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.
I spent some time over the weekend trying out various ways to stream movies, specifically ripped BluRays, to my Android phone (EVO) and tablet (Galaxy Tab 7") when I'm outside my home. I thought folks looking to do something similar might appreciate a list of what's available, as in all my searching I didn't come across one.
So here are my thoughts on each with Windows based desktop server software in blue, and Android client in green when from a different source:
VLC server to VLC Direct and VLC Stream and Convert - $4-5
Best quality, seek!, streamed subtitles!, VLC & clients buggy, no security (should be used with VPN), complex setup.
Splashtop Remote Desktop- $5
A remote desktop app promoted as a way to stream video. I set my laptop to 1024*768 and tried various videos, including Netflix and Hulu, and video quality was tolerable. (MUCH better than LogMeIn Ignition, or the VNC/RDP apps I use.) A little cumbersome to use if you just want to watch video, but it's as flexible as the desktop computer you are controlling. I'd be interested in hearing how CrazyRemote compares, as that includes "joystick" controls. - For the $1 sale price, I'll be running this off my laptop for NetFlix and Hulu.
Plex - $5
Soso video quality, easy to set up, included posters with movie data and such, by far the nicest interface. If video quality improves, they'll be the one to beat.
PlayOn - $5 / month for "Premium Services" like Netflix and Hulu, $0 To stream local videos
Similar to Plex without the movie posters and such, but includes Hulu and NetFlix. Unfortunately video and sound wouldn't stay synched.
RemotePotato to Remote Media Center - $0
Set up was tolerable, video quality is acceptable, seek!, big wins on having a very nice desktop silverlight web player and some integration with Windows Media Center. If the (separately developed) Android client continues to improve, and/or they stream from my WMC TV tuners, Netflix, etc, I'd be in love. - This is the one I'm sticking with for now because I like the option of streaming to desktop OR Android, depending where I am at the moment.
Subsonic - $Donation of an amount you choose for video streaming. Audio only is free.
Similar to RemotePotato, but more complex to set up, better security, but browser based FLV playback had soso video quality. RemotePotato was just easier. - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=968774
TVersity - $0
Seemed complicated and I didn't want to re-encode anything, so after installing I just yanked it without testing. Other folks have had good luck with it though! - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=6085651
PS3Mediaserver - $0
Another one that I didn't test because it seemed complicated. Again worth mentioning because other folks have had good luck with it though! - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=898796
Other Android server/app solutions seemingly based off of VLC - $Varies
AndroStream - Server wouldn't install (on two Win7x64 systems)
MyTVStation - Server installed as Admin, but couldn't connect to it. (Dev replied via email that he's working on it.)
Video Source - I tested using a 40GB MKV file ripped directly from BluRay without recompression, including English subtitles and both HD and stereo sound tracks. - As I am NOT willing to spend hours/days/weeks transcoding my BluRay collection to the native resolution(s) of my mobile devices (or to re-transcode them when the devices are replaced) I specifically wanted to include in my testing on the fly transcoding capabilities. (Avatar in this case)
Connection Speed - I tested using WiFi at home, WiFi at another location across town (but with the same ISP) and WiMax at a location which tested as 6Mb down. (My home upstream is 5Mb, and the remote WiFi and WiMax results were comparable, because the streams were all set to around 1-2.5Mb.)
DLNA is interesting stuff, and bears investigating, especially for playback FROM Android to a TV without wires. Normally it will not stream outside of your local network, but I'm thinking of trying it via VPN, as my Galaxy Tab includes a native player.
I realize the reviews are brief and very subjective, and my requirements and testing won't match many peoples. That said, I still thought folks might appreciate just having a nice big list to refer to, with hopefully some good comments on other people's experiences, to save them some time digging around.
After a long weekend of fiddling, I'm using Splashtop for Netflix (not available on my Tab yet) and Hulu, and RemotePotato w/ the Remote Media Center app for my movies and recorded TV.
There also looks to be some development happening with Media Portal plug-ins for Android that could be quite promising for 2.3+ devices in a few months. If things pan out...you'll load your media one time into the server, and be able to watch it on any device, be it iOS, Windows, or Android.
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
One thing i really miss from my time spent with iPhone is airplay, used it everyday.
Since jumping on to WP7 i have searched hi & low for a streaming solution and haven`t found one yet.
So my question, is there any video/music streaming option for Mac to WP7 out there?
That might actually be worth developing. Bear in mind that WP7 users who run OS X PCs are going to be an extremely niche market, though. There are two ways that I can see to do it, though:
* Write a WP7 app that acts as a client for a current streaming service on OS X / iTunes. Make sure the stream can be decoded on the phone and that the service recognizes the app, but neither should be too hard (WP7 already recognizes most of Apple's codecs).
* Write a WP7 app that acts as a client to a dedicated media server app. Write that dedicated media server app, for OS X and possibly other platforms. The server would take care of ensuring WP7 compatibility. You'd need Apple dev tools (which is expensive, for somebody who currently owns no Apple hardware) and knowledge of writing good server code, though.
For HTC phones, you can download "Connected Media" from the HTC section of marketplace. Although not the greatest player, it does allow you to play non-DRM music and videos stored in your library (no streaming) to DLNA receivers. I use it to play to my Linksys Extender of my Media Center every once in a while.
@spokanedj: I think the OP is looking for the other direction, streaming files from the PC (Mac, in this case) to the phone. I'm guessing the goal is working around the limited storage on the phone for people with a really big media library.
I enjoy watching tv-shows when laying in bed, so yes im only interested in streaming.
I saw on https://www.emitapp.com/ that wp7 app coming soon.
I used emit on android, it wasnt perfect but i did the job
Ive been looking for some decent apps for my Nexus one and i have been able to find very few that i like. If anyone can give me some apps that are handy or games that are fun it will be gladly appreciated.
I would think in order to get a decent response, you would want to narrow down what it is you are looking to do.
If you can think of it, it has an app. If it doesn't......start learning how to design apps and make some coin
But here goes with a few of my faves............
AudioGalaxy
For portable music from my HDD. Full access to my home music collection.
The best app in my opinion is AudioGalaxy. It has magic metadata that somehow seems to get all names and artwork right. It ports into your personal collection and can be streamed over data or wifi. You can make playlists on the go that store in a folder on your PC at home. It is simply amazing, and with even just a decent signal, it streams virtually flawlessly.
I can't say enough about it, other than GET IT !!
To top it all off, it is 100 % free. But I found it so good that I actually bought the add ons just to support the development of the app.
Hands down my favorite music app, and in the top 5 of my all time apps.
AirDroid
Wifi transfer your media/files from or to your Android device and PC. Uses your browser and has a cool interface that you can shuffle around like a desktop. Hasn't dropped a transfer yet. Free. Very cool app.
WiFi Explorer PRO
Same as Airdroid pretty much. Works awesome. Great support. I bought this before I found AirDroid. Both are great and transfer fairly fast for WiFi. Interfaces thru browser as well. Very good app.
ES File Explorer
Hands down my favorite file management app. Transfer files between phone/home windows shares/ftp server/bluetooth shares/online storage drives.
One of the most popular on the market. Somewhat customizable. Plain and simple it is THE file managment app in my opinion.
Tablet Talk
This app allows your non-3G/data enabled tablet (wifi only), to link via wifi or bluetooth to your data/wifi smartphone.
If you have your cell phone charging in another room and on, you can connect your tablet to it, and you can then text or call from it using your data/contract plan.
Very cool app. Comes in handy in various situations.
iMediaShare
VERY cool app !! this app acts as both a server or a client on your network. It can pick up other dlna/upnp servers, and connect as a client. Or it can act as a server, porting various media shares/local files to a specified device like a PS3 or a 360.
What is REALLY cool, is that you can web stream various websites, like YouTube or HD Nation by browsing the site on the app, finding the vid/s you want, and point it to the PS3. You then go to you media server section on your PS3 or 360, and voila, that video is onscreen.
You can search YouTube, and then view the whole search query. As well, on the PS3 you can copy these vids to your HDD.
What is truly amazing is the amount of web sites to choose from.
Motorz HD
Vimeo
Revision HD
YouTube
The White House channel
Nasa
TED
CBS
....and the list goes on and on and is growing all the time.
You can stick with the free (lite) version which has 80% available and standard definition video. If you pay the 2 bucks or whatever for the full version, you can access a few more channels but you get the HD channels as well.
I have a whack of HD music vids from YouTube, stored on my PS3 now because of the ease of this app. Simply awesome !!!!
OverSkreen
The coolest browser on the market ! It'a a floating browser. (I would link you to my YouTube clip on it, but I am still a noob so unfortunately I can't link you any of these and you have to Google them yourself)
Anyways, back on track.
Overskreen floats on your desktop to give you a windows effect. You can run one app, and have your Overskreen window tucked in the corner watching a mini youtube vid. Hard to describe, I suggest checking it out.
Very innovative. The app is getting better everyday, but is still new so it has some bugs. Either way, it may change the future of smartphones and tablets. Check it out.
Games
GTA III - no need for explanation. Only game I have. Pretty sweet. Costs a few bucks but worth it.
Wallpaper
Jumpgate - simply one of the best wallpapers for your Android . Burns your battery a little more, but it's definitely cool.
So there's a few for you. Not sure if you are looking for something else, but these are some of the most used and actually useful apps in my inventory.
I can add to this later as I think of more.
BUT........
If you really want to have fun and tinker. Custom ROM's is where it's at.
My Telus Mobility Nexus now has a lockscreen carrier name of:
Smell-us Slo-bility
...and my opening boot animation is the little Androids on the the Tron bikes that collide in an X shape and explode into the Galaxy Nexus logo.
Good luck. You've dived into a world of fun simply by picking Android.