TV Out Cable: Time to Mass produce! (2013-06-22)

[Trezker]

Alright, now I understand.

An idea popped in my head now though.

Is it possible to connect to several TV's simultaneously?

It's a shame to have some of those fine females hanging loose...

Might be nice to do when demoing the TV out capability.

 

[WizardStan]

what about those games that slow down or at least stutter the sound when you close the lid? like those zelda homebrew titles

There's one line in the lid close script that you can comment out. I can't look it up right now, but if it's a problem then there's a really easy fix.

 

[PowerGod]

what about those games that slow down or at least stutter the sound when you close the lid? like those zelda homebrew titles

There's one line in the lid close script that you can comment out. I can't look it up right now, but if it's a problem then there's a really easy fix.

http://boards.openpandora.org/index.php/topic/12069-disable-low-power-mode-when-lid-closed/?view=findpost&p=225393

 

[Asmo]

Is it possible to connect to several TV's simultaneously?

It's a shame to have some of those fine females hanging loose...

AFAIK you can only have the composite or S-Video out active at any time, but you could certainly split either signal a few times without too much loss....

 

[kuru]

Talking about nice things, I like it how you can set it to HW scaler, connect a screen and say mplayer shows a video, while you minimize the player itself and do other stuff like downloading more youtube videos on the built-in screen

 

[SoleGrave]

I preordered everything including the cable a very long time ago from Craig.  I upgraded to Ed's shop.  Got my Pandora but was still waiting on these cables 

 

[pmprog]

I preordered everything including the cable a very long time ago from Craig.  I upgraded to Ed's shop.  Got my Pandora but was still waiting on these cables 

From what I understand from this thread, and in case you missed it, is that you'll have to buy a new cable.
http://boards.openpandora.org/index.php/topic/13476-tv-out-cables-for-craig-preorders/#entry253942

 

[imajeff]

let me attempt to get things back on track slightly with this question; given that the new awesome tv-out cable is of dongle style proportions, what other cable would i use to increase its usable length and connect it, say to my projector and be able to use my pandy from a comfortable distance?

The question surprises me, because I have a hundred of these (only exaggerating because there are too many to count, in different boxes around the house and shed...) but I'm starting to get the impression that this is not so common in other areas? I mostly speak of RCA cables as called in the USA, since my family started collecting those since I was a young lad (and I'm over 40 now). I also began collecting several S-Video cables as they've been turning up a lot in the past two years, like in thrift stores and neighbor's junk boxes.

 

[imajeff]

The connector on the Pandora isn't very common, rare even, so it would require another custom production run to extend the Pandora AV socket to an identical socket on the end of the cable, whereas standard phono & S-Video leads to attach to the end of the ('dongle') TV Out cable are standard and very cheaply/readily available locally or online.

The only need I can see to extend the length of the TV-out dongle (making the female TV ends closer to the TV) is to relieve stress from actual weight of all these connectors on the pandora socket, if they are hanging. This is a valid concern for many situations.

Since the connector is actually hard to get right, when I order this I want to get one full cable as advertised, and an extra EXT plug that has ALL the connections accessible, so I can just solder what I need to it.

Does that sound feasible?

 

[Asmo]

TBH I'd just order an extra cable and cut it open to do that, the EXT connectors themselves are very fiddly to work with, and this way you'd get one properly connected and sealed on the Pandora side.

 

[levi]

As far as I can tell, the stub connections seem long enough such that if you put the Pandora down on a table with the cable plugged in the stubs and associated plugs should rest on the table so they're not exerting any pressure on the ext socket. Of course, if you hand hold your pandora while using the tv-out cable it'll be different, but I'd have thought most people if going to the effort of using a tv-out cable is likely to plug in a USB controller while they're at it.


Regarding buying a TV-out cable and a separate ext plug for making your own break-out board type thing, that sounds fine. Be aware the pins at the back of the plug are spaced quite close together, so you'll need good soldering skills (the pins are 0.3mm in diameter, arranged in two rows with 1.5mm between the rows and 1.0mm between adjacent pins). Although at least there's no shroud or anything else getting in the way of your soldering iron, so you can simply solder the wires on then make your own cable relief shroud.


Edit: @Asmo What guarantee is there the lines needed to e.g. access the GPIOs will even be wired up at the Pandora end of ED's cables?

 

[Monkfish]

let me attempt to get things back on track slightly with this question; given that the new awesome tv-out cable is of dongle style proportions, what other cable would i use to increase its usable length and connect it, say to my projector and be able to use my pandy from a comfortable distance?

The question surprises me, because I have a hundred of these (only exaggerating because there are too many to count, in different boxes around the house and shed...) but I'm starting to get the impression that this is not so common in other areas? I mostly speak of RCA cables as called in the USA, since my family started collecting those since I was a young lad (and I'm over 40 now). I also began collecting several S-Video cables as they've been turning up a lot in the past two years, like in thrift stores and neighbor's junk boxes.

I'm somewhat of a Luddite and generally dont tend to use technology with more than 16-bits (Pandora is the exception of course  ), hell until i got a projector i still had a CRT TV. I dont have a mobile phone, printer (3d or otherwise), and i try to avoid using WiFi at all costs (except for submitting C4A scores, which i havent done for quite some time) prefering the sanctity of a physical cable to wireless witchcraft. I dont use facebook or twitter or anything 3D/hi-def (unless you count a computer monitor). So i'm not the most familiar when it comes to cables etc. but luckily any questions RE: technology, Asmo will usually have the answer - one of the reasons i love these boards. 

 

[Asmo]

Edit: @Asmo What guarantee is there the lines needed to e.g. access the GPIOs will even be wired up at the Pandora end of ED's cables?

I was assuming from their post that what they wanted was to create a lightweight TV cable with only the Video/audio out lines required, if they're looking to create a cable beyond the standard AV I/Os then yeah, it'd likely be a ground up build not something the AV cable would be useful for.

 

[Damon]

Hello!

I'm really happy to see the cable is finally in production!

Connecting the Pandora to the TV it's something I had always dreamed.

Sincerely i'm bit worried to have read the cable will be only 20cm long, so it means that if you want to play, browse internet or other thing you have to necessarely add other extension cable to the cable. I hope at least the connector will stay in place under the weight of all composite connectors showed in the picture.

I'm just imaging the scene of me playing holding the Pandora to use the Nubs or whatever, and having all those connectors dangling, i just hope it's not stressful for the output port!

 

[Binky]

Sincerely i'm bit worried to have read the cable will be only 20cm long, so it means that if you want to play, browse internet or other thing you have to necessarely add other extension cable to the cable.

This is because the strain on the pandora's socket would be far greater if there were a 2m flex for each of the connections (line-in, line-out, composite, svideo, etc)

As it is, you only need a full-length cable for the connection you are actually using.

 

[superatarian]

Hello!

I'm really happy to see the cable is finally in production!

Connecting the Pandora to the TV it's something I had always dreamed.

Sincerely i'm bit worried to have read the cable will be only 20cm long, so it means that if you want to play, browse internet or other thing you have to necessarely add other extension cable to the cable. I hope at least the connector will stay in place under the weight of all composite connectors showed in the picture.

I'm just imaging the scene of me playing holding the Pandora to use the Nubs or whatever, and having all those connectors dangling, i just hope it's not stressful for the output port!

I do not see much of a problem here. The needed extension cables may nor may not be needed depending on the user's setup. The chances of the TV Out Cable being pulled out or falling out is something I do not see happening much, but anything could happen. I would like to hook the Pandora up to a monitor using some sort of video adapter device. That has worked successfully with my Atari XE computer.

 

[Asmo]

Remember: it's not an 'extension' cable that you need, it's an ordinary S-Video and/or RCA/Phono leads. The Pandora AV cable gives you the equivalent of a set of S-Video and Phono sockets which standard cables then connect to. It can't be plugged directly into a TV.

Extension cables have different genders either end, standard cables have male (plugs) connectors either end. If you have a cable for connecting your old VCR or DVD player to a TV, that's all you need.

 

[Binky]

To be absolutely clear (for them as likes lists):

• Televisions, VCRs, and most AV equipment all have sockets (female connectors)
• The new pandora TV-out cables also have sockets
  
• The cables you need in order to use the TV-out cables have a plug  (male connector) on each end
• Extension cables (not needed) have a socket on one end and a plug on the other end

 

[Damon]

I do not see much of a problem here. The needed extension cables may nor may not be needed depending on the user's setup. The chances of the TV Out Cable being pulled out or falling out is something I do not see happening much, but anything could happen. I would like to hook the Pandora up to a monitor using some sort of video adapter device. That has worked successfully with my Atari XE computer.

Remember: it's not an 'extension' cable that you need, it's an ordinary S-Video and/or RCA/Phono leads. The Pandora AV cable gives you the equivalent of a set of S-Video and Phono sockets which standard cables then connect to. It can't be plugged directly into a TV.


Extension cables have different genders either end, standard cables have male (plugs) connectors either end. If you have a cable for connecting your old VCR or DVD player to a TV, that's all you need.

Yes sorry, maybe I used a not so 'correct' word (extension cable) since I'm not english

What i just  meant there'll will be need of an add-on If you want to play holding it on hand, for example I'll be using this on my CRT TV:

And I thought (probably wrong) that all that stuff weight dangling could damage, with the time, the Pandora output port

 

[lingenfr]

Hopefully will hear an update from ED soon.