This is the question I've been trying to answer in Smartphones Show 44, using a Nokia N95 and a Bluetooth keyboard cold turkey for a working week. Did the experiment succeed? Also, Rafe and I were at HTC's big launch two days ago in London. Non-Symbian, but still very interesting, show 44 includes my video report.
Read on in the full article.
Steve, no more h263 mp4 file??? I can�t play the h264 one on my P1, even with Core Player (it was supposed to work that way, but it does not)
I am sure there are lots of people that would like it also
Hm.... I can't help it if the P1i doesn't measure up! 8-) The P1i was SUPPOSED to play H.264 video........ File it as another P1i/UIQ 3 bug?
I've had 2 or 3 complaints so far, since show 43 a fortnight ago, out of many tens of thousands of viewers....
Jury's still out though....
Steve, as you know, I was one of the people who wrote to you privately asking to go back to H263. I know you are a S60 devotee, but please bear in mind that we UIQ users want to enjoy the Smartphones Show on our mobiles too. And AFAIK no UIQ device plays H264. Maybe you haven't been flooded with complaints, but I still think it's something of a point of principle to cater for *all* Symbian users.
Best regards,
Malcolm
www.freepoc.org
PS I see that Rafe is still using H263 for his AAS video podcasts. And the quality is just fine 😉
Ah, but the point of the Smartphones Show is NOT to give people with a smartphone something to watch, but to evangelise the concept of smartphones and giving informed buying decisions to those that might not already own one!
8-)
And I still think a bug is a bug. The P1i *should* be able to play H.264 video, like (almost) every S60 device released in the last year or so. If it can't, then it needs to be fed back to Sony Ericsson, to improve their firmware.
Apart from a noticeable quality improvement, the change to H.264 was in part forced by a change in video production software at this end. So it wasn't just me being mean!
The e61 is also supposed to be able to play h.264 using the included realplayer app. It cannot. Very frustrating. I've been using the podcasting app to keep track of your show for ages, and now I can't. I'm sure that I'm not the only one cut off by the codec change.
No, the E61 has never been able to play H.264 videos. It's too old. 8-)
The question remains though, whether I should continue going for the extra 10 to 20% increase in quality at the expense of losing up to 5% of my audience, at least on their phones - their desktops will still play the show, of course.
The jury's still out! More opinions on video quality, comparing shows 43 and 44 to earlier ones, needed! Comments?
Steve
hi
replacing a pc - with s60 ??? - no way. but with s80 - yes - all is in for you to replace any pc with a communicator. i do so.
* one can print from almost everywhere, even via infrared
* web browsing (limited but turn pictures off and all information are yours - sometimes same fast than on a pc),
* a FAST office program which works great with edit and viewing and one can even print and fax,
* one can access servers via ssh/telnet/vnc/citrix/vpn - take f-ssh and you have even port forwarding
* email works even with having multiple messages/accounts open - one should expect this
* one can open and SAVE ANY web-downloads and open a new web browser window to access another web page
* did i mention already having possibility to fax - yes i did - but just that you get what you s60-generation miss !
* one can open several office documents
* one can embed one office document into another
* one has charts in sheet application
* one has device editable databases
* one as a file-browser and can access every corner of the file system
* with a file-browser you do not have to care to open a certain program for what you like to create - just create a new file -> enter type (like word, sheet or text file) and the program opens for you !
so - there you can see what it means to replace the pc with a mobile handset !
and i do not understand how people try to sell one the idea to have a s60 thumb phone replace a pc !
and worst how nokia let drop such a system!
have fun !
My PC can't:
- be used for navigation in the car
- take DVD quality video
- make phone calls!
:tongue:
Different people different experinces. I use my E90 a lot more for business than I ever used my 9500. QO does not limit me at all. I am sure the QO Adobe reader is better than the one on the 9500. The screen on the E90 is wonderful and the Push email (for free) is great.
just tried to download SS on to my E65, wont play due to wrong codec.
So to answer the question, no a E-series smartphone cannot replace a laptop as long as codecs are not supported.
Can a smartphone replace a laptop?
Just use your laptop to view this video (because you can't play it on your smartphone) and decide for yourself!
Does that seem odd to anyone?
For the record, I carry a 9500 to do most laptop-like stuff.
It's very annoying that Nokia's Eseries team don't even include video codecs that have been available in S60 on the Nseries for several years....
Grr......
The E90 does play H.264, albeit with occasional pauses (firmware bug, I think)
Steve
Same here Steve.
I haven't been able to watch the last 2 SS on my e61i.
Perhaps there are more of us out there and we just haven't bothered to mention it yet (like me....
...till now that is!)
Is it possible for you to port the show to the H.263 format at the time you create the H.264 format? Save it as a separate link for backward compatibility. Is the quality of the H.264 format really noticeable on a phone screen? I believe the new format is more about transmission efficiency rather than video quality; it is the same as MPEG-2.
Well, I'll try. Last time I tried H.263 MP4 from my new video s/w, the whole app crashed. Watch this space.
The change was forced because Ulead Video Studio 10 Plus was crashing randomly, even after reinstallation, and Corel took over Ulead and I've lost faith in them....
Anyway....
Steve:
I have to visit people at their homes and places of work and write statements for them (with a pen!)
I'd love to use my N95 as a laptop. I'm all ready to buy a Bluetooth kepboard and the Quickoffice upgrade...even a Bluetooth or Infrared-enabled printer. But my question is: how can I print from my N95?
The requirements are not much. .it's just lines of text, with a 4-inch header on page 1. I can't seem to find much information about whether it's even possible. Without this, I'll be forced to get a laptop. 😞