Want To Upgrade Screen, Is It Possible?

[juliodm]

Do you guys think it's possible to upgrade the GP2X screen. I'd have to build a whole new case obviously, but will the unit support it.

These are the issues I'm aware of:
1)Greater power consumption
2)New case design
3)Bios and software would have to be modded to recognize new screen
4)Current apps and utilities may not run without being modded.

I'm I missing something really drastic?
Would any of you guys even build a case against such a mod?

 

[jmetal88]

Yes, you are missing something drastic:

5) LCD controller chip will not support other LCDs. Chip compatible to motherboard and new LCD must be found, as well as soldered in correctly, and a new LCD connector must be used.

I think there is almost no chance of finding a scenario for this that will actually work.

 

[Khatoblepas]

Does this include a MK1 screen in a MK2? Did they change the LCD controller when they couldn't source it out anymore? Or are the two screens nearly compatible?

I suppose a fix for this could be just to use the TV out line, but the encoder's a power hungry beast with an endless appetite. Depends if you're gonna power it from the mains all the time or not =P

 

[craigix]

Yeah it seems it is possible, but you might have to mod the power slightly. Plugging n MK2 screen into an MK1 works for a second or 2 before it (i'm guessing) fades due to lack of power.

 

[nickspoon]

I don't like the MK2 screen. I think he was referring to making it a different one altogether.

 

[KoH]

I asked this in another thread but never got a reply, so il ask again in here as its right on topic........

Is it possible to see a list of all the LCD panels that will work with the LCD controller used in the GP2X.

I have done alot of work with DIY projectors ,using from 1.1" LCD's to 17" LCD's, with all the control boards I used (or on the makers website) was a list of all the LCD panels that are compatable with the LCD control board.

I know its not a simple mod to do, but if you dont try you dont get.

 

[juliodm]

Basically I have the First Edition unit... I'd like to see it with a wide screen, 16x9 format. I've attached a link to the tft screens provider I found.... maybe they have the proper screens available... I don't know enough yet.

Links:
http://www.aeicomp.com/search_result.asp?M...=LCD%20Monitors

http://www.anders.co.uk/displays_lines.asp

http://www.densitron.com/displays/
Note: Just do a quick search.

Question:
Who manufactures the current LCD in the f100 first edition unit?

 

[DaveC]

Basically I have the First Edition unit... I'd like to see it with a wide screen, 16x9 format. I've attached a link to the tft screens provider I found.... maybe they have the proper screens available... I don't know enough yet.

Links:
http://www.aeicomp.com/search_result.asp?M...=LCD%20Monitors

http://www.anders.co.uk/displays_lines.asp

http://www.densitron.com/displays/
Note: Just do a quick search.

Question:
Who manufactures the current LCD in the f100 first edition unit?

Now you are really talking difficult stuff. Changing screen aspects and resolutions is not possible wihout alot of electronic changes. I am guessing that you mainly use the GP2X for movies because widescreen would be shite for emus and PC ports.

 

[juliodm]

Now you are really talking difficult stuff. Changing screen aspects and resolutions is not possible wihout alot of electronic changes. I am guessing that you mainly use the GP2X for movies because widescreen would be shite for emus and PC ports.
[/quote]

Not just movies, also new games for GP2X could be written to use up a 16x9 format. But to answer your question, Yes... I watch movies alot on the unit, but as for games I mostly play emus, as that's what's mostly available. I've checked out some of the games in development and I'm still waiting for a commercial release, so I figured I might as well get brewing on the movie front.

 

[OmarNawaz]

Basically I have the First Edition unit... I'd like to see it with a wide screen, 16x9 format. I've attached a link to the tft screens provider I found.... maybe they have the proper screens available... I don't know enough yet.

Links:
http://www.aeicomp.com/search_result.asp?M...=LCD%20Monitors

http://www.anders.co.uk/displays_lines.asp

http://www.densitron.com/displays/
Note: Just do a quick search.

Question:
Who manufactures the current LCD in the f100 first edition unit?

the only was is via tv out and your tft module will have to support this

Im currently unportabilising my GP2X aswell built in keyboard,2 full usb host ports,built in wifi (once i get compatible stick) has built in tvout connections aswell

Its going in a customised DS housing

 

[reallynotnick]

Not just movies, also new games for GP2X could be written to use up a 16x9 format.

Who is going to make games just for your GP2X? :lol:
If you wan't to change screens it would be best to stick with the standards, 320x240 4:3 screen and 3.5in (to fit it into the machine).

 

[juliodm]

Not just movies, also new games for GP2X could be written to use up a 16x9 format.

Who is going to make games just for your GP2X? :lol:
If you wan't to change screens it would be best to stick with the standards, 320x240 4:3 screen and 3.5in (to fit it into the machine).

I simply meant that if it could somehow be made as an option, maybe as a whole new GP2x, newer games could be made to take advantage of the new screen, I was speaking in future reference, sorry if I was misleading.

 

[Aninhumer]

You want to mod your display to a new ratio, and you expect games to be made for it?
Seriously? :blink:

EDIT: Whoops you sound a lot more sane now. But I still think there is little advantage to 16*9 other than movies.

 

[Shikaku]

Buy a PSP or XGP

 

[Fishbong]

I have a HMD (Head mounted Display). Its a Olympus FMD-011 also known as Eye Trek. Works quite good with the GP2X.

There´s only one problem: The interpolation of the FMD-011 is not that good, so the standard 320x240 resolutin of the GP2x looks somewhat blurred. On the upside you can play quake in a lower resolution without it looking grainy.

 

[DaveC]

Not just movies, also new games for GP2X could be written to use up a 16x9 format. But to answer your question, Yes... I watch movies alot on the unit, but as for games I mostly play emus, as that's what's mostly available. I've checked out some of the games in development and I'm still waiting for a commercial release, so I figured I might as well get brewing on the movie front.

Well widescreens are not really an efficient format for handhelds. Now that Sony does it everyone is following them off of the cliff like lemmings. One reason is the wide rectangular format forces the handheld to be longer and less portable. If you don't make it long then the screen has to be smaller.

The thing that really matters is what you are displaying most on it. If it is movies, then widescreen fits better giving less dead space. If it is emulators then 4:3 is better as the screens fit better giving those less dead space.

Other food for thought:

The whole thing that widescreen gives more viewing area is just a marketing trick as well. The marketroids say "look, widescreen is like 4:3 with a bunch of viwing area added on the sides". Well the other side could argue that widescreen is just a 4:3 screen with the top and bottom cut off The fact is that viewing size is only truly based on the screen area. The aspect ratio has nothing to do with that.

Think of this: you have two "screens" One is a 4" wide x 1" high widescreen, the other a 2" wide x 2" high screen. If you measure the diagonals (all screens measured diagonally) of both of those the widescreen will have a bigger diagonal measure. So widescreen IS bigger right? Bzzzzzzzt wrong, the screen area is exactly the SAME (4x1=4, 2x2=4). The trick there is widescreens give a falsely larger number because of the geometry. The other fact is that widescreen TVs give less screen viewing area than the 4:3 TV with the same footprint. Basically it means to get the same viewing area widescreen TVs will take up more floorspace (unless you have a flat panel).

 

[Fishbong]

One reason is the wide rectangular format forces the handheld to be longer and less portable. If you don't make it long then the screen has to be smaller.

The thing that really matters is what you are displaying most on it. If it is movies, then widescreen fits better giving less dead space. If it is emulators then 4:3 is better as the screens fit better giving those less dead space.

Well, you could place the buttons under the screen, so it wouldn´t be so long (like this iRiver handheld does)

And SONY probably hadn´t emulators in mind when they decided to use a widescreen.

 

[KoH]

I asked this in another thread but never got a reply, so il ask again in here as its right on topic........

Is it possible to see a list of all the LCD panels that will work with the LCD controller used in the GP2X.

I have done alot of work with DIY projectors ,using from 1.1" LCD's to 17" LCD's, with all the control boards I used (or on the makers website) was a list of all the LCD panels that are compatable with the LCD control board.

I know its not a simple mod to do, but if you dont try you dont get.

 

[nubie]

I asked this in another thread but never got a reply, so il ask again in here as its right on topic........

Is it possible to see a list of all the LCD panels that will work with the LCD controller used in the GP2X.

I have done alot of work with DIY projectors ,using from 1.1" LCD's to 17" LCD's, with all the control boards I used (or on the makers website) was a list of all the LCD panels that are compatable with the LCD control board.

I know its not a simple mod to do, but if you dont try you dont get.

Good question, I assume that the MMSP2 is configurable and it has the LCD controller built-in (see my sig for a link, look at the PDFs for info), if only because MagicEyes Devkit has a huge LCD in it.

If you wanted easy (I don't know how easy you need) and high-quality, I would use a RGB input LCD screen, the Conexant chip for the TV-Out is fully capable of making RGB signals for VGA and other, maybe a VGA LCD of about 6" would do it. You might need to wire the RGB from the TV-Chip, but that would only be as hard as a regular PSX mod-chip as far as install goes.

You would just need to hack drivers yourself to make the thing work, maybe the TV-Out fixer source would help you to get going, just call an RGB output mode and anything that works with the TV-Out would work.

@Fishbong, If that supports VGA maybe you can modify the TV-Out fixer to put the Conexant chip into a VGA mode and connect to the RGB pins on the CX chip.

@jmetal88, you seem to be confused, the MMSP2 has the LCD controller built-in. Read my sig, follow it, and then download some pdf's and read them, don't just spout.

@DaveC, Re:

Now you are really talking difficult stuff. Changing screen aspects and resolutions is not possible wihout alot of electronic changes. I am guessing that you mainly use the GP2X for movies because widescreen would be shite for emus and PC ports.

I think the MMSP2 has a built-in LCD controller of a configurable nature, I personally would like a 640x480 screen and I think it would be easiest to use the VGA mode of the Conexant chip via an RGB connection in any case.

On a slightly different tack I was thinking of a DS-Style mod that involved another screen similar to the screen we have, then a way to make each eye see a seperate screen and playing with depth-perception, might be fun. I was thinking of a way to make sprites and hard walls/platforms appear shifted a couple pixels from the background and walls that you don't touch, then you would have more information in a depth form entering your brain, it could be fun to play.

 

[nubie]

the only was is via tv out and your tft module will have to support this

Im currently unportabilising my GP2X aswell built in keyboard,2 full usb host ports,built in wifi (once i get compatible stick) has built in tvout connections aswell

Its going in a customised DS housing

Interesting, I don't know how I could fit a 6" or 7" 640x480 VGA LCD into a DS case .

That is pretty much the only reason I would do it.

My wish is something like this:

4 cells, C or D size (5,000 to 10,000mAh NiMH, or Sub-C @ 3,000-4,000 mAh)
4 (or more) USB hub across the top,
VGA output and S-Video output,
Wifi internal,
LAN optional on USB,
internal 1.8" 20GB or larger HDD (these run on 3.3volts, a 1.8" HDD is as long as a 2.5" laptop HDD is wide.), maybe via a PC-Card slot so CF cards could run with a passive adaptor instead.

It would simply rock to have that, I would love to use it to surf the web at 640x480, perhaps we should put this on hold for the GP3X, if we can get GPH to design the GP3X properly this could be an option with as little as another shell, another LCD and an interface board with the controls on it in the new position, the inputs and outputs and a slot for HDD's.

Another thought would be having a docking deal where the GP3X would have a battery back-half that could be removed and the unit clicked into a docking machine with a bigger screen, batteries and full BoB functionality. I'd like to see iPod and Sony compete then , especially if the GP3X has a 3d chip .

Edit: it would then be at the same time larger AND smaller than the PSP :lol: :lol: