330 + nVidia ION). This means that current gen. of ARM SOC's is not there yet. I am really interested how new Gen9 Archos will perform here (with TI Omap 4 1,5 Ghz under hood - all good but why are those tablets so ugly? ;-) )
In case of iTunes and iOS that simply meant - get account in US or UK store and free apps became available. Setting up such account is also no problem. Has anyone tried to get free apps from let say US in UK or the other way round or (unlike in stupid iTunes) free apps (like those players) are available to download and install for everyone (they might not work due to wrong IP but this is a different matter).
In another words (I do not know sht about rooting) how hard will it be for noob like me to get them?
And putting books (epub files) I already have on my NAS drive or PC will not be a problem?
I use it when I am next to my desktop but and app (compatible with Google reader - like this Mobile RSS) and designed for tablets is just much nicer
This is hjow it works in Filebrowser and in Buzz Player. They both see NAS in the network and both use Samba to get access.
I do not have plans like that either - but just in case ;-)
Hmmmm... in iOS VPN support is built in. I do not need any additional apps to make it work as I only set-up additional connections under settings -> VPN.
So, HC does not support VPN connection on its own??? Strange as (besied ppl. like me who use VPN to watch movies from USA in EU) it is important business feature...
Also... if I need and additional app to create VPN connection... and connect to the server... question is how and if will it affect apps like Netflix Player or internet browsers as both Netflix and HULU require US IP in order to allow stream.
Thanks for that to you as well!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ex-Ipad2 user here:
- Netflix works! On stock FW, just installed and tried :=)
- Im using MX Player and Diceplayer, nice combination.
- For Google RSS try out d9-Reader! Best there is.
- Using PPTP VPN native for US IP towards Netflix..
reidar.ostrem said:
Ex-Ipad2 user here:
- Netflix works! On stock FW, just installed and tried :=)
- Im using MX Player and Diceplayer, nice combination.
- For Google RSS try out d9-Reader! Best there is.
- Using PPTP VPN native for US IP towards Netflix..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Netflix - are you from US or different country (after sending post saw your flag - stupid question! LOL!) By that question I mean - can anyone download app from the market or does an Android market need separate accounts for US, UK, Poland, etc?
If Netflix was part of an Asus update - was it for everyone or just US owners (than how will I get it in Poland?) - bearing in mind above - how did you get it in Norway?
PPTP protocol is offered by my VPN provider (see my signature) so that should not be a problem.
Do you have to enter password every single time you want to connect (iPad remembers passwords like this)?
galtom said:
Netflix - are you from US or different country (after sending post saw your flag - stupid question! LOL!) By that question I mean - can anyone download app from the market or does an Android market need separate accounts for US, UK, Poland, etc?
If Netflix was part of an Asus update - was it for everyone or just US owners (than how will I get it in Poland?) - bearing in mind above - how did you get it in Norway?
PPTP protocol is offered by my VPN provider (see my signature) so that should not be a problem.
Do you have to enter password every single time you want to connect (iPad remembers passwords like this)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android marked is differentiated in terms of country, device, os etc...
Stock NetFlix that works on latest TF update: http://db.tt/yBGwjeN
I also liked the ipads feature to remember the password for VPN, android does not do that unfortunally.. (as far as I know.. i have to enter pw everytime)
galtom said:
Apps mentioned above or their equivalents are the ones that I require. Beside that I do not care home many millions of other software is available for iOS or that Android has a smaller choice because that is the only thing I need. If I can not use services I am using now there is no point in spending money on a new device.
Any ex-iPad owners here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I own an iPad 1 and an Asus Transformer. To be honest, the apps on iOS are usually better - even for the exact same app! That does seem to be changing slowly over time, but iOS still has the upperhand in terms of App quantity & quality.
And I still cannot access my Cisco VPN @ work with my Transformerer either (Cicso IPSec w/pre-shared keys).
In my opinion, the iPad is still a better choice for business use. The apps are better and you have a much better selection on iOS.
That being said, I still haven't touched my iPad 1 since I got my Transformer!!! The Transformer is a really fun device though - and if you can live with the app quality * quantity difference right now, go for the Transformer. If you NEED certain apps, stick to the iPad for now...
jtrosky said:
I own an iPad 1 and an Asus Transformer. To be honest, the apps on iOS are usually better - even for the exact same app! That does seem to be changing slowly over time, but iOS still has the upperhand in terms of App quantity & quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apps liste above (beside some games that I have but are used seldom and are not essential) are the only ones I need and use.
Web broswisn (stupid Safari), e-mails (again terrible client for iOS) and TV/Video, rss new is all I need. So if I can replace them I'm cool.
Thanks mate.
reidar.ostrem said:
Android marked is differentiated in terms of country, device, os etc...
Stock NetFlix that works on latest TF update: http://db.tt/yBGwjeN
I also liked the ipads feature to remember the password for VPN, android does not do that unfortunally.. (as far as I know.. i have to enter pw everytime)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it as easy as with iTunes to have accounts for different regions? As I said with iTunes I got account with US store to get (free) apps like ABC Player and Netflix, with UK store to get BBC iPlayer, 4oD and ITV Player and the rest (that I am actually paying for) are from my Polish account.
Will it be the same with Android Market?
Netflix that I found ther does not list any HC tablets (as supported).
Unless I can check for software updates while using changed IP...? But than again it will only give me apps from one region :-(.
Any insights here? I suppose if its doable on closed system like iOS it has to be doable on Android!
BTW: Thanks for the netflix link. Unfortunatley I do not have an Android tablet yet (waiting for something different than Tegra 2 devices). But I will meka a download and keep it for the future ;-)
The latest Transformer update is supposed to add native support for Netflix, the problem is figuring out how to trick it into thinking you are located in the US. I just don't know from experience if the Netflix app will play nice with your VPN. And there is built-in support for VPN in Honeycomb, but again it's something I don't have a whole lot of experience with, and often times it is better implemented through third party apps.
Most Android apps at this point don't support Samba natively, so that's why you need root and manually set a mount point in Cifs Manager. Once Cifs Manager has mounted your NAS though, it should be visible to all other applications. I like to mount my Samba shares in the /sdcard directory, for instance. File Manager HD is the only application I have installed that has native Samba support, and it also allows you to browse hard drive directories like C$ if you happen to be sharing files natively from a Windows PC. But everything else will require a manually-configured mount point via cifs before you can see what's stored on your NAS.
Dice Player has given me no issues with choppy playback in 720p. It's a night and day difference compared to the stock video player, and that's because it has proper hardware acceleration.
You don't need to root if you just want to stream and view files from your Samba share.
ES File Manager does this perfectly. It will show all samba files and stream videos from there without root.
What are Samba shares everyone is talking about? Is this a Linux thing? Since I am using Windows all I know is DLNA, where ES file manager picks up the folders containing the media.
As a side note really wish those guys at XMBC would care enough to port the platform not necessarily the engine. That is where the IPad really beats Android.
xsacha said:
You don't need to root if you just want to stream and view files from your Samba share.
ES File Manager does this perfectly. It will show all samba files and stream videos from there without root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not just streaming videos that the op wants, though. Certain apps require direct access to the share, and thus you will need to mount them to a folder they can read from. For example, the Music app won't add anything to the library unless it thinks it's stored locally on the internal sdcard or the external microsd, as in the /sdcard and /Removable/MicroSD directories. Setting a mount point in Cifs Manager means you don't have to go through a file manager every time, you can mount to a folder within /sdcard, and media libraries can be generated and organized as if reading from local storage.
AstroTrain said:
What are Samba shares everyone is talking about? Is this a Linux thing? Since I am using Windows all I know is DLNA, where ES file manager picks up the folders containing the media.
As a side note really wish those guys at XMBC would care enough to port the platform not necessarily the engine. That is where the IPad really beats Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samba is the UNIX-based application for managing Windows-based SMB/CIFS shares. Windows users typically right click on a folder and select Share, and that is SMB/CIFS sharing. Samba is the UNIX equivalent.
You can view Android market.
https://market.android.com/
Have a search for what you need
Thanks a lot for all your input, it is really appreciated.
I would be very grateful for few more answers.
1. To European users - do you have Netflix and how did you got it (anyone out there has it without root?)
2. There is an app filmon (from filmon.com) that shoul allow for watching BBC and itv - can you let me know ifit is working on HC (it is on iPad).
3. My NAS drive allows either for smb access or uPNP, do I still need to root? All I have there are some documents, movies, bit of music (most of it is at Google Music already) and photos. My drive is My Book World Edition.
4. Does your stock browser syncs with Chrome? (bookmark bar is quite important to me)
5. Can Honeycomb tablet receive SMS/text messages? (with 3G on board of course...).
6. If you do not use stock browser. What do you use and can it be marked as a default in the system (iPad dose not allow for any change like this - stupid machine).
Thanks in advance for your time and thoughts.
earlyberd said:
The latest Transformer update is supposed to add native support for Netflix, the problem is figuring out how to trick it into thinking you are located in the US.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I signed up for the cheapest StrongVPN service and joined Netflix. Downloaded the '246apk' and it works fine. All done on a standard unrooted TF from the UK.
Tips on making the best of 10GB of storage space when storing music on the HTC One S.
What doesn't work:
1) Dropbox, Google Drive ..... you can store files there but finding and playing them is a bag of hurt because the players are so rudimentary and the music is not cataloged like it is for stock Android player and PowerAMP
2) An OTG USB cable and a 32, 64 or 128GB USB Flash Drive. HTC could have saved this phone for music collections if they had implemented this feature, but they didn't. The microUSB port on the One S doesn't provide power, so for mobile listening of music it really isn't as option even it you hack OTG into your kernel.
3) Wifi based systems. With a bit of effort you could probably get a working system when your phone on your own home network, but chances are you use your phone for music when you are away from home.
The Good News:
The HTC One S has really fast internal memory, a good memory controller and the USB I/O is very fast. If you have a decent computer file transfer very quickly to the phone.
The HTC One S has very good audio quality and a good output.
What You Need
1) Your music collection, most likely quite a bit larger than 10GB
2) Media Monkey Software for your PC computer (http://www.mediamonkey.com) Forget about the HTC Sync software
3) PowerAmp for Android or Stock Android Player (PowerAMP has lyric support and is quite well laid out)
The reason I picked Media Monkey is that it has great cataloging features and a very powerful and customizable file sync with Android devices. My HTC Ones S shows up as a Hero but all the sync functions work. ( I have used this program for years) I am sure most of the other popular player software would work too
What to Do
The nature of the beast is that you are choosing which music to leave behind. If your music isn't cataloged then you can't possibly do this efficiently. This takes a lot of time and is best done as you get new music. You need at least the rating filled in for each track. I also have mood and tempo which really adds to your options. If you don't want to catalog then this advice isn't going to help you so you may as well stop here.
1) Catalog your music in Media Monkey (or other player software)
2) Plug in your HTC One and set to Disk Mode ...... it should show up as a HTC Hero
3) Using Media Monkey, set up a new collection filtered with for tracks having 5 star rating
Presumably you would only want to transfer your best tracks
If you have a smallish collection this may reduce the number of files sufficiently to fit on the HTC One S (skip to 4)
4) Set up another Collection filtered for being added to your library less than 30 days ago
Presumably you would like to listen to your new music
5) Click on the HTC Hero node on the library and select sync options.
6) Select only the above 2 collections for sync
7) Chances are that there are still way too many files to fit into 9GB, so select the option to randomly sync files to your device matching the above filters leaving about 500-1000GB left unused OR just manually pick the artists and albums you want to sync.
8) Autosync the phone (takes about 2 minutes for me)
9) Autosync again once in a while to get a new random set
You could tell Media Monkey to compress the files as they are moved to the player, but this hugely increases the time required for the sync and you may loose album art and lyric support depending on which format you pick.
It is far from a idea solution but it works
Sirandar said:
Tips on making the best of 10GB of storage space when storing music on the HTC One S.
What doesn't work:
1) Dropbox, Google Drive ..... you can store files there but finding and playing them is a bag of hurt because the players are so rudimentary and the music is not cataloged like it is for stock Android player and PowerAMP
2) An OTG USB cable and a 32, 64 or 128GB USB Flash Drive. HTC could have saved this phone for music collections if they had implemented this feature, but they didn't. The microUSB port on the One S doesn't provide power, so for mobile listening of music it really isn't as option even it you hack OTG into your kernel.
3) Wifi based systems. With a bit of effort you could probably get a working system when your phone on your own home network, but chances are you use your phone for music when you are away from home.
The Good News:
The HTC One S has very good audio quality and a good output.
What You Need
1) Your music collection, most likely quite a bit larger than 10GB
2) Media Monkey Software for your PC computer (http://www.mediamonkey.com) Forget about the HTC Sync software
3) PowerAmp for Android or Stock Android Player (PowerAMP has lyric support and is quite well laid out)
The reason I picked Media Monkey is that it has great cataloging features and a very powerful and customizable file sync with Android devices. My HTC Ones S shows up as a Hero but all the sync functions work. ( I have used this program for years) I am sure most of the other popular player software would work too
What to Do
The nature of the beast is that you are choosing which music to leave behind. If your music isn't cataloged then you can't possibly do this efficiently. This takes a lot of time and is best done as you get new music. You need at least the rating filled in for each track. I also have mood and tempo which really adds to your options. If you don't want to catalog then this advice isn't going to help you so you may as well stop here.
1) Catalog your music in Media Monkey (or other player software)
2) Plug in your HTC One and set to Disk Mode ...... it should show up as a HTC Hero
3) Using Media Monkey, set up a new collection filtered with for tracks having 5 star rating
Presumably you would only want to transfer your best tracks
If you have a smallish collection this may reduce the number of files sufficiently to fit on the HTC One S (skip to 4)
4) Set up another Collection filtered for being added to your library less than 30 days ago
Presumably you would like to listen to your new music
5) Click on the HTC Hero node on the library and select sync options.
6) Select only the above 2 collections for sync
7) Chances are that there are still way too many files to fit into 9GB, so select the option to randomly sync files to your device matching the above filters leaving about 500-1000GB left unused OR just manually pick the artists and albums you want to sync.
8) Autosync the phone (takes about 2 minutes for me)
9) Autosync again once in a while to get a new random set
You could tell Media Monkey to compress the files as they are moved to the player, but this hugely increases the time required for the sync and you may loose album art and lyric support depending on which format you pick.
It is far from a idea solution but it works
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Orr you can sync your music to Google Play and stream from there. IF you have the 2GB plan I almost never go over that, plus it only streams it the first play and stays in your cache for replay later. Best Solution for me, at least for Music. After that I have plenty of room for everything else and file With Drop Box and Box and Google Drive.
I usually just convert my files to ~40kbit (VBR quality 0.25) HE-AACv2 files. Unless you really really concentrate, you'll be hard pressed finding any difference between these files and CD quality. And I've got about 6,000 songs in under 7 GB.
I use dbPowerAmp for the conversion, and the Nero AAC codec.
djsubtronic said:
I usually just convert my files to ~40kbit (VBR quality 0.25) HE-AACv2 files. Unless you really really concentrate, you'll be hard pressed finding any difference between these files and CD quality. And I've got about 6,000 songs in under 7 GB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Holy jeebus, 40kbit and you cannot tell the difference? Time for some decent headphones or a hearing check!
edscholl said:
Holy jeebus, 40kbit and you cannot tell the difference? Time for some decent headphones or a hearing check!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, have you even tried HE-AACv2? That codec is pretty legendary. Of course you can tell the difference but it's very barely noticeable. Try it yourself.
djsubtronic said:
Dude, have you even tried HE-AACv2? That codec is pretty legendary. Of course you can tell the difference but it's very barely noticeable. Try it yourself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup. Very f'in noticeably different at 40kbps.
This is the most versatile UPNP/DLNA App I’ve seen. It is no longer just audio, video and photos. This App supports PDF, HTML and one can even invoke the app using the Android content sharing link. That very much means any content. The playlist handling is very unique (need to use the PlayOn TV Receiver by the same developer), too. It allows you to share the queue with a bunch of other phones. Apparently this playlist is implemented on the TV side.
The other thing I like about this App is its UI simplicity. The UI is so organized that you would never have to wonder what to do the next as in many Apps. The features of this App are actually quite complex, or more complex than that of most of its competitors, but the UI is very straight forward. The most obvious move is usually the right move, and if it turns out wrong there is a obvious way out. The more complicated controls were put under the menu button so they would not be seen unless you want to see them. That takes the confusion out completely.
There are some compatibility issues with some DLNA TV . It appears that not every DLNA command is working. But honestly, I have not seen one that is 100% working for all models. I’ve used this App for Samsung and Sony TV. Both work well. But I am not able to get it to work for a LG. The best bet, I believe, is to get a muscle 2-core/4-core set-top box and go with the matching PlayOn TV Receiver. It is going to be a lot better than the built-in unit running in a TV.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.oneplus.playon