Onyx Boox as monitor

[mdp]

Originally Posted by mobama

When you connect it to a computer to use it as a monitor, can you keep doing the tablet things on it or does it transmorph itself into a plain monitor? Are there two modes (monitor vs e.g. connected storage device) you can switch between or can you use the two modes in parallel?

The monitor functionality that possesses the screen is, correctly for Android, an "Activity": you have a "monitor software".
You connect the device to a gfx card through HDMI: its host sees a Toshiba monitor.
You open the "Monitor software application" on the tablet: you can use the tablet as monitor having the HDMI as source.
You task switch from "Monitor" to "Angry birds": you get other apps = you just pause that app that was giving you the "monitor". The "Recent tasks switch" icon is conveniently placed right beside the "Menu" icon in the top-right corner, you can see it in all the screenshots and videos that show the statusbar; in a post in a parallel thread I posted a photo of its interface as it works.
I mean, you can task switch from "[HDMI] Monitor" to "Angry birds*" to "VNC" to "Lightning" to "TeamViewer"...

* Disclaimer: I have never played to Angry birds and in particular I have never tested it on the Max2.

Originally Posted by mobama

When you connect a plain monitor, you have this:
COMPUTER ---- (HDMI) ---> MONITOR
and the monitor has a separate power cable.

This works with Max2 Pro also? I.e. HDMI is one hole and there is a different hole for charging that can be plugged in at the same time?

Of course! You have the HDMI and USB side by side, and the USB is also used for charging like in most devices.

Originally Posted by mobama

Usually with tablets and smartphones and such, they tend to have a combined port for data transfer and charging

That's the USB. The HDMI is specialized.

[mobama]

@mdp
Seriously sounds like I totally want it. One more thing: Are there VESA holes at the back (to mount it on one of the generic monitor legs that I happen to have)? Or does it have some sort of leg of its own in the package?

[mdp]

Originally Posted by mobama

Seriously sounds like I totally want it.

Glad to know! (I have been an Onyx enthusiast for years, and I HOPE I will remain one for a very long time, but I am not part of them.)

Originally Posted by mobama

One more thing: Are there VESA holes at the back (to mount it on one of the generic monitor legs that I happen to have)? Or does it have some sort of leg of its own in the package?

No, the back is flat. There are supports for sale, and I am pretty sure even official ones.

[marcosscriven]

Originally Posted by mdp

It's like a bee swarm. This is why it consumes battery! It does, but there is no need to do it!

I see just what you mean now - 'bee swarm' is an excellent description.

I took a little video to show what it looks like: https://youtu.be/RxTeT6umEwc

I think the dithering algo must be using some non-deterministic function, which is why it's different per frame?

[marcosscriven]

In an attempt to be positive here, I found on macOS the accessibility options here help quite a bit:

• Use grayscale
• Increase contrast
• Slide 'Display contrast' to max
• Increase pointer size

[mdp]

Originally Posted by marcosscriven

I think the dithering algo must be using some non-deterministic function, which is why it's different per frame?

It looks (without fullest analysis) like a deterministic function with cascade: a change of a pixel in an area scrambles all the subsequent dots.

EDIT: that picture you posted inline is an 800x600; you just found the surefire way to get the attention of the Overlord. Whose wrath you never tempt. For the immediate thing, I suggest you resize it to a 600x450; then, you should read the guidelines because they are not trivial and this is just a detail you would read in them. The link is afoot the page.

[marcosscriven]

Originally Posted by mdp

It looks (without fullest analysis) like a deterministic function with cascade: a change of a pixel in an area scrambles all the subsequent dots.

The little video I took however is of an entirely static background. As it's a digital signal, I therefore don't see where the change would come from, unless there were some frame-to-frame randomness introduced in the dithering?

[marcosscriven]

Originally Posted by mdp

It looks (without fullest analysis) like a deterministic function with cascade: a change of a pixel in an area scrambles all the subsequent dots.

EDIT: that picture you posted inline is an 800x600; you just found the surefire way to get the attention of the Overlord. Whose wrath you never tempt. For the immediate thing, I suggest you resize it to a 600x450; then, you should read the guidelines because they are not trivial and this is just a detail you would read in them. The link is afoot the page.

Apologies - I shall heed your advice.

[mdp]

I tried TeamViewer with the Max2.
TV has been the leading remote desktop software for a long while, chiefly used for on-demand remote access to personal computers and mobile devices. As we found out many months ago, TV can also be used on local networks (normally the communication would pass through their servers for technical reasons).

And I have to say, TeamViewer works well! As many of you know, it's set up very easily - it was built to ensure that any department including clerical and management could use it.

Thing is, I am managing to crash it. If, for instance, I sleep with my elbow on [PgDown] while on an Office Automation text document, at some point the client on the Android tablet goes "please, I can't take it anymore" and will not update the screen (so you disconnect and reconnect).

Otherwise, if you do not stress-test it, it works well.

One strangely missing feature: the TV app for Android does not seem to have its option to rotate the screen. Quality Assurance is so hard to find this days.

[fabris]

Interesting HDMI test with a macro lens:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L0pyzJ4LJM

[mdp]

Originally Posted by fabris

Interesting HDMI test with a macro lens:

At not in-depth glance, I see many points consistent with what I (just) wrote.
But, the experimenter did not seem to use the basic idea of rotating either the PC desktop or the Android... He is demonstrating software in the most uncomfortable way!
And he uses "Normal EPD mode" to display animations, imperfect practice.

Anyway: I would say that the best results I obtained with VNC, more than TV.
And, we should really use USB instead of Wi-Fi.

EDIT: that video, which I skimmed, is not really just an "HDMI" test but a comparison HDMI vs. Remote Desktop.

[cqman]

Originally Posted by fabris

Interesting HDMI test with a macro lens:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L0pyzJ4LJM

I checked the video and found one setting was not at its best.

Quote my comment here:

I've noticed that you set the resolution as 2104*1560. That's not an optimal resolution for Max2 as a monitor. Onyx recommends 1400*1050 in Windows with 150% display scaling up as best practice. The resolution of second generation 13.3 E ink screen is 2200*1650, it's better to match the exact ratio, you do the math.

Edit: 2200/1650=1.3333...
2104/1560=1.34871794871795
It might cause a little bit of distortion.

[mdp]

Originally Posted by cqman

I checked the video and found one setting was not at its best.

Just one? He was viewing a landscape through a portrait!

If you do not like bizarre measures, 1280x960 is your friend.
But scaling softens everything. So, on Linux, I set the original desktop to 2200x1650 (through panning); the result was excellent on VNC. That was done on an ad-hoc user with font-sizes set to 14 etc. (but basically just that).

Measures that do not respect the 4:3 ratio are useful in non-immersive mode - when you keep the Android statusbar visible

[mdp]

I uploaded a first video of the Max2 as monitor.
Here it is:
EDIT: I am having a problem with the forum engine video function... Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCoN5kehPqs

«[...] the beginning of Machinarium from Amanita Design, as viewed from HDMI.»

[mdp]

I just uploaded a second video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k4HHOe56K8

From the description:

Here is an x11vnc session on a Linux desktop connecting to the Max2 through Wi-Fi and terminating to Iordan Iordanov's bVNC client.

The video is brought to a hefty 2200x1650, the native resolution of the tablet - no scaling performed. The VNC performs quite well, given these specifications. Nonetheless, when the page scrolling appears jaggy, that is a consequence.

Initially I show the use of the mouse, then of the touchscreen.
I demonstrate rich text editing on Office Automation software, then an image viewer.
Around 3:15 .. 3:20 I switch from "Normal EPD mode" to "A2 mode" because video is demonstrated in the next chunk.