OK, I got myself an Incredible on launch day. Overall, I like the device but 2 things right now are pointing me to return it. 1) Lack of Cisco VPN for Android. WTF? This is a big BUG request. I don't want to root my phone: Issue 3902 - android - Feature Request: "pure" ipsec vpn client (cisco-compatible) - Project Hosting on Google Code 2) I cannot believe this device does not play at least 720p video with the 1 GHZ SnapDragon CPU. I am reading this board and everyone is suggesting that the videos be resized to 800X480? What? There are some Chinese low-end devices w/ Rockchip CPUs running at 600 mhz that can play 720p and some 1080p content with NO conversions. For example, I bought a Viewsonic VPD400 ($60 from CompUSA) and it plays any and every wmv, mp4, mov,divx,h.264 at 1280x720 (720p) with no problems as long as I have a Class 6 micro SDHC card. Why can't the Incredible with its super fast CPU ? Can someone point me to any app in the app store that will allow me to play videos with no conversions or at least support H.264 720p? The iPad with a 1ghz cpu can play 7000k bitrate 720p .m4v/mp4 files with zero problems. I assume the Snapdragon is faster than Apple's A4 cpu.
I'd like to hear your theory on how a device with a maximum resolution of 800 x480 can playback a file with a resolution of 1280 x 720 without conversion.
Download handbrake the conversion is simple. This is for the N1 but applies to the DI also... Use Handbrake to convert video for Google Nexus One | Become an Art Director
EXACTLY!! My Viewsonic VPD-400 PMP (with cheap Chinese internals) has the same resolution 800X480 and plays 1280x720 videos all day long. This is a $60 device with the same guts (Rockchip) used in many of the cheap $100-200 Chinese Android tablets like the smartq v5. The smartq V5 supposedly can play 720p with no problems (but it can't seem to do anything else good w/ Android). This is what bothers me. The hardware on the Incredible should be more than enough. Isn't this suppose to be the cousin of the Nexus One? The 1GHZ Snapdragon seems useless to me now. I rather have a ARM cpu running at 800mhz w/ a GPU to support HD video.
I already have handbrake. I use it to encode at 1280X720. It is rather tedious to re-do it again. I'd like an app like VLC or Mplayer that just plays any files at any resolution. VLC ported to Android would be it.
While the Snapdragon processor has the ability to decode 720p, they probably didn't want to pay Qualcomm to license whatever instructions it required. Happens all the time, some feature set of the processor is disabled/unused at launch because they don't think they need it, then later down the line people want it but, oops too late, they're already working on a new phone. Either that, or the Rockchip RK2728B has its own dedicated h.264 decoder or media processor. Haven't really looked into it. Technically possible, but no one's using it. I'm assuming that phones like the XT720 only record to something like motion JPEG. Snapdragon hardware multimedia support, possible? - xda-developers Also, suggesting that you just port VLC is silly. Better get started now. tl;dr: probably didn't pay to use whatever DSP part of the chip
I don't even understand the desire to play 720p. Just the space required for such files would make it prohibitive. A native resolution file would be much smaller and still look just as good. It's one thing to ask for decent xvid or other file support but playing files much larger than the screen resolution just seems like a waste when all you have is composite video out.
Man you have a device that is a full fledged navigation unit, an mp3 player, full web browser on wifi and 3g, a document viewer and email recieving, multi application running, video/still shot camera with a 8mp cam, fast 1 gig processor device that sends data from you to outer space and back... and your depressed about playback of H.264 and VPN Ughhh... Appreciation for the advancements of technology would be awesome lol
yes, that said What happens if you put a 720p H.264 video on incredible and try to play it ? What does it say ? How is the video encoded and with what settings ?
I agree. I cannot understand why anyone would want to play back 720p video on the Incredible. Video at native resolution 800x480 on the Incredible will always look better than 720p video. The Incredible has to scale the 720p video down to its native resolution. Anytime a device has to scale quality is compromised. 720p video will also take up much more space. Why take up more space with video that does not look as good? Lousy h.264 playback? I have been running h.264 video at native resolution on the incredible and it looks awesome. I think it has great h.264 playback. The only reason 720p would make sense is if the incredible could output to HDTV (with component video or HDMI). The incredible can only output video now at SD resolutions.
Doesn't play. I get black screen or error message that file is not supported. I tried Meridian and a bunch of other players. The point is I want a device like the cheap Chinese units that can play pretty much anything under the sun without using any conversion software. I think it may be due to the fact those Chinese factories don't pay any licensing fees. Let me re-iterate, I have a bunch of micro-sdhc class 6 cards with a bunch of movies, I'd like to just drop files into those cards and play. That is why I am slightly dissapointed. Even though my iPad can't play Divx, WMV, it can play any H.264 720p m4v/mp4 files I throw at it. I don't even need to synch it. I just put the files on my server and point the web browser to it and it plays 720p and all. The Snapdragon *is suppose* to be better than Apple A4 CPU. Isn't it? Video I can live with for now. VPN is a bit of a dealbreaker because this is a work device. Believe or not, I have to pull out my iPhone or Ipad just get my company email / SSH / VNC remote desktop. Cisco VPN is built into iPhone out-of-the-box. The VPN is a big issue for many people. I don't want to root my device either. I wouldn't be surprised if my workplace shifts to iPhone 4G when it comes out. Even Blackberry has Cisco VPN. Again, I am just saying these are 2 major shortcomings. VPN, obviously being the biggest issue.
I have DVD movies encoded at their native res of 720x480 using H.264 and they look incredible...no pun intended. And they take up about 1-1.5GB each. How much bigger do I need to make the video in order to gain a very very very small visual gain?
Are you sure it isn't an issue with H.264 profile and level you encoded the video to, not being supported by Incredible ?
There is no visual gain. 720p videos will look worse on the Incredible than ones at its native resolution (800x480). mrspeedmaster, to each his own. I prefer to play movies at native res for best quality and to not waste space. I have encoded many movies over the years and some of them I have in 3+ different resolutions (cell phone, PSP, notebook, etc.). I'm fine with you playing 720p movies on devices that are not natively 720p (including the iPad) but to say the Incredible has "lousy" h.264 playback is ridiculous. It has great h.264 playback at its native resolution.
Come on folks, look what he is saying. Apple is... So he has a DI *and* an iPhone and iPad? The major shortcoming that is being referred to here is not the VPN, it's the fact that Android is kicking Apple's ass. Leave him be.
No I agree, we need a more robust VPN on this thing. SecurID has an app for the iPhone, we definitely need one for our Android phones as well. No way to do token based authentication currently.
