conflicted: Phantom 4 Pro + (with 5.5” display) vs the Phantom 4 Pro

[GadgetGuy]

What am I missing here? You say you'd have to buy a external bluetooth GPS to use the P4P. Can you explain why? I thought most Android devices had built-in GPS, even without cellular support. It would seem to me there's no problem using an Android device, such as an nVidia Shield K1, or even iOS with cellular (in a few weeks).

Are you talking about the CrystalSky 7.9" Do we know if it has GPS integrated? That's the display I'm waiting for. 5.5" is too small for me, and I know when 7.9" is released a 5.5" display would quickly be thrown in the closet.

I don't have an Android device and only own Wifi only iPads which don't have GPS or HDMI out, and require an external BT GPS for resetting the Home Point to the controller location. If you don't need HDMI out or GPS, or have an Android device which has them, you are golden.

All the CrystalSky external tablets have GPS and HDMI out and two built-in microSD card readers.

 

[John Locke]

I don't have an Android device and only own Wifi only iPads which don't have GPS or HDMI out, and require an external BT GPS for resetting the Home Point to the controller location. If you don't need HDMI out or GPS, or have an Android device which has them, you are golden.

All the CrystalSky external tablets have GPS and HDMI out and two built-in microSD card readers.

OK, good, I'm not missing anything. You're missing an Android device.... he he. I wasn't sure why you state the need for BT.

So.... I'd like to debate the 3rd party apps issue on the P4P+, a little further.

When you look at Tahoe Ed's screen of a P4P+, there's no PlayStore icon. Instead there is an icon labeled "Download" with the downer arrow. I presume this download icon is linked to an official DJI server with approved apps for download and updates. Hence DJI totally omitted the ability to download from the Playstore, and a method to pay for 3rd party apps. We already know this much, right? So lets say Litchi releases their app in Jan or Feb (after they get the SDK of course), and wants to sell the app to P4P+ owners. Lets assume by that time the CrystalSky units will be available so Litchi can test their s/w with the CrystalSky Android displays. But.... how can Litchi sell that s/w without the Playstore for billing purposes? This sounds like new territory to me, unless I'm missing something. Has anyone got an idea how that will work? Will DJI be selling 3rd party apps now, such as Litchi, AutoPilot, DroneDeploy? Am I overthinking this?

 

[smiller]

But.... how can Litchi sell that s/w without the Playstore for billing purposes?

Unless DJI has modified the Android OS release in some major way you should be able to install an .apk file from local storage (downloading from Google Play is not required.) Nor is Google Play required to obtain revenue from the app, the author can just make licensing an in-app purchase, it's done all the time.

The only thing that would absolutely prevent 3rd party apps from loading is if DJI intentionally made low-level OS modifications to prevent it (vs. simply removing Google Play.) This would not be a trivial change so it seems unlikely, more probable and practical is that DJI is maintaining core Android functionality and is just stripping out any unnecessary applications and background processes to increase stability. In spite of all the conjecture we just won't know for sure until knowledgeable people get the controller in their hands.

 

[GadgetGuy]

OK, good, I'm not missing anything. You're missing an Android device.... he he. I wasn't sure why you state the need for BT.

So.... I'd like to debate the 3rd party apps issue on the P4P+, a little further.

When you look at Tahoe Ed's screen of a P4P+, there's no PlayStore icon. Instead there is an icon labeled "Download" with the downer arrow. I presume this download icon is linked to an official DJI server with approved apps for download and updates. Hence DJI totally omitted the ability to download from the Playstore, and a method to pay for 3rd party apps. We already know this much, right? So lets say Litchi releases their app in Jan or Feb (after they get the SDK of course), and wants to sell the app to P4P+ owners. Lets assume by that time the CrystalSky units will be available so Litchi can test their s/w with the CrystalSky Android displays. But.... how can Litchi sell that s/w without the Playstore for billing purposes? This sounds like new territory to me, unless I'm missing something. Has anyone got an idea how that will work? Will DJI be selling 3rd party apps now, such as Litchi, AutoPilot, DroneDeploy? Am I overthinking this?

I'll soon have the necessary Android device, as soon as my P4P+ arrives! It's more urgent now, as my P4 took a dive tonight, when a stress fracture severed the right rear arm! Still have my P3P's, but after 100 flights on the P4, we were becoming good Bud's!

As @smiller has pointed out, getting paid for the app is the easy part, and doesn't require Google Playstore. I'm sure DJI wants to support their 3rd party developers and their apps. There will be a way.

 

[John Locke]

I'll soon have the necessary Android device, as soon as my P4P+ arrives! It's more urgent now, as my P4 took a dive tonight, when a stress fracture severed the right rear arm! Still have my P3P's, but after 100 flights on the P4, we were becoming good Bud's!

As @smiller has pointed out, getting paid for the app is the easy part, and doesn't require Google Playstore. I'm sure DJI wants to support their 3rd party developers and their apps. There will be a way.

Whoa, an arm just broke off out of the blue? You didn't see any stress cracks and bam, it breaks off? Pictures?

So here's another curiosity. It appears the P4P+ doesn't have the two SD card slots on the display like the CrystalSky displays. And I was reading today in the CrystalSky propaganda that the unit will decode H.264 as well as H.265 in 4K, to display on whatever device you want via HDMI out, like a TV!. That implies to me they have a matching h/w decode chip for H.264/265, similar to how they have the H.264/265 hardware encode chip in the camera. That chip by itself would make the CrystalSky unit very capable of playing any SD card video that's captured with the P4P craft. So.... that might be a big advantage over an iPad or other Android device which don't have H.265 support. And since it's got the portable playback feature with it's own battery, that's pretty convenient to immediately playback on a bigscreen via HDMI, way more versatile than the P4P+ display. Something to think about. I just want the 7.9" size.

P4P+ below shows no SD slots. The display is not easily removable.

The CrystalSKy unit has the playback capability and can be easily removed from the controller, as a portable SD playback device to a bigscreen. That's pretty slick. I wish I knew when they are going to be available.

 

[socalvn]

That CrystalSky is a beauty , is it possible that the P4P+ SD slot is on the controller it self ? since it appears to be hard wired.

 

[John Locke]

That CrystalSky is a beauty , is it possible that the P4P+ SD slot is on the controller it self ? since it appears to be hard wired.

Yes, it's #19 on this drawing below. But you can't use it as conveniently as an SD card player via HDMI. Assuming it will play back through the HDMI connector, you'll need to have the whole controller unit with you to playback.

It appears the CrystalSky display will have a live HDMI feed out, like the Invidia Shield has. So anyone that buys the P4P, and buys the Crystalsky display doesn't not need the HDMI module kit for $100.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Whoa, an arm just broke off out of the blue? You didn't see any stress cracks and bam, it breaks off? Pictures?

So here's another curiosity. It appears the P4P+ doesn't have the two SD card slots on the display like the CrystalSky displays. And I was reading today in the CrystalSky propaganda that the unit will decode H.264 as well as H.265 in 4K, to display on whatever device you want via HDMI out, like a TV!. That implies to me they have a matching h/w decode chip for H.264/265, similar to how they have the H.264/265 hardware encode chip in the camera. That chip by itself would make the CrystalSky unit very capable of playing any SD card video that's captured with the P4P craft. So.... that might be a big advantage over an iPad or other Android device which don't have H.265 support. And since it's got the portable playback feature with it's own battery, that's pretty convenient to immediately playback on a bigscreen via HDMI, way more versatile than the P4P+ display. Something to think about. I just want the 7.9" size.

P4P+ below shows no SD slots. The display is not easily removable.

The CrystalSKy unit has the playback capability and can be easily removed from the controller, as a portable SD playback device to a bigscreen. That's pretty slick. I wish I knew when they are going to be available.

Actually, the arm separated 3/4 of the way around back in September while chasing speed boats, and, after looking into replacing the shell to fix it, I just bandaged it with gaffers tape, which got me another 25 flights out of it, until a high speed, left turn tonight! Good thing I have a P4P+ on order!

P4P+ has a single microSD card reader next the the HDMI port, as all the Crystalsky ports and battery were moved onto the RC for a smaller screen thickness. It should play out through the HDMI port and its own screen, just like on the standalone Crystalsky, with the same support for decoding 4K in H.264 as well as H.265. That's what it is designed for.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Yes, it's #19 on this drawing below. But you can't use it as conveniently as an SD card player via HDMI. Assuming it will play back through the HDMI connector, you'll need to have the whole controller unit with you to playback.


View attachment 69689

It appears the CrystalSky display will have a live HDMI feed out, like the Invidia Shield has. So anyone that buys the P4P, and buys the Crystalsky display doesn't not need the HDMI module kit for $100.
View attachment 69690

All true!

 

[John Locke]

Actually, the arm separated 3/4 of the way around back in September while chasing speed boats, and, after looking into replacing the shell to fix it, I just bandaged it with gaffers tape, which got me another 25 flights out of it, until a high speed, left turn tonight! Good thing I have a P4P+ on order!
View attachment 69694

P4P+ has a single microSD card reader next the the HDMI port, as all the Crystalsky ports and battery were moved onto the RC for a smaller screen thickness. It should play out through the HDMI port and its own screen, just like on the standalone Crystalsky, with the same support for decoding 4K in H.264 as well as H.265. That's what it is designed for.

Wow, that looks gnarly! I know a guy that can fix that, but he's in central California. He replaced a shell on one of my P3P's, I had it back in 9 days. Pretty reasonable price too. Flies great now. You gotta love gaffers tape.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Wow, that looks gnarly! I know a guy that can fix that, but he's in central California. He replaced a shell on one of my P3P's, I had it back in 9 days. Pretty reasonable price too. Flies great now. You gotta love gaffers tape.

Please send me a PM with his contact info. My other two guys never got back to me. They are on the east coast, so CA is closer anyway! I know P4 reshells are a PIA, but it's worth an inquiry to keep it alive. Never know when that P4P+ is going to arrive! Could sometime be next year!

 

[phneeley]

So has it been confirmed that the P4P+ display will have these same playback/decoding capabilities?

 

[GadgetGuy]

So has it been confirmed that the P4P+ display will have these same playback/decoding capabilities?

As soon as I get mine, it will be!
It definitely should, as one of the touted features is being able to edit and share videos directly on the display, from the microSD card, after removing it from the aircraft, and inserting it into the microSD card slot on the back of the P4P+ remote.

 

[GadgetGuy]

iOS DJI GO 4 is now in the App Store!

 

[andart]

Is there any idea of time for need crystal monitors to be released . Do you think it's weeks months or years

Sent from my SM-G935F using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[GadgetGuy]

Is there any idea of time for need crystal monitors to be released . Do you think it's weeks months or years

Sent from my SM-G935F using PhantomPilots mobile app

Most likely, months. Specs are already up, but pricing isn't. Based upon recent delivery schedules, most products are taking longer than expected to reach the market. Availability, once released, will be the main problem. Expect significant backorders delaying availability, depending upon pricing and demand.

 

[John Locke]

Since Android tablets aren't the core competency of dji, I'm hoping dji is outsourcing the design and manufacturing of the Android crystal sky devices to a company with proven expertise in this area. There are several Chinese companies that could do this easily and fairly quickly. Notice how the cosmetics of the crystal sky units look different from the p4p look and feel?. Let's cross our fingers.


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[andart]

I deafently want p4p+ but will regret it once the large crystal sky monitor comes out

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[John Locke]

I deafently want p4p+ but will regret it once the large crystal sky monitor comes out

Sent from my SM-G935F using PhantomPilots mobile app

I'm in the same boat, but I'm holding off. I hope to find out the crystalsky release date at the ide show next week.


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[MarcelV]

I deafently want p4p+ but will regret it once the large crystal sky monitor comes out

I ordered a P4P+ (my first drone) and was on the fence about it. I would need to buy a tablet if I didn't get the Plus model so that factored into it as well. But I realized it's not that big a risk. The Plus controller by itself looks like it will sell for $600 (IIRC) but only costs $300 when purchased bundled with AC. So if I decide I want to swap it for a regular controller and CS display I should be able to sell the Plus controller for $400 ($100 more than I paid and $200 less than list) and use that money to buy a regular controller and have $100 extra to apply to the cost of the CS. Unless my prices are off it seems like no biggie.