SONIC STAGE!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Here is my gift to you - Getting Sonic Stage to work with the W52S!!
BONUS - Works with Duogate AND MICRO SD!!!

Wow. I finally figured this whole deal out. (I am sketchy on a few parts, but I took the 'do it all, because some of them are important, and the others wont hurt' approach.)

This one will be a lengthy/complex procedure so lets get everything together:
1: you need your W52S CD. If you do not have it, please message me and I will email or post the particular package you need.
2: Phone, Cradle, and USB cable (naturally)
3: Duogate OR MicroSD card installed.


Ok, here we go:
1: Download and install Sonic Stage from: http://sonicstage.connect.com/SS-US.zip
(unzip, run the install file. follow directions.. easy)

2: Insert your W52S CD.

3: Explore to: CD:\utility_softwares\SonicStage_CP

4: You will find a single EXE file here. DO NOT RUN THIS FILE! It will simply report back that it cannot install on a non-Japanese OS.
Instead you need to do the following:

• Right Click on the file and choose Extract files. You will then be able to make a folder somewhere to extract the files to. I reccomend Either a new folder on your desktop, or a new folder in the root of your C drive.
  
• Find the folder you extracted to. I called it C:\SSinstall. Inside you will find several sub folders. Go to C:\SSinstall\Common\OpenMG.
  
• Run Is_setup.exe and follow the directions.
  
• If you have not already installed the USB driver, go to C:\SSinstall\Device\Driver\W52S and do so. (You might want to do it just in case, as it may only now make Sonic Stage aware of the device.)

NOTE: At this point, my install path may diverge from yours. Give Sonic Stage a try and see if you can access your memory card. To do so, plug in the cradle, drop the phone in, and choose 2-mass storage on the phone. Run Sonic Stage. In the Transfer tab you will have two new devices: Memory Stick (in my case, drive K) and ATRAC audio device (drive J). Memory Stick is if you have a DuoGate memory stick. ATRAC audio device is for all us MicroSD users.

If you get this far, and it works, please let me know. If not, then continue exploring the folder you made. You will find SEVERAL install packages. I went through and hit them all, just in case.

I hope this works out for everyone and you can enjoy using SS and dump your crappy AMP intall!




A quick review of the projects checklist: (all of these are without AMP, and on MicoSD cards)

• Convert and upload/watch video (full length movies in widescreen, using Image Converter 2) - check
• Download photos and video from camera - check
• Upload PDF files and view them - check
• Convert and upload photos (using Image Converter 2) - check
• Convert and upload music with Sonic Stage - check
• Upload and run games and third party applications - still to do
• Offer support for MAC (I dont have access to one, and wouldn't know where to start. Sorry to all you MAC users) - still to do
• Write user guides for GPS functions - still to do
• Write user guides for EZweb functions - still to do
• Write guide for subscription services (TangoTown, LastTrain search, etc) - still to do

Anything I should add?

Use auMusicPort to load music

I have the preliminary write up for loading music. Please ask any questions, and make corrections. I have not included pictures, but can add them in if anything is unclear.


Music Library Primary Functions

First, open auMusicPort.From the main screen, select Music Library.
There are four icons on the far left. Their function is as follows:

1: Picture of a PC with a play arrow in the monitor - Shows the songs currently in your 'PC play list'. Play your tunes from the pc or phone here.
2: Phone and PC with two directional arrows - Sync function to load songs to and from the phone
3: papers with a pencil on them - I have no clue.. perhaps some sort of tag editor or viewer or rating thing.. whatever, dont need it! ;)
4: Musical Note, an arrow, and a PC - File importing.


Step 1: Importing Music

Click on File import (music note and PC). You will see a spreadsheet. Above this you see the import functions.

Looking at the import features: First is a CD with a drop down bar. You can rip right from a CD drive. The drop down selects which drive to rip from. It only shows valid music CDs in the drop down.
Below that is a file folder, and a LONG button. Click the button. You can now point to a specific file, or a folder. If you point to a folder, it will recurse all sub folders within that folder.
Ok, so you have chosen either a CD or a music folder.

CD: your cd will be ripped, and the file names will appear in the spreadsheet with a rip progress bar.

Folder: you will be prompted with a popup box. You are given a few options. The default selection is ALL known file types. the other options or for such options as WAV, WMA or M4A. It's important (and sad) to note here that MP3 files are NOT on the list. Unfortunately AMP only reads those three file types. You will have to convert your mp3s to WMA, or use Sonic Stage to convert them and then load to a M2 card. :( booo hiss..The top section of the popup allows the file type selection (default to all) while the bottom section allows you to choose Scan Whole System, or In a folder only. It should be pretty obvious to you how to use this function.
Left button is Ok, right is Cancel

So, hitting ok will default to all. Now all files in the folder are shown in the spreadsheet.
Its important to note that amp is a bit slow on this process.. watch progress bar. I strongly advise you point to a folder only, as the full scan initially will take FOREVER and grab all those silly sounds from the OS...

Now that you have a list, you can choose what to convert to phone format. Throw check boxes in the songs you want, using shift to select groups at a time.

Finally click the large square button with the CD icon and down arrow. You will now see progress percentage as the files are converted. When everything is 100%, move on to the next step.


Step 2: Uploading

Your tune is now in the PC library. You can even play it by clicking on the first large icon on the left (PC with a play button). Go ahead and check the quality.

When you are ready to transfer, click the icon of the phone and PC.You now have two spreadsheets. The top is your PC library, the bottom is the phone library (likely empty at first).
Highlight the songs from the top list you wish to transfer. You can use Shift and Ctrl click options to highlight groups.

Between the two lists, are 4 buttons. One has a down arrow and Japanese, then two with Japanese, then one with an UP arrow and PC.
The first and the last should be pretty obvious. The third is "Resetsuto" Im not sure what number two does, but I have had good luck with number on (down arrow) and number two for loading songs to the phone.

You can now disconnect the phone and find the music either in the phone memory, or the memory card (be it microSD or M2). The Default location is the memory card when installed.

Your music will play from either folder via the Music Menu. You can also move the songs to the other memory area from the normal file menu, and they will be found again when you re-open the Music Menue.

Loading video to the W52S

Ok.
I finally figured this all out. Turns out its REALLY simple.

Myths:
1: You need M2 to use video. NOT TRUE. You DO need a memory card. Either SD or M2. You can watch full length movies off SD memory, or transfer it into the phone. Your choice. Phone vs MMC may affect things like answering messages or answering a call. My guess is copying to the PHONE will be better then using the MMC.

2: You need Sony Image converter 3 in order to load video. NOT TRUE.
What IS true, is that you need Image Converter. Im using I.C. 2.



Method:

1: Obtain any version of Image Converter. To be honest, ANY might not be true. I have only tested it with 2.. and obviously 3 will work. Anything previous to 2 may or may not work. The only thing I can think of as important, is the output file. So, I'm certain there are freeware apps that will do the same job. Mileage will vary. All directions assume IC2.

2: Convert some files. In IC2, your files will dump SOMEWHERE in a folder called MP_ROOT. Unfortunately, IC is ment to load to a memory device. So, you can only point it to a ROOT of a drive. Example C:MP_ROOT will be your storage folder.

3: Jump into the folder in Explorer. Notice your files names are just a bunch of numbers. You might want to rename them something more meaningful. Refrain from too much punctuation, spaces and what not. Keep it short and sweet. Its gotta fit on the phone screen afterall.
Next, Delete the files that are not .MP4.. you dont need them.

4: Get ready to copy to the phone. Put it in the cradle, plug it in power and USB. Select Mass Storage on the phone to get into drive mode.

5: In Explorer, browse to the phone folder K:\PRIVATE\AU_INOUT
K is my drive letter, yours may be different. WARNING! There are TWO drive letters that come up. Look for the drive who's size matches the memory card size!

6: Copy your videos into the folder.

7: You cant play them on the phone from here. Disconnect from the computer. On the phone hit Menu, External Memory, PC folder. You will see your files. Hit option.
At this point, decide if you want to put them on the phone, or leave them on the memory card. Use option 4 - 6 to copy or move to phone or memory.
When the location comes up, choose Data Folder, File Corresponded.
This will put it in the video folder, and link it to the system index!

8: Play it! Look in the Data folder for ether the memory card, or the phone, and you will now see EZmovie... its an easy job at this point.

9: Delete the files out of the PC folder. Save some space for the next transfer.

NOTE:
The same general method works for copying PDF and html documents to be viewed in Pixel.. if you want a seperate tutorial, I'll write it.. but its essentially the same.

Memories.. all fading...

The Memory chart for the 52s is outright wrong.
My guess is that its a ploy to get you to buy the M2 cards, rather than plain ol SD.

Empirical evidence from playing with the phone reviels that the SD card will load and play movies just fine. Music is no problem, and PDF viewing with Pixel is simple.

The thing is, you have to use DIFFERENT methods then the given software to accomplish these goals. Thats it. Its just a superficial software power play to buy sony.

The ONLY lockout I have found, is that Sonic Stage doesn't work without M2.. at least, not yet ;) Where there's an MRE (thats me) theres a way.

A new beginning...

So, my W42S gave up the ghost... well, not entirely; the sound had become erratic, and there is noticable slowdown on the menues. Neither of which is entirely fatal (answering calls still works fine with the headset, just no sound with the phone to my ear).

It will feel the wrath of my screwdriver.

On to bigger and better: the hot new W52S!!

As per the 42s blog, I will start with a lowdown on specs and features, what works out of the box and what doesn't, and the good, the bad, and the ugly.

In later posts, I will get into hacking on it, finding truth in the rumors, and tutorials on all that Japanese stuff that comes with it (and is required to use the phone for anything 'fun')


A low down on specs:
2 gigs internal storage
up to 2 gigs external
a bigger screen
plays video
gizmogadgetry.. yep

heh.. nice spec sheet huh? Ok, truth is, you can get a spec sheet anywhere... what you really want is first impressions and comparissons to the 42s:

Camera:
While the camera is essentially the same specs as the 42, I noticed it takes much better low light photos. Also, there is no manual macro switch. You access macro mode electronicly via the menu now. Sadly, the built in LED is actually DIMMER than the 42.

Overall shape:
To accomidate the larger screen, the shuttle controls we know and love from the 42 had to be moved to the side, in order to keep the phone the same length. Unfortunately the wheel type control ws dropped. Now its just buttons for forward and back. The play/stop/pause button is rather large, but still illuminated.
Due to how things were re-arranged, its a bit inconvienient. Especially the keylock switch. Rather than you thumb, its now index finger, opposite side, and ON TOP.. :/

Memory options:
The more expensive MemoryStickDuo of the 42 was droped in favor of more compact and overall cheaper MicroSD. Good point: its cheaper. Baaaad point: you just wasted cash on a MSDuo you cant use here. dahhhh..

Menu:
Very familiar, yet packed with all sorts of new features.... so, everything you remember from the 42 applies.

Drummmm roollll please... MUSIC features:
umm.. wow.. 2 gigs internal. NICE.. super nice. A lot of the initial problems with the 42s are fixed here. (dare I say, they might be fixed with the latest version of AMP or the old 42 as well). Songs still need to be converted to ATTRAC. Direct MP3 playback isnt going to work. So, everything you know about SonicStage should work. (I have not actually tried SS yet on this phone because......)
Using AMP, you can convert your music library and load songs directly to the phone memory. You DONT NEED EXTERNAL memory, and it will take any song from your library.
Also, indexing on the phone is a bit more logical, with view options for All, by Artist, or By Album.

Supposedly new features: (I.E. yet to be discovered how to do)
1: Play movies and video (have not figured out how to load to the phone in a 'free' manor. Requires Sony Image Converter 3... $20 on top of the $250 you already paid.) Where do the files get stored?

2: Somehow views MS documents such as .txt .doc .ppt and possibly .pdf but where do these documents need to be stored to be accessed?