LG the V: Watching video on the LG VX9800
I have been wanting a new cell phone for a while now. My old Sony Ericsson T610 was a great phone and did everything I needed, but it lacked a music/video player and the connections were wearing out. First I went to the Sprint store to see what they had. I tried the new LG Fusic which was awesome (includes GPS navigation) except there was no way for me to get my calendar synced with it. I took it back and tried the Samsung A920. Another cool phone with stereo speakers, but again no calendar sync.
Right now I am trying out an LG VX9800 which Verizon calls "LG the V". It is a very cool device which flips open on the side to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard for messaging. I also found an open source application called bitpim which lets me sync my contacts and calendar as well as send mp3 songs to the phone to use as ring tones. I also picked up a 1G miniSD card for it and have transferred music and video to watch on the road.
Here is a short HOW-TO on getting video on your VX9800. Of course, this assumes you are running Linux.
Step 1: Convert your source video
This is the most important step as the video must be in a format that the phone understands or it will not play. The easiest way to do this is with ffmpeg.
ffmpeg -i inputfilename.ogg -s 320x240 -vcodec mpeg4 -r 15 outputfilename.mp4
Step 2: Rename your file
You also need to rename your file since the phone will not recognize files with .mp4 extensions even though it knows how to play them (someone from Microsoft must have programmed this thing).
mv outputfilename.mp4 outputfilename.3g2
Step 3: Transfer your file to your miniSD card
Just plug your miniSD card into your card reader and it should automatically mount under most recent Linux distributions. Copy the 3g2 file onto your card. On my FC5 system it looks like this.
cp outputfilename.3g2 /media/disk/my_flix
Step 4: Play your video on your VX9800
Now just plug your miniSD card back into your phone and you are ready to kick back and enjoy your video. If you just need a video to test with, you can try the trailer for our show below which I have already converted to work with the VX9800.
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Hey Anewcomb,
Bought that phone during the summer, verizon had a buy 1 get 1 deal, so my son got one also. Haven't really had a chance to play with it much yet, but going to try to put video on it with your tip. Thanks alot. Just wondering if you got the phone from verizon, I hear they disable things in there phones. I guess I'll find out when I try and put the video on the phone. Thanks again for the tip.
mysterio, Yes, I got my
mysterio,
Yes, I got my phone from Verizon, and they do lock out features on the phones. Or, at least, they make them harder to use. You should check out BitPim if you are interested in getting around some of the restrictions on "the V". Especially, syncing and transferring files.
Aaron
Funny you mention that
Funny you mention that someone from microsoft must have programmed it. I was talking to the Verizon rep that sold me this phone, and was inquiring about the iPhone. He said verizon would never carry it, because all their phones ran microsoft software. HRM. how interesting.
Microsoft
LG Electronics currently sponsors the English football club Fulham F.C, the Brazilian football club São Paulo, AEK from Greece, the International Cricket Council, Australian Football League club the Fremantle Football Club and National Rugby League club Cronulla Sharks.
microsoft
Microsoft has often been described as having a developer-centric business culture. A great deal of time and money is spent each year on recruiting young university-trained software developers and on keeping them in the company.
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