Blu.. Fixes For Hardware Bugs?

[skeezix]

Like everyone else, I'm assuming the BLU is virtually identical to the FLU but with a backlight instead; but some have speculated (not confirmed?) that the RAM is a higher spec, so some can overclock higher, etc.

So there is the slightest chance other issues may have been fixed.... (by luck, or by design, hard to know

ie: The left/right speaker swap issue?
ie: The audio bug where code being too optimized causes static (boy that used to piss me off; that is the single biggest annoyance to me

Any chance that or other issues got fixed?

jeff

 

[davey g]

Tell my how to check whatever it is and Ill do it and report back.

 

[skeezix]

Tell my how to check whatever it is and Ill do it and report back.

Hmm.. tough one

ie: Left/right -- when coding the GP32, you can tell it to send audio to the left channel, and it comes out the right side. Not a big issue, but surprising So if you've got an audio player or something that can push audio to one side or the other, you can tell. Thoguh many apps compensated.. pushign left, the apps pushes right, to make it "look right". But if fixed, that too could be detected, if you know what the app is doing

ie: Static -- you'd have to find an app that exhibits it; most apps work around it by spending immense amount sof time fusking aroung in the code to dodge it.. so you'd need to find an app that doens't have it fixed. (One can be made pretty easily

Some commercial games (Guarder I think?) show it..

jeff

 

[trooper]

Sms32, The master system emulator exibits alot of staic in alot of games.
That is worth trying.

Trooper

 

[Grinder X]

OpenSNES9x 0.2 has static sound all the time (for me). I have flu.

 

[Johndifo]

[...the BLU is virtually identical to the FLU but with a backlight instead...]

Yes and that makes a whole diference

The BLU's image quality is simply stunning, apart the not so good black levels, the contrast is very very good, and good RGB saturation.

It also seems the screen refresh is poor, it was my first impression, now I'm used to it, maybe a code issue also, OpenSnes9xGP looks marvelous.

I have a GBA SP (FLU type) and the image is much much better, one important issue is the fingerprints and dust particles so visible in FLU are near invisible in BLU, the blue wash are gone also.

I really recommend a GP32 BLU for all GP32 users.

 

[davey g]

Well my rechargables have just died but I'm pretty sure it still has the static problem. I'll see what I can find out about the sound switcharoo.

 

[Alpha2]

I believe the Blood Cross demo had the staticy "pop/hiss" thing but I understood this to be a programming issue. Also I think you can check the reversed sound issu on anything with stereo as long as you know which side certain sounds come from. Even in GPcinema I've noticed moments when a movie will produce the left noise in the right earphone.

 

[barnesy]

And what about that video problem some programs get? I can't describe it very well - the one where the picture sometimes sort of splits into quarters and shifts out of position. I guess that still happens on BLUs, but it seems worth asking if they don't do it too!

 

[LHC]

Yeah that still happens; it happened to me earlier playing fSMS32. I was pretty shocked.

Why does it do that anyway?

 

[Huxley]

I'm no expert, but wouldn't fixing the speaker issue have an effect on all the homebrew games that were developed with this 'bug' in mind? Maybe it's best to leave it be for continuity's sake?

 

[Robster]

The sound static is caused by a memory bandwidth prioritisation problem in the CPU, and as Samsung haven't released a "A" rev CPU or so, it won't have been fixed in the BLU. Then again, the Gamepark SDK is a horrible piece of work with regard to sound... I have done DMA sound on many projects and don't really strike the static problem.

The LCD split really is a hardware problem, and it's a bitch to get around. I've tried many different ideas, and haven't found the silver bullet yet. Doom V10 has it fixed (touch wood) but I'm half-expecting it to happen there as well.

To see whether the BLU has the sound channels reversed, use Doom as it has directional stereo sound and a sound swap option. If you face so that there is a monster to (say) your right, you should hear its noises in the right speaker.

 

[davey g]

I think the sound channels are fixed in the Blu, with the sound swap set to speakers the sounds were coming out of the wrong speaker so theres your answer ... I think.

 

[Dozer]

I believe the Blood Cross demo had the staticy "pop/hiss" thing but I understood this to be a programming issue. Also I think you can check the reversed sound issu on anything with stereo as long as you know which side certain sounds come from. Even in GPcinema I've noticed moments when a movie will produce the left noise in the right earphone.

The head phone speaker channels have always been right. It's just the actual hardware speakers. That's why there are 2 options in Doom, 1 for head phones and one for the speakers.

 

[Crocomire]

you cud always use the test menu to check to speakers
edit: hang on, thats a point, does the defult firmware on the blu have the test menu?

 

[Axeman]

GP are too poor to do anything additional to it anyway! You got a nice screen? What else you expecing?