I'm turning an S3 into home multimedia center/DLNA device, help please - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Ok I have a spare S3 which i'm not going to use, so i plan to plug it to a TV via HDMI and use it as a multimedia center.
So from what i can see I need 2 things.
1. good app to wirelessly sync files between PC, Tablet, Smartphone and the S3 (option to stream media from the PC would be great as well)
2. A program to remote control the S3 from my other android smartphone
any other advise for the setup is welcome

no suggestions whatsoever? :>

Final attempt to get some advises

i don#t know of any app that is able to handle both, but as a start you might look at xbmc, wich actually is a media center, also avaliable for android.
i'd give you links to sites where you can download it (it's still in beta), but i have not enough posts to do so. you should google XBMC android chip.de
or
xbmc android androidpit
or somtething like this.

Related

[Q] Archos Remote Control Ripped out yet?

I don't have an Archos but I have a Galaxy 10.1, Asus Transformer, and a Galaxy S phone. I have been trying to figure out how to strap the 10.1 to a headrest and remotely play movies for my son in the back seat and I'm hoping the Archos software would be the key.
Has anyone ripped the Remote Control Server APK from this rom to be used in other tablets/phones. The controller is on the market but the server side is not
Or if someone knows a way to do this that would be great. (Note: DLNA is nice but its a full PUSH and what I want to do is control the media already on the tablet, or use the Sprint 3g on the 10.1 to stream netflix.
I have tried Server VNC for droid, and it breaks on tablets.
Thanks for all your help!
Maybe someone with an Archos and another Android device can analyze what is sended by the other device to the Archos (Wireshark for example)
eagleofdeath13 said:
Maybe someone with an Archos and another Android device can analyze what is sended by the other device to the Archos (Wireshark for example)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am fairly sure this is not an APK, as sin not a simple app. it is a service baked into the system code of the ROM. This kinda of app is not overtly simple to add to android even IF you had all the source to the ROM, which no one does for HC yet.
The only problem is to know what is said on the network. After that, creating the app to communicate with it is "easy".
Am i to understand that you want to stream video to Archos from your Asus/Samsung ?
No, he wants to control his expensive Samsung 101 via a remote.
Something that comes included with any cheap Archos Gen8 ;-)
Expensive
Yes, its more expensive then the Archos but its 3g via Sprint. So I can stream, check email, watch IP cameras for restaurants that I am responsible for. But when traveling with the kids its nice to put in a headrest strap and control it.
Right now my son who is 3 will either tap the screen and freak out because the movie stopped playing, or if he is holding it he ends up stuck in some app. This will allow my wife or myself to start other movies, netflix streams, etc..
Headrest monitors for cars are not cheap (unless you get some really poor generic ones) and once the kids hit 5 years old they will not want to watch a linear movie, they would want to watch and interact with the web. (Humm or maybe I'm the biggest kid in the equation )
Right now I can DLNA push a video to the tablet using BubblePNP (Works great) but its annoying when my phone wifi sleeps or phone calls seem to mess with the connection. Remote control will keep each device truly separate. How many times I have walked out of the car to get gas out of range of the DLNA sharing is annoying.
Here you go...
I Hope this is what you are looking for...
Ripped out...Have Fun!
He doesn't need the remote, he needs the receiver for the Samsung.
I saw the words "remote" and "software" in the OP.
Yes, but he's searching the server side of the remote software ^^
Looks like the best way to get the Archos remote server app is to unpack Archo's firmware and take the server app out.
I found some linux tools that can do this, e.g. using aos-tools
However, my linux skill is only novice level at best, so I don't think I can unpack it successfully and find the remote server app.
Anyone happy to give it a try and share the file?
I see the instructions to unpack can be found here: http://archos.g3nius.org/index.php?title=The_aos-tools_Toolchain
I was looking for such app and Archos seems to the the only company which have a Android remote app right now... I am interested to install the remote server app on my Android phone or tablet and see if it works.
for control the tablet from an android phone you can use DroidMote Server / Client in the android market.

[Q] android to wii streaming?

hi all I was just wondering if anyone knew how to get videos from android to the wii (hacked of course). I have tried to just plug in a usb cord in the back like I do for my psp but every time I go into an app for watching movies it wont show my phone. I know I can just take the sd card out but its a real pain to take the back off my phone and the case I have on it too. anyone have any ideas (besides taking out the sd)?
i'm wondering the same thing, they both have bluetooth, so maybe there's a way to stream music/video from android onto it that way? even if that isn't possible, is there a way to trick the wii into thinking it's a linux computer, and stream via wifi? (wiimc should be able to identify it at that point, no?)
i doubt anyone's going to bother trying to get this to work : (
What about a dlna server and wiimc? Does it work?
Or set up samba filesharing on android and connect from wiimc?
greenskull13 said:
hi all I was just wondering if anyone knew how to get videos from android to the wii (hacked of course). I have tried to just plug in a usb cord in the back like I do for my psp but every time I go into an app for watching movies it wont show my phone. I know I can just take the sd card out but its a real pain to take the back off my phone and the case I have on it too. anyone have any ideas (besides taking out the sd)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it's completely possible (and without wires) to stream videos off your rooted Android to your modded Wii. I'll see about writing up a full guide ...
[Guide/How to]Android/Wii wireless networking solutions | Stream videos and transfer/
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2576185
... for now though I'll assume you'll want to know how I did it quickly
1. Download and install WiiMC to your Wii if you've not already done so.
www.wiimc.org
2. Download and install FTPServer to your rooted Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=lutey.FTPServer
Edit 12172013- this next suggested app should replace the previous
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nalic.app.wifishare
WiFi share is far more stable to use with the Wii ... Well for streaming with WiiMC it works but for WiiXplorer I've yet to get this app to work.
3. Set up FTPServer to point to the folders you want to share
- check the box to restrict access to other folders
- set user name and password
4. Connect your Android device to a wireless access point, for this I used an old rooted phone that has the Hotspot function but no data connection to the outside world, but you can use a wireless router instead.
5. Open FTPServer again and start the service.
6. Now to pick up the Wii mote and set up a FTP connection
- Finger up to the gear symbol, click it, and finger down to Network
- Add a new FTP (it's the option that isn't smb) and input the info from the FTPServer app; IP-address, port, username, and password.
Note: don't worry about setting a folder path in the WiiMC screen we're in right now because FTPServer will take care of this if set properly.
- Back out of the setup screen on WiiMC and finger over to the Film icon (on the far left of the screen) and you should see your new connection, click it and enjoy browsing and playing almost all your videos on your Wii.
Somethings to note; it's kinda finicky on showing anything in a directory so just press B and A on your Wii mote till it works, high resolution videos don't work well so keep it 480p or bellow, I'll say it again its really finicky so try restarting each device's connection or software one at a time till things start working.
I realize this question is from a little wile ago but felt that this answer would benefit us all. I don't know if streaming music or pictures wirelessly from Android to Wii works but video works once a directory is loaded. I'll be testing other apps, options, or crafting my own solutions shortly to work out why folders don't always show content but for right now (just got it working a few hours ago and have been watching all sorts of formats) it's great for proof of concept and home use.
Sent from either my SPH-D700 or myTouch3Gs
Debian Kit/QEMU Linux Install guide for all android devices that I'm writing:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2240397
Now have working Installers for ARM Java 7 JDK + Maptools + jMonkey

[Q] Control spotify on android tab from android phone

Hi everybody
I have a Android based tablet(junpad, like flypad) that i have as a spotify player.
Now i woundering if ther is any apps that make it possible for me to use my galaxy s or laptop as a remotecontrol to change track etc, etc. have looked at Remote Web Desktop but i cant control spotify through that. And DroidMote Server does not work on the tablet for some reason.
So, is there any aps out there that fits me?
I can connect a wireless usb mouse to the tablet, but how cool is that? Would be nice with a app or something
No one knows anyting that can work?
I'm gonna drudge this up instead of starting a new thread. Same question. I would like to control Spotify from my Galaxy Tab 10.1 with my Galaxy S III...
... also same questiion....
Did you get any further with this?
It would be great if Spotify could enable an option to play music on any other device (with the same user registered).
My best solution so far is with Spot Commander; an android application which controls a spotify server on a Linux netbook.
But I'd prefer to use an obsolete Android phone - since it would use much less power - also in stand-by. Another idea - perhaps the spot commander server application (which is Open Source) could be ported to the Raspberry Pi.
Media Remote
Media Remote by appshroom works but is pretty limited.
Hey folks,
Sorry to kick up an old thread, but I was Googling around to find the answer to the question posed above and I thought maybe answering this thread would help the next guy. It seems that if you want to control Spotify on Android from another Android, you can do so using DroidRemote. The downside to doing it this way is that it uses bluetooth.
I'd really prefer a way to do it via WiFi as its' range is higher and I don't have to turn on the bluetooth radio just for this purpose, which in turn consumes my precious mAh's. It'd also be dandy if I could use my Windows box to control Spotify on Android.
This Galaxy Tab 2 will do nicely as a Spotify player but controlling it remotely would be even more boss.
Hello,
Is there any new solution to remote control Spotify on tablet from a phone ? Is there no tweak available or mod ? Even if you root your phone / tab ?
Regards.
Tamatea said:
Hello,
Is there any new solution to remote control Spotify on tablet from a phone ? Is there no tweak available or mod ? Even if you root your phone / tab ?
Regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second this question.
I have a small Minix as my spotify player connected to my TV and surround system. I have been searching forever for a solution that will allow me to control the Minix spotify session from my Nexus7 Tablet.
Any suggestions? Please!!!!!
/Desperate!!!!!!

[Q] Open alternative to All Share Play hub?

I like the idea of the All Share Play hub, streaming movies direct to my tv this way via wifi would be worth doing (unlike MHL to HDMI which in addition to the tv and phone requires THREE additional components to be connected, including power adaptor).
What I don't like about it is the proprietory nature of it, and the fact that I have no guarantee it will be compatible with my next phone - especially if that phone isn't a Samsung.
This is a new area of interest for me, so excuse my ignorance, but is there not an open standards type of device that can do this, which will allow me to use any phone with it?
Bump.
While I doubt it's as easy to use (AllShare is specifically geared for sharing media AFAIK - I removed it from my phone so I don't really know what it's like), Samba Filesharing will turn your phone into a SMB server (possible alternative: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.codesector.droidnas). Samba is GPLed, so on the openness front you're covered. I'm not sure what kind of speeds you would get, though, so try the app (it's free) and mount the share on a GNU/Linux computer and see if it works well for you if you're interested. There's a bit of a shift in the way it works: with AllShare, I believe, you initiate the streaming from your phone. With Samba, you share a folder but have to navigate to it from whatever device it is you're attempting to stream to.
Assuming that you are, if you have a hacked Samsung TV, you can then mount the Samba share from it and start browsing. If not, you can buy small Android devices that plug into your TV for cheap prices - and there are, of course, ways to mount a Samba share on an Android device (along with a WIP port of XBMC, which features SMB browsing anyway).
--
I was high on something. Look into DLNA and using your phone as UPnP Media Server.

[Guide] Cracked Screen? Give that beast new life on your TV with XBMC.

Hello all! My first attempt at any type of guide or help, so give me pointers if you notice a better way to go about this than what's here.
This was done by me on my Ultra that broke, but I would imagine the same works for any other device that has a Snapdragon 800, and probably earlier chipsets as well. SPMC and XBMC have documentation about the supported hardware.
Doesn't it suck when you crack the screen on your baby and she no longer responds to touch input? We've probably all been there with one device or another. But don't let that busted phone gather dust, turn it into a full fledged media center! These quad core beasts can do so much more than the phones of a few years ago. I take no credit for anything here, as I'm just passing along my experience so others can make use of a disabled phone.
I have used Plex, Chromecast, etc, but no combination of those gives me the control of XBMC, and the ability to play mostly any codecs without the need for transcoding.
A few things before I get into the steps:
1. I started with a rooted phone, but you don't necessarily need one. It just helps later on if you want more control over the device functions.
2. I recommend using the most up to date firmware possible, I am on 4.4.4 myself, using this rom here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2800414
3. You'll want a usb OTG cable like the one I used here, along with a cheapo wired usb mouse so you can control the phone until it is set up to work with a remote.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00871Q5PI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
4. You'll also need an MHL adapter. I used this one here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KPXI4S2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
5. You'll need wifi, assuming you have moved the sim to your next device.
6. You will want some form of controlling XBMC remotely. I use Yatse for Android, installed on my replacement phone and it's a godsend.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.leetzone.android.yatsewidgetfree&hl
Here we go.
1. Clean that busted phone up. Reset to factory settings, flash a new rom, OR just remove any non-essential apps. I only have my phone signed into Google so I can access the Play store, which you will want to do as well.
2. Install this if you are rooted. It will allow the phone to disable the screen when the MHL adapter is plugged in, saving battery and keeping it nice and dark around your TV. The wizard should guide you through a fairly simple set up. What you are looking for is for the app to disable/suspend/standby the screen when it detects MHL.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nkahoang.screenstandby&hl
3. Install SPMC. This is a forked version of XBMC for Android, and frankly, it's better suited for this application. It has more features, and takes better advantage of the hardware.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.semperpax.spmc
4. After installing SPMC, you can use it as a launcher, meaning the phone will boot directly into SPMC. Just press home and you'll be given the option.
5. Launch SMPC, go into Settings-Services-Webserver and check Allow control of XBMC via HTTP.
6. At this point, you can now control SPMC with Yatse or another similar XBMC remote app on another device. Depending on your situation, you may still want that mouse to do a few more things before you connect to the TV.
Options Options Options
I use XBMC in my living room on a dedicated PC. My media resides on a NAS, wired via gigabit ethernet to an AC wireless router. Since I wanted to use this broken phone as a sort of satellite system in the bedroom, I set up a MySQL server on the same NAS. It can be daunting, but XBMC provides great documentation and this method makes getting your media onto the phone very easy.
http://kodi.wiki/view/MySQL
If you do not have another XBMC or do not wish to share the library between devices, skip this section.
1. If you have another instance of XBMC, give this a serious look, as both the library and the playback status will be synced among all devices. You can stop in one room and resume in another.
2. Running the current version of SPMC, and XBMC 13.2, I had no issues with MySQL, despite the warning to use the same build date.
3. If you have this type of setup, all you need to do is copy the advancedsettings.xml file you created from your original XBMC install, and paste it into the userdata folder deep inside the SPMC file structure. This is usually found inside sdcard/Android/data
4. Once you do this, launch SPMC and your existing library will be there.
5. I have not tried this, since I went through the trouble to set up MySQL before, but you can alternatively use Media Browser 3 to serve up your library, and it does appear
to be easier to set up. Download the XBMB3C plugin inside XBMC/SPMC to allow for this.
http://mediabrowser.tv/download/#server
Add Media
Alternatively, you can navigate to videos inside SPMC, select files, and then choose Add Source to add your media from wherever to your new library. There is lots of documentation over at the official XBMC site, so go there if this is your first foray into this type of thing.
I've found that I just have to turn the phone on when I walk into the bedroom, and it will boot directly into SPMC. From that point I can use Yatse on a different device to control the media center. When I am done watching content, the shutdown option inside Yatse will shut the phone off, and it just goes into a powered down charging state.
Mostly everything should play after the install, but you may need or want to adjust some settings inside SPMC/XBMC. Again, look to the official XBMC wiki for help if you need it.
If you're rooted, you can probably do without the USB OTG cable. You could use ADB to install packages and the shell (or a wrapper like this — worked well for me a few months back) to control the screen. This might also be useful if your screen is dead.
There is a new specific xbmc for android that comes preconfigured with the most important repositories for those that really don't want to dabble with all of that kind of stuff. Just install and all the main plugins are automatically installed for you. You can find it here http://www.tvaddons.ag/tvmc-android/
Is TVMC anything more than XBMC 13.2 with preconfigured settings? Seems redundant slightly because SPMC (version 13.3.2) actually contains fixes to XBMC 13.2 to enable hardware acceleration on more devices. With the Z Ultra specifically, under XBMC 13.2 official, even though hardware acceleration was enabled in the settings, it was not working. SPMC is built by official XBMC team members and contains "fixes" that were left out of the official spin for whatever reason. The settings are also mostly preconfigured, at least the defaults are different than regular XBMC, and for me at least, everything worked right away.
What are the possibilities for a phone that does not support MHL? (Oppo Find 5) I had the same idea after I broke my screen, but I am not sure now what to do. A mediacenter seemed great to me. A webserver is possible too, but I don't like how it won't use it's media capabilities anymore.
The device supports wireless screen (Miracast?) but I don't think that works great and I can't get it to work really.
Well, Android Lollipop will support Chromecast Mirroring, so if you are able to find a rom for that device when Lollipop makes its way around, that would work. There seems to be a good amount of development for that phone on XDA, so you might just need to wait it out a bit.
HaTeNL said:
What are the possibilities for a phone that does not support MHL? (Oppo Find 5) I had the same idea after I broke my screen, but I am not sure now what to do. A mediacenter seemed great to me. A webserver is possible too, but I don't like how it won't use it's media capabilities anymore.
The device supports wireless screen (Miracast?) but I don't think that works great and I can't get it to work really.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mailme45 said:
Well, Android Lollipop will support Chromecast Mirroring, so if you are able to find a rom for that device when Lollipop makes its way around, that would work. There seems to be a good amount of development for that phone on XDA, so you might just need to wait it out a bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This may be worth a look if you are interested in chromecast mirroring.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/har...experimental-enable-mirroring-device-t2812193
mailme45 said:
Hello all! My first attempt at any type of guide or help, so give me pointers if you notice a better way to go about this than what's here.
This was done by me on my Ultra that broke, but I would imagine the same works for any other device that has a Snapdragon 800, and probably earlier chipsets as well. SPMC and XBMC have documentation about the supported hardware.
Doesn't it suck when you crack the screen on your baby and she no longer responds to touch input? We've probably all been there with one device or another. But don't let that busted phone gather dust, turn it into a full fledged media center! These quad core beasts can do so much more than the phones of a few years ago. I take no credit for anything here, as I'm just passing along my experience so others can make use of a disabled phone.
I have used Plex, Chromecast, etc, but no combination of those gives me the control of XBMC, and the ability to play mostly any codecs without the need for transcoding.
A few things before I get into the steps:
1. I started with a rooted phone, but you don't necessarily need one. It just helps later on if you want more control over the device functions.
2. I recommend using the most up to date firmware possible, I am on 4.4.4 myself, using this rom here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2800414
3. You'll want a usb OTG cable like the one I used here, along with a cheapo wired usb mouse so you can control the phone until it is set up to work with a remote.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00871Q5PI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
4. You'll also need an MHL adapter. I used this one here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KPXI4S2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
5. You'll need wifi, assuming you have moved the sim to your next device.
6. You will want some form of controlling XBMC remotely. I use Yatse for Android, installed on my replacement phone and it's a godsend.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.leetzone.android.yatsewidgetfree&hl
Here we go.
1. Clean that busted phone up. Reset to factory settings, flash a new rom, OR just remove any non-essential apps. I only have my phone signed into Google so I can access the Play store, which you will want to do as well.
2. Install this if you are rooted. It will allow the phone to disable the screen when the MHL adapter is plugged in, saving battery and keeping it nice and dark around your TV. The wizard should guide you through a fairly simple set up. What you are looking for is for the app to disable/suspend/standby the screen when it detects MHL.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nkahoang.screenstandby&hl
3. Install SPMC. This is a forked version of XBMC for Android, and frankly, it's better suited for this application. It has more features, and takes better advantage of the hardware.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.semperpax.spmc
4. After installing SPMC, you can use it as a launcher, meaning the phone will boot directly into SPMC. Just press home and you'll be given the option.
5. Launch SMPC, go into Settings-Services-Webserver and check Allow control of XBMC via HTTP.
6. At this point, you can now control SPMC with Yatse or another similar XBMC remote app on another device. Depending on your situation, you may still want that mouse to do a few more things before you connect to the TV.
Options Options Options
I use XBMC in my living room on a dedicated PC. My media resides on a NAS, wired via gigabit ethernet to an AC wireless router. Since I wanted to use this broken phone as a sort of satellite system in the bedroom, I set up a MySQL server on the same NAS. It can be daunting, but XBMC provides great documentation and this method makes getting your media onto the phone very easy.
http://kodi.wiki/view/MySQL
If you do not have another XBMC or do not wish to share the library between devices, skip this section.
1. If you have another instance of XBMC, give this a serious look, as both the library and the playback status will be synced among all devices. You can stop in one room and resume in another.
2. Running the current version of SPMC, and XBMC 13.2, I had no issues with MySQL, despite the warning to use the same build date.
3. If you have this type of setup, all you need to do is copy the advancedsettings.xml file you created from your original XBMC install, and paste it into the userdata folder deep inside the SPMC file structure. This is usually found inside sdcard/Android/data
4. Once you do this, launch SPMC and your existing library will be there.
5. I have not tried this, since I went through the trouble to set up MySQL before, but you can alternatively use Media Browser 3 to serve up your library, and it does appear
to be easier to set up. Download the XBMB3C plugin inside XBMC/SPMC to allow for this.
http://mediabrowser.tv/download/#server
Add Media
Alternatively, you can navigate to videos inside SPMC, select files, and then choose Add Source to add your media from wherever to your new library. There is lots of documentation over at the official XBMC site, so go there if this is your first foray into this type of thing.
I've found that I just have to turn the phone on when I walk into the bedroom, and it will boot directly into SPMC. From that point I can use Yatse on a different device to control the media center. When I am done watching content, the shutdown option inside Yatse will shut the phone off, and it just goes into a powered down charging state.
Mostly everything should play after the install, but you may need or want to adjust some settings inside SPMC/XBMC. Again, look to the official XBMC wiki for help if you need it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im confused. How does the phone charge while its hooked into the TV?
Roseysdaddy said:
Im confused. How does the phone charge while its hooked into the TV?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The mhl adapter is powered.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71TmMtz9uIL._SL1500_.jpg
One port to rule them all
adfurgerson said:
The mhl adapter is powered.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71TmMtz9uIL._SL1500_.jpg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Galaxy Note 2 with the same issue,
What is confusing me here is the phone has one MicroUSB into which three things need to plug into it
Power
OTG for Mouse and Keyboard
MHL adapter
ShiversZN said:
I have a Galaxy Note 2 with the same issue,
What is confusing me here is the phone has one MicroUSB into which three things need to plug into it
Power
OTG for Mouse and Keyboard
MHL adapter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. The mhl is a Y cable with a male micro usb on the end of cord and a female at the end with hdmi that requires power which runs adapter and charges phone.
2. OTG is only for initial setup and will not be used with mhl ( OP states this is for screens that will display but not respond to touch) after setup control will be via a second device using yatse or another remote control app.
3. See #1.
This thread is great i ened up doing this very thing after destroying the digitizer on an s3 a while ago (I was one unlucky sap to try replacing a cracked screen) and the resultof having a usless phone was made better by having a perminant xbmc device connectd to my tv-way better than satellite or cable
Awesome!
I have a few devices that I keep around. Note 2, galaxy S2, nexus 1 (and my retarded/retired phones iphone 5S, ipad and blackberry playbook). I will definitely give it a try and let you guys know how it goes.
Have you tried on your S2?
Although I've touch screen working, but my gorilla glass is broken. I dont know some are saying that they've to replace whole assemble costing $125 here. While some people on the internet say that it can be done and on ebay I saw front panel(Gorilla) being sold in India.
I just came across this thread after my own experiences with getting this going yesterday! I have an LG Optimus G (E973) with a cracked digitizer, and I was about to buy an Android box, when I realized this phone would be more powerful, and have more features, than anything I could buy in the $100 range.
I made an OTG cable myself. Very easy to do, all you need is a microUSB cable male end, and a USB female end... except, problem #1, I found out my phone doesn't support OTG power. So I had to turn it into an OTG Y-cable so it can receive power (and charge the phone) simultaneously. Then, problem #2, my kernel doesn't support OTG. I wasn't able to figure this out. So I looked for another solution.
Maybe I could install VNC or one of those ADB viewers? Hook up my computer... problem #3, not authorized for adb. Can't authorize without touchscreen. (I later discovered the device keys are stored at /data/misc/adb/adb_keys, and could have added my computer in recovery.) Went to the gf's house and found my old MacBook Air, turns out that one was authorized!
Great! I'm in... now... after fiddling around trying to get it to work in Windows and OSX, problem #4 neither VNC or ADB viewers worked. I could SEE the screen, but interaction did nothing.
Eventually, I decided to just manually run touch events from the adb shell, a la adb shell input swipe 0 0 0 1280 to pull down the menu. Armed with this, I hacked together a script with JavaScript and PHP to have a web interface I could interact with my phone through. It's SLOW as hell at 768x1280 (max 1fps, I'd say), as it uses screenshots.
If anyone is interested, here's the script I made. https:// gist.github.com/shahyar/8d24815b54b8ca1c1d9c
...It didn't end there. I decided now that I have it working, I'll reset the data. Problem #5: I forgot that this also resets debug to off. I had to calculate, using a ruler, where to swipe and tap to enable developer mode, and then enable USB debugging. I wrote an init.d script which did this.
Now, I'm just waiting for my MHL cable and Bluetooth keyboard. Let's hope those go a little better than how the rest of this adventure did.
Screen cracked and not usable
I have a further issue in that my screen is cracked and I can't see what's happening on the screen.
Any thoughts on how to set it up in this case?
Great guide, thank you for taking the time to write it mailme45
tithij said:
I have a further issue in that my screen is cracked and I can't see what's happening on the screen.
Any thoughts on how to set it up in this case?
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I was in a similar situation when I embarked on this little project, my screen was completely dead but i could hear sounds from the physical buttons so I knew the phone was on. There are a few solutions to get your phone setup, assuming you are still looking for a solution, if not I'll just mention it for the next person in this predicament. If you didn't buy your mhl adapter yet and your screen doesn't work at all, then I suggest buying a mhl cable with CEC function; this will allow you to control your phone with your tv remote when connected. These mhl adapters cost more than the ones found on ebay but also come with more features. The rocketfish RF-G1171($12 at bestbuy) for example will work with most phones including 11-pin samsung models so if you didn't buy a mhl yet, I would recommend getting one with CEC or one that comes as part of a hub, search ebay for the 5in1 mhl. If you already bought a cheap ebay one, continue reading below.
You will need a mhl cable, otg cable and usb mouse/keyboard; These steps are for people with a dead screen and digitizer. If your screen works but touch does not, just use a otg cable and mouse and if your screen doesn't work but touch does then use mhl cable and control using the touch screen.
Note** If you had USB debugging enabled already, skip to step 5
Step 1: connect the MHL cable to your phone and connect with your TV/Monitor and wait for your device to boot into the lockscreen
Step 2: Once at the lockscreen take out the mhl cable and use the otg cable to connect your mouse and swipe to unlock, switch back to mhl cable to make sure you got passed the lockscreen.
Note** If you had a password lock or pattern lock this will be very annoying, use the otg with keyboard if its a password and use mouse for pattern; might take awhile since you will be doing the pattern blind.
Step 3: use the keyboard to navigate to Settings > About Phone > scroll to "build number" and hit enter 7x to turn on developer options.
Note** As each phones menu, app layout and UI is slightly different, you may have to switch between mhl and otg just to see where you currently as you navigate. I suggest taking your time and switching between the two for each action you make, as we will only have to go through this process once.
Step 4: with developer options enabled, navigate to the "developer options" menu and turn on USB debugging.
Step 5: At this stage there are two methods, if you are lucky option 1 will work, if it does not, sadly you will have to go through the annoying mhl/otg switching to navigate one more time.
Option 1:
Install a google chrome app/extension called Vysor on your pc
Link: Vysor
This is an app developed by Koush that allows you to connect, view and control your android device on your PC through USB. The app is still in beta phase so might not work with every phone. Drivers will need to be installed for this app to work, which can be found at the Vysor homepage(I can't link to outsite sites so just google it) along with instructions. If the app works for you, I suggest the first thing you do is turn off certain features like lockscreen and sleep timer; next install a bluetooth keyboard/mouse/controller, something that will allow you to control the phone when connected to the tv/monitor through mhl. Finally you can also do all the required setups mentioned in this thread to get kodi running and when you are satisfied with the setup, connect the phone back to the tv/monitor.
Option 2:
If you were unlucky and Vysor did not work for you, navigate to the play store by switching between mhl and otg and install an app called Teamviewer Quicksupport. Install teamviewer on your PC; launch the app on your phone and you will be given an ID, use the ID on your PC to connect to the phone. When you try to connect from your PC, you will get a confirmation on your phone; make sure your phone is connected through mhl so you can see the confirmation. switch to otg to accept then switch back to mhl since you will be prompted to install an add-on, this add-on is necessary to view your phone screen on your PC. Once the add-on is installed, you will be able to see and control your phone from your pc, use your pc to setup your phone. As mentioned in option one, turn off certain features that are hindrance like lockscreen and install a bluetooth device that will let you control your phone wirelessly.
Hope this helps people with a completely dead screen but otherwise working phone, It can be very frustrating and time consuming but once you get past the initial stuff, you should be able to either link using vysor or wirelessly using teamviewer for feature setups.
So this is a great idea, except that it doesn't work for any other apps, since I do most of my watching on Netflix and HBO and I can't figure out a way to control the phone outside of Kodi.

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