Unable to get HDMI feed from Controller to Goggles

Joined
Apr 18, 2017
Messages
81
Reaction score
6
Age
76
Location
Orange County, CA
Website
www.westernrockart.org
I am trying to route the video feed from the Solo Controller, through the micro HDMI port to the input port on a pair of Tovsto Vivid FPV googles. I can't get anything on the goggles. I have tried two different solo controllers, and two different cables, but, still nothing.

Does something need to be done on the controller or solo control app to activate HDMI output on the controller, or ????
 
plug into the controller and power on your goggles before you power on the controller, else the feed will not work
 
So, if I read this right:
- plug hdmi cable into controller
- power on goggles
- turn on gopro 4
- power on solo, then controller, then app

I am seeing a video feed in the phone app, but nothing in the goggles.

I become despondent - second pair of goggles tried?
 
It is a bit hit and miss through the hdmi on the controller if you have a hdmi on your tablet hook up to that in stead.
 
Thank you for the advice. In this case, however, the goggles do not respond to ANY hdmi input, not just to the controller. I will, however, plug the controller into another display to confirm it is ok.
 
I am trying to route the video feed from the Solo Controller, through the micro HDMI port to the input port on a pair of Tovsto Vivid FPV googles. I can't get anything on the goggles. I have tried two different solo controllers, and two different cables, but, still nothing.

Does something need to be done on the controller or solo control app to activate HDMI output on the controller, or ????
Like others have said, the HDMI out from the controller is very finicky- Unknown why.

One problem I encountered is the connecter on the controller is mounted too deep for most cables. I had to cut the plastic away from the front of my cable connector so it would reach "deep enough" to make contact.

Even then, the output was not consistent so I abandoned that approach. I switched to using a "slim port" HDMI adapter connected to my Nexus 7. Plugged my HDMI cable into that and my external monitor and it works great.
 
I have noticed that a lot lately, more on the micro usb ones
have had to collect a mass of usb cables, long, short, then, fat
 
Like others have said, the HDMI out from the controller is very finicky- Unknown why.

One problem I encountered is the connecter on the controller is mounted too deep for most cables. I had to cut the plastic away from the front of my cable connector so it would reach "deep enough" to make contact.

Even then, the output was not consistent so I abandoned that approach. I switched to using a "slim port" HDMI adapter connected to my Nexus 7. Plugged my HDMI cable into that and my external monitor and it works great.

I am able to display controller video output via HDMI to my monitors and TV - so the fault must lie within these TOVSTO VIVID goggles.
???
 
I've not tested in a while I can't remember if I was able to get the video both on the phone and HDMI connected display at the same time.
It may be first come first serve and you only get one.
I'll have to test that again.

Also I think the video feed is 720P no matter what you do from the gopro.
It must get transcoded somewhere.
 
Like others have said, the HDMI out from the controller is very finicky- Unknown why.

One problem I encountered is the connecter on the controller is mounted too deep for most cables. I had to cut the plastic away from the front of my cable connector so it would reach "deep enough" to make contact.

Even then, the output was not consistent so I abandoned that approach. I switched to using a "slim port" HDMI adapter connected to my Nexus 7. Plugged my HDMI cable into that and my external monitor and it works great.

OK, I'm there, again. Experiencing a flaky HDMI connection using the Solo Controller. In my case I have a 10" Toguard TV as a monitor which does a good job of auto-detecting when connected to the HDMI output connector on my Lenovo laptop, so the TV does not appear to be faulty. Found a ribbon cable to leave plugged into the Controller's HDMI connector, with the tablet holder bracket tightened down to hold the cable in place. Sometimes the whole system works, more often it does not. Tried the "cycle the GoPro" fix (no luck, if the poster meant: detach the GoPro, turn it off, then turn it back on, then re-insert it into the gimbal). Tried lightly pressing the plug on the end of the ribbon cable where it plugs into the Controller connector, after reading about a 3D printed part that someone claims fixes the problem by lightly pressing the connector on the Controller. No luck with that approach either. Could be I am just unfortunate to have a flaky solder joint somewhere, in the Controller, in the HDMI ribbon cable, or maybe even in the typical HDMI 3' cable that I have (although it works fine with other devices). From what I have read, a poor electrical connection with HDMI circuitry can be very hard to troubleshoot due to the time it takes for the handshakes to happen. So after searching a bit, I'm just not finding a SlimPort adapter for my Nexus 7 that appears to be a worthwhile purchase. Can you recall which product you bought from which supplier?
 
OK, I'm there, again. Experiencing a flaky HDMI connection using the Solo Controller. In my case I have a 10" Toguard TV as a monitor which does a good job of auto-detecting when connected to the HDMI output connector on my Lenovo laptop, so the TV does not appear to be faulty. Found a ribbon cable to leave plugged into the Controller's HDMI connector, with the tablet holder bracket tightened down to hold the cable in place. Sometimes the whole system works, more often it does not. Tried the "cycle the GoPro" fix (no luck, if the poster meant: detach the GoPro, turn it off, then turn it back on, then re-insert it into the gimbal). Tried lightly pressing the plug on the end of the ribbon cable where it plugs into the Controller connector, after reading about a 3D printed part that someone claims fixes the problem by lightly pressing the connector on the Controller. No luck with that approach either. Could be I am just unfortunate to have a flaky solder joint somewhere, in the Controller, in the HDMI ribbon cable, or maybe even in the typical HDMI 3' cable that I have (although it works fine with other devices). From what I have read, a poor electrical connection with HDMI circuitry can be very hard to troubleshoot due to the time it takes for the handshakes to happen. So after searching a bit, I'm just not finding a SlimPort adapter for my Nexus 7 that appears to be a worthwhile purchase. Can you recall which product you bought from which supplier?

(replying below to my own post an hour ago)

I have discovered a reliable (so far) startup sequence that appears to ignore (a) differences in HDMI cables, (b) does not require adding stress to the Controller's HDMI connector, and (c) does not require powering the GoPro off and on.

1) With all components off (Controller, Solo, your monitor device), connect an HDMI cable between the Controller and a monitor with an HDMI input port. (No need to include your tablet/phone for this startup sequence.)

2) Power on the monitor. Wait for a display message indicating that it is waiting for an HDMI signal. This may take more than a few seconds.

3) Power on the Controller. You should see some size of "3DR" text displayed on the monitor, with an advancing bar indicating progress. May not be pretty, but the "3DR" text in 3DR colors should be displayed.

4) Power on the Solo. Wait 15-20 seconds until the monitor displays video from the GoPro.

Patience is important for this procedure to work.

In my case, the Toguard TV flickers slightly but is usable. This may be because the device claims that it is set up for a 640 display (which I have not discovered how to change), and some have said that the Solo Controller's output is 720. This difference may or may not be related to the root cause of the screen flicker. BTW, I did notice that when I connected the Toguard to my laptop's HDMI output, the Toguard self-adjusted to the 1920 display size of my laptop's output (and displayed a message about that).

Another thing I noticed when trying different sequences: the Toguard may store and display the last image received from the GoPro, which can be puzzling or misleading when trying to troubleshoot.

Although I tested the above procedure several times, it is still possible that moving a cable or other component will result in an intermittent connection. But for now, success!
 
OK, I'm there, again. Experiencing a flaky HDMI connection using the Solo Controller. In my case I have a 10" Toguard TV as a monitor which does a good job of auto-detecting when connected to the HDMI output connector on my Lenovo laptop, so the TV does not appear to be faulty. Found a ribbon cable to leave plugged into the Controller's HDMI connector, with the tablet holder bracket tightened down to hold the cable in place. Sometimes the whole system works, more often it does not. Tried the "cycle the GoPro" fix (no luck, if the poster meant: detach the GoPro, turn it off, then turn it back on, then re-insert it into the gimbal). Tried lightly pressing the plug on the end of the ribbon cable where it plugs into the Controller connector, after reading about a 3D printed part that someone claims fixes the problem by lightly pressing the connector on the Controller. No luck with that approach either. Could be I am just unfortunate to have a flaky solder joint somewhere, in the Controller, in the HDMI ribbon cable, or maybe even in the typical HDMI 3' cable that I have (although it works fine with other devices). From what I have read, a poor electrical connection with HDMI circuitry can be very hard to troubleshoot due to the time it takes for the handshakes to happen. So after searching a bit, I'm just not finding a SlimPort adapter for my Nexus 7 that appears to be a worthwhile purchase. Can you recall which product you bought from which supplier?
I got this one from Amazon for about $30. For some reason I can't get the link to post so here is a screen capture:
image.png
 
Let us know if it works.
Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, I've been offline for awhile.

The genuine Analogix SlimPort adapter you suggested did work for me. BTW, I found no problems with any connection sequence between my Nexus 7 (2013) and a Visio TV. Also no problem with the two HDMI cables that I had, one of which is retractable. However... the lightweight Toguard 12VDC TV that I was hoping to use has an annoying flicker in the display, and I found no menu setting that eliminated the flicker. That TV works great in other applications, but not when connected through the SlimPort to my Nexus 7. So I am looking for another lightweight, battery-powered monitor to use in the field with clients or film directors.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dougneal
image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg This is what I'm using and they work great- screen is very bright.
https://www.amazon.com/Sceptre-E165W-1600HC-Screen-LED-Lit-Monitor

https://www.amazon.com/Talentcell-Rechargeable-6000mAh-Battery

I don't use the stand with the monitor- easy to take off.
I have a cheap tripod with a mounting plate that fit the base of the monitor perfectly.

I mounted the battery and remote on the back of the monitor using self-adhesive Velcro. The monitor comes with a nice shade screen but I ended up putting on a non-glare screen (made for the Nexus).

(BTW, if you use this setup, I get a 5% royalty off any monies you earn);)
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the tips, and don't give up your day job just yet in hopes of royalties ;). It is very rare on my jobs that a client wants to hold a display device, but yesterday a project director with Hollywood experience asked about the possibility. However he survived well enough by looking at the Nexus 7 while I was operating. I'd just like to be prepared should there be a next time for that kind of job. So I just ordered the monitor for now. Nifty setup you developed with the battery and remote.

As an alternative to the risk of a hard tether to the monitor on a tripod... I was looking at different Miracast devices that could be plugged into the HDMI connector on the monitor. This 2014 source says the Nexus 7 works fine with Chromecast or Miracast. Have you tried any of these wireless alternatives?
 
Thanks for the tips, and don't give up your day job just yet in hopes of royalties ;). It is very rare on my jobs that a client wants to hold a display device, but yesterday a project director with Hollywood experience asked about the possibility. However he survived well enough by looking at the Nexus 7 while I was operating. I'd just like to be prepared should there be a next time for that kind of job. So I just ordered the monitor for now. Nifty setup you developed with the battery and remote.

As an alternative to the risk of a hard tether to the monitor on a tripod... I was looking at different Miracast devices that could be plugged into the HDMI connector on the monitor. This 2014 source says the Nexus 7 works fine with Chromecast or Miracast. Have you tried any of these wireless alternatives?
I haven't tried any wireless setups. I think it would be a great idea as long as it doesn't interfere with Solo.
 

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
13,093
Messages
147,741
Members
16,048
Latest member
ihatethatihavetomakeanacc