Thanks KGILLA. So now only if the firmware set the output scale from the default value 160 to 240, in order to display bigger icons/fonts, then it would be a very perfect box. See what I get on the other Telechip box which stock firmware set output scale at 240
Please can you describe in details where this scale settings can be changed?
What is you Android version and what UI is set?
Thanks.
But what is the UI on the pic? Is it default Android UI?
If yes how it can be switched to?
Currently I'm usin LauncherPro and can choose only between it and default tv box ui
This is the UI from another Telechip box which I owned before. LauncherPro is better, especially after you set the lcd density to 200 to 240. The above UI is from a box with lcd density 240.
Hi bthoven, thank you for the great review. I am very keen to get this box but need a few more questions answered. Hope you can help.
1. Some sellers state the box supports RM/RMVB, MPEG, MKV, AVI, FLV, VP8 video playback. No mention about other formats. Other sellers claim it supports more formats including AVI, FLV, 3GP, 3GPP, MOV, MP4, DAT, MPEG, MPE, MPG, M2V, ISO, VOB, MP4, 3G2, MKV, TS, M2TS, M3TS, M4TS, M5TS, MTS, M4V, FLV, FLC.
I have Full HD videos from my Sony and Canon Videocams with M2TS, MTS and other formats and am wondering if you have tried playing these files on the box.
2. Does the box come loaded with the Apps and Gmarket like that shown in the seller's website?
Many thanks for your help. I'm new to Android and all this talk about root etc is kinda exciting for me.
p.s. you got yours from ********** H-ZONE TECHNOLOGY CO LTD. Are they any good?
I do not own this box now and can answer only a few of your questions. Please note that though the box looks the same outside, the pre-installed apps might be different. This depends on the request of your reseller to the manufacturer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lightrayz
Hi bthoven, thank you for the great review. I am very keen to get this box but need a few more questions answered. Hope you can help.
1. Some sellers state the box supports RM/RMVB, MPEG, MKV, AVI, FLV, VP8 video playback. No mention about other formats. Other sellers claim it supports more formats including AVI, FLV, 3GP, 3GPP, MOV, MP4, DAT, MPEG, MPE, MPG, M2V, ISO, VOB, MP4, 3G2, MKV, TS, M2TS, M3TS, M4TS, M5TS, MTS, M4V, FLV, FLC.
I've not tried every format you listed above, only know that mpeg, mkv, 3gp, 3gpp, mp4 are working. Some format, e.g. avi, is just a container generic name which format inside could be any.
I have Full HD videos from my Sony and Canon Videocams with M2TS, MTS and other formats and am wondering if you have tried playing these files on the box.
2. Does the box come loaded with the Apps and Gmarket like that shown in the seller's website? Mine preloaded with Youtube, Map, Flash, etc. However, I don't like the idea of pre-installed apps because you may not to be able to upgrade such apps due to them residing in the system folder (unless you can root your box). Those apps could be downloaded and installed from the included Android Market.
The Android Market in my G-Box is of rather old version (no green sidebar panel), but no problem finding most apps I want.
Many thanks for your help. I'm new to Android and all this talk about root etc is kinda exciting for me.
p.s. you got yours from ********** H-ZONE TECHNOLOGY CO LTD. Are they any good? Sorry, I can't remember the seller. Don't expect they can be of any help when there is any problem because some sellers don't even know their product that well.
The price in Singapore is quite high, in exchange of local support and warranty. Buying from Chinese online store, you have to be prepared for poor support, in exchange of a much cheaper price.
About launchers:
Download several launchers and Home switcher. With help the last you can test all of them and choose the launcher you like. Do not forget to set by default what you choosed.
I try the 3g firmware by diferent reasons, one of them is in this firmware i have no problem with the menus or subtitles during a playback over the av output.
but there is no weather service, and the resolotion is too high for a normal tv.
after install the lcd density and configure it to change the density in the boot, i dicide to turn back to one of the previous firms in the topic before the 3g's
well... i can pass thru the g-box logo and the device never loads the launcher...
i don't know what to do... is there any other way to load a firmware?
thanks!
EDIT:
Well, i discover the factory reset menu!
near the power in there's a little hole acces the factory reset menu. Holdong whild turn on the device, appears the fatory reset menu where i can do a factory reset or load an update.img from sdcard or usb.
I can navigate the menu with the volume buttons in the remote control...but i didn't know how to select an option!
Last edited by mafani; January 11th, 2012 at 10:24 AM.
I have unpacked and repacked the kernel successfully. I have tested much yet but I will tell you exactly what I've done.
I unpacked the update.img (which has the kernel and all the initial apps in it)
I deleted apps that I don't want to be pre installed in my box like: gmail, facebook, youtube, himsn, netflix, games, and twiter. I still need to remove talk.apk because I am not in the USA and this only works in the USA.
I repacked with cramfs (which is read only system to consume less space and it is the way the original is packed) and re-installed in my box. It works just fine, it does seem to be more speedy.
I am trying to find a better FREE launcher. At the moment I am trying ADW launcher which works fine but the pre set buttons on the remote control still link to the previous launcher (gboxlauncher.apk) which I am still keeping just for safety but after I find a better launcher I will replace it completely. I don't know hot to link that buttons to the pages in the ADW launcher, any help here would be appreciated.
BTW to unpack and repacked the update.img I used RK29xxImageTools_v2.1 (You will find this by searching on google)
I will not publish my changed update.img because I am testing it.
I am doing all of this to find a way to stream movies from my home network in high resolution. At the moment when I am stream movies from my network/laptop they are not in high resolution. If I stream them from the sdcard or from youtube they work just fine.
Oh the other thing I've done was to install density changer and set it from 160 to 240 so I can actually read what is written on the tv and see the icon images better-No I don't wear glasses
I will probably pack the kernel with density changer in it next time.
The next thing I will do will to replace the busybox binary file in the kernel which is outdated and can't be replaced cause the system is cramfs.
Oh I have tried something else with no success. I unpacked the gboxlaunch.apk but the reverse engineered code is not readable. If I had the source code for it I could try to optimise it.
Cheers,
Gus.
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to guscunha For This Useful Post:
WOW, Guscunha, that's great!.You've opened the door to make custom firmwares. With this, we don't need to root the device. I have one question. How can I pack and copy the "file.img" of the device to a USB or a SDCard?.
I would change a lot of things as I think the android version was taken from a smartphone.
I didn't copy the files from the device, it might be possible if you have a male to male usb cable-which I don't have, instead I copied one of the update.img mentioned above on this forum and started from there.
This box has lots of potential if we give a special attention to customise the software that it runs on I think we can get some very satisfactory results. I still have lots of testing to do and to connect more devices to the box but we can't forget that honeycomb is just around the corner and things should be much better then (if it gets ported to rockchip).
Cheers,
Gus.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bangalter
WOW, Guscunha, that's great!.You've opened the door to make custom firmwares. With this, we don't need to root the device. I have one question. How can I pack and copy the "file.img" of the device to a USB or a SDCard?.
I would change a lot of things as I think the android version was taken from a smartphone.
DJ Droid-GBOX V0.1
Versione: 0.1
Lingua/e: Quelle disponibili dalla Base [preimpostata italiano]
Creatore: MaJa & udK
Data di rilascio: 13-01-2012
Descrizione: DJ Droid-GBOX V0.1,first rom for GBOX
Bangalter near the power input is ther a a little hole. If you press and hold it and turn on the device appears a menu with the option to load an update.img from sdcard or usb. Try it. I want to do it because my device gets stucked in the G-BOX boot logo. I discover this method and can change the option in the menu, but i can't select one.
Try to update from the usb. If you do, tell me how did youselect the option please.
After read again your post Bang, chage the image name to update.img ang put it on a sdcard. When you restart the device, it ask you for an update.
Last edited by mafani; January 13th, 2012 at 08:36 PM.
I try the 3g firmware by diferent reasons, one of them is in this firmware i have no problem with the menus or subtitles during a playback over the av output.
but there is no weather service, and the resolotion is too high for a normal tv.
after install the lcd density and configure it to change the density in the boot, i dicide to turn back to one of the previous firms in the topic before the 3g's
well... i can pass thru the g-box logo and the device never loads the launcher...
i don't know what to do... is there any other way to load a firmware?
thanks!
EDIT:
Well, i discover the factory reset menu!
near the power in there's a little hole acces the factory reset menu. Holdong whild turn on the device, appears the fatory reset menu where i can do a factory reset or load an update.img from sdcard or usb.
I can navigate the menu with the volume buttons in the remote control...but i didn't know how to select an option!
you MUST have a Keyboardan try all key you can see sam key move select bar and other confirm your choise
regarding to mafani post about update firmware from pc can u please send us steps to do that , and another question , i want to use the same launcher exists in device but just change background color and logo , can i use device launcher and make some changes and reuse it , if yes ,how???
Great job, Clamel. I am spanish, and more os less I understand the manual. Do you know if it's possible to remove some memory tasks?. I think there are a lot of trash filling the memory.
And now, in Italian/Spanish.
Buono laboro, Clamel. Io soy spagnolo, y comprendo il manuale. ¿Conoci alguno modo de rimuovere los processi de la memoria?. Maio medito hay molta basura ocupando la memoria.
Great job, Clamel. I am spanish, and more os less I understand the manual. Do you know if it's possible to remove some memory tasks?. I think there are a lot of trash filling the memory.
And now, in Italian/Spanish.
Buono laboro, Clamel. Io soy spagnolo, y comprendo il manuale. ¿Conoci alguno modo de rimuovere los processi de la memoria?. Maio medito hay molta basura ocupando la memoria.
Grazze tante, cavalieri.
Thank you Bangalter,
to remove preinstalled apps, you have to delete them in /system/app folder.. Not all preinstalled apps can be safely removed.. for example I tried to remove GoogleSearch, googlevoice. I packed the rom and copied it on device.. it works, but sometimes appears some error windows about processes.. I think that it is safe to remove third parts apps, but you have to mantain google apps..
I've reading the guide slowly, and I've realised your TV-Box is ATV2918, that is different of our rk2918. Maybe, your CPU manufacturer is "Amlogic", but our manufacturer is "Rockchip".
I bought (and I think all the people here too) this model:
mipepim : no , i'm trying to boot from any update.img but it does not work , the device itself open for amoment and close again , i think it does not rooted from sdcard , any advise?
try with with *post 126. Its pc update you must have usb male/male !
ps
1.did you try with reset/on backside near power suply/turn off, hold reset, power on and see whats happen
2.sd card format on FAT with panasonic SDFormatter/sd card 2gb/ if not, try with FAT32 and change sd card /transcend, not always Kingstone, its 70% fake/
Last edited by mipepim; January 15th, 2012 at 09:01 AM.
I've reading the guide slowly, and I've realised your TV-Box is ATV2918, that is different of our rk2918. Maybe, your CPU manufacturer is "Amlogic", but our manufacturer is "Rockchip".
I bought (and I think all the people here too) this model:
My box is also based on rockchip rk2918.. it is not the same as yours, but it is probable the way to manage firmware are similar.. I write my procedure after reading some procedure's for tablet based on rk2918, and the operations to do are the same..
mipepim : no , i'm trying to boot from any update.img but it does not work , the device itself open for amoment and close again , i think it does not rooted from sdcard , any advise?
There are some Android Rokchip 2918 boxes with different base fw on a china market and no each custom fw is right for other box. It depends on what base fw a custom one was made. What was loading logo on your box? G-box or R-box? How many USB ports are on your box?
You need male to male usb cable for unbrickihg. If you have R-box, I shall give you my custom fv.
Please advice how to manage market problem - after changing LCD density I can't download apps from market. I guess this is due to compatibility, market thinks that app can't be executed using not standard screen
my problem is i'm was using this G-box firmware(rooted) , and the device boot from this firmware and i shut download in middle , after that the device didn't up again , my device if (G-box) ??
my problem is i'm was using this G-box firmware(rooted) , and the device boot from this firmware and i shut download in middle , after that the device didn't up again , my device if (G-box) ??
Try S12 firmware from Android Tv
It helped me in such a case. But I flashed it not by sd card, I used male to male cable and RokTool software.
my problem is i'm was using this G-box firmware(rooted) , and the device boot from this firmware and i shut download in middle , after that the device didn't up again , my device if (G-box) ??
Nobody help before you say what kind of box you have.
Please advice how to manage market problem - after changing LCD density I can't download apps from market. I guess this is due to compatibility, market thinks that app can't be executed using not standard screen
If you have your initial FW, you can try any other. If not, ask your seller. In this case you can allways unbrick your device.
As for check for root, use rootchecker.apk from Market. You must download supperuser.apk too.
Please advice how to manage market problem - after changing LCD density I can't download apps from market. I guess this is due to compatibility, market thinks that app can't be executed using not standard screen
with LCD density uninstalled the market works again?
I got one of these of ebay about 2 weeks ago now and overall I'm pretty happy with it and what I might be able to do with it.
I have attempted a couple of different firmwares but have only had success using the USB cable method and the S12 firmware listed earlier on in this thread. I actually managed to brick it using the SD card method but brought it back with the toolkit provided with the S12 firmware.
I have also heard that Ice Cream Sandwich is being released for the RK2918 chipsets that these use I believe? so hopefully that comes soon...although to be honest I wouldn't5 imagine it will provide much more for us.
I'm looking to use this as my media center to replace an HTPC I have running W7MC with all the extras. Really keen on getting XBMC for android when its released!!!
I have run MKV's at 720p and 1080i using Mobo player which produced the best results. Picture was always perfect however is does not pass through audio over HDMI to my AMP to decode.
hi
copy the update.img on sd and boot
don't need your pc
si ça peut aider
Hi,
I tried to update my firmware by using my sdcard with update.img on it... all was ok, the box was automaticly rebooted... and now, nothing... a black screen and when i try to switch on the box, my power button turn on with the blue color and a few seconds later, come back red...
Is my box bricked ? How to do ?
I'll receive a usb male to male cable and will try RokTool software ...
Is there a way to open a special thread with all tools and firmware ?
Thanks ;-)
Last edited by seblard; January 28th, 2012 at 03:33 AM.
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Source Kernel
