FAQ on Gemei A330

Recently, on Habré, frequent publications on the wonderful portable console gemei a330. Quite a lot of users have already got this miracle among Chinese media players. Therefore, it would not be superfluous to compile a short list of frequently asked questions and answers to them, which will be supplemented as new questions arise and answers appear.


Q. What is gemei a330?
A. Dingoo A320 is a portable multimedia device that combines the functions of an audio player, video player, FM radio and game console emulator. Produced by Shenzhen Dingoo Digital Co., Ltd. since March 2009. It is the main competitor of GamePark Holdings products.
The same is true for gemei a330 except for the date of manufacture and manufacturer.
The device is manufactured by Gemei Digital Technology Co., Ltd. somewhere from last year. From its predecessor, the a320 differs in a more powerful processor (CC1800 ARM 11,600 Mhz underestimated to 500 Mhz versus Ingenic JZ4732, 336 MHz (downgraded from nominal 360 MHz, overclocked to 433 MHz) and the amount of RAM exceeding Dinga already twice (64 against 32x). Another processor is at the same time the strongest and weakest side of the console. He is certainly faster, but the abundance of software from the dinge to the gem will not work.
Read more about gemei here . Or watch the video review.


So, the owners have already taken place and potential, please under the cat.

System

1. Q. What is heard about Dingux?
   A. At the moment, it is not possible to launch Linux on gemei a330. However, in mid-March 2011, it was possible to launch third-party code before the OS was loaded. So the first step to dualboot, and as a result, to dingux is made.
   Read more at www.dingux.com .
   I would like to add that Dingux is done on enthusiasm and at the expense of free time only one person who, in general, is not paid for it.
2. Q. How to upgrade firmware?
   ABOUT.
   1. If you have a gemei fashion, look at point 5 first.
   2. Turn on the console, then connect it to usb. Put in the root file of the firmware.
   3. Without shutting down the console, unmounted it from the OS, if possible. Otherwise, they simply pulled out the USB. The process of updating the library should start. If this does not happen, update the library manually (audio player → update jukebox)
   4. At the end of the update, turn off the console with the button and turn it on. The update will begin.
3. Q. What is the most current firmware?
   O. Version 1.1 Feb 13 2011 r3 .
4. Q. Where can I get files from stock firmware?
   O. www.multiupload.com/3N6VNZRSJU - contains NES, SNES, MD, CPS1,2, NEO-GEO, GBA emulators, as well as the Doom game port for the Native OS. The SNES emulator will work only with firmware version 1.1. There are no games from NativeOS in Chinese from stock ROM.
5. Q. How to upgrade gemei a330 fashion without a radio module?
   A. In order for the update to work, you need to rename A330.HXF to A330E.HXF. It should be noted that after anbrika renaming procedure is optional.
6. Q. Failed to sew and the console does not start. How to return to life?
   O. How to use the anbriker described here - habrahabr.ru/blogs/gadgets/118993
7. B. The console freezes when updating the library. How to treat?
   A. Do not use the Russian language in the firmware. Use the English language locale.

Games

1. Q. Are there more recent versions of emulators than stock ones?
   A. Yes, after the release of gemei A330, the manufacturer added the SNES emulator and updated the NES and Neo-Geo emulators to version 1.1. You can pick them up from here: www.multiupload.com/3N6VNZRSJU . Please note that their work requires firmware version 1.1.
2. Q. How to enter the emulator menu in the game?
   A. Press Select + Start
3. Q. Where to throw games for emulators? In which formats and where to look for them then?
   A. In the folder GAME, in the folder with the appropriate name.
   • 3D - games and applications for NativeOS. * .CC format in firmware 1.0; * .c2s - for 2D games in firmware 1.1 and * .c3s for games in 3D. Search should be in the folder game center → Single Games
   • CPS1 - games from CP System (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CP_System). Format * .zip. MAME sets should fit. Located in the game center → Internet Games
   • CPS2 - Games from CP System II (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CP_System_II). Format * .cp2. www.dingoo-digital.com/downloads/applications/cps2-converter-english-version - the converter. Located in the game center → Internet Games
   • GBA - GameBoy Advance games (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Boy_Advance). Format * .gba. Search should be in the folder game center → Single Games
   • MD - Roma from Sega Mega Drive (http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Mega_Drive). Format * .smd. Converted from * .gen or * .bin. The converter is www.codeisle.com/products/sega-rom-conversion-utility . Located in the game center → Internet Games
   • MVS - Games from Neo-Geo (http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo_Geo). Format * .mvs. Located in the game center → Internet Games.
   • NES is a game from Dendy, also known as Nintendo Famicom and Nintendo Entertainment System (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NES). Format * .nes. Located in the game center → Internet Games.
   • SNES - Super NES (http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snes). The format of the games is * .smc. Located in the game center → Internet Games.
4. Q. How does multiplayer work?
   A. Go to the game center → Internet Games and select Create Server in order to create a Search Server in order to join the created game.
5. Q. What is the NEOGEO.ZIP in the GAME folder?
   A. A set of BIOSes and other support files for Neo-Geo. If you delete - MVS'ki will not run. However, this is valid only for MVS Emulator 1.0. Having updated to version 1.1, NEOGEO.ZIP can be deleted. Saves from version 1.0 work fine as version 1.1. Thank you Dober for this information.
6. Q. Is it necessary to suffer with converting games? Where is the ready?
   O. sentinelgames.com Here on this site already converted romsety for emulators CPS1 (http://sentinelgames.com/documents/cps1.html), CPS2 (http://sentinelgames.com/documents/cps2.html), Neo- Geo (http://sentinelgames.com/documents/neo_geo.html).
   Or torrent (please sit longer: 3) thepiratebay.org/torrent/5712814/Dingoo_A320_Complete_ROMS_Pack_-_ROM_GBA__GBC__SNES__SMD__NeoGeo , thanks to Cake_Seller and Dober
7. Q. And what will you advise on playing?
   O. Top 250 according to the audience 16bit.ru
   Mega Drive , Super Nintendo , Neo-Geo , CPS1 , CPS2 , NES
   And top in the opinion of the audience Emu-land.net
   Mega Drive , Super Nintendo , Neo-Geo , CPS1 , CPS2 , NES and GBA .
   You can download the games you like right away. Arcade games, however, will have to convert.
8. V. I do not see the games that I threw on the flash drive
   A. Update your music library (Music → update jukebox)
9. Q. What is the Trainer item on the NES emulator menu?
   A. The NES emulator supports supports so-called Easy Cheats. A list of which can be found here - gamehacking.org/?s=v2&sys=5 Ignore cheats marked GG. If the cheat you find consists of eight characters, drop the first two zeros. Using cheats is easy. Go to the Trainer emulator menu, select trainer settings and enter a cheat. Put him a switch in enable and went into the game Everything, the cheat worked.
   I want to warn you, try not to play Russification. They are often buggy.
10. Q. Why in the GBA emulator menu in the Misc settings submenu is Read strategy?
    A. And this emulator has its own chip. There are no cheats here, but you can read the passage. The link must be in the * .txt format, I can’t say anything about the encoding, since I haven’t played with them on purpose. ANSI works exactly with English. The Russian language is traditionally unlucky - hieroglyphs.
    Rename the text file as your ROM is named and place it in the same folder. Everything. Now during the game go to menu → Misc. settings → Read strategy. What pleases, the passage saves the position even after turning off the console.

Settings

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1. B. How to change language
   A. For firmware 1.0, move all the way to the right, then press down nine times, A, select the language.
   For firmware 1.1, move all the way to the right, then press down eleven times, A.
   I advise you to choose English. Russian is some kind of Chinese.
2. B. The console does not fall asleep if left unattended for a long time and the battery quickly sits down.
   A. In the settings you need to set the time after which the screen will go off (Backlight Time), the console will fall asleep (Sleep Off) and turn off (Auto Off)
3. Q. When I go to the game center, I see a bunch of folders, and not a list of games as before, how can I change this?
   A. Change Settings → Browser Types to All Files.

Other

1. Q. Are there any hotkeys?
   ABOUT.
   • Select + Start - emulator menu
   • L + Start during the game - turn on TV-out
   • ↑ / ↓ + Start - Change volume
   • <+ Start - quick save
   • > + Start - fast boot
   • Hold Start - disable / enable console
2. Q. What video formats does the console play? Do I need to convert video before watching?
   A. AVI, MOV, FLV, MKV, M2V, MP4, ASF, MPEG, WMV and others are being played (excerpt from official documentation ^^). And it really plays a huge breakthrough of formats without prior conversion, including HD-video, including video with a resolution of 1920x1080. Support for subtitles embedded in the container, but unfortunately Russian captions are not supported. Instead of Cyrillic characters are displayed. MPG compressed DivX3, m4v and MP4 compressed with the isom codec refused to play. As such files are found, I will update the post.
3. B. When watching a video, the picture stutters, or the sound is out of sync. Can I fix the conversion to another format?
   A. Yes, there is one way =) Read more - a320.emulate.su/2010/12/26/hd-video-fix-for-ccplayer-gemei
4. Q. How to use the video output?
   A. The device has a video output, but a bit different from the Dingo A320. There is no sound through this tv-out. To output sound, use the output from the headphones. The console supports output through the composite (General) and component (Component) modes. In the resolution of 480i and 576i.
   To activate the video output during the game, press START + L, and while watching the video, press X, then select the right-most icon with the image of the TV ( ).
   For TV out, you can use a regular mini-jack 3.5mm cord for a tulip (for composite) and 3.5mm for a triple tulip for components.
   
   Or buy ready-made, compatible with composite.
   
   Or assemble yourself, as described here - a320.emulate.su/2011/03/27/cable-dingoogemei
   
5. Q. Can I change the skin of NativeOS?
   A. You can. There are several firmware with a modified skin.
   
   • Donnie darko curse
   • Let me in 2.0
   • FullMetal Alchemist
   • Olart Gemei Play!
   • Gemei A330 AS-U
   • Aino Space Stile
   
   
   You can also unpack the original firmware and redraw any graphics in it. For unpacking, use www.multiupload.com/5B095SKCDK . Drag the firmware file to unpack.exe to unpack it, and run wadpack.bat to pack it. Editing graphics if possible, do not change the file size in pixels. The console will not stop if you insert a file larger or smaller, but it will not resize it either.
6. Q. How to correctly unmount a console from Windows 7?
   A. The console can easily be unmounted using standard means of the seven, if a USB flash drive is inserted into it.
7. B. The console does not cling to Linux.
   A. You can try to do this with the command mount -t msdos / dev / sdb / mnt from root and fix permishna. Also try connecting the console in the off state.
   mephisto adds that “on 2.6.38 kernels, there may be problems mounting the console. Damage downgrade to 2.6.37 "
   
8. Q. What should I do if I connected the console to Windows 7, and it (Windows) corrupted the file system in the console?
   A. Format the console with Windows tools with a standard cluster size and back up the backup from section 4 of the “firmware” section. Thanks for the reply Dober
   
9. Q. What is better a320 or gemei a330?
   O. Looking for what? If you are a geek and 7 already emulated systems are not enough for you, if you like to install Linux even on your coffee maker, then gemei a330 is not the best choice yet . Dingux for it is not and it is not entirely clear whether. So in Duke Nukem 3D on this console, you still do not play.
   On the other hand, updated versions of emulators for NativOS sometimes come to this console, it has a more powerful processor and more RAM, it supports playback without converting HD video and a lot of multimedia formats.
   I summarize, if you are willing to wait patiently for Dingux on gemei a330, or if you are satisfied with the current situation with emulators, then this is probably the best choice at the moment for such money.
   Ask new questions and specify old in comments.
   Video comparison can be viewed on youtube
10. Q. Can I write my own applications under NativeOS ??
    A. Yes, there is an SDK for this purpose.

UPD 02.06.2011. Added clause 1, added clause 4.7 of the “system” section; added clause 5, added clauses 1, 9, 10 of the “games” section; added clause 2, 5, added clauses 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10 of the “other” section.