Expert Blogs
This article contains highly technical information tailored to hardcore geeks/engineers. However, section “2. Which one to go for?” is digestable for beginners. I haven't been able to find any reliable information on the internet about the image quality, speed, and scaling differences of the two 30-pin HDMI adapters: the first-generation MC953ZM/A (model number A1388) and the second-generation MD098ZM/A (A1422) one. The only information I could gather on the differences were the news items reporting the release of the new adapter. As I know quite a bit about both video theory, processing, and iOS programming, plus have the necessary hardware to properly assess HDMI image quality and speed, I found it necessary to come up with an in-depth article on the differences.
The following article is for people using any kind of external display with their iDevices, and for programmers who would like to provide as good of external display output in their apps as possible. People have a lot of misconceptions regarding Tv output from iDevices; most importantly regarding the black borders on the left and right sides of the external image and also on the top and bottom. As an engineer well versed in video technology, engineering, and iOS programming, I found it necessary to get the facts right in a manner digestable for advanced iOS users (and all programmers).
While I don't really consider it one of the best players out there, the generic multimedia player CineXPlayer is still pretty popular with folks. This is why I'm constantly asked by my readers to review the updated versions whenever they come out. While I do not recommend this player over nPlayer or AVPlayerHD, only check it out if you can/want to make use of its Dolby Digital features, built-in Web browser, or TV station directory. As a standalone video player, it's considerably weaker than nPlayer or AVPlayerHD. Note that there are two versions of the app, both called HD. There is only a one-character difference between their names: the iPad-only version (AppStore link; $3.99) is called “CineXPlayer HD – The best way to enjoy your movies” (with a hyphen), while the iPhone/iPod touch version (AppStore link; $1.99) is named “CineXPlayer HD = The best way to enjoy your movies” (with an equation mark instead of the hyphen).
This article targets advanced users who would like to play back MKV video files off SMB networking shares; that is, without copying them on their iDevices first.
Over at MacRumors (original question & answer), I've been asked to elaborate on the current state of SMB + MKV support on iOS.
This article explains how you can output still images to your external display (TV, projector etc.) from your iDevice and what you should do to maximize quality. While some of the material requires advanced knowledge (including having read my previous multimedia-specific articles), the “All in All” section at the bottom is digestable for beginners (at least I hope it is).
Apple's stock image slideshow implementation output is, unfortunately, half-hearted. (iDevices utilize the native TV output while playing slideshows. Apart from Retina iPads, it is the only way of making full use of the more advanced output types, namely, HDMI and VGA.)
Note: this article is only for users with jailbroken devices. Sorry about that: Apple's locking down the entire system and no longer provides configuration options. I love using my iPhone 5 to take quick HDR and panorama shots. While the image quality of the phone generally doesn't compare to that of dedicated enthusiast point-and-shoot cameras such as the Sony RX100 or Panasonic LX-7, both HDR and particularly the panorama mode of the iPhone 5 are stunning. While I have several panorama-enabled cameras, I only use the iPhone 5 for shooting quick panoramas. In practice, it delivers the most consistent, artifact-free panoramas. Just for a comparison: not even the latest-and-greatest Panasonic ZS-30, with its excellent travel zoom, can deliver panoramas of comparable quality and dependability.
A new multimedia player, EVGPlayer ($0.99), has recently been released in the App Store. Since the player is cheap and offers both AC3 and DTS (two very widely used formats), my readers immediately asked me to review it as soon as possible to see whether it's worth purchasing. The developers will likely be forced to remove AC3 and / or DTS support in the near future, as has happened to all other, recently-released players.
This article is only meant for advanced users - ones that 1, know how the file system of iDevices can be accessed; 2, aren't afraid of doing so. Note that unless you edit other files than I describe, my fix is absolutely safe.
This post is intended for readers with advanced technical knowledge who have jailbroken devices. If you don't jailbreak, it contains information about the real-world performance of Apple's new Lightning-HDMI adapter.
As a developer for iOS, Android, and Windows who also teaches their programming, I have all the major iDevice models ever released. (But, naturally, I don't have the different storage / 3G / color configurations in one model.)
As I always carry many of these iDevices with me, I also need at least twice the number of cables. Let's also take into account that Apple's own cables have a tendency to break apart and the need increases even more. Just Google, “iPhone cable breaking apart”; and you'll find threads with pictures such as this and this.
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