VideoOut
Latest
Video out enabled on Windows Phone 7, just not for you
The video out feature in Windows Phone 7 is reserved for select Microsoft employees, and now one enterprising member of the XDA Developers forum. With certain files ripped from an LG Panther 7003 ROM, the help of someone on the inside and many months of work, forum member marsrogers succeeded in pushing video from his Samsung Focus to a companion PC app. Don't get too excited though -- this particular trick will not be released to the masses so the MS confidant involved is not exposed. However, it's not all bad news, as marsrogers' source reports that Windows Phone 8 will have remote desktop capability straight out of the box. Sadly, for those of you carrying around current-gen WP devices, there's still no hope.
VESA's Mobility DisplayPort standard links smartphones to PC displays, jabs MHL
If you own a modern Android smartphone, there's a reasonable chance you're familiar with MHL for video out to a TV. The format saves the trouble of adding an extra port, but it's really only intended for HDMI-based destinations and occasionally runs into compatibility issues. VESA is hoping to settle all that with its newly available Mobility DisplayPort standard, or MyDP. Existing micro-USB ports will still serve as the output, but you'll have the option of plugging into DVI or VGA displays with the right adapter, in addition to HDMI and full-size DisplayPort. Picture connecting to an older projector and you'll see why that might make sense. The new spec will charge up your device like with MHL, but it also has about 1Mbps of bandwidth for input, such as keyboards and trackpads in some future lapdock. Video still tops out at 1080p and 60Hz, so there's no hooking into a 4K display here. The real advantage, for many, is simply in having a broadly-adopted standard in the first place: VESA backing sees 180 companies tacitly endorsing the idea, producing a big improvement over the patchwork results that we've seen from MHL's much smaller alliance. The chief obstacle is the wait for the first smartphones, Ultrabooks and tablets with MyDP, which could be months or more away.
Xbox 360 system update gets its colors in order, makes it mandatory
Remember those color problems experienced by some Xbox 360 users after last year's dashboard update? Microsoft appears to have fixed the issue in its latest system update, although it will take time for the fix to roll out across the associated apps -- we've been told this will happen over the next few months. Its Sony rival also rolled out its own (optional) update for the PS3 yesterday, improving "certain aspects" of the UI. The Xbox team promise that their update will also increase performance, but don't take their word for it; the update is rolling out now -- let us know how it goes.
Microsoft acknowledges Xbox 360 color space problem in last update, is working on a fix
While we found a lot of things to like in the last Xbox 360 dashboard upgrade, not everyone was happy after it finally rolled out in early December. We've received word from multiple owners who saw and reported color output problems since the beta began, and today Director of Programming Larry Hryb aka Major Nelson tweeted that the company is "aware of the color space issue w/ some Xbox video apps & are working on a fix". While that should take care of some issues, more recent reports also indicate problems with the HDMI output having HDCP authentication problems with certain TVs or receivers that blocks video output, as well as reports confirmed by Eurogamer that 1080p output appears to be downscaled to 720p internally. We're waiting for a response from Microsoft about these or any other issues and will let you know when we hear more. Let us know if you've noticed anything else in the new Xbox 360 update that needs tweaking in the comments below.[Thanks, Vinny P, Brad R. and everyone else who sent this in]
Bigstream sends video from iOS to almost any TV
We last saw the Bigstream device back at CES earlier this year, but it's out and available now and I got to plug one in and see how it worked on my home television. The result? It worked out OK, with a couple of issues. The biggest issue is compatibility with apps, because setup is very straightforward. The device comes with two pieces -- a receiver with a power cord and video cable that goes to any standard RCA composite video connection, and a wireless transmitter that plugs directly into your iPhone (or iPod touch, or iPad, though I did all of my testing on an iPhone 4). Turn both on (unfortunately, both have to be manually powered on, though presumably the receiver could stay on) and set them to the same of three channels, and then any video out signal from your iDevice will go straight to the TV. Note that the only option for plugging in to the TV is currently the RCA cable -- HDMI and S-Video aren't available. Unfortunately, most apps that I tried simply aren't compatible, and though Bigstream does have a list of compatible apps on their page, there are a few that still didn't work for me. Specifically I couldn't get The Incident to work -- it's listed as compatible for video out on the iPhone 4, but all I could find was an option to use it as a controller when connected to an iPad. Strange, especially since that's the actual app that we saw at Bigstream's booth at CES. (Update: Bigstream tells me that the display at CES was actually of an iPad sending video out to the device, using an iPhone as a controller. I didn't actually try that setup, so presumably it does work, just not directly from the iPhone itself.) I did get the YouTube app to work pretty well, though the quality was off, probably because YouTube quality isn't that great to begin with. And the Netflix app worked particularly well -- there were a few audio and video glitches during setup (the transmitter's dock connection can cause some issues if jiggled around), but once the streaming ran over WiFi, the Netflix picture looked pretty good, and the whole rig ran great. In other words, Bigstream's compatibility presents some issues -- you can't just load up your favorite game or app and stream it right off to the television, unless you can somehow convince your favorite developer to stream the video out. But fortunately, the apps that Bigstream is compatible with do have some promise, and give the unit a lot of functionality already. For example, if you're on the road often and want to watch Netflix on something a little bigger than your iPhone's screen, I can see carrying the Bigstream unit around with you, plugging it in to a hotel room TV, and then using it wherever you go. Likewise, though I wasn't able to try any of this software specifically, it seems like it would work well for presentations, allowing you to plug in to any television with an extra power cord and RCA hookup, and put whatever you need on a larger viewscreen (though of course I'd recommend you test it first to make sure everything works). Keynote, in particular, should be well-suited to this task. As for home use, Bigstream would work (maybe if you don't already have a device plugged in to your television to run Netflix and other streaming video apps), but it's a hacky way to implement functionality that you could get with cables from Apple. If all you want is Netflix and YouTube on your TV screen, an Apple TV will give you that, and in even better resolution. Unless there's an app that you specifically need to use, and it happens to be compatible with Bigstream's device, there's not really much to recommend you running video out of your iOS device rather than just a dedicated box for that at home. Bigstream's unit costs $99, so it's a fairly significant investment for what it is. It definitely works as advertised -- if you need to send video out from your compatible iPhone app to any television just by hooking up a few cables, Bigstream pulls that off well and with a minimum of fuss. Just be sure you know ahead of time what you're trying to do it with it; the system seems to work better as a portable device built for specific uses rather than a general household tool.
Plex 1.1 for iOS improves streaming over 3G, pipes video to your TV
If you're not already running the Plex Media Server on one of the twenty-three beige boxes networked across your tiny domicile, you may be sorely tempted to install a copy this week, because the iOS app has just received a truly massive update. Where once the XBMC spinoff would have to transcode every video it delivered to your device across the ether, Plex claims it can now either bypass that CPU-intensive process or use an iOS-optimized technique, pumping H.264 video over the air far more efficiently. Second, it can deliver that content from iOS direct to your TV, via either a video-out cable or experimental support for AirPlay. Not bad, right? How's universal search sound -- the ability to type in a word and have the app reach out to local servers, remote servers, and online video services like YouTube and Vimeo too? Yeah, that $4.99 price tag is looking mighty affordable right about now, and there are plenty more improvements to peruse at the links below.
iPad 2 mirroring: Capturing video in higher definition
Co-blogger Steve Sande and I have been collaborating on our attempts to find a solid solution that allows iPad 2 owners to use the screen mirroring feature in tandem with a computer video capture tool; this would simplify screencasting, training, recording and scores of other things. Steve was looking for a way to integrate his iPad's screen into his TUAW TV Live shows. I need to create videos for demonstrations, reviews and tutorials. While this would be relatively straightforward if Apple's mirroring support included the older Composite AV and Component AV adapters for the iPad, sadly it does not. Only the HDMI-sporting Digital AV adapter and the VGA adapter are permitted to work with the mirroring option, which helps close the analog hole for purchased/rented digital video, but it doesn't make the job of DIY iPad recording any easier. Steve recently blogged about our first solution, a quick and dirty approach that offered a "barely enough" 480p standard-definition video feed. As Steve pointed out, this basic setup is not a high resolution answer to our video capture needs. Text is barely readable, screens fuzzy -- not ideal for either product demonstrations or how-to-videos. We were determined to nudge quality up. To do that, I turned to Elgato, who graciously provided an EyeTV HD unit (normally retails for $199), which allows Macintoshes to capture HD video from component sources. (Our original solution was built around composite video.) Sewell Direct, manufacturers of the $40 PC to TV converter Steve bought, provided a SW-4280 unit (retails for $79.95) that offers plug-and-play VGA-to-Component conversion at 720p (60fps) and 720i (30fps) as well as 480p.
Real Racing 2 HD to support 1080p video out
Newer models of the iOS device line have offered excellent-quality video out for some time using Apple's VGA connector cable. Now, Apple's 30-pin to HDMI adapter pushes quality even further. Today, FireMint Games announced its updated Real Racing 2 HD will support full 1080p output with (breathless cut-and-paste-from-press-release-excitement!) "rock-solid frame rates, with an unbeatable hands-on, precision control method that'll have your console green with envy." Sounds pretty cool? We think so too. Real Racing 2 has already won bunches of awards and this new update makes us want to get racing. Click "read more" to see a video of it in action. Hat tip, Federico over at MacStories
Report: Apple to expand AirPlay plans
Man, I could have told you this one: Bloomberg is reporting that Apple plans to extend its AirPlay service out even further, licensing it out to television sets that would then be able to receive and display video directly from iDevices -- bypassing the need to plug in an Apple TV and pay $99. Currently, third-party device support for AirPlay only covers audio and certain AirPlay-enabled stereo devices, but it's far from a stretch to think that Apple will go to video soon, especially since you can currently stream any iTunes media through the AirPlay protocol. I think we'll go even farther -- the iPad is quickly growing to be as or even more powerful than your average set-top box or console, and it's easy to see a future where your iPad can actually stream both audio and video out to a licensed television while it's playing a game or an app. We've seen a lot of fun stuff already with the video-out feature, and if Apple is able to license out the technology to televisions, that'll be a win-win-win situation for the folks in Cupertino, game developers and the consumers who get to send their media and apps anywhere. I doubt it'll be long before we see AirPlay popping up with a few more new uses.
The iPad 2 and 1080p, there's nothing to see here
Today is of course iPad 2 day and the HD world didn't get left without any news. Many seem excited about the iPad 2's 1080p video output, we're not. It isn't that we don't think that teachers and marketing professionals alike will really find it useful, it's just that we will laugh our way right out of your house if we walk in and you have a 20 foot HDMI cable strung across the living room floor watching 720p movies or playing Angry Birds on the big screen. What's that you say, the iPad can output 1080p? Well sort of. The iPad can mirror its 1024x768 display in 1080p but it still won't decode 1080p H.264 videos, and we don't know what type of TV you have, but we'd bet ours does a little bit better job of scaling than the magical iPad. All that being said, the iPad 2's new form factor will increase its desirability as a couch companion -- not to mention we'll buy anything with magnets -- but an HD source device, not so much.
SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone & iPad updated with video out support
If you have an iPod, iPhone or iPad with the SlingPlayer Mobile app, you now have a Slingbox to go since the app was just updated with support for video out over component cables in high quality mode. Version 2.1 also includes a few unspecified bugfixes, but we're figuring the opportunity to watch TV, on a TV in high bitrate streams is more than enough to get users mashing that update button and digging out their unused connectors. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
5 more great family-friendly iOS apps
I'm always on the lookout for solid family-friendly applications. I particularly appreciate titles that aren't specifically made for children but that nonetheless engage and entertain. The following list is made up of kid-tested & approved iOS applications. None of these apps are child-specific; in fact, many of them are marketed towards adults. And yet, all of these applications deliver long-term entertainment value for what will likely be an appreciative audience. So don't let your purchases be hobbled by a lack of kid-friendly marketing. These apps provide great family fun.
Scosche Sneakpeek II adds component / composite video cables to your iPhone, iPod and iPad
For whatever reason, Apple hasn't made the process of getting video out of our iDevice a lesson in simplicity. We've already heard legions of iPad owners kvetching over the lackluster abilities of Cupertino's iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter, but Scosche is hoping to provide a pinch of relief with its latest accessory. The Sneakpeek II is described as a switchable video output solution for any iPad, iPhone and iPod that plays video, and the unquestionable best part is the plug-and-play nature. Simply plug one end into a 30-pin Dock Connector and the other end (composite and component cables are included) into a television, monitor or cyborg human with an LCD instead of a face; heck, there's even a microUSB cable to charge the device while it's pumping out the visuals. If this looks like just the solution to a problem that's been wrecking your social life, hit the source link to order yours for $59.99. %Gallery-104653%
Netflix iPad app updated to support video out to TVs and monitors
We're still not exactly sure why so many people have complained about the Netflix iPad app's lack of video-out support, but rest easy folks -- your cries of despair have been heard. Version 1.0.2, now live in the App Store, supports video out using the component, composite, and VGA dongles, as well as addressing some lingering bugs. To be perfectly honest, we'd much rather stream Netflix in HD using one of the many set-top options out there while hanging on to the iPad for some casual surfing on the side, but we won't tell you how to rock it... just so long as you rock it raw. [Thanks, Dave]
Dear Aunt TUAW: How do I use my Apple TV in the car?
Dear Aunt TUAW, I'm planning a road trip for the summer. We'll be driving for 3-4 days, then spending a couple of months in a rental house before heading back. Thinking about keeping the family sane, especially during the drive, I thought, "Why not hook up the Apple TV to the Composite inputs (meant for video games) in the minivan?" That way, we'd have entertainment on the drive, then we could hook it up to the TV in the rental house as well. One thing I can't figure out, however, is how to power the Apple TV in the car. Are there car adapters that might work? Love & Kisses, Narcema
PSP to HDMI, all with one giant converter box
Props to Lenkeng for dressing up their otherwise anonymous VGA-to-HDMI converter box with a PSP-related angle -- the LKV8000 comes with the necessary cables to take your PSP-2000 or above's 480p video output and push out a 720p HDMI signal complete with stereo audio. Not a bad idea -- except that we can't think of an HDTV that lacks either component or VGA jacks and that doesn't have a built-in scaler to do the same job. Maybe you're just out of ports? In any event, this guy needs a Stateside distributor before we can tell you pricing or availability, so you're stuck swapping cables for a while, Sparky. [Via Oh Gizmo!]
iPhone OS 3.0 breaking video out
Last night I received an email from a friend who was irate. He's been using his iPod touch as a portable video solution with a dock and video out cable. The iPod and the cable got along famously until he updated to iPhone OS 3.0.1 OS 3.0 [sorry, there isn't a 3.0.1 for the iPod touch]. Now, the iPod refuses to recognize it. Same cable, same dock, same iPod. We looked around and found that he's not alone. There's a thread on Apple's Discussion Boards reporting the same thing. It's affecting both the iPod touch and the iPhone. Apparently 3.0 is specifically designed to reject 3rd party cables, strictly on the premise that they fail the "Made by Apple" test. One poster on the discussion board notes that the original Apple Component AV cable and dock work fine. Sure, you could restore and downgrade, but that seems silly. Of course, no company has a responsibility to support 3rd party devices, so my friend is out of luck. But we're sympathetic. If you're affected by this issue, all we can say is it's probably time to pony up for a cable from Apple.
Secret iPhone video-out features hacked, used for video games
Hey, just because using secret undocumented iPhone SDK calls might get you booted from the App Store doesn't mean it's not a good time -- Ars Technica commissioned Freeverse to mod its Moto Chaser game to use the hidden video-out features in iPhone 2.2, and we have to say the results turned out pretty decent. It's not perfect -- it looks like it only works in landscape mode, and rendering to TV resolutions strains the processor and slows framerates down on all but the faster 2G iPod touch -- but it works, and it's a taste of where iPhone app development could go if Apple ever opens up the gates. Or you could just be Google and do whatever you want, we suppose. Video after the break.
Hidden TV out features discovered in iPhone 2.2 SDK
So, get a load of this. While tinkering within the iPhone 2.2 SDK, ArsTechnica discovered a neat little tidbit that could lead to some pretty extensible applications. In essence, the MPTVOutWindow class enables your iPhone to beam out video to a connected TV rather than the built-in screen. Of course, dock-connecting iPods / iPhones have been sending out videos for ages now, but this could actually enable applications to be used on the big screen. Sadly, the current code won't allow screen interaction while the TV out function is active, but the accelerometer is still a go. Check out a short demonstration clip after the break, and feel free to let your imagination run wild after peeking the read link.[Via AppleInsider]
Apple offers up Micro-DVI to DVI / VGA / Video adapters for MacBook Air
We know, Apple's been selling these video-out adapters separately for awhile now, but at least it saw fit to toss 'em in with its new $1,799 (or much, much more) machine. Still, those to-be owners of the MacBook Air who want extras will have to shell out $19 a pop if they're interested in snagging an additional Micro-DVI to DVI Adapter or Micro-DVI to VGA Adapter (both pictured after the jump). For those scouting composite / S-Video outputs, you'll have to cough up $19 in addition to your lappie's purchase price in order to claim a Micro-DVI to Video adapter. Per usual, these suckas won't play nice with any piece of hardware other than the MBA, but you saw that one coming a mile away, now didn't you?Read - Micro-DVI to Video adapterRead - Micro-DVI to DVI AdapterRead - Micro-DVI to VGA Adapter
