Not A Good Start


nitrowing

Still Fresh
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
3
Hello all - Yes, I'm a n00b.
My GP2X has arrived and I'm dying to do something with it.
I can't even skin it!! I've downloaded the Poison skin, put it on the SD card but it doesn't do anything. Utilities doesn't see it (though explorer does). I have the same problem with enexfi and craigamp)


avi playback is very choppy.
I've tried holding Start+Select on boot but it just boots as normal.

It didn't come with a charger (which I am quite miffed about)
It didn't come clocked at 275MHz as advertised (which I am really miffed at)
The extra joystick sits skewed on the mount (I'm very wary about the amount of rotational force to exert)
The speakers are dreadful - this is meant to be a multimedia device!

As much as I like the device, it's very close to being posted straight back to the supplier!! :(
 
I can't even skin it!! I've downloaded the Poison skin, put it on the SD card but it doesn't do anything. Utilities doesn't see it (though explorer does). I have the same problem with enexfi and craigamp)

Read the threads about skinning under the new firmware. I haven't bothered since I use gmenu2x, but apparently it is much easier now than in the past.

I've tried holding Start+Select on boot but it just boots as normal.

It won't do anything unless you're trying to update the firmware and have the correct files to do so on your SD (I wouldn't recommend this until you're more comfortable with the device though).

It didn't come with a charger (which I am quite miffed about)

You mean a PSU? Did you order one? Was the shop out of stock?

It didn't come clocked at 275MHz as advertised (which I am really miffed at)

No, no, no, it doesn't work that way. The machine defaults to 200mhz (or lower in menus) to save battery life. Not many things require more than that to run at full speed. When you do need to up the speed, you can set it to run higher, either within the program (e.g. SquidgeSNES, GNGeo/Rage2X), or by using a script, or via gmenu2x.

The speakers are dreadful - this is meant to be a multimedia device!

Try headphones. Most PMPs are designed for headphones, not speakers--though you'll find the GP2X's are as good as most.

Also, try putting Volume Limiter on, perhaps you're getting distortion at high volume.
 
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You need your own NIMH batteries and charger. These can be bought both in regular stores and online. Ditto SD cards, but both can be much cheaper online.

The AVI/OGM files you supply has to be DivX/Xvid with MP3/OGG audio (or with the boosted MP2X in the archive AC3/AAC as well). Anything else is not guaranteed to play correctly. Also extremely high quality files will make it very choppy.

In firmwares 2.1.0+, skins go in the NAND under the Skin folder with the skins having the extension .gps (meaning older skins are not usable). You change skins under settings.

275 MHz cuts battery life by 1/3 about. The 275 advertisement was basically an overclock test to make sure you can go as high as 275 stably, anything more is not guaranteed, but overclocking doesn't hurt the GP2X at all because it freezes if it can't handle it (either instantly or some time afterwards).

Headphones are highly recommended.

Reading comprehension and lots of reading is required either in reading the README files in the program you want to use/install or searching the forums; here is a starter guide for you: http://archive.gp2x.de/cgi-bin/cfiles.cgi?0,0,0,0,23,933
 
Thank you for replying.
I found that the video cleared up when I uped the battery saving to normal.
I didn't expect to have to order a separate PSU - I can't remember any gadget I've purchased coming without a PSU!!
Thanks for clearing up the CPU speed - I'd read in a different thread about it being guaranteed to overclock to that speed, which although nice to know, was not what was advertised!

I epexted the system to recognise the gp* extensions and run them but it's not doing this with craigamp et al
 
I epexted the system to recognise the gp* extensions and run them but it's not doing this with craigamp et al

.gpe files will show up under "Games" and .gpu will show up under "Utilities."

Eventually, I highly recommend exploring gmenu2x or one of the other excellent menu replacements -- they take a while to set up, but are much better in the long run.
 
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Hi Nitrowing. Welcome along.

Most of your issues are answered in these here boards with a little searching, but to make things easy for you:

I can't even skin it!! I've downloaded the Poison skin, put it on the SD card but it doesn't do anything. Utilities doesn't see it (though explorer does). I have the same problem with enexfi and craigamp)
Link: 1
You need to create a folder called "skin" on your SD card. Place the extracted skin file in it. Use the GP2X's Explorer program to move the whole "skin" folder onto your NAND (internal flash). You can now choose the skin from the menu: Settings > System.


avi playback is very choppy.
Links: 1 | 2
If you're playing a full DVD resolution AVI, you'll need to set the clock speed to "full". Otherwise try rescaling it on your PC first, if you want to save battery life. Also, try firmware 2.1.1 as one or two people have found it helps.


I've tried holding Start+Select on boot but it just boots as normal.
Links: 1 | 2
That is how you update your firmware. There's no point in doing it if you're not trying to update your firmware. If you ARE trying to update, you may have an incompatible SD card, or you've not extracted the files before placing them on the ROOT of the SD.


It didn't come clocked at 275MHz as advertised (which I am really miffed at)
Links: 1 | 2 | 3 amongst many others
ALL GP2X's hvae a default clock speed of 200MHz. This can then be controlled by whatever software you're running. The main menu, for example, underclocks to 100MHz. The commercial game Payback, overclocks to 240MHz by default. Most emulators will let you set what clock speed you want. The 275MHz "version" is exactly the same as all the others, it's just tested and guaranteed to be stable at 275MHz, unlike the standard 240Mhz.


It didn't come with a charger (which I am quite miffed about)
It doesn't come with rechargeable batteries, so a charger would be an odd thing to include. If you mean a general power supply, then you should really have read the sales blurb better, as it's clear it doesn't come with a power supply. And the fact that you can buy one separately with your GP2X should ring some kind of alarm bell, surely? I don't think I've ever seen a handheld device (that doesn't have an internal rechargable battery) that DOES come with a PSU.


The extra joystick sits skewed on the mount (I'm very wary about the amount of rotational force to exert)
Not sure quote what you mean here. If you have a digital camera and can post a pic, it might help. It's possible it's not quite on properly, or you could have a damaged unit. I don't find there's anything 'skew' about the joystick.


The speakers are dreadful - this is meant to be a multimedia device!
Headphones? There's a reason they don't put speakers in MP3 players. And there's a reason modern phones with speakers are bloody irritating. Consider your GP2X's speakers a bonus.


Don't be sending the little blighter back just yet - you just need to spend some time on these here forums getting to know how to use it!

Right. Haha. Spent so much time writing that, that everything got answered by other people first. Ho-hum!
 
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Thanks for clearing up the CPU speed - I'd read in a different thread about it being guaranteed to overclock to that speed, which although nice to know, was not what was advertised!
Yeah, this sucks. Craig should make clear that the 275 MHz devices aren´t any different from the normal ones besides being tested for clockspeeds higher than 275 MHz.

IMO he shouldn´t even do these tests and charge extra for the 275 MHz version - everywhere else you can get a high clocking device with a bit of luck, but if you aren´t willing to pay extra at craig´s you get a "low speed guaranteed" device. This sucks.
 
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IMO he shouldn´t even do these tests and charge extra for the 275 MHz version - everywhere else you can get a high clocking device with a bit of luck, but if you aren´t willing to pay extra at craig´s you get a "low speed guaranteed" device. This sucks.
This is what the power of boycott is for
 
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The extra joystick sits skewed on the mount (I'm very wary about the amount of rotational force to exert)

AGH! Dont rotate it!!!
I think what you mean is that one of the joystick caps (which has something like 'GP2X' written on it) has the writing at an angle. if so then that's what it's supposed to look like.
 
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two things I will try to make slightly more clear:

The Poison skin is cool, but if you're looking for the newest version, it will only run on the 2.1.0 and 2.1.1 firmware, your unit shipped with version 2.0.0 firmware, so in a nutshell to update:

download new firmware off this site.
Put the three non-txt files (.img and two others....) into the SD root.
Put SD card into unit
hold START and SELECT and then turn on while holding. wait for Firmware to update.

if you're afraid you might screw up your unit (you can kill it with a messed up firmware update) then search for other instructions. Other skins you can run on the 2.0.0 firmware, but you'll have to find them and then run the install file from your GP2X.

And for the "enexfi" thing, you have to access it from the Games menu on your GP, not your Utilities menu, that threw me for a loop at first too.
 
Godmil - Yes, the joystick button is what I meant - I will stop trying to rotate it now!! lol!!

Richy - Well, it's a bit late for me to boycott as I'm sitting beside the creature... thanks for the info - I was beginning to think I had lost my marbles!

gaterooze - gmenu is excellent - it actually makes the gizmo feel like a computer :D
 
Richy - Well, it's a bit late for me to boycott as I'm sitting beside the creature... thanks for the info - I was beginning to think I had lost my marbles!

So if I wanted to boycott as I have yet to buy my GP2X, where else in the UK can I purchase one?
 
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I hardly think a boycott is necessary, but whatever you guys ;)
I probably agree, really, I was just offering a course of action for those who disagree with Craig's approach to sales and marketing, and are yet to buy their unit (or are planning to buy another)

I have to say, considering the amount of stink that the whole "it runs at 275Mhz, honest, guv" issue has kicked up on these very forums, and considering that Craig DOES read and post here, I'm a little surprised he hasn't fixed what is a fairly glaringly misleading description (or at least passed comment here as to why he phrases it as he does).

My personal jury is still out about how much I agree with "pay more for a tested unit" schemes, as it tends to guarantee that if you don't pay more, you'll get the alsorans.

It's like when a few online computer retailers started offering dead pixel checking services for TFT monitors. You'd pay about £10-15 to guarantee your monitor arrives with no dead pixels (the fact that dead pixels can develop some time after you start using the monitor getting conveniently ignored).

What this very effectively (and cleverly, if done deliberately) acheived was add a guaranteed £15 markup on a vast proportion of TFT sales, as people realised that if they didn't pay for the service, they had a much increased chance of getting a unit with dead pixels, and that had failed the test!
 
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It's like when a few online computer retailers started offering dead pixel checking services for TFT monitors. You'd pay about £10-15 to guarantee your monitor arrives with no dead pixels

Slightly faulty analogy, because a dead pixel is a fault in the machine, and you shouldn't need to pay extra for a device without a fault.
 
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