Root HDMI: issue / How to disable?

[tohvanah]

Issue

After moderate H2O damage, my Droid X2 now always believes HDMI is plugged in. This has few negative impacts on my user experience. One big exception is that I can't play YouTube videos, nor can I play media audio files over the speaker.​

Solutions(?!)

• Plug and unplug a HDMI cord (didn't have any effect)
• Turn off HDMI (how?)
• Disable HDMI (at boot?)

I've been searching for information on HDMI, the kernel, modules, etc. But I haven't found anything of use yet. Is there a way to simply unload or block a HDMI kernel module? I'm new to Android, but have some experience with Linux, etc.

The device is an X2, rooted, running Eclipse ROM. The damage was done while running unrooted stock everything.

 

[dbx64]

Would flashing the ROM again solve and hopefully fix the situation?

 

[tohvanah]

since the problem was there before I flashed to the current ROM, I tried a couple factory resets, and re-flashing the stock ROM...all to no avail.

It does seem to be hardware based. I have hardware repair experience with iPhones, but it's never fun to take these devices apart...and most likely the entire hdmi component is integrated onto the main board?

 

[Raw Dodge]

Just install an app freezer after rooting,and freeze the webtop and HDMI..or install a rom with no working HDMI..I had a few of those when i had my X2....

 

[tohvanah]

Ok, I'll look into an App Freezer... Is HDMI an app or process to be killed/frozen?

I thought about finding a ROM without HDMI... I like what I have, I'm thinking if there are ROMs without it, there's a way to remove/disable it in this ROM? Unless it's baked into the kernel...

 

[Scur]

It will have to be an app. AntTek App Manager will freeze for free.

 

[tohvanah]

Success! Thanks for the help. (Scur & Raw Dodge)

I downloaded AntTek App Manager, froze "com.motorola.android.mirrorservice" and Webtop ("com.android.portal"). Upon freezing Webtop, I was stuck in a "force quit" dialog loop, but managed to reset.

Now no HDMI icon in status, and YouTube plays as it should. And the best: the camera app now shows the live viewfinder! (I had to take pictures "blind")

If I wanted to actually connect HDMI some time, I guess I could just unfreeze one or both...