Iconia A500 and 1080p Video Playback Problems

[EverythingAndriod]

Hello everyone, I plan on purchasing either an Acer Iconia Tab A500 or a Toshiba Thrive. The main problem with the Acer is poor mic quality for skype and 1080p video playback. My main reason for wanting a tab is to watch movies and youtube videos in high quality, and the Acer (from what i can see) cant deliver high quality video playback. With the Acer getting ICS, i was wondering if that would fix the problem with the poor video playback. Please comment and tell me if this is true. also how do u like your iconia tab? Can you download youtube videos in 1080p or watch quality moves? Lastly if anyone has heard word from Toshiba that the Thrive will be getting ICS please comment. Thanks

 

[Icebike]

The naked eye can't tell the difference between 720p and 1080p on a 10 inch screen.

Opinion: Worrying about 1080p in the same sentence as youtube makes no sense.

Under the hood, the Toshiba Thrive houses a 1GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor with a 10.1-inch capacitive touch screen and a 1,280x800-pixel resolution.
This is the EXACT same Processor and the EXACT same screen resolution as the ACER.

1080p is the shorthand identification for a set of HDTV high-definition video modes that are characterized by 1080 horizontal lines of resolution[1] and progressive scan, meaning the image is not interlaced as is the case with the 1080i display standard. The term assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a resolution of 1,920 pixels wide by 1,080 high.

So you can see immediately that NEITHER of these tablets is capable of outputting 1080p to the built in screen.
In both cases, the screen is only 1280x800. It can't reproduce 1920x1080.

That leaves 1080p output via the HDMI port to a TV. The Tegra chipset is capable of delivering 1080p to the HDMI port but it is not clear that EITHER ACER or TOSHIBA has turned that on yet.

Some say it has, but others have TVs that report what they are actually receiving, and only show 720p. See this post regarding 1080p output for Toshiba. Same as the Acer - see here.





There are multiple threads on this in this forum, so use the search box at the top.

 

[EverythingAndriod]

My probably isnt really outputting its the fact that I wont be able to watch videos on the tab in 1080p. I download a lot of videos from youtube, which are sometimes 1080p (how that doesnt make sense to you i don't understand). Toshiba on the other hand can play some 1080p videos in standard profile. Acer has multiple frame drops in standard profile and anything you download with high profile won't even play on the tab (seen in a review video by mobiletechreview on youtube). I am wondering if this probably would be fixed if ICS was put on the tablet, which reliable sources have said is possible.

 

[Icebike]

Actually the tab will play 1080p video, just not at 1080p. It down samples them to 720p. Same as the Toshiba.

 

[diiorio]

1080p only works via HDMI out to a supported display. It works via the updated acer media player, moto, and Netflix , and those software supportign 1080p. As long as you are updated to 3.1.2+

 

[ripperduggan]

The video playback is only as good as your TV is. The HDMI is great but if your TV isn't the greatest, then your
playback won't be the best... I have a "Samsung " TV and the quality of playback is amazing. It not the tablet believe me it does its job . The best money I have spent in along time. I paid $319 Canadian .... Now that's quality
Sent from my A500 using Android Tablet Forum

 

[diiorio]

want impressive. Play Onlive games via HDMI, looks so much sharper via hdmi (remember onlive is cloud gaming running on their hardware). Love the design of the acer tabs with USB and HDMI (sorry A200's). Load up onlive App. Plug in a xbox360 controller or a mouse and keyboard. Game on the go, or use it as a small PC to hook up to any HD set and PC game anywhere.


Genkai is another factor, the browser defaults to 720p and won't display at 1080p. Wish the browser would support it.



Note: after checking specs on the THrive, it uses the older Tegra 2 chip, and outputs at 720p, with the multidock it will upscale to 1080p.

The A500 uses the gen 2 design of the 250 chipset and allows 1080p output via HDMI with the correct supported build of Honeycomb that supports it as well.

1080p output depends of other factors. Apps must be programmed for it. Some apps will not output at 1080p, or use the proper video codecs for 1080p.