Where To Find Gp32 Blu+ ?

[Optimus]

How rare are the late GP32 BLU plus?
I am searching all the time in ebay and I only find BLU and FLU. I have a FLU and a BLU. I am curious about the BLU+, how different the screen looks, if it's brighter, and good for testing BLU/BLU+ incompatibilities and fix.
 
Oh wait: I just read in wikipedia that BLU+ is just the name given by the community of a second kind of BLU. This means that if I see in the ebay listing that a GP32 is BLU, it could also be a BLU+ but it's not written anywhere on the device. Then is there a way to recognize if a device is a BLU or BLU+ by some differences upon the device? Or I'd definitely need to run software? Or maybe ask the seller the year he bought it?

 

[WhiteFalcon]

That is right, you won't be able to tell whether it is BLU or BLU+ from the device and its packing itself. I used to have a FLU and have a BLU+ so I cannot really compare, but as far as I remember, the BLU+ "feature" was more on the annoyance side. Not worth getting for any other reason than completing a collection in my opinion.

 

[Optimus]

I just got a new GP32 not knowing if it's blu or blu+. But I notice a difference. There is no physical button to turn on/off the lighting in the back side of the device. You have to keep SELECT pressed for 5 seconds. I read about this difference of BLU+ in wikipedia. I just received it at my work so I can't test it with more software before going at home, but judging by that it has to be the BLU+ unless there where two versions of the regular BLU. Also, few emulators on the device SMC card display the wrong scanlines and shifted video ram, which could be an indication.

So technically, that would be an easy way to determine whether it's a BLU or BLU+ without running software. I will test at home to be sure and post a picture of the back compared to regular BLU.

p.s. I think also the FLU is missing the lighting button in the back, but this one is saying BLU with a missing backlight button.

p.p.s. Doesn't seem to be BLU+ But there is a plain BLU version without light switch? It says GP32-002 in the back, while my older BLU says GP32-001

 

[Hooka]

Optimus: Yeah, BLU and BLU+ just use select to control backlight, FLU is the only one with a switch. AFAIK: BLU+ has the made in korea written on the right side of the sticker on the back, whereas normal BLU has it written on the left and some korean and E-C900-01-5085(b) written on the right (number might vary). I'll upload some pics in a sec.... (this is for my BLU and BLU+ which are both GP32-002)
[doublepost=1452288362,1452287647][/doublepost]Here are the ever so slight differences on the back label.

Still, best and easiest way to test is to play numo

 

[Optimus]

Thanks for the info.
I got confused now with what devices I have.

When I got into the scene, I had one device with a switch in the back, I thought (I was told maybe) that I had the BLU.
Now, the GP32-001 is like the old one I had.
The new one GP32-002 is brighter. Maybe it's the first BLU I have. I noticed the colors are much brighter.
Unfotrunatelly while I was taking pictures something failed with the screen. Now everytime I open it I get dark columns and wrong colours. This just happened now! Wtf? As I realized this is my first BLU, it fails
Then I got an old one from my room, it must be NLU, no switch, but no light.

I might post pictures.
[doublepost=1452342415,1452339866][/doublepost]FLU on the left, BLU on the right.

And the fail that just happened right now. What is it? Could I just open and fix it?

 

[Hooka]

Inverted colours like that might be a quick on/off power cycle wound the LCD driver in a weird state (BLU have a ridiculously long power down). Maybe try removing the batteries and letting it sit a day, might drain the capacitors and allow LCD to get reset to proper settings... Worse case scenario BIOS corruption or wrong firmware flashed (BLU+ fw on BLU or vice versa can be bad...)

 

[Optimus]

I am kinda relieved now that there is a chance it's not a hardware problem. I let the batteries off (although is there an internal battery for that?) and wait.
And I am pretty sure it's a quick switch power problem, because that's what I was doing, switching it on/off faster than I should to test multiple things.
I don't think it's a wrong firmware, since it was working perfectly before. But that will be my next, flashing a new firmware would be easier than opening it to see what's wrong (I am not the hardware guy).

 

[Hooka]

Yeah, I do believe there is no internal battery, just a capacitor that doesn't lose its juice quick enough... I'll try and check back atleast once a day n find out if you got it sorted (no internet @ home at the second, using my phone for the next couple days :S)

 

[Optimus]

Still no luck after 1.5 day of no batteries.
I also tried today to upload different firmwares.
Always wrong and dark colors. I tried official BLU(Samsung) firmware, then even tried FLU or BLU+ firmware just to see what happens. Then went back to the official BLU, the colors are exactly like in the beginning. So, the firmware must have been right, something else is off.
I might leave it without batteries for 3-4 days till the weekend, just to be sure. Later, I don't know what to check in the hardware to be sure. Could the capacitor be blown up or something? Or maybe it wouldn't work if so..

 

[Hooka]

Also, with the batteries out make sure to flick the power on to see if that helps draining any leftover charge...

 

[spaceboygp32]

I would love to get a NLU - was my first GP32 - I've had an NLU, FLU and BLU+ now... NLU was still the best!

 

[Hooka]

NLU was amazing for finding a place outside under a shady tree, the reflective layer made it the perfect outdoor handheld as long as you weren't in direct sunlight.

 

[Optimus]

I'll keep it few more days close.

Btw,. some funny happy story.

I was so fixated to get the BLU+ thinking I already have the BLU.
I get the BLU and realize it is this and then it fails.
At that point I am so mad and go at ebay to buy a second BLU (not thinking about BLU+ anymore). Good piece also with other accessories I never had like the modded chatboard.

And then I was fixated I finally have a working BLU. But I test everything, most work and one or two stuff have some wrong stripes.
Till, I realized after firmware flashing, that this is actually the BLU+ (with the different sticker on the back).
I was just so fixated, I thought at first I had another faulty BLU. Because most apps where correct but few where faulty. And I ran my Led Blur demo which I never patched for BLU+ but seemed correct (although different timings make it more flickery and less frame rate).
So I thought it was another BLU that is faulty. But I checked the sticker in the back. And tested with DRMD chosing Taiwanese screen, my Megaflicks with Mr Mirko, chosing BLU+ and works (works well, but I still get one bottom line with wrong pixel, but not very significant). And Numo doesn't work well, so I am sure I fell into BLU+ finally! And hopefully I'll fix the main BLU too..

I am just a bit confused, some apps that seems to be for BLU still work (My Led Blur demo was never patched for BLU+ and I had people mention it's displayed wrong, but it works here).
Anyway,. I might look at Mr Mirko library code and make complete BLU/BLU+ versions on my framework. I am already coding something again (still in my old FLU unit, I never got the cables for any of the BLU console I got ).

 

[Hooka]

Optimus: Lots of stuff works out of the box on BLU+ like anything made with official GPH libs, but stuff that use custom display routines, etc. seem to set it off. The bottom/top line of pixels being wrapped around is a common issue with them also (might even be on normal BLU, can't remember...)

... if you need a usb cable for your BLU/BLU+ I have an old cable for a kodak camera that works I could hunt it down and I could even help ya with a serial cable if you want (I have more GP32 connectors that I could make my own with and a chatboard/serial cable combo that I use)

 

[Johnny365]

Thanks for the info.
I got confused now with what devices I have.

When I got into the scene, I had one device with a switch in the back, I thought (I was told maybe) that I had the BLU.
Now, the GP32-001 is like the old one I had.
The new one GP32-002 is brighter. Maybe it's the first BLU I have. I noticed the colors are much brighter.
Unfotrunatelly while I was taking pictures something failed with the screen. Now everytime I open it I get dark columns and wrong colours. This just happened now! Wtf? As I realized this is my first BLU, it fails
Then I got an old one from my room, it must be NLU, no switch, but no light.

I might post pictures.
[doublepost=1452342415,1452339866][/doublepost]FLU on the left, BLU on the right.

And the fail that just happened right now. What is it? Could I just open and fix it?

Thanks for this info. Found out the one I got last year (2023) was in fact the Blu+ model, with the same sticker label and with testing the game, Numo. The one I got a few weeks ago is a regular Blu. Have a great day.