JXD Android tablets ??

[ElSeven]

has anyone tried these out? I need a new device to use while traveling and these look pretty awesome.  I'm sure quality control is an issue though, considering the price point...

[roflmao]

I'd say.  Even their image is broken.

[HercTNT]

has anyone tried these out? I need a new device to use while traveling and these look pretty awesome.  I'm sure quality control is an issue though, considering the price point...

I own the device you have pictured above. First rule of thumb with devices like these, don't buy them for how they come stock. The JXD 7300b works like shit outta the box. After updating with third party firmware, and installing better emulators and games it works very well. The D-pad is a tad soft, but sound is very good, the screen is excellent, compatibility after custom firmware is very good, and the machine is extremely fast for what it is.

Maybe we can get a few other android lovers on board with this thread and workout some details on stuff like dosbox and emulators.

[ElSeven]

has anyone tried these out? I need a new device to use while traveling and these look pretty awesome.  I'm sure quality control is an issue though, considering the price point...

I own the device you have pictured above. First rule of thumb with devices like these, don't buy them for how they come stock. The JXD 7300b works like shit outta the box. After updating with third party firmware, and installing better emulators and games it works very well. The D-pad is a tad soft, but sound is very good, the screen is excellent, compatibility after custom firmware is very good, and the machine is extremely fast for what it is.

Maybe we can get a few other android lovers on board with this thread and workout some details on stuff like dosbox and emulators.

if i may ask, where did you order it from?  Willgoo seems to be pretty popular, but they ran out of the white model so I'll have to try somewhere else.

[HercTNT]

from willgoo, and honestly my preference is black. When the white gets dirty its much easier to see. when you do get yours, let me know. i have got alot of stuff running on custom roms, but am having trouble with stuff like dosbox turbo.

[geise]

Don't all of these JXD devices have sound lag still?  Plus, it has android.    I wish open source hardware developers would switch back to using Linux.

[HercTNT]

depends on what emulator or program your using and how well they were programmed. I have zero sound lag in quality emulators and programs. the ones that are unoptimized or pure shit, have a wide range of problems. android works fine for most things and it not always the problem.

[roflmao]

I had no idea these existed.  Those 7300s sure look sweet.

[ElSeven]

Don't all of these JXD devices have sound lag still?

from what I understand, the Yinlips line of mobile gaming devices are notorious for their sound lag, while the JXDs fair better in this category.  Right now the biggest issue plaguing the JXD S7300 is that the screen is locked at 50Hz , making some emulators choppy.

[futureman2000]

Problems aside, this thing looks pretty rad.

[SignOfZeta]

While it *looks* absolutely terrific, so have a lot of other "emulation handhelds" from the past decade or so and most of those were always just shy of being good enough to really get into.

I'll stick with my Gameboy/NeoGeoPocket/DS/Wonderswan/whatever. At least I know what I'm getting into and I don't have to spend the entire weekend fucking with it to get it to work properly.

[HercTNT]

While it *looks* absolutely terrific, so have a lot of other "emulation handhelds" from the past decade or so and most of those were always just shy of being good enough to really get into.

I'll stick with my Gameboy/NeoGeoPocket/DS/Wonderswan/whatever. At least I know what I'm getting into and I don't have to spend the entire weekend fucking with it to get it to work properly.

Well no wonder, if it takes you a week maybe its not for you. I had stuff up and running in a few minutes

Latest custom firmware link. These guys are really making the jxd shine.

http://boards.dingoonity.org/android-devices/jxd-s7300-fixes-firmware-roms-thread/

Honestly, I don't notice the slow screen refresh myself. If someone were a perfectionist i imagine it would matter, but it does not bother me at all. This machine is very fast and capable of playing some of the most demanding android titles. The screen refresh issue may infact get fixed as the screen is thought to be capable of 75hz.

[HercTNT]

Bump for an update. Jxd has been contacted by members responsible for the custom firmware. Jxd has agreed to release the source code for the 7300b. hopefully this winds up to be true as all the remaining issues, especially the 50hz screen, can most likely be fixed. If so, the 7300b will become in my opinion the best gaming hand held for the price.

[ElSeven]

Bump for an update. Jxd has been contacted by members responsible for the custom firmware. Jxd has agreed to release the source code for the 7300b. hopefully this winds up to be true as all the remaining issues, especially the 50hz screen, can most likely be fixed. If so, the 7300b will become in my opinion the best gaming hand held for the price.

I saw this on the dingoonity forums as well, which is pretty exciting!  Sadly I am still having trouble tracking down a White model, as they appear to be sold out everywhere (including site's that list it as 'in stock'...).  At this point I will just be patient and purchase it when willgoo restocks, as they seem to have a great rapport with the community.

[CrackTiger]

Thanks for posting this. I just ordered one for a two week trip I'm taking at the end of the month. Looks like the best portable PCE around and the price is low enough that if it gets lost or damaged, it won't be a big deal.

[HercTNT]

i have tested max payne mobile, modern combat 3, dead trigger, dos box turbo, and a slew of other stuff and so far the system runs well. there are definatly issues that hopefully will get ironed out. Anyone who has used dosbox, please chime in. i could really use help on how to setup physical controls better.

[CrackTiger]

I got my S7300 today and it works perfectly. I updated the firmware from that link and from what I read, it sounded like the 50hz video for emulators had been fixed. Either way, PCE games look perfect, even flicker effects. I'm playing CD games and the image (color/contrast/etc) is perfect. The only issue so far is how huge the d-pad is. I found it easier to control "twitch" games by keeping my thumb at the center of the d-pad.

[HercTNT]

50hz has not yet been fixed, but the thread has been updated saying they have found and will have a fix before to long. my device locks up occasionaly with wifi turned on and sometimes on usb transfers. they are known issues and hopefully being worked on as well. I tested ethernet connection today and it worked flawless. it defeats the purpose mind you of being portable, but you can hook the jxd up to a tv via hdmi and watch content, or play a game via game pad. not to shabby.

[ElSeven]

received mine today via FoxOffer.  Already installed NCCE and a few emus, this thing is awesome!

...tho it turns out the white model i worked so hard to find, actually has a subtle pearloid finish that kinda makes me want to barf.  it's not really noticeable, but I would have preferred a matte white finish tbh.

[HercTNT]

Good to hear, if either of you need help, let me know i will do what i can. The dpad is alittle large, but with the updates it works pretty well. don't forget to get setcpu and lower the cpu freq a tad. the jxd has a habit of getting to hot and locking up. the alternative is to open it up and attack a copper heatspreader to the cpu if you want to run it at full speed long term.

[CrackTiger]

The black model doesn't look just-black either. It's kind of sparkly and looks like the blue Galaxy III phone. Still very nice though and feels well put together. I thought that mine, which came with free DHL shipping, was supposed to only have 8GB internal memory, but it also came with an 8GB card.

[HercTNT]

The black model doesn't look just-black either. It's kind of sparkly and looks like the blue Galaxy III phone. Still very nice though and feels well put together. I thought that mine, which came with free DHL shipping, was supposed to only have 8GB internal memory, but it also came with an 8GB card.

i noticed that. i really wanted a matt black, was surprised it was sparkly, but thats ok, its still a good looking unit.

[ElSeven]

have you guys figured out a good case for it?  i was going to stop by best buy/staples/etc to check out their tablet cases to see what could be a good fit.  Currently mine is nested inside a bubble mailer lol

also, any app/emu recommendations?  i've been using N64oid, ePSXe, MD.emu and SNES9X EX with great success.

[CrackTiger]

I bought the perfect carrying case for my Samsung Tab 10 a year ago for $7 at Walmart. Works great for this too. I also got the perfect fold up stand at Walmart for around $10.

[ElSeven]

I bought the perfect carrying case for my Samsung Tab 10 a year ago for $7 at Walmart. Works great for this too. I also got the perfect fold up stand at Walmart for around $10.

hmm idk it we have wallmart within city limits, do you know the item/model number for the case?

[HercTNT]

have you guys figured out a good case for it?  i was going to stop by best buy/staples/etc to check out their tablet cases to see what could be a good fit.  Currently mine is nested inside a bubble mailer lol

also, any app/emu recommendations?  i've been using N64oid, ePSXe, MD.emu and SNES9X EX with great success.

those are all good, don't forget your obey with pce.emu, also get mame4droid and live it up with some arcade goodness. don't forget to buy max payne mobile, gta3 mobile for some kick ass gaming as well.

[HercTNT]

Bump for update.

The new official firmware that fixes most of the jxd's long standing problems is out. However, I would still wait a few days until the Custom firmware authors release their version. It will no doubt be better. When they do release it, you can get it here:

http://boards.dingoonity.org/android-devices/jxd-s7300-fixes-firmware-roms-thread/

New custom firmware is out and it is fantastic. Also, make sure you read the thread. One of teh forum goes talks about swapping the dpad rubber with that of a n64 dpad. i did the mod and its fantastic.

[ElSeven]

so far I am loving the JXD as everything i throw at it runs pretty smooth.  oddly though, i went to play some Mario64 via N64oid and my roms were missing.  i keep all n64 roms in a file via the SD card and everything was gone.  Has something like this happened to anyone else?

[CrackTiger]

This is one of my brief accesses to internet in the middle of my vacation. My JXD is amazing and the perfect portable PCE CD experience (battery lasts forever running PCE.emu). Runs my 1080p videos perfectly and the screen is unbelievably good considering the price.

[HercTNT]

so far I am loving the JXD as everything i throw at it runs pretty smooth.  oddly though, i went to play some Mario64 via N64oid and my roms were missing.  i keep all n64 roms in a file via the SD card and everything was gone.  Has something like this happened to anyone else?

You need to download the modtool that supplements the new firmware and install it. it fixes most sd card corruption. no matter what you do though, the machine just does not like some sdcards. My machine is now modded with a copper plate over the cpu for increased cooling. I also have modded my dpad with the rubber from an n64 dpad. Combined with the new firmware the machine is almost perfect. The modtool removed what few hiccups i was having due to random lockups or sd card corruption. The good news is more fixes are on the way that address the right analog as well as wifi issues and more system tweaks.

[roflmao]

Mine arrived just a few moments ago and it is really slick!  I'm about to install that custom firmware...

EDIT: I didn't want to double post, but OH MY GOD - this thing is so awesome. Updated OS is installed along with emulators for tg16/pce, snes, genesis, nes and it's amazing how well it plays.  And being able to hop onto the internet or watch netflix on this device is just plain wicked.

[roflmao]

I'm still freaking out about this thing.  It was created for people who like to tinker.  Out of the box, it's still a little wonky, though it's improved a bunch since it was originally released (refresh rate fixed and other stuff).

However, I was looking forward to tinkering with it, so after playing with the stock OS a bit, I backed it up and replaced it with the NCCE homebrew firmware (linked earlier in this thread).  It's unbelievably simple to update the firmware.

I went ahead and purchased PCE.emu ($4) and am able to play all my HuCARDS and CD games perfectly on it.  

Mysterious Song is so much more fun now that I'm not worried about burning out my CD drive (and it was fun the last two times I played through it on real hardware!).  I'm slowing down and appreciating all of the details that went into this game.

Netflix also runs perfectly.  

I bet if I'm frugal with the wi-fi usage (which I keep off most of the time and consider that a bonus) I can get at least 6-8 hours on a charge, though I haven't let it get very low yet.

I paid $135 shipped off ebay for mine and am extremely happy with it.  I intend on downgrading to a "dumb" cell phone now since I rarely use it when wi-fi isn't available.  Having this thing is far more functional, due to the larger screen and faster processor, and I can play Alien Crush on it!

[roflmao]

I'm still really tinkering with this thing and loving it more and more. 

Playing TG/PCE CD games still kicks in that "wow" factor.

I recently discovered that it emulates PSX damn near perfectly.  Playing SOTN and FF IX is pretty sweet.

Also, Skype works really well on it.  My wife and kid are currently living in MO while I'm in NC and we used Skype for the first time tonight.  That was cool.

So it's definitely a tinkerer's dream come true.  Anything's possible, but nothing "just works."

[jperryss]

Good to hear the PSX compatibility is decent.

Have you tried any N64 titles yet? PSX and N64 seems to be the generation where emulation starts to get dicey.

[geise]

Why did you have to pay $4 for PCE.emu?  It should be free.  I got it off of his web page.  All it is is a port of Mednafen.

[Mishran]

Why did you have to pay $4 for PCE.emu?  It should be free.  I got it off of his web page.  All it is is a port of Mednafen.

The android version link on his page takes you to the play store where you have to pay $4 for it. Nowhere did I see a free download. I wouldn't mind getting it for my upcoming android phone, but don't plan on paying for it.

[geise]

I didn't pay a dime for it when I bought my android phone in November last year.  I guess he's now making money off of more people's work.  

Regardless the JXD looks nice and I wouldn't mind getting one to mess with.  I wish it would've gone the linux route though.  Android is such a terrible OS.  Kinda rediculous how much ram the thing needs.  Has anyone set up a linux firmware for those things?  Is it even possible.  I would assume so since it's just ARM.

[roflmao]

Yeah, about the whole PCE.emu thing, I didn't realize he was profiting off of the work of others when I purchased it, and now kind of regret paying for it.  Having said that, it feels like it runs smoother and the interface is more intuitive than the version of mednafen included in Retro Arch.  It was easy as pie to get working, so I can't say I'm terribly disappointed about throwing $4 his way.  

I need to dig into the documentation of Retro Arch. They are trying to keep emulation free on the android market and I really like the idea of having one program to access all of my retro games.  But the interface and the overlays are clunky and obnoxious the way it comes out of the box.  I bet with some tinkering, though, it would be really nice.

I haven't tackled N64 because I no longer have a real one.  It was stolen from me along with a handful of my games and controllers and I never felt compelled to get it all back.  I'm really only using this thing to emulate games I actually own, and the PSX compatibility was just a nice bonus.  I only anticipated playing 8 and 16 bit stuff with it.

[CrackTiger]

I think that PCEemu was $3 when I bought it for my first android phone. I'd gladly pay $20 for Mednafen on PC with a GUI installed. As it is, PCEemu is the only way I can use Mednafen. Which sucks, as I'd rather use it to take screen shots than any other emulator. So I guess I'll use whatever cheats I can or try a Wii remote when attempting to take screen shots of a play through on my JXD when it's a d-pad intensive game. But the 1000 screenshot limit for PCEemu is a pain in the ass.

[geise]

Well it was only $4, and you're definitely going to get your monies worth out of it.

Is that JXD that you have super huge being a 7" screen?  Definitely not something that's going to fit in your pocket

[roflmao]

Well it was only $4, and you're definitely going to get your monies worth out of it.

Is that JXD that you have super huge being a 7" screen?  Definitely not something that's going to fit in your pocket

Yeah, it's pretty big.  Definitely not something I just going to carry around with me everywhere.  Having said that, it does fit perfectly in the big side pocket of my cargo shorts.

[CrackTiger]

Well it was only $4, and you're definitely going to get your monies worth out of it.

Is that JXD that you have super huge being a 7" screen?  Definitely not something that's going to fit in your pocket

It's extremely compact and can actually fit in large coat pockets. I just keep mine in a small netbook carrying case I bought cheap at walmart for my Galaxy Tab 10, which hasn't been used since I got my JXD.

[jperryss]

For PCE on Android, Retroarch (which is like 20 emulators in one app) is free and might be worth a shot. The PCE emu looks to be based on Mednafen.

[HercTNT]

I would like to point out, that after being a cheerleader for the jxd, my 7300b completely died. as it turns out anyone who bought one from the first production run (mine) generally got screwed. If you got bought one from the second production run its likely your machine will fare much better. The only way you can tell between the two is slightly improved manufacturing that is not evident unless you open the system. If your 7300 runs stable for hours on end with no issues your not likely to have problems, if you get frequent lock ups regardless of what you do, send it back.

[roflmao]

Sorry to hear that, Herc.  Hopefully they'll send you a replacement.

Mine has only locked up once or twice, but I've always been doing stupid stuff at the time and was probably responsible for the lock up. 

I've noticed there a big delay in controller response when playing PSX games.  Parappa is next to impossible and fast, twitchy games are frustrating to play.  In that first area of SotN where the zombies come out of the floor, there's no time to react to the one's popping up in front of you.  That's how bad the lag is.  I wouldn't be surprised if it's fixed in the future, though.  The games look and sound darn near perfect. 

If there's a delay with the 8 and 16 bit emulators, I don't notice it.

[HercTNT]

you need to remove the default rubber for the d-pad and replace it with rubber from a n64 controller. its a fairly easy mod and will improved control response immensly. as far as delay goes, its related to the cpu governer and what firmware you use. the default cpu governer is slow. be warned, there is no heatpaste between the heatspreader and the cpu in the system. if you open it to replace the rubber, apply heatpaste between the spreader and the cpu for a huge stability improvement.

[jperryss]

So I just got my S7300 about a week ago and so far I'm digging it.

One issue I've got is that the SD card slot on mine is fussy. Some days it works perfectly, other days it doesn't detect when I put a card in until I re-insert it a bunch of times.

I flashed it with Skelrom and then went to the Play store to start grabbing emulators. Getting the buttons mapped is a pain at first, but not too big of a deal once you get the hang of it. A few of the free emulators (including PCE EMU which is based off of Mednafen) are ad-supported, but that problem disappears if you've got the wifi turned off, which you should. This emulator has run everything I've thrown at it, including a dozen or so CD/SCD games.

I discovered last night that with this emu you can convert the WAV files to OGG files (lossy compression, like mp3) and update the cue sheets to replace .wav with .ogg. I used dbpoweramp and went with ~192VBR and noticed no difference in audio quality from the original format, even with quality headphones. That shrunk the CD games down tremendously, average size is now around 80MB each compared to 500-600MB.

Overall the unit feels a bit flimsy compared to my old Fire, but I'm not too worried about it. So far it's been working great. I do find my hands shifting a bit during gameplay, I think mainly because the back of the unit is flat and smooth.

[HercTNT]

the 7300 is known for its finicky sd slot. if you have an sd card larger than 16gb you should format it to fat32.  the 7300 is a very capable machine if you get one thats reasonably well made. I was unlucky enough to have got one that died. Do not leave wifi on as it murders your battery life and can cause lag and lockups on the 7300. Pay the few bucks to get the retail version of the pce emulator, its worth it.

[jperryss]

the 7300 is known for its finicky sd slot. if you have an sd card larger than 16gb you should format it to fat32.  the 7300 is a very capable machine if you get one thats reasonably well made. I was unlucky enough to have got one that died. Do not leave wifi on as it murders your battery life and can cause lag and lockups on the 7300. Pay the few bucks to get the retail version of the pce emulator, its worth it.

The issue with mine seems to be a physical issue with the slot. When I click the card in, it isn't detected. But when I push the card beyond the clicking point, and hold it there, it will read the card just fine until I release my finger. I've only used small (2GB-8GB) cards with it and had similar results even after formatting.

How is the pay version of PCE.emu worth it? Does it add anything or just remove the ads? I use airplane mode while playing games (based on recommendations seen on several boards) so I don't get ads anyway.

Oddly, the free version no longer shows up when you search for it in the Play store. Still shows up in a Google search though.

[HercTNT]

the ad supported version is mostly likely an older version that can be found if you look for it on google, but no longer carried and supported on google play. To my knowledge, the google play store only carries the newer pay version with emulation fixes and updates. Making it worth it seeing as how its cheap, and has newer better features. It was not meant as a slant, just an option to play the game with wifi turned off, as wifi sucks battery life. Sucks on the sd card slot. it may very well be broken. there is a small thing you can do to make it usable, but its not perfect. You can open up the device, push the sd card in as far as it will go, then tab it with hot glue on both corners to keep it place. If the card ever needs to be removed, the glue can be pryed off at a later date. I have a dingoo a320 i had to do this with. functions just fine.