Forum Home
Press F1
 
Thread ID: 121572 2011-11-01 06:43:00 Android question: Can it play media directly from the USB port? BBCmicro (15761) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1241237 2011-11-01 06:43:00 I can't tell from the fantastic manual whether the Sony Tablet S can play media directly from a USB device. The on-line manual talks a lot about transferring content to the internal memory -

www.mobicity.com.au

Same question regarding the Asus Transformer TF101
BBCmicro (15761)
1241238 2011-11-01 07:12:00 I've played movies directly off a USB drive on an Asus TF101 running 3.1. inphinity (7274)
1241239 2011-11-01 07:27:00 +1, I have too, both a USB Thumbdrive, HDD, USB -> SD Card Adapter, and from the internal MicroSD port. Plays brilliantly :) Chilling_Silence (9)
1241240 2011-11-01 07:39:00 Thanks

Supplementary question: Is the TF101 OK for downloading a driver or similar file from the internet? It's not limited to 'media' files, is it?
BBCmicro (15761)
1241241 2011-11-01 07:46:00 You can download whatever you want, but it won't run standard windows executables etc. if you're just after downloading them and copying them to a USB drive, no problem. inphinity (7274)
1241242 2011-11-01 08:05:00 Thanks again

(I'm sort of learning how much a tablet is a 'computer' versus a 'media player')
BBCmicro (15761)
1241243 2011-11-01 19:07:00 Yeah no worries. Todays Android tablets are pretty darn flexible and incredibly powerful too!! :D Chilling_Silence (9)
1241244 2011-11-03 02:54:00 Update: I took a portable HDD into Sony Wellington and connected it to the Sony Tablet using a gender changer and another cable. It didn't spin. So I asked for the Sony adaptor (SGPUC1, microPlug-to-standardSocket). Didn't have any - said they were on order. Even when they arrived it might not work until a software fix was used. Possibly Ice Cream Sandwich? Said to enquire in a week or so... Not very encouraging, too many mights and maybes

Comments:

- Tablet has a micro USB port of the 'device' type. Just like on latest WD portable HDDs
- that would mean easy connection to a desktop PC or other host. (They don't supply a cable but Jaycar sell them for about $12, I think)
- presumably this would allow the PC to copy stuff to the 16 or 32 GB Tablet storage
- online User Guide says the port is 'USB micro-AB'
- I take this to mean both host and device capabilities in the same (device) connector
- User Guide says port can supply standard 500 mA (The Tablet battery cannot be charged via the USB port)
- the Sony USB adaptor-cable SGPUC1 ends in a standard host connector like the USB ports on a PC
- I presume that the special adaptor cable has some sort of cross-over wired into it
- if Honeycomb can drive a USB host port, Tablet S should as well
- but it's possible that piggy-backing host capabilities onto a device port is too new to be included in Honeycomb 3.x?
- or perhaps it already does work as a host port but you need the cross-over cable? (listed at $26)

Will update in a week or so
BBCmicro (15761)
1241245 2011-11-03 03:08:00 You're getting USB Host ports confused with USB Devices... Chilling_Silence (9)
1241246 2011-11-03 03:20:00 I wondered about that. So a device port is one on a host machine? For connecting a device to?

I was assuming a device port identified a device...

Would welcome clarification
BBCmicro (15761)
1 2