OTG Support - Sony Xperia XZ1 Questions & Answers

So, i just got the Xperia XZ1 (Man, i have been buying outdate phones from a long time)
The thing is, it suppose is stated it has OTG function, and OTG checkers say its actually working, BUT, whenever i connect a mouse or a camera, it doesnt get detected, and on USB conections says "nothing connected"
Is something im missing?
My phone stills running oreo, i dont want to upgrade to pie, ive readade the phone more unestable

Congratulation! The XZ1 is still a nice device If you like to watch 1080p YouTube videos with stereo speakers instead of headphones, but the 3,5 inch connector is ready for your headphones, too! :good:
You really should upgrade to the latest firmware and try again!

Related

Few questions before I buy honor 7

Hello lucky honor owners. I just fall in love woth h7 when i saw it and decided to buy it but...few questions without answers makes me wait.
1. Does honor 7 support MHL (media streaming over hdmi)? This is needed to connect the phone to pionier appradio.
2. Is audio quality good enough to ise it with high quality headphones?
3. Some reviews say something about pro mode camera update. Does anybody know when will it be updated?
Thanks for any help.
- 1 : no
-2 : no (need to flash a mod with root for better experience)
-3 : Already implemented in the béta MM 6.0
And if you like custom roms,mods etc............just forget this phone
energy_drink said:
Hello lucky honor owners. I just fall in love woth h7 when i saw it and decided to buy it but...few questions without answers makes me wait.
1. Does honor 7 support MHL (media streaming over hdmi)? This is needed to connect the phone to pionier appradio.
2. Is audio quality good enough to ise it with high quality headphones?
3. Some reviews say something about pro mode camera update. Does anybody know when will it be updated?
Thanks for any help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1 - Nope. But you can get music from H7 through BT and also probably USB using the phone as mass storage, or even connecting the headphone plug to a AUX-in in the radio.
2 - What is your definition of High quality? The sound is good through a pair of RHA 750i, but doesn't come close to a Fiio X3ii. As any phone wouldn't come close to a good mainstream dedicated media player, not to mention pairing it with a portable amp.
3 - From B140 upwards.
zinko_pt said:
1 - Nope. But you can get music from H7 through BT and also probably USB using the phone as mass storage, or even connecting the headphone plug to a AUX-in in the radio.
2 - What is your definition of High quality? The sound is good through a pair of RHA 750i, but doesn't come close to a Fiio X3ii. As any phone wouldn't come close to a good mainstream dedicated media player, not to mention pairing it with a portable amp.
3 - From B140 upwards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So no way to mirror video content via hdmi?
You could always use a Chromecast to mirror video
Im using pioneer app radio in my car which mirrors phones screen so you have your phones display mirrored on 7inch and you can operate your phone through the head unit. Thats why i need mhl
energy_drink said:
Im using pioneer app radio in my car which mirrors phones screen so you have your phones display mirrored on 7inch and you can operate your phone through the head unit. Thats why i need mhl
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I know. I have one who does that also. But you surely cannot control the phone from the HU (Head Unit). Probably you could if it was a iPhone, like my HU does. But that control is done through USB (special one for iPhone) as I recall. There is no HDMI control signal passing through, I believe.
You can control the radio, using steering wheel buttons if you have them. Just apply a CANBUS between the HU and the buttons, to decode the signals.
There is an app designed for pioneers appradio "ARunchained" it works with amy android with mhl. Phone streams video over hdmi and touchscreen of head unit works as phones screen. Touch signal wil be send by bluetooth and you can use your head unit in the same way as you ise your phone. The only thing is that you need mhl. I was using that with note 3 then lg g4 and now i have spare phone and looking for the next one. Thats why it made me sad that honor doestnt support mhl

USB DAC on OTG, works natively or needs a workaround?

Haven\t gotten around to actually buy one of these yet and I need the verification that one of these babies can handle system/wide external DAC via USB.
So, anyone out there who has an answer?
Cheers!
Did any testing?
I am looking for the same answer.
Seems not
I've got a P9000, about 6 months old, just got a Fiio Q1, and it doesn't seem to recognise it at all.
I know the Q1 and cable are fine, since it works straight off with a new HTC M10.
Cheers
Greg.
I don't know if a audio interface counts as a DAC, but will chime in.
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 is recognized by system, audio playback is fine
Tested with Sporify, stock Music app, and Twitch app.
Calls are a bit buggy
Connected via a ultra cheap usb 3 OTG from Ali

otg USB dac stopped working

Hello smart people, so yeah, as title says, my fiio USB dac stopped working, it's not a dac, because it works just fine with z3 tablet. Updated to 305 but still no go. Google all around, even looked at Googles second page, still Nada. What could be the problem?

Hidizs Sonata HD USB-C to Jack 3.5mm DAC not working on S20 with USB-C connection

Hi all,
I bought the Hidizs Sonata HD USB-C to Jack 3.5mm headphone adapter with integrated DAC.
When I connect the dongle to my Galaxy S20 (Exynos CPU) USB-C port, the device is not detected and audio output goes to phone speakers.
The strange thing is that if I connect in this mode: SONATA HD USB-C PORT to USB-C to USB-A adapter to USB-A to USB-C OTG adapter, the device is recognized by phone and works good.
It seems that the phone detects the device only if OTG (and then usb host mode) forced by hardware adapter (SAMSUNG OTG ADAPTER).
Do you think it is a problem with the S20?
Thank you!
I have the same adapter, and works for me without problems. My phone is S20 ultra 5g european version. The installed Hidizs firmware version is audio priority, software for playing music is poweramp.
serafko said:
I have the same adapter, and works for me without problems. My phone is S20 ultra 5g european version. The installed Hidizs firmware version is audio priority, software for playing music is poweramp.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you serafko! I just tried on my friend phone (Samsung Galaxy S8) and the adapter works (some disconnections but works).
I have the audio priority firmware also.
I think there are some settings on my s20 that blocks the activation of the usb host mode
danielerispoli said:
thank you serafko! I just tried on my friend phone (Samsung Galaxy S8) and the adapter works (some disconnections but works).
I have the audio priority firmware also.
I think there are some settings on my s20 that blocks the activation of the usb host mode
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Activate Developer options>default USB configuration and see if mucking with the USB settings perk it up.
The S20 may not be supported by it,same issues on the 10+ with some dongles.
It must have a built in DAC chipset if the S20 doesn't provide one. I'm not sure if it does or doesn't.*
If others say it works on the S20, it should otherwise get one that's known to be compatible.
*edited, my bad
blackhawk said:
Activate Developer options>default USB configuration and see if mucking with the USB settings perk it up.
The S20 may not be supported by it,same issues on the 10+ with some dongles.
It must have a built in DAC chipset if the S20 doesn't provide one. I'm not sure if it does or doesn't.*
If others say it works on the S20, it should otherwise get one that's known to be compatible.
*edited, my bad
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried to change default usb configuration in developer mode but not solved. Tried all options.
The Sonata HD has an integrate Hi-Res DAC.
In addition, after about 70 connect/disconnect attempts, my s20 detects the DAC, works for 1-2 min and then stop working. After that, the phone has not detected the DAC anymore.
The strange thing is that if I connect the DAC via an OTG adapter, all works good without any issues.
I tried "USB Host Diagnostics" App, but no device is detected.
Furthermore I enabled USB debug to view the logcat via ADB. When I connect the device on USB-C port I can see a "BATTERY CHANGED" event on the USBProvider module, but android not detects any device connected on USB-C port.
If I connect the same DAC on a s10 (with same android and EMUI version of my S20) or on a s8, device is detected and works, so I think that isn't a defective device. It seems that Android not activate USB OTG mode when device is connected on the USB-C port.
@serafko has my same phone and the same device (with the same firmware version) and he has no problems. This makes me think that more than a compatibility problem with the S20 is some Android setting that causes the problem.
danielerispoli said:
I tried to change default usb configuration in developer mode but not solved. Tried all options.
The Sonata HD has an integrate Hi-Res DAC.
In addition, after about 70 connect/disconnect attempts, my s20 detects the DAC, works for 1-2 min and then stop working. After that, the phone has not detected the DAC anymore.
The strange thing is that if I connect the DAC via an OTG adapter, all works good without any issues.
I tried "USB Host Diagnostics" App, but no device is detected.
Furthermore I enabled USB debug to view the logcat via ADB. When I connect the device on USB-C port I can see a "BATTERY CHANGED" event on the USBProvider module, but android not detects any device connected on USB-C port.
If I connect the same DAC on a s10 (with same android and EMUI version of my S20) or on a s8, device is detected and works, so I think that isn't a defective device. It seems that Android not activate USB OTG mode when device is connected on the USB-C port.
@serafko has my same phone and the same device (with the same firmware version) and he has no problems. This makes me think that more than a compatibility problem with the S20 is some Android setting that causes the problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Settings>sound and vibrations>advanced sound settings>sound quality and effects
Is the UHQ upscaler enabled when you connect the device?
Could power management be killing the apk(s) needed?
Power management (other than the power setting, Optimize is best) causes nothing but trouble.
Developer options>stand by apps, all app buckets should show as active, if not power management is active and probably running amuck, as usual.
blackhawk said:
Settings>sound and vibrations>advanced sound settings>sound quality and effects
Is the UHQ upscaler enabled when you connect the device?
Could power management be killing the apk(s) needed?
Power management (other than the power setting, Optimize is best) causes nothing but trouble.
Developer options>stand by apps, all app buckets should show as active, if not power management is active and probably running amuck, as usual.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The UHQ upscaler is disabled (greyed out) with both the connected and unconnected device.
In the Stand by apps I have some apps greyed out with different states (RARE, FREQUENT ,EXEMPTED, etc).
Do you think this could be the problem?
In this case how can I solve?
I have currently enabled "Optimize" in power management.
Thank you so much for your help!
EDIT: I just disabled the "Risparmio energia applicazione" (I think Energy saving app in english) and now all the apps in the Developer options -> stand by apps are in the "ACTIVE" state....same issue! Device not detected and UHQ upscaler greyed out.
EDIT2: Also tried to enable the developer option "Disable automatic audio routing": same issue!
I think this is doable but you're going to have to play with it. Contact the manufacturer if all else fails.
I found this:
https://www.hidizs.net/blogs/news/h...with-hi-res-sound-with-sonata-hd-dac-cable-ii
blackhawk said:
I think this is doable but you're going to have to play with it. Contact the manufacturer if all else fails.
I found this:
https://www.hidizs.net/blogs/news/h...with-hi-res-sound-with-sonata-hd-dac-cable-ii
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I contacted technical support but they replied after 4 days with a classic standard email.
Also I tried to flash all 3 firmware (now the device is with "D - Pure Music" firmware, the same as the other user.
Finally I did all the tests both with the app they recommend (HybyMusic) and with USB Audio Player PRO, setting the BitPerfect option and exclusive access to the USB port. This way the app bypasses the android usb stack and uses an optimized driver.
I also tried to clear the data and cache of the system application "Usb settings", but despite all these attempts I could not solve it in any way.
At this point, considering that the manufacturer's assistance is practically non-existent, I believe that I will return the product directly through Amazon.
I am very sorry because the DAC quality of this device is amazing and I do not know if I should order another one as I honestly have not yet understood if it is a defective product or compatibility problem.
Anyway thanks again for the help!
As soon as I plug in the Samsung dongle it recognize it and the UHQ upscaler options are available.
Poweramp shows the Samsung 3.5mm adapter with 24bit 48khz sampling rate being outputted.
For whatever reason the phone isn't recognizing the device.
I don't know what the communication protocol is for the linkup. Sorry.
blackhawk said:
As soon as I plug in the Samsung dongle it recognize it and the UHQ upscaler options are available.
Poweramp shows the Samsung 3.5mm adapter with 24bit 48khz sampling rate being outputted.
For whatever reason the phone isn't recognizing the device.
I don't know what the communication protocol is for the linkup. Sorry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the Samsung dongle too and works like a charm with all apps (Spotify, PowerAmp, etc).
I'm considering to buy an bluetooth DAC like the Fiio BTR5. It works both as Bluetooth or USB-C DAC, so I would be sure not to have compatibility problems.
Thanks again for the help!
danielerispoli said:
I tried to change default usb configuration in developer mode but not solved. Tried all options.
The Sonata HD has an integrate Hi-Res DAC.
In addition, after about 70 connect/disconnect attempts, my s20 detects the DAC, works for 1-2 min and then stop working. After that, the phone has not detected the DAC anymore.
The strange thing is that if I connect the DAC via an OTG adapter, all works good without any issues.
I tried "USB Host Diagnostics" App, but no device is detected.
Furthermore I enabled USB debug to view the logcat via ADB. When I connect the device on USB-C port I can see a "BATTERY CHANGED" event on the USBProvider module, but android not detects any device connected on USB-C port.
If I connect the same DAC on a s10 (with same android and EMUI version of my S20) or on a s8, device is detected and works, so I think that isn't a defective device. It seems that Android not activate USB OTG mode when device is connected on the USB-C port.
@serafko has my same phone and the same device (with the same firmware version) and he has no problems. This makes me think that more than a compatibility problem with the S20 is some Android setting that causes the problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
danielerispoli said:
I have the Samsung dongle too and works like a charm with all apps (Spotify, PowerAmp, etc).
I'm considering to buy an bluetooth DAC like the Fiio BTR5. It works both as Bluetooth or USB-C DAC, so I would be sure not to have compatibility problems.
Thanks again for the help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean you want to transmit the audio in the bt realm with the BTR5?
Even using the LDAC or AptX-HD codec the resolution and quality will be inferior to the Samsung dongle DAC to 3.5mm audio output.
BT lacks the bandwidth to support 24 bit 96khz resolution.
If the device you're coupling by bt doesn't support AptX-HD it won't do anything the phone bt chipset can't do*.
I believe that phone support the Sony LDAC bt codec, unfortunately only Sony headphones use it.
If you want to use bt headphones with the best easily available HQ audio I go with Sony.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.soundguys.com/ldac-ultimate-bluetooth-guide-20026/amp/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.soundguys.com/the-best-bluetooth-ldac-headphones-of-2020-29515/amp/
This is a more reasonably priced LDAC headphone set than the top shelf Sony WH-1000XM4. For almost $200 less it doesn't sound as good but pretty close. Compare all the features first if you decide to go this way.
https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...72731859,prmr:1,pid:14828217612972731859,cs:1
Lol I have a 10 yo pair of Koss Porta Pros, the still work and sound damn good using the Samsung dongle. Not bad for the $29 I paid for them back then. There still around and a classic for good reasons.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.soundguys.com/koss-porta-pro-limited-edition-review-11119/amp/
I am sorry, that i missinform you. My Sonata firmware is not "audio priority", but is "pure audio (D)". When i plugin DAC into USB port, Poweramp start automaticaly.
blackhawk said:
You mean you want to transmit the audio in the bt realm with the BTR5?
Even using the LDAC or AptX-HD codec the resolution and quality will be inferior to the Samsung dongle DAC to 3.5mm audio output.
BT lacks the bandwidth to support 24 bit 96khz resolution.
If the device you're coupling by bt doesn't support AptX-HD it won't do anything the phone bt chipset can't do*.
I believe that phone support the Sony LDAC bt codec, unfortunately only Sony headphones use it.
If you want to use bt headphones with the best easily available HQ audio I go with Sony.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.soundguys.com/ldac-ultimate-bluetooth-guide-20026/amp/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.soundguys.com/the-best-bluetooth-ldac-headphones-of-2020-29515/amp/
This is a more reasonably priced LDAC headphone set than the top shelf Sony WH-1000XM4. For almost $200 less it doesn't sound as good but pretty close. Compare all the features first if you decide to go this way.
https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...72731859,prmr:1,pid:14828217612972731859,cs:1
Lol I have a 10 yo pair of Koss Porta Pros, the still work and sound damn good using the Samsung dongle. Not bad for the $29 I paid for them back then. There still around and a classic for good reasons.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.soundguys.com/koss-porta-pro-limited-edition-review-11119/amp/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Fiio BTR5 supports all Bt codecs, LDAC included. In Bt mode supports up to 96Khz 24bit but in USB mode supports up to 384khz with DSD256 native. The dongle has 2x ES9218P DAC by Sabre.
The Samsung dongle.
The samsung dongle actually has very high quality, in fact I was surprised, but it has a hard time driving my 150Ohm Shure headphones. No problem with my Bose QC20 instead.
serafko said:
I am sorry, that i missinform you. My Sonata firmware is not "audio priority", but is "pure audio (D)". When i plugin DAC into USB port, Poweramp start automaticaly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, my mistake. The firmware I loaded is "SONATA _HD-D_Pure".
Hi Guys.
Just tried the Sonata 2 on S10+ and I'll let a fried try on S20 soon.
This product looks like useless and malfunctioning.
Talking about S10, it integrates a great DAC, it's just heavily limited by software, I don't want to know why...
I rooted it and, modding the mixer_gains.xml, installing Viper4Android and using dynamic driver based headphones it's absolutely unbelievable.
Anyway, Google just improved SafetyNet, they'll soon close the door to any root solution, Magisk included, in a short time we'll have the most of apps refusing to run on rooted phones.
That's why I'm searching for a decent type-c DAC cable.
Coming to the Sonata 2, its volume is just acceptable, but bass frequencies are too weak.
Moreover, its connector is unstable, there's frequent disconnections
Also the game of the 3 firmwares is absurd.
I flashed the sound priority firmware, honestly this firmware increases sound quality a little bit, but it shockingly fails to manage the microphone: on outgoing and incoming calls microphone doesn't work at all.
Finally, reverting to call priority firmware, the microphone still doesn't work.
In my opinion this product looks like the usual chinese bull****, do you confirm?
I'm actually looking to something better, but it prefer it in the "cable" form, using it for work and sport a big device wouldn't be so comfortable...
Regards
Ok the provided cable is not bidirectional the one with the logo should go into the phone.

How many others still using their G5 as a daily driver

How many others still using their G5 as a daily driver?
I am since 2016 (h850) and using the latest available Lineage 18.1 (Android 11)
Using Proshot & open camera apps, although the camera quality is far behind whats available now but it still works and get decent images.
My GPS hasn't worled for a long time.
My vibration motor doesn't work, but thats ok.
The touch sensor doesnt work, I think thats because of LOS.
I'm using a modded samsung battery
I'm on my second display (replacement is an original LG part)
LOS is laggy sometimes, especially when turning on Wifi after a while then all apps seem to want to download their data, the phone becomes unresponsive.
Takes a minute to be stable. Other than that, cba and can't afford a new phone so still using as a daily driver.
Any better camera apps or further recommended tweaks?
Hi i want use my LG G5 h850 but i have miss the date to unlock it.
so i cant use it while the bootloader ist lockt and the LG System is over and i lost my unlock key
I'm still using my LG G5 H830. I have LineageOS on it which does not support VoLTE, now required for use on T-Mobile;s network.
I bought a new H830 (v7.0.0) off eBay and my plan this week is to root it, install recovery, upgrade to stock v8.0 Android then migrate everything to this phone.
@davestuarts , I recommend you buy a new H850 off eBay and migrate everything like I'm doing.
davestuarts said:
How many others still using their G5 as a daily driver?
I am since 2016 (h850) and using the latest available Lineage 18.1 (Android 11)
Using Proshot & open camera apps, although the camera quality is far behind whats available now but it still works and get decent images.
My GPS hasn't worled for a long time.
My vibration motor doesn't work, but thats ok.
The touch sensor doesnt work, I think thats because of LOS.
I'm using a modded samsung battery
I'm on my second display (replacement is an original LG part)
LOS is laggy sometimes, especially when turning on Wifi after a while then all apps seem to want to download their data, the phone becomes unresponsive.
Takes a minute to be stable. Other than that, cba and can't afford a new phone so still using as a daily driver.
Any better camera apps or further recommended tweaks?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
I gave up some months ago using the G5 as the chin started to randomly fail and not let me charge the phone. While I was using it I replaced two batteries, repaired multiple times the fingerprint sensor connectors on the motherboard and replaced the camera glass. Vibration motor started to fail too (squeaking instead of vibrating, I think I killed it playing Hooked On: COTD on the EKA2L1 emulator), and of course GPS was, and always had been, just barely working.
Despite all this, it was a great phone, especially shooting photos in RAW format: if you want to spend a minute or two to improve the photos you take, Adobe Lightroom for Android is the best software to make any decent picture taken with the G5 look as good as if it was shot on an iPhone.
In my opinion, by the way, the stock LG camera app is better than the other third party cameras, with only Google Camera being better in some occasions, albeit a bit buggy on the G5: on Celso Azevedo's website you can find all the modded Google Camera versions, with precompiled settings for the G5 too.
The last month I used it I switched from the stock Oreo ROM to a LineageOS-based one (DotOS, if I recall correctly), and it became surprisingly faster, even tough that meant sacrificing the FM radio and the IR remote.
Now I'm considering to buy an HDMI adapter and use the G5 as an Android tv box, if the chin proves to be reliable enough to keep the phone charged while it is sitting behind the TV.
tremalnaik said:
Hi,
I gave up some months ago using the G5 as the chin started to randomly fail and not let me charge the phone. While I was using it I replaced two batteries, repaired multiple times the fingerprint sensor connectors on the motherboard and replaced the camera glass. Vibration motor started to fail too (squeaking instead of vibrating, I think I killed it playing Hooked On: COTD on the EKA2L1 emulator), and of course GPS was, and always had been, just barely working.
Despite all this, it was a great phone, especially shooting photos in RAW format: if you want to spend a minute or two to improve the photos you take, Adobe Lightroom for Android is the best software to make any decent picture taken with the G5 look as good as if it was shot on an iPhone.
In my opinion, by the way, the stock LG camera app is better than the other third party cameras, with only Google Camera being better in some occasions, albeit a bit buggy on the G5: on Celso Azevedo's website you can find all the modded Google Camera versions, with precompiled settings for the G5 too.
The last month I used it I switched from the stock Oreo ROM to a LineageOS-based one (DotOS, if I recall correctly), and it became surprisingly faster, even tough that meant sacrificing the FM radio and the IR remote.
Now I'm considering to buy an HDMI adapter and use the G5 as an Android tv box, if the chin proves to be reliable enough to keep the phone charged while it is sitting behind the TV.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, thanks for your input, very thorough, appreciate it. I'm pretty much in the same camp as you, although mine does charge though it's chin is a bit loose. I've got a back case on, which is tight and helps keep the phone together, kind of a cheat method.
I'm only using as I cannot currently afford to buy something new, and want something with a decent camera but with LOS support too or rootable. I have been looking at some used Pixel phones, but its about price.
Anyway, I was happy with proshot app, as I like photograpy and it gives great manual control and decent pics but seeing how newer phones are so much better, I have recently gone back to trying gcam (previously it would crash often), which you mentioned.
Playing around with v8.6 and it works suprisingly well and produces some really great photos better than proshot, although slow at times, especially the processing time.
v.8.7 worked but even slower with some features kept crashing it.
I'll have a go at lightroom, never thought about it before. Thanks.
Incidentally, what phone you got next? Also, great idea to repurpose G5 as android TV.
Have you got that running and if so, what rom is usable, especially to have HDMI out and does charging work at the same time?
After the G5 I got an Asus Zenfone 8: small, powerful processor, OLED screen, 3.5mm audio port and easily rootable. It's not a cheap phone, but I was lucky enough to find one used for 390€ (spending more than 400€ for a phone is unreasonable for what I use it for).
To repurpose the G5 as a media center, I will go back to the stock Oreo ROM, as DotOs (and I suppose all the LineageOs-based ROMs) doesn't support the HDMI out.
I've bought a Choetech xch-m180 4K Usb-C HDMI adapter, that "should" (I'll believe when I see it, but I've seen videos of it working as expected) be capable of 4K output and battery charging. I already have a USB-C to HDMI adapter, but without battery charging, and the phone lasts less than one hour, so permanent installation is impossible with that one.
Then I'll install a media center like Kodi (if it can be controlled using another phone via Bluetooth or WiFi) and Tasker to shut down the phone's screen without locking it.
The hardest part of the setup will probably be dealing with the restrictions that each app imposes on phones with root or HDMI output.
tremalnaik said:
After the G5 I got an Asus Zenfone 8: small, powerful processor, OLED screen, 3.5mm audio port and easily rootable. It's not a cheap phone, but I was lucky enough to find one used for 390€ (spending more than 400€ for a phone is unreasonable for what I use it for).
To repurpose the G5 as a media center, I will go back to the stock Oreo ROM, as DotOs (and I suppose all the LineageOs-based ROMs) doesn't support the HDMI out.
I've bought a Choetech xch-m180 4K Usb-C HDMI adapter, that "should" (I'll believe when I see it, but I've seen videos of it working as expected) be capable of 4K output and battery charging. I already have a USB-C to HDMI adapter, but without battery charging, and the phone lasts less than one hour, so permanent installation is impossible with that one.
Then I'll install a media center like Kodi (if it can be controlled using another phone via Bluetooth or WiFi) and Tasker to shut down the phone's screen without locking it.
The hardest part of the setup will probably be dealing with the restrictions that each app imposes on phones with root or HDMI output.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the update. That Zenfone seems great value for what it has, especially with an OLED and 3.5mm, which I need, you've got it at a great price. In the Uk it's much more £600/€680 and very hard to find it used/refurbished, I can get a Sony Xperia IV for less, refurbushed and 12 months warranty but still too much for me.
Thanks for the other info too. I'll be interested to know how your G5 android project works out.
@tremalnaik Well, I bit took the plunge and found a good deal on a Xperia 5IV.
Brings back memories of my xperia Z3 compact, which I still have, used as a shared media/internet with lineage 18.1.
This new Xperia 5IV wioth its long slab design is so different but very usable.
Superb cameras, especially with their camera styled apps.
I can even use Gcam for better night shots.
Plus the needed 3.5mm jack AND Sdcard slot.
Hopefully, in a few years lineage will be available on, but unlikely to be a popular device due to cost though a great device for them to port one over with all it's extras.
Now, need to repurpose the G5, after I've transfered everyhig over and my phonbe cover arrives. I dont know why companies make such expensive/slipper styled backs, as so mnay people put on covers. Or just make the back more durable.
davestuarts said:
@tremalnaik Well, I bit took the plunge and found a good deal on a Xperia 5IV.
Brings back memories of my xperia Z3 compact, which I still have, used as a shared media/internet with lineage 18.1.
This new Xperia 5IV wioth its long slab design is so different but very usable.
Superb cameras, especially with their camera styled apps.
I can even use Gcam for better night shots.
Plus the needed 3.5mm jack AND Sdcard slot.
Hopefully, in a few years lineage will be available on, but unlikely to be a popular device due to cost though a great device for them to port one over with all it's extras.
Now, need to repurpose the G5, after I've transfered everyhig over and my phonbe cover arrives. I dont know why companies make such expensive/slipper styled backs, as so mnay people put on covers. Or just make the back more durable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish I found a good deal for an Xperia phone as well: it was my first choice, but any Sony device is really expensive here in Italy.
3.5mm jack is a must for me too, especially when it's the only way to listen music on a 14 years old car.
I wouldn't put much hope on Lineage for future upgrades though: while the developers take an honourable effort in keeping old phones up to date, most of the times any extra hardware feature of the phone will be hard to implement. If you take the G5 as an example, in 7 years nobody found a way to make the IR blaster or the FM radio to work, and neither VoLTE, HDMI, etc. due to the lack of documentation on how these functions are integrated in Android.
Going back to your previous post, I finally received the HDMI adapter and it works like a charm. Here's what I had to do to make it work:
-Connect the adapter to the tv, to the phone, and to a suitable USB plug (for some reason if I connected the USB power plug to the USB port on the tv, the adapter glitched, so I had to connect it to the router's USB port)
-Change the DPI settings to make the phone think it's running on a large screen
-Dowload a tv launcher: I found Simple TV Launcher to be simple and reliable
-Download TV version of the apps you need: Aurora Store has a convenient spoofing feature so I chose to make the phone appear like it's a Sony Bravia TV to download TV apps
-Download an app to control the phone usimg another phone as a remote. "Bluetooth keyboard & mouse" would be the best, if only Bluetooth wasn't a totally unreliable technology (out of three phones I tried to use as remotes, 2 had terrible lags, and another one wasn't able to connect at all). So my next choice was Zank Remote: not as good for non-tv apps, but as it works through wi-fi, it actually works. It can even be used like a rudimental wiimote to point at the screen.
-as I don't want to see ads on Youtube and I'm too lazy to try to compile ReVanced Youtube, I went for NewPipe: it's definitely not optimised to work on TVs, but it works.
So far I've only tested it with RaiPlay (national TV's online platform) and it works really well. My phone is rooted and I don't have any other movie platform subscription, so I don't know if this setup could work with Amazon Prime or Netflix. By the way I could test it with AceStream (the primary reason I wanted to make this setup, so I don't have to turn on the pc and stream from VLC to the Blu-Ray player connected to my not-so-smart TV), and it works flawlessly.
The hardest part of the whole setup is to shut down the backlight of the G5's screen while HDMI is connected: I had to use a shell script and automate it with Tasker. Still I haven't found a way to stop the HDMI out if the phone is locked, to save energy: if I lock the phone, the adapter will actively output a black screen to the TV, so it's likely wasting energy for nothing.
tremalnaik said:
I wish I found a good deal for an Xperia phone as well: it was my first choice, but any Sony device is really expensive here in Italy.
3.5mm jack is a must for me too, especially when it's the only way to listen music on a 14 years old car.
I wouldn't put much hope on Lineage for future upgrades though: while the developers take an honourable effort in keeping old phones up to date, most of the times any extra hardware feature of the phone will be hard to implement. If you take the G5 as an example, in 7 years nobody found a way to make the IR blaster or the FM radio to work, and neither VoLTE, HDMI, etc. due to the lack of documentation on how these functions are integrated in Android.
Going back to your previous post, I finally received the HDMI adapter and it works like a charm. Here's what I had to do to make it work:
-Connect the adapter to the tv, to the phone, and to a suitable USB plug (for some reason if I connected the USB power plug to the USB port on the tv, the adapter glitched, so I had to connect it to the router's USB port)
-Change the DPI settings to make the phone think it's running on a large screen
-Dowload a tv launcher: I found Simple TV Launcher to be simple and reliable
-Download TV version of the apps you need: Aurora Store has a convenient spoofing feature so I chose to make the phone appear like it's a Sony Bravia TV to download TV apps
-Download an app to control the phone usimg another phone as a remote. "Bluetooth keyboard & mouse" would be the best, if only Bluetooth wasn't a totally unreliable technology (out of three phones I tried to use as remotes, 2 had terrible lags, and another one wasn't able to connect at all). So my next choice was Zank Remote: not as good for non-tv apps, but as it works through wi-fi, it actually works. It can even be used like a rudimental wiimote to point at the screen.
-as I don't want to see ads on Youtube and I'm too lazy to try to compile ReVanced Youtube, I went for NewPipe: it's definitely not optimised to work on TVs, but it works.
So far I've only tested it with RaiPlay (national TV's online platform) and it works really well. My phone is rooted and I don't have any other movie platform subscription, so I don't know if this setup could work with Amazon Prime or Netflix. By the way I could test it with AceStream (the primary reason I wanted to make this setup, so I don't have to turn on the pc and stream from VLC to the Blu-Ray player connected to my not-so-smart TV), and it works flawlessly.
The hardest part of the whole setup is to shut down the backlight of the G5's screen while HDMI is connected: I had to use a shell script and automate it with Tasker. Still I haven't found a way to stop the HDMI out if the phone is locked, to save energy: if I lock the phone, the adapter will actively output a black screen to the TV, so it's likely wasting energy for nothing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, thought I had replied to your last message. Yeah, got lucky with the Sony, they're expensive in UK too. Last few years with the corrupt goverment and brexit has caused all prices to jump, only rich or corrupt exist easily.
You're right about Lineage or other custom rom being available for the Sony, as you said, they never figured out the IR blaster for the G5, theres always hope tho ha.
I've been trying to use the G5 as a android box but my issue is the battery drain. Its the old battery and the HDMI dongle with the charging port cannot sustain the battery with screen on, so it dies and also it gets quite hot.
I've been looking at apps or scripts to turn off screen while using, but cannot find anything yet. Theres an app on my Sony phone thats for gaming, it allows the charger to be plugged in, but not charge the battery instead it simply powers the phone, so it dont get hot and you can game for longer. I need an app like that.
My other option now is to take appart the phone, connect a third party battery which is big, like 5000mah and just leave phone open. I could also attach a heatsink or something to the phone internals to help with heat. I'm not bothered with leaving phone open.

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