Boox Max HDMI mode not crisp

nomeata · 02-27-2021, 03:12 PM

(This is about the Max Lumi, but probably applies to the other Max devices as well.)

I received my eagerly awaited Boox Max Lumi two days ago, and I had high hopes for the HDMI monitor mode. Unfortunately, I am facing troubles.

It can connect to my Linux laptop (a Thinkpad), xrandr shows the 2200×1650 resolution for the HDMI1 device, and I can show my screen there. But it doesn't look right: The fonts are frazzeled, and one-pixel-wide solid black lines turn out to to be dotted. This is in „Fast mode”, the other modes are worse in their own ways.

It looks as if the picture is not transmitted in a lossless way, but rather scaled down and up again somewhere? Or else compressed.

Same when using it from a Windows laptop.

Is there something I could check?

As an alternative, I tried to use VNC (MultiVNC on Android, x11vnc on my laptop). Now the text and lines are as crisp as one would expects from a high-res eInk display. But this way, the latency is just a bit too high, I can type a word or two before I see it. This was via Wifi, but also via USB cable (I didn't get USB networking working, but tried adb reverse). I am not sure why this is delayed; whether it’s the a problem with VNC in general, or this VNC client?

So, right now I can choose between low latency but bad quality (HDMI) or good quality but high latency (VNC). How I achieve both?

nomeata · 02-27-2021, 03:24 PM

I see, if I reconfigure the VNC client to also use Speed mode, then the latency is actually not too bad.

I still wish I could use the HDMI variant. Or maybe this is actually nicer, as I can then also use touchand only need one cable. (But then it was a bit silly to go for the Boox for its HDMI input when any other device would have worked as well.)

MarjaE · 05-04-2021, 09:53 PM

Is this still an issue? I'm looking for an e-ink monitor and considering the Max Lumi.

nomeata · 05-07-2021, 01:15 AM

I did not find a way to solve this, unfortunately

rowe · 05-14-2021, 10:55 AM

I have the Boox Max 3 and a Dasung HD-F.

They both have the same screen hardware (as does the Lumi), and I connected them both using HDMI.

Comparatively the performance of the Max 3 as a monitor is terrible to the point of being unusable IMO. The Dasung is optimised to do one thing, and it does it much better.

Unfortunately Dasung's support is very poor though.

cqman · 05-15-2021, 11:53 PM

Several days ago, Onyx leaked a video demo on its Chinese social media Weibo.

It looks like the monitor mode improves a lot.

https://weibo.com/1870309315/Kf5ZKsP...309315_profile

tracey1 · 05-16-2021, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cqman

Several days ago, Onyx leaked a video demo on its Chinese social media Weibo.

It looks like the monitor mode improves a lot.

https://weibo.com/1870309315/Kf5ZKsP...309315_profile

Is this mode available in the current product ?

tracey1 · 05-16-2021, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowe

I have the Boox Max 3 and a Dasung HD-F.

Comparatively the performance of the Max 3 as a monitor is terrible to the point of being unusable IMO.
.

How does the perform when it's connected through other ways other than HDMI ? I've heard it's better when you connect it through USB.

rowe · 05-17-2021, 01:22 AM

I don’t know, but it seems unlikely to me when the HDMI port is specifically provided for it to be used as a monitor. I may be wrong

tommyer · 06-22-2021, 10:25 AM

Is it true that the Lumi is much better for monitor usage than Max 2 (incl. Pro) or 3? I use a reference management software called Citavi (similar to e.g. Zotero). I would like to know if these devices, and especially Lumi, can handle Citavi sufficiently (fast enough) using them as monitor.

nomeata · 10-19-2022, 04:52 PM

I have not fully be able to reproduce it, but this youtube video claims to know a way out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVGKkl4H1d0

MarjaE · 10-21-2022, 09:13 AM

On the Max3, I found screen-mirroring apps worked better than hdmi.

Can't watch the video, though, too shaky.

nomeata · 10-28-2022, 04:32 AM

Which screen-mirroring app do you use? I.e. via the network?

Is there an app that mirrors the screen and at the same time relays the touche events to the computer, so that you can use it to draw etc?

batman52 · 12-02-2023, 05:40 PM

I have tested spacedesk (https://www.spacedesk.net/), anydesk (https://anydesk.com/it), and somewhat tried superdisplay (https://superdisplay.app/).
For the moment I am using spacedesk over USB with my work setup (windows) as windows extended monitor, and anydesk over wireless with my personal laptop.
I found the latter to provide a better experience despite the (supposedly worse) latency over wireless, because I created an user with OS in light theme, resolution to match well the boox screen format, and screen mirror (isntead of screen extension).
Superdisplay is said to have better latency, but I could only test it with my boox poke4lite, and it did not seem to work correctly: I did see a mouse pointer move with low latency, but windows were not there.

02-27-2021, 03:12 PM	#1
nomeata Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Kobo Aura HD	Boox Max HDMI mode not crisp (This is about the Max Lumi, but probably applies to the other Max devices as well.) I received my eagerly awaited Boox Max Lumi two days ago, and I had high hopes for the HDMI monitor mode. Unfortunately, I am facing troubles. It can connect to my Linux laptop (a Thinkpad), xrandr shows the 2200×1650 resolution for the HDMI1 device, and I can show my screen there. But it doesn't look right: The fonts are frazzeled, and one-pixel-wide solid black lines turn out to to be dotted. This is in „Fast mode”, the other modes are worse in their own ways. It looks as if the picture is not transmitted in a lossless way, but rather scaled down and up again somewhere? Or else compressed. Same when using it from a Windows laptop. Is there something I could check? As an alternative, I tried to use VNC (MultiVNC on Android, x11vnc on my laptop). Now the text and lines are as crisp as one would expects from a high-res eInk display. But this way, the latency is just a bit too high, I can type a word or two before I see it. This was via Wifi, but also via USB cable (I didn't get USB networking working, but tried adb reverse). I am not sure why this is delayed; whether it’s the a problem with VNC in general, or this VNC client? So, right now I can choose between low latency but bad quality (HDMI) or good quality but high latency (VNC). How I achieve both?

05-17-2021, 01:22 AM	#9
rowe Zealot Posts: 136 Karma: 4719872 Join Date: Jul 2019 Device: Hisense Hi Reader Pro, Boox Mira, Dasung Paperlike Colour	I don’t know, but it seems unlikely to me when the HDMI port is specifically provided for it to be used as a monitor. I may be wrong Last edited by rowe; 07-03-2021 at 01:38 PM.

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02-27-2021, 03:24 PM	#2
nomeata Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Kobo Aura HD	I see, if I reconfigure the VNC client to also use Speed mode, then the latency is actually not too bad. I still wish I could use the HDMI variant. Or maybe this is actually nicer, as I can then also use touchand only need one cable. (But then it was a bit silly to go for the Boox for its HDMI input when any other device would have worked as well.)

05-04-2021, 09:53 PM	#3
MarjaE Guru Posts: 924 Karma: 53902736 Join Date: Jun 2015 Device: multiple	Is this still an issue? I'm looking for an e-ink monitor and considering the Max Lumi.

05-07-2021, 01:15 AM	#4
nomeata Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Kobo Aura HD	I did not find a way to solve this, unfortunately

05-14-2021, 10:55 AM	#5
rowe Zealot Posts: 136 Karma: 4719872 Join Date: Jul 2019 Device: Hisense Hi Reader Pro, Boox Mira, Dasung Paperlike Colour	I have the Boox Max 3 and a Dasung HD-F. They both have the same screen hardware (as does the Lumi), and I connected them both using HDMI. Comparatively the performance of the Max 3 as a monitor is terrible to the point of being unusable IMO. The Dasung is optimised to do one thing, and it does it much better. Unfortunately Dasung's support is very poor though.

05-15-2021, 11:53 PM	#6
cqman Groupie Posts: 170 Karma: 30112 Join Date: Jan 2017 Device: Kindle DXG, Onyx Boox Max1, Max2, Nova, Hisense A5 Pro	Several days ago, Onyx leaked a video demo on its Chinese social media Weibo. It looks like the monitor mode improves a lot. https://weibo.com/1870309315/Kf5ZKsP...309315_profile

06-22-2021, 10:25 AM	#10
tommyer Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2017 Device: onyx boox i62ml; boox note	Is it true that the Lumi is much better for monitor usage than Max 2 (incl. Pro) or 3? I use a reference management software called Citavi (similar to e.g. Zotero). I would like to know if these devices, and especially Lumi, can handle Citavi sufficiently (fast enough) using them as monitor.

10-19-2022, 04:52 PM	#11
nomeata Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Kobo Aura HD	I have not fully be able to reproduce it, but this youtube video claims to know a way out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVGKkl4H1d0

10-21-2022, 09:13 AM	#12
MarjaE Guru Posts: 924 Karma: 53902736 Join Date: Jun 2015 Device: multiple	On the Max3, I found screen-mirroring apps worked better than hdmi. Can't watch the video, though, too shaky.

10-28-2022, 04:32 AM	#13
nomeata Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Kobo Aura HD	Which screen-mirroring app do you use? I.e. via the network? Is there an app that mirrors the screen and at the same time relays the touche events to the computer, so that you can use it to draw etc?

12-02-2023, 05:40 PM	#14
batman52 Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Nice Device: Nokia5530 DingooA320	I have tested spacedesk (https://www.spacedesk.net/), anydesk (https://anydesk.com/it), and somewhat tried superdisplay (https://superdisplay.app/). For the moment I am using spacedesk over USB with my work setup (windows) as windows extended monitor, and anydesk over wireless with my personal laptop. I found the latter to provide a better experience despite the (supposedly worse) latency over wireless, because I created an user with OS in light theme, resolution to match well the boox screen format, and screen mirror (isntead of screen extension). Superdisplay is said to have better latency, but I could only test it with my boox poke4lite, and it did not seem to work correctly: I did see a mouse pointer move with low latency, but windows were not there.