Potentially serious problem with Phantom 3 and iPad

[VoicOfReason]

Today, I flew for the first time with my iPad Mini 2. Yesterday, I had a number of flawless flights with my NVidia Shield Tablet. Today, it worked perfectly for the first 10 minutes, then live video became garbled and went down to 1fps. I tried to fix the problem by:

1. Closing background apps
2. Making sure "hardware acceleration" option was off.
3. Rebooting iPad
4. Turning off controller
5. Turning off Phantom 3
6. Changing locations
7. Changing location of Phantom in the air, spinning around.

Nothing worked and the live video feed was almost completely unusable. So, I went in the house and grabbed my Nvidia Shield Tablet and hooked it up. Flawless video (and latency identical to iPad, if not a little better when on high-performance mode, by the way).

To pre-emp some follow-up questions:
1. Yes, this is the same area I flew before in (yesterday many times) with no interference
2. Yes, I had clear line of sight (I was 2 feet in front of the Phantom) and I tried it out further where I could see it.
3. Yes, I have the latest firmware installed successfully on both Phantom and controller.
4. Yes, it happens whether I am recording video or not.
5. Yes, it stayed in perfect radio contact with the controller, just the video was garbled.
6. No, I had no additional electronics on me to cause interference.
7. Yes, I love my Phantom.
8. No, I already ate lunch. But, thanks anyway.

Thoughts? Let the nail-biting commence.

UPDATE: I popped my SIM card out of my iPad (Spring FreedomPop) and all seems to be well again and smooth as butter. That's the only change I made and it now works. Will need to experiment more to see why this is.

UPDATE #2: I think it's an overheating issue. I also had removed the iPad from the case and that's what seems to have fixed it.

 

[leekiya]

Not another problem. Why didn't dji send there prototypes out to people months ago with the apps were all actually going to use. Seems we are the beta pilots after all, like many stated from the off.

 

[bbfpv]

Not another problem. Why didn't dji send there prototypes out to people months ago with the apps were all actually going to use. Seems we are the beta pilots after all, like many stated from the off.

Shouldn't you be out flying?!?!

 

[vinnnocc]

mini 2 with data plan ? thats what i plan on using i hope i dont have any problems

 

[ebfoxbat]

I believe hardware acceleration should be enable on iPad mini 2. I think I read on another forum that it should be enabled for divices with the A7 chip

 

[leekiya]

Shouldn't you be out flying?!?!

LOL you crack me up, and yes i should. Just waiting for little one to go to bed and then the unboxing fun begins. Followed by all the techie firmware updates/calibrations and setting changes stuff which i love. Picked up the new mini 2 cellular on the way home from work as well and as a apple freak that's a pretty good unboxing experience as well. Its a night of full on geek fun for me.

 

[leekiya]

I believe hardware acceleration should be enable on iPad mini 2. I think I read on another forum that it should be enabled for divices with the A7 chip

Would like to learn how to do that if its needed to be done.

 

[vinnnocc]

I believe hardware acceleration should be enable on iPad mini 2. I think I read on another forum that it should be enabled for divices with the A7 chip

ive seen that on non ios. would love to find it on ios.

 

[Rothgarr]

is it at all possible your iPad started downloading an update in the background? Either an iOS update, or an update for some other app? iCloud sync? Something that might complete for bandwidth?

 

[VoicOfReason]

is it at all possible your iPad started downloading an update in the background? Either an iOS update, or an update for some other app? iCloud sync? Something that might complete for bandwidth?

Yes, possible. But, that doesn't really solve the problem, but creates a bigger one. Anyone could lose their video if their iPad starts doing something in the background they don't know about. Ouch. So, I kind of hope that's all it is, but at the same time I kind of hope that isn't what it is.

 

[VoicOfReason]

Obviously a software bug, so that's good news, long term. Definitely not hardware.

 

[bbfpv]

I believe hardware acceleration should be enable on iPad mini 2. I think I read on another forum that it should be enabled for divices with the A7 chip

+1, it needs to be enabled or you're forcing the software to do the decoding.... way, way slower.

 

[leekiya]

+1, it needs to be enabled or you're forcing the software to do the decoding.... way, way slower.

Sorry im lost with this subject, so it is better to allow the ipad to allow hardware acceleration.
i wouldnt have a clue how to do this if its the case.

 

[bbfpv]

Sorry im lost with this subject, so it is better to allow the ipad to allow hardware acceleration.
i wouldnt have a clue how to do this if its the case.

It's a setting in the pilot app somewhere. Don't have my bird so can't check atm.

 

[PishPosh]

Sorry im lost with this subject, so it is better to allow the ipad to allow hardware acceleration.
i wouldnt have a clue how to do this if its the case.

I see it in General Settings under Camera. "Enable Hardware Decode"

 

[Apparition]

It's a setting in the pilot app somewhere. Don't have my bird so can't check atm.

It's under general settings, first slider down. Enable Hardware Decode.

 

[Apparition]

I see it in General Settings under Camera. "Enable Hardware Decode"

I was slightly beat

 

[VoicOfReason]

So back to this iPad video glitch. What's the deal?

 

[leekiya]

Cheers guys.

 

[bbfpv]

So back to this iPad video glitch. What's the deal?

Try turning on hardware acceleration.