I'm thinking about making a Droid Eris video out app...Need Help

[BigBadman]

Hi all. Bear with me as I'm new to the dev community for the Android OS.

Basically the story so far is I've got a Droid Eris. I saw that there is a cable available called the Act100 Video Cable by HTC. This cable plugs into the mini usb port of the phone and outputs a composite video and left and right audio signal, yellow red white cables. I have a TV in my car that accepts composite input.

Through some research I've found that the Eris does not support this video out function. A supported phone for example is listed as the HTC Touch Pro 2 on sites where you can buy the cable. I've read in forums where people have mailed HTC about eris video out compatibility and HTC said that it isn't in the software by default but to try and search for an app that enables it. Therefore, the hardware supports it but it simply isn't an option in the software. So I want to make an app that simply enables the feature on the Droid Eris.

This is where my questions start. I've had only limited C++ programming experience so I'm prepared for any learning curve. How difficult do you think it would be to make an app like this? I know of some begginer guides but beyond that where should I begin?

 

[ferrocene]

How do you find out that the hardware does, in fact, support this? I would think if this were possible it would have been made by now, but I'd love to be wrong.

 

[BigBadman]

I'm not 100% sure the hardware supports it. I just made a guess because in the post I read HTC support tells the guy to look for an app that enables it becuase it isn't in the software by default. It sounds like it might just have to be coded in. At leat I'm really hoping it can be.

 

[dalladubb]

Sounds fishy to me. Every portable device I've ever used with a TV out function required a hardware decoder specifically for a TV. This can be done in software I'm sure but the other issue I find is pushing it out over the USB jack. Analog video source pushed out through a USB chipset doesn't sound like it can be done. I'm not all that knowledgeable about the Eris' hardware specifics so don't quote me.

As far as a pure software app that will do it, that raises red flags as well. As far as I know apps on a stock ROM run in a Dalvik VM I believe. They're separated from the system itself, and it's the system that controls the hardware. It might be able to be done but I doubt it.

The Touch Pro 2 might have the ability to do it maybe through hardware, but as far as I know the Eris doesn't have any of that.

I'll let somebody with more hardware knowledge come in.

 

[BigBadman]

Thanks for the ideas so far. Well since the touch pro 2 can output video over usb it's obviously possible to push the signal over any other USB. It would just be a matter of, as you said, the Eris having the hardware. I guess I was under the impression that the hardwares were very similar. I'm really trying to investigate this as much as possible and no one even answered me on other forums. Please keep this thread alive!

 

[nindoja]

I don't know for sure if this can work, but here are my thoughts. PDANet sends data over the USB port to enable wired tethering, so an app can send data over the USB port.

So since we know we can send/receive data over the USB port, we must address the issue of video output. I don't know if this will be easy because of the way USB->Composite converters probably work (read output of the USB pins into each of the Red, White, Yellow pins). What would potentially make this difficult would be that with Dalvik I don't know if we can control what pins we are outputting our data to.

If someone wants to post more information on how the video cable works it would be easier to determine if it is possible.

 

[ihtfp69]

Check this out. The Droid Incredible does it over microUSB. I wonder if all we need is the right cable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJyt463AoOA

 

[Conap]

I would love to see you make an app for this if its possible. Is there an option on stock incredible for this or is it an app?

 

[BigBadman]

Nindoja: Yea I agree pin control is probably going to be important for something like this. I would prefer not to, but would rooting allow us to get around the Dalvik restriction you mentioned if it ends up being a problem?

ihtfp69 and conap: I did see that the incredible does the tv out over usb. I'm not sure wether it is an option or an app though... I also read that the incredible's files were leaked, including one called tvout.apk. I think I read that just trying to install it on the eris doesn't work but I'm really not sure. In the least having that file to work with might be a great start.

I haven't been able to find that file yet unfortunately. How similar are the Incredible and Eris hardware? If they are similar it could be good news for a software solution.

Thanks for the replys so far! Any other thoughts?

 

[neocharles]

Has there been any development on this?

 

[Sjflowerhorn]

nope, none public at least

 

[settlethestorm]

Bumpity bump bump. this needs to happen!

Sent from my Eris using XDA App

 

[Izeltokatl]

Theoretically couldnt One figure out what app and supporting files the incredible uses and then Just Port those files to the eris. Just like people have done with the gallery Candy genie apps?

Sent from my ERIS using XDA App

 

[nindoja]

Theoretically couldnt One figure out what app and supporting files the incredible uses and then Just Port those files to the eris. Just like people have done with the gallery Candy genie apps?

Sent from my ERIS using XDA App

Did you read the thread at all? The problem isn't only software.... the apps the incredible (and other phones that have video out) use make extensive use of dedicated hardware to output the video stream.

We don't have that on the eris, so that would be really hard, and very slow, to emulate in software. That's assuming it could even be done over our USB port.

 

[josegp]

shouldnt be that hard, the same thing has been done for PSP...although its USB video out to PC.

its probably a step in the correct direction.

goto youtube.com and search for 'remotejoylite' one word, should be second video down, shows it in action via usb cable.

 

[mrhost]

That's assuming it could even be done over our USB port.

Am I missing something, but haven;t at least three comments made before this one confirmed, several phones have video out, via USB. I think the assuming iot is possible part is over. The real question that no one has answered is if the Eris has the hardware to support this option. I don't have an answer, but wanted to point out that the possibility of video over USB has been answered.

 

[KHancock321]

If you look on Google you can find the tvout.apk and tvout.odex from the Incredible dump. Might be able to do something with it.

Sent from my ERIS using XDA App

 

[mjgdroid]

Here is TVout.apk and TVout.odex

http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=319214&d=1272756479

I think with the right cable and the right software we can get this to work.
We might also need system/lib/libTVOUT.so

From what I can tell, on a stock ROM the TV out functionality is provided by system/app/TVOUT.apk and a system/lib/libTVOUT.so
here is a link to a forum about the MyTouch and the tvout.apk and cable:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=454333

 

[KHancock321]

Here is TVout.apk and TVout.odex

http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=319214&d=1272756479

I think with the right cable and the right software we can get this to work.
We might also need system/lib/libTVOUT.so

From what I can tell, on a stock ROM the TV out functionality is provided by system/app/TVOUT.apk and a system/lib/libTVOUT.so
here is a link to a forum about the MyTouch and the tvout.apk and cable:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=454333

Question.
Has anyone seen this work?
How do you make it work?
Do you select it from the launcher?
Is it in settings?
Because we would have to find a work around if it is.
Or just add it to the menu.
Ha.

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[mindnumbinglyfun]

the Incredible dump.
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