FAQ: Everything you need to know about your LinITX/MM400/TView

Scouse Monkey · 02-11-2005, 05:10 PM

This will be for the LinITX/MM400/TView screens
(latest models: i.e. released end of 2004).
You veterans post up.

This thread is not for questions.

Quit Posting in this %$@# Thread unless it's info
about this model of screen!

Hostile Frodo Takeover
This is a FAQ thread. No Questions.

Scouse Monkey · 02-11-2005, 05:14 PM

Monitor specs and picture (taken from LinITX site):

* Display size: 7" - 16:9 Widescreen
* Resolution: 800 x 480 native, supports up to 1600 x 1200
* Brightness: 400cd/m2
* Contrast Ratio: 150:1
* Video Input: 1 x VGA + 2 x Composite
* Touchscreen: USB Input
* Power Consumption: 10W Max
* Mains Adapter and Car Adapter included
* Headrest shroud included
* Remote control
* Stand included
* Drivers supplied for Windows 95/98/ME/NT4/2000/XP, XP Tablet PC edition, Windows CE 2.12/3.0/.net, Redhat and Mandrake.
* Monitor Dimensions: 179L x 128H x 27W mm

electronik · 02-17-2005, 06:06 PM

* USB touchscreen totaly hot pluggable and turn - offable. Touchscreen is powered by USB, not 12 volt input, so T/S works even if screen is off. USB can be unplugged / plugged live without any nag screens etc.

* Touchscreen is sensitive when used with fingernail, not so good with flat finger. Software is easy to install and set up, and does stuff like control how touchscreen works with 2 screens.

* Video is better extended with non-choked (the big lump just before the connector) cables. Choked "high quality" cables tend to make it ghost badly. 5 meter USB cable plus 3 times 1.5 metre cheapo VGA cables chained together works fine, and extends all cables including power to about 5 meters, video cables (RCA) to about 3 metres.

* solid feeling enclosure with nice texture. Single screw in bottom to secure to mounting, or snap-in 'headrest' surround. Hitachi innards.

* Screen doesn't auto turn on with power, goes blue with no VGA signal.

msward · 04-03-2005, 10:48 AM

Hi,

hope you dont' mind me chucking in my bit, i had a Lilliput for around 1.5 years, as most people found they are trouble trouble and more trouble. Finally touch screen packin all together so went for a Linits.com screen, here it what i have found in the month or so i have been using it.

Case / Build
Very good, agree the head rest holder is a little insecure but you could problerbly fix that with a little bit of thought, outside case if a kind of rubbery feel and matches well to car interior. All cables etc and the stand are good quality and fit well unlike the lilliput and no need to plug that awlful usb connector in to the side like the lilli, all connections are to the short cables that come out the bottom, i found these can easily be folded back around and are pretty easy to hide but maybe rear exiting cables would be a good idea to make them tottaly invisible.

Screen
Quality of picture is excellent although mine has a black area across the top which seems as if the screen if not alighned with the top of the case, I have seen reports of others with this in this forum so they all may be like this.
Colours are good but surprisingly it does not seem quiet as bright as my Lilliput, most people say they are brighter, it is less reflective though this makes it more readable on bright days.

Touchscreen
This is a dream, a real upgrade on the Lilliput with it's unresponsive right side and constantly having to realign it and then only if it actually decided to wotk that day. Took this out of the box and worked great with no alignment at all, dod 4 and 25 point and it is very accurate, i use Infomap navigator which doe stend to have small buttons and needs use of pulldowns and all are accessable easily with the touchscreen. All parts of the touchscreen are also responsive unlike the lilliput.

overall i think this screen is a vast improvement of the Lilliput and given the price £175.00 from Linitx it is good value for money, only time will see how reliable they are but i hvae had no problems at all yet.

frodobaggins · 04-03-2005, 04:45 PM

Hostile Frodo Takeover
This is a FAQ thread. No Questions.

Cris · 04-26-2005, 11:14 AM

Shroud dimensions:

fuctup · 06-22-2005, 09:57 PM

My tview came with some data sheet, it says its a panasonic display, havent opened the case yet though.
300cd/m brightness
viewing angle L/R/T/B 45/45/10/25
contrast ratio 150
input 12v +/- 15%
consumption 700mA max 10W max
never had 1 problem with the touchscreen, works best with a fingernail or stylus like the other guy said.

i run mine off a cig lighter type adapter that regulates the voltage around 12.5V that i hard wired to my ignition.

wariow · 07-13-2005, 03:26 PM

Just recieved this screen yesterday. It's great, no calibration issues, pretty bright screen. Didn't even need to recalibrate, it came working fine with just the drivers. I got it for 200 shipped from ebay. Right now it has one dead pixel but the seller agreed to take it back and send me a new monitor. I'll post up the seller after he resends the monitor. Overall great monitor!

msward · 12-13-2005, 06:49 PM

Well since my last posting I have been using and abusing my LinItx for over a year and thought it worth updating on my experiences.

Touchscreen
This has been a dream, I have had only 2 ocassions when it stopped working but a reboot of the pc fixed this, given this it is most proberbly a software or PC fault not the actual screen.
Never had to recalibrate the screen since I first had it and did the calibration, never missed a beat even given the very hot summer and very cold winter days, unlike my old Lilliput that seemed to change with the weather and touch screen that had a mind of its own.

Picture
Has been great, despite my early reservations about brightness, it is just as bright as the Lilli I had before but much more clear and sharp. The actual picture has been rock solid and never given any kind of problem in either VGA or video modes.

General
I take out the display most days and have had no problem with the connectors, I understand the new ones have an even better one connector design.
The screen has been a VAST improvement on my old 7" Lilliput, the casing still looks like new despite it being removed every day, the rubbery coating seems to have taken all the knocks.

Problems
Well their are not many to mention, one problem I did have was that in the hot weather the rubbery strip that goes around the screen just inside the case seems to have melted or the glue has and the strip slipped on to the edge of the screen, this was easily removed and seems to have been caused by the heat.

On one very cold weekend I had left the screen in the car and it refused to switch on, once warmed up and the power was removed and re aplied it worked fine. Since then we have had MUCH colder weather and it has been fine, so just a minor problem and may have been caused by the sudden heating of the car causing condesation in the screen.

Other than that its been a dream and I would recommend them to anyone, the newer model they now sell also has a few new refinements.

Hope this is of some help

Mark Ward

parksgm · 12-31-2005, 02:16 AM

Touchscreen: touchscreen responsiveness is good and there is good calibration software included. Touchscreen is MORE responsive to a smaller input...your fingernail works better than the the flat pad of your finger...so included stylus > fingernail > finger, but all are acceptable.

Brightness: Screen brightness is good enough for me on sunny days so far. I have a 1998 Mustang GT, and the screen is mounted fairly low in the dash, just above the gearshift, and recessed a bit. I imagine that this position both shields it from direct sun and prevents most objects outside the car from directly reflecting on the screen. I was pleasantly surprised by the brightness/readability of the screen in sunlight...although after reading the endless forum comments pronouncing NO screen readable, maybe I expected to be disappointed. For reference, I had tried to use an XOVision 8" LCD screen with composite (RCA) input previous to the SP7, and had been disappointed both by sharpness (obviously) and brightness/sunlight readability.

Image Quality: I run the screen at 800x600, and standard Windows 98 text on screen is very readable, if a bit small (I mean that the text itself is small, but sharp on close inspection). Contrast seems to be high enough that the display is not washed out at normal brightness levels. Colors are well saturated. The touchscreen blurs the image a bit...but this is not noticable during normal use from a reasonable distance, and is well worth the touch capabilities. The screen does have 2 dead pixels...both in the upper left quadrant of the screen. They don't bother me enough at this point to return the screen...but MP3Car.com's dead pixel/return policy is perhaps something to check into if you are planning to buy this screen.

Build quality: While I haven't owned another touchscreen, I can say that I agree with those above who noted that the rubberized finish seems durable and scuff-resistant and that the buttons and connectors seems well made. Buttons depress smoothly, detent and rebound responsively. The screen is mounted securely in the case and does not move at all within the case even under heavy pressure from a finger. In fact, it is difficult to make the LCD pixels "dialate" even by exerting excessive pressure (2-4 times more difficult than your average laptop screen). The cables exit the bottom left side of the casing, and extend approximately 6". Headrest shroud is included. The mounting bracket is very adjustable, allowing the user to slide the display vertically on the bracket the entire height of the display. In addition, the display and neck of the mounting bracket can be swiveled and locked within a range very similar to that of a tank turret.

Price/ordering experience: Ordered and received my screen in December 2005. Paid $250 at MP3Car.com store + $20 for UPS 2nd Day air to Texas. No tax. Received the screen on time. Before ordering, I looked for info on the forums, but was unable to determine if the SP7 from the MP3Car.com store was in fact the exact same screen as the LinITX Plus 7" screen. I can tell you that it is in fact the same screen as of this writing.

Overall: Great screen! I can't imagine the Xenarc being $100 better, although I haven't personally seen the Xenarc...

Hope this helps someone!

Gregory

NeoMatrixJR · 02-08-2006, 08:34 AM

I agree with all of the above, but the only thing to watch out for (and this may be the same with other LCD's; I don't know) is if you live in areas that get cold, the LCD won't start in sub-freezing temps.

strohj · 02-08-2006, 08:39 AM

My previous one had this cold start issue (and I live in houston).. however.. my lastest one (bought about 2 months ago).. has yet to have any cold weather issues...

im not saying they are completely fixed.. im just saying that now at least it works in houstons colder mornings.. where the old one wouldnt..

ArtS · 02-09-2006, 04:34 AM

Is there anyone else using one of these, purchased in the past 2 months, in a cold weather environment ?

If so, what do you consider 'cold' and do you have these problems?

I live in New England and was going to purchase one this week, however the comment on cold start problems has me wondering.

Art

Quote: Originally Posted by strohj

My previous one had this cold start issue (and I live in houston).. however.. my lastest one (bought about 2 months ago).. has yet to have any cold weather issues...

im not saying they are completely fixed.. im just saying that now at least it works in houstons colder mornings.. where the old one wouldnt..

strohj · 02-09-2006, 08:15 AM

I have used mine in weather in the low to mid 30's with no problems... I do realize though that it gets quite a bit colder up north....

NeoMatrixJR · 02-09-2006, 08:29 AM

It's winter in IA, so we're talking sub-zero deg C, or below 36 deg F. We've been getting 19-25 F recently. Having been to England in the winter, I don't THINK you should be too bad MOST of the time. Do you keep your car parked inside?