Big Faq Update From Gpain Interview

[codeninja]

If you don't trust any non-English articles, run now, don't look back, get out of this thread, NOW!

For the rest of us who're open-minded enough recognize that there are people out there who cannot speak English but trust worthy and have IQ better than that of a chimp, here's the update for you.

The owner of gpain.com visited GPH and had an interview regarding the latest issues. (The questions are collected from gpain.com users a day before)

1. Any plan for letting users to change boot screen logo screen
Nope

2. 2D acceleration support?
2D acceleration is being only used for playing back movies. They're still asking MagicEye for their support on game related 2D acceleration.

3. Short battery life?
With properly changed 2500mAh batteries, it should last around 3 1/3 to 4 hours. (they tested with Divx encoded Final Fantasy 7 Advent Children at 1M bitrate) It'll improve once firmware is updated, although they're too busy shipping units for overseas customers (like you and me) to work on firmware.

4. Possibility of on screen message for low battery?
Using 2500mAh battery as the standard, they'll add on screen warning later in firmware upgrade. Also, the battery LED will only be on when in low battery.

5. SDK?
Again, they're too busy shipping units to us, foreigners, but once things are settled, they'll release SDK in the form of open source and development platform-oriented SDK documents unlike the ones for GP32 SDK. Their fear of leaking their key technolgies also made them act slow on releasing SDK.

6. Any games from GPH?
They're in talk with developers throughout the world, and ported games will be downloadable from their official site. They'll cost around $1~$10.

7. TV-Out battery power leakage
TV-Out port is leaking around 70-90mA, and will be fixed by firmware upgrade.

8. various codec support
They'll support WMV 7, 8, 9 and supported screen size will be upto 420x240. They're still looking into Xvid encoded movies not working problem.

9. USB speed and Win98 driver?
Currently running at USB1.1 speed and will run at full USB2.0 speed later with firmware update. They have no plan for Win98 or Linux USB drivers.

10. LCD screen issues
LCD related issue are not fixable with firmware. (surprise! - they're talking with LCD manufacturer, but they're unclear about in what subjects) So, you should get warrantee service, if your LCD malfunctions. Although it's possible to adjust LCD brightness with software, they don't plan on supporting it.

11. Official release dates?
They're shooting for January 2006, but it could be delayed. No, they don't have plan to release different color models.

12. 2GB SD cards?
Later firmware will support upto 4GB when they come out.

13. E-Book bookmark feature?
The latest firmware update let E-Book program to remember where it was before. More smart bookmark feature is coming.

14. Usual thank you for your support and sorry for troubles crap.

 

[CoinOp]

Thank you! I'm sure this is all part of the bleeding edge fun! WOOT!

CoinOp

 

[Minkoff]

10. LCD screen issues
LCD related issue are not fixable with firmware. (surprise! - they're talking with LCD manufacturer, but they're unclear about in what subjects) So, you should get warrantee service, if your LCD malfunctions. Although it's possible to adjust LCD brightness with software, they don't plan on supporting it.

​

What? :blink:
But... I thought that the only problems with the LCD screens after the second FW were new... How could that not be software?

 

[DaveC]

"10. LCD screen issues
LCD related issue are not fixable with firmware. (surprise! - they're talking with LCD manufacturer, but they're unclear about in what subjects) So, you should get warrantee service, if your LCD malfunctions. Although it's possible to adjust LCD brightness with software, they don't plan on supporting it."


So that means we are stuck with the noisy diagonal lines, vertical white line on the left and the two halves being a different brightness? Warrantee service? All screens have this problem so we all need to send the units back? Will the new ones have the same problem?

 

[gaterooze]

No, NOT all screens have this problem. Haven't you been watching the videos people are posting? Hardly any seem to have any kind of LCD defect.

I think they're talking about a very small % which has a defect. The "diagonal" problem they said was firmware, and it only appeared after their fix.

 

[codeninja]

But... I thought that the only problems with the LCD screens after the second FW were new... How could that not be software?

​

Even to the closest allies in Korea, GPH is very vague about the LCD issues. Most of the problems are firmware related, but I suspect there are some issues even GPH is not sure what they are. Then again, it's not my intention of causing panic attacks, and not too many peoples are affected by these. I believe soon GPH will announce their answer LCD issues when they and the LCD manufacturer figure out what those are. Don't despair just yet.

 

[Talyz]

This answered quite a lot of questions I've been thinking about.
GPH seems like a new Tapwave; making their console more open would open many doors for developers, but still they aim for commersial product releases...
With that attitude, I'll never be buying one.

 

[unlucky]

my screen is perfect except for the split in brightness across the middle which the next firmware fixes but that adds other problems for the screen so i'm guessing theres a setting that gets rid of all the problems....

 

[EvilDragon]

Aaaha. Well, the gp2x I currently have has those lines, and it also has grey blobs instead of black.

I'll wait for the batch and see how many will be affected. I hope, not too many...

 

[evening2005]

9. USB speed and Win98 driver?
Currently running at USB1.1 speed and will run at full USB2.0 speed later with firmware update. They have no plan for Win98 or Linux USB drivers.

​

I can't speak for the rest of the interview, but this makes no sense at all. I know that Windows 98 doesn't do USB, but why should drivers be needed for Linux? The GP2X just appears as a mass-storage device, doesn't it?

 

[Eolair]

10. LCD screen issues
LCD related issue are not fixable with firmware. (surprise! - they're talking with LCD manufacturer, but they're unclear about in what subjects) So, you should get warrantee service, if your LCD malfunctions. Although it's possible to adjust LCD brightness with software, they don't plan on supporting it.

​

I thought they choose the BLU+ screen for it's reliability and previous faultless track record. Really bad timing for the lcd manufacturers to start producing faulty screens with the release of the GP2X :huh:

 

[Aaaaaaaa]

This is the very reason that some of us chose to wait untill 6 months after thwe console is released to get one, you can be sure that there will be problems to work out

 

[Eolair]

This is the very reason that some of us chose to wait untill 6 months after thwe console is released to get one, you can be sure that there will be problems to work out

​

You say we should all wait? If everyone did that there would never have been a GP2X. The project is only possible because of preorder buyers.

 

[chris_r]

So does this mean my gp2x is faulty and not the firmware? I have horizontal lines going across my screen :s I dont know if this is what people are referring to by diagonal but they go horizontally across the screen.

 

[Iorgy77]

So does this mean my gp2x is faulty and not the firmware? I have horizontal lines going across my screen :s I dont know if this is what people are referring to by diagonal but they go horizontally across the screen.

​

I would send it back... I really hope mine has no such problems... not looking forward to sending my gp2x around the world again.

 

[Eolair]

So does this mean my gp2x is faulty and not the firmware?  I have horizontal lines going across my screen :s  I dont know if this is what people are referring to by diagonal but they go horizontally across the screen.

​

I really wish we could have some photos showing these problems. How many different are there? Are there LCD screens that have none of these problems? Do all problems require returning the hardware? Is any of them fixed by the released firmwares?

#1: Vertical line on the left side of the LCD screen

#2: Different brightness on the two halves of the screen (noticable in the photo by the line in the middle of the screen).

#3: Contrasting areas leaving horizontal lines across the screen.

#4 Noisy diagonal lines.

 

[pip]

3. Short battery life?
With properly changed 2500mAh batteries, it should last around 3 1/3 to 4 hours. (they tested with Divx encoded Final Fantasy 7 Advent Children at 1M bitrate) It'll improve once firmware is updated, although they're too busy shipping units for overseas customers (like you and me) to work on firmware.

5. SDK?
Again, they're too busy shipping units to us, foreigners, but once things are settled, they'll release SDK in the form of open source and development platform-oriented SDK documents unlike the ones for GP32 SDK. Their fear of leaking their key technolgies also made them act slow on releasing SDK.

I don't get that excuse. Do they have the programmers working on packing units?

 

[Julius]

3. Short battery life?
With properly changed 2500mAh batteries, it should last around 3 1/3 to 4 hours. (they tested with Divx encoded Final Fantasy 7 Advent Children at 1M bitrate) It'll improve once firmware is updated, although they're too busy shipping units for overseas customers (like you and me) to work on firmware.

5. SDK?
Again, they're too busy shipping units to us, foreigners, but once things are settled, they'll release SDK in the form of open source and development platform-oriented SDK documents unlike the ones for GP32 SDK. Their fear of leaking their key technolgies also made them act slow on releasing SDK.

I don't get that excuse. Do they have the programmers working on packing units?

​

With a small company like that it is actually not that unlikely

 

[chris_r]

3. Different brightness on the two halves of the screen (noticable in the photo by the line in the middle of the screen). Photo also showing a possible fourth problem with contrasting areas leaving horizontal lines across the screen.

​

That picture isnt really a good demonstration of the vertical line, I took it to show the horizontal lines more than the vertical line.

 

[aitorpc]

hi! that interview is real??? because after seing that de official release date of the GP2X is for january of 2006 I´m O_O I thought it was for november of 2005!