HDMI out question: Can you output streaming video/audio to the TV?

[Sprockethead]

I subscribed to JetFlix, in the market. (Jetflicks! TV - Android app on AppBrain) It is a $3 app with a $10/month subscription. I watch it on my phone in my car at the lake during my lunch break. I know that probably sounds sad, but it is AWESOME. I'm a manager in the dang corporate world, and I forget that I am at work by the time I'm done with a movie and come on back to the office. It's my dirty little secret.

ANYWAY, there are some great shows available on this application, and I was thinking of replacing my Netflix subscription with it if I could just stream it to my TV at home.

I haven't bought an HDMI cable yet, because I don't have a use for one just yet. But is anything "streamable" to the tv? I read that only pictures and videos that were shot with the camera stream though the HDMI cable. If that is the case, what is the point? I keep all that stuff on a hard drive anyway.

So my question: can I hook up an HDMI cable and stream Jetflicks to my TV? The Jetflicks movies play on the native Internet browser. So I guess a more accurate question would be: Does the native internet browser display on the TV through the HDMI cable? If so, is there audio?

Waiting with baited breath for someone to break the news to me.

Later

 

[Braaainz]

You can't stream online content to the TV (YET).

I believe some people are trying to work it thru the HDMI cable and other people are trying via the micro-USB port.

I personally think the HDMI output is pretty much waste if it is so limited and it irritates me so many people hyped it so much.

 

[EarlyMon]

You can't stream online content to the TV (YET).

I believe some people are trying to work it thru the HDMI cable and other people are trying via the micro-USB port.

I personally think the HDMI output is pretty much waste if it is so limited and it irritates me so many people hyped it so much.

Depends - YouTube is streamed, that works.

Hands-on with the HTC Evo 4G's HDMI-out | Crave - CNET

We were a bit disappointed in the lack of control the Evo gives in terms of HDMI-out playback. In fact, there are absolutely no settings associated with the connection. Other than videos stored on the external MicroSD card and YouTube, the phone can't play anything else through the port--this also includes third party software like Slingbox Player Mobile. Oddly enough, the Evo can't display individual photos either; they must be arranged together in a slideshow for them to show up correctly.

Remember that the EVO does fine for full H.264 720p at 24 fps, which accounts for most movie source.

From NeoteriX:

http://androidforums.com/htc-evo-4g/105213-video-demo-htc-evo-playback-hd-720p-movies-over-hdmi-out.html

Try it for yourself:

Big Buck Bunny Download

The Industry Demo

It's not perfect, it has limitations - but - you can output high quality movie content from your SD card and you can output HQ YouTubes.

I'd wait and see about any DRM issues before worrying about other streaming video sources, but I'm not seen an HDMI port yet without HDCP, so I doubt that that would be a big problem for the device per se.

Everything else is going to have to fit into the rated output for the port.

I'd read that that was 6Mbps. Maybe not perfect but way not shabby for a phone.

Jetflix and others will have to wait.

 

[Sprockethead]

Dang. Thats what I thought. Thanks much for such a definitive and well researched answer.

Unfortunately, HDMI port is useless for my purposes and just adds bulk to the phone.

 

[EarlyMon]

Dang. Thats what I thought. Thanks much for such a definitive and well researched answer.

Unfortunately, HDMI port is useless for my purposes and just adds bulk to the phone.

Well, hang in there, compadre. As more and more phones come out with an HDMI port, more features will open up for it - we hope!

 

[NeoteriX]

You can possibly rent/purchase movies that may (I have not personally tested) play over HDMI from: mSpot Mobile Movies - stream and watch movies instantly on your PC and phone

I've not actually seen or heard anyone use this, but the this video advertisement for Amzer Micro HDMI cables says you can use mspot over HDMI, so they may be right or wrong. If you're feeling adventurous, you might want to give it a try and let us know how well it works.

YouTube - Micro HDMI High Speed Male To HDMI Male Cable for HTC EVO 4G!

Edit: Interesting... so I downloaded the MSpot Movie player, and they allow you to preview the Movie trailers without paying. It looks like MSpot uses the native streaming video player -- so that why HDMI out works on this. In other words, Yes! MSpot does in fact output over the HDMI. I'm going to check out this Jetflix thing and followup...

Edit 2: So I downloaded the Jetflix Demo and tried it out -- as I suspected from your description, Jetflix also uses the native streaming video player. So, lucky for you, the HDMI out works with Jetflix

The video was a bit choppy though, although it was choppy over the Evo screen as well as HDMI out -- it may just be a streaming issue for me. If the videos play back smoothly on your Evo, I would imagine they would work similarly well over HDMI.

If anyone is interested, I can try doing a video showing that it works when I have some free time. In both cases, it looks like it was outputting a 480p signal to the TV, similar to the Youtube output, essentially. So if your TV can accept the Youtube playback over HDMI (and not all TVs can), it should be able to cooperate with both mSpot and Jetflix.

This is pretty neat though, I'm sure some Copyright Attorney is going to be tearing his hair out when this information becomes more mainstream.

 

[bignibb]

Well I have a hdmi cable and there are certain adult sites that have adult content movies that stream from from their site directly to your tv without downloading them on your phone so I guess the ones that say the hdmi port is useless are wrong.

I guess it depends more one the limitations of the site than the port. FYI the adult site is in the app market for free, 18 and over only please.

 

[bignibb]

Well I have a hdmi cable and there are certain adult sites that have adult content movies that stream from from their site directly to your tv without downloading them on your phone so I guess the ones that say the hdmi port is useless are wrong.

I guess it depends more one the limitations of the site than the port. FYI the adult site is in the app market for free, 18 and over only please.

 

[PuRock]

I'm wondering come football season if we will be able to stream Directv Superfan (app - paid sub.)

That would be super sweet and means I can travel away from home.

 

[Sprockethead]

thanks so much for this. I am on my phone now but will also test and get back to this thread with some results.

You can possibly rent/purchase movies that may (I have not personally tested) play over HDMI from: mSpot Mobile Movies - stream and watch movies instantly on your PC and phone

I've not actually seen or heard anyone use this, but the this video advertisement for Amzer Micro HDMI cables says you can use mspot over HDMI, so they may be right or wrong. If you're feeling adventurous, you might want to give it a try and let us know how well it works.

YouTube - Micro HDMI High Speed Male To HDMI Male Cable for HTC EVO 4G!

Edit: Interesting... so I downloaded the MSpot Movie player, and they allow you to preview the Movie trailers without paying. It looks like MSpot uses the native streaming video player -- so that why HDMI out works on this. In other words, Yes! MSpot does in fact output over the HDMI. I'm going to check out this Jetflix thing and followup...

Edit 2: So I downloaded the Jetflix Demo and tried it out -- as I suspected from your description, Jetflix also uses the native streaming video player. So, lucky for you, the HDMI out works with Jetflix

The video was a bit choppy though, although it was choppy over the Evo screen as well as HDMI out -- it may just be a streaming issue for me. If the videos play back smoothly on your Evo, I would imagine they would work similarly well over HDMI.

If anyone is interested, I can try doing a video showing that it works when I have some free time. In both cases, it looks like it was outputting a 480p signal to the TV, similar to the Youtube output, essentially. So if your TV can accept the Youtube playback over HDMI (and not all TVs can), it should be able to cooperate with both mSpot and Jetflix.

This is pretty neat though, I'm sure some Copyright Attorney is going to be tearing his hair out when this information becomes more mainstream.

 

[Sprockethead]

Well my hdmi cable finally came in the mail. I tried everything above, but nothing happened. I don't have the same results as above. What am I doing wrong? I basically just plugged in my phone and pressed play. Should I do anything else?

Thanks for any feedback at all.