So I was looking into making a dedicated htpc for my home when it hit me that all the features I am looking at are available in apps for my android phone. Since I am using an xperia arc that supports HDMI output I got to thinking about how nice it would be to just make a small dock behind my wallmounted tv for my smartphone.
I have compared prices of a new smart tv vs the cost of picking up another xperia arc or other smartphoen that supports tv out and the abilitys and features of using an android vs a new smart tv or no comparison.
I also have a great data plan at $10 a month unlimited 3g.
So with this in mind I am seriously looking into the usability of android as a 10' UI and what kind of apps and accessorys I would need to make this work.
First apps for the phone would be
Csipsimple - the ability to make free outgoing calls over my 3g would be great. There is a way to receive free incoming calls at this point although I am unsure as to how to do this.
Netflix- this is an obvious one as it would essentially make up a lot of my television viewing.
Hulu - This is another great component for my television viewing.
Facebook - Access to social networking on my hdtv in a simple manner.
Youtube - a must have app for the HDTV as well.
Dolphin Browser - a full blown web browser nuff said.
Six axis - So I can connect a ps3 controller to enjoy some of the great games offered on android as well as emulators.
Onlive Gaming- This will give me access to a lot of the high end games that my phones hardware could not handle without the need to have a xbox or ps3 connected to my tv.
Rockplayer - this way I can play all types of video formats even if my phone does not natively support the file type.
Google Reader - this will give me access to my rss feeds and let me read my daily news on my hdtv.
TSN/ESPN - allow me to access scores and get updates on sports.
With all the available apps and the pricing I could get a second android smartphone to become a dedicated media add on to essentially make a smart tv out of hdtv I dont think any regular "smart TVs" on the market could compare both at price and available apps.
The amount of apps are endless and the only two problems I see is storage space and ease of use. 32 gb would be the limit on the phones physical storage but I am sure there are apps available that would allow me to take advantage of external hard drives as well.
So what type of remote/interface do you think would work well for this type of setup. I am thinking something like a mini bluetooth keyboard with a trackpad built in.
any thoughts comments feedback recommendations. Much appreciated.
I have compared prices of a new smart tv vs the cost of picking up another xperia arc or other smartphoen that supports tv out and the abilitys and features of using an android vs a new smart tv or no comparison.
I also have a great data plan at $10 a month unlimited 3g.
So with this in mind I am seriously looking into the usability of android as a 10' UI and what kind of apps and accessorys I would need to make this work.
First apps for the phone would be
Csipsimple - the ability to make free outgoing calls over my 3g would be great. There is a way to receive free incoming calls at this point although I am unsure as to how to do this.
Netflix- this is an obvious one as it would essentially make up a lot of my television viewing.
Hulu - This is another great component for my television viewing.
Facebook - Access to social networking on my hdtv in a simple manner.
Youtube - a must have app for the HDTV as well.
Dolphin Browser - a full blown web browser nuff said.
Six axis - So I can connect a ps3 controller to enjoy some of the great games offered on android as well as emulators.
Onlive Gaming- This will give me access to a lot of the high end games that my phones hardware could not handle without the need to have a xbox or ps3 connected to my tv.
Rockplayer - this way I can play all types of video formats even if my phone does not natively support the file type.
Google Reader - this will give me access to my rss feeds and let me read my daily news on my hdtv.
TSN/ESPN - allow me to access scores and get updates on sports.
With all the available apps and the pricing I could get a second android smartphone to become a dedicated media add on to essentially make a smart tv out of hdtv I dont think any regular "smart TVs" on the market could compare both at price and available apps.
The amount of apps are endless and the only two problems I see is storage space and ease of use. 32 gb would be the limit on the phones physical storage but I am sure there are apps available that would allow me to take advantage of external hard drives as well.
So what type of remote/interface do you think would work well for this type of setup. I am thinking something like a mini bluetooth keyboard with a trackpad built in.
any thoughts comments feedback recommendations. Much appreciated.