Develop Bugs

LCD Panels - Some Answers

Ok I have seen a lot of confusion over the months regarding the LCD Panel fitted to the Kaiser, I will attempt to answer most of these issues here.
Hardware: The kaiser series is fitted with a 2.8 inch 240x320 TFT LCD panel, which means that it 240 pixels wide by 320 pixels deep, the optimum density of this LCD panel is 143 Pixels per Inch.
Resolution: This refers to the screen resolution that the Operating System will use to display on the LCD panel, the 3 most common being 240x320, 320x428 and 320x480, the reason this is possible is that the OS is capable of fooling the display into using the fixed 240x320 panel to display more pixels, ( it does not really have more pixels, it just looks like it).
DPI: DPI or Dots Per Inch, also known as Density, and correctly known as PPI or Pixels Per Inch, this refers to the number of pixels the screen displays in a One Inch Square on the screen. As I noted above, the actual PPI of the LCD panel is 143 PPI, this is fixed by the hardware, and cannot really be changed, however since the LCD is software driven, it can be persuaded to look as if it is displaying more or less pixels in that same area.
Panel Type: This refers to the actual LCD panel fitted to your device, there are 3 types fitted to the Kaiser series, one manufactured by Sony, the other two by Topoly. While the 3 different types of panel are functionally identical, they differ at the electronic level. On Windows Mobile this difference can be detected by the OS, however on Android this is not possible, so the panel type must be set in the parameters passed to the kernel at boot time, either in default.txt when booting from SD, or hardcoded in the NBH when booting from Nand. Also there is no easy way of telling which panel type is fitted to any given Kaiser, since the panel type was chosen by HTC depending on price and availability and stock at the time of manufacture, so any model of Kaiser can have any of these types fitted.
The main problems encountered with the display are usually solved by changing the Panel Type, either by editing default.txt, or reflashing the correct NBH, ( note that you can also edit the kernel parameters of an NBH using a Hex Editor, however this would be a relatively advanced method, since an error could cause major issues).
Changing screen resolution and density: As noted above there are 3 main resolutions used, 240x320, 320x428 and 320x480. These easy to change either by editing default.txt, or flashing an NBH, depending on how you run Android, resolution is usually a personal choice. Density is not as easy to change, although Rogue Tools by Myn, (available in Market, and discussed here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=667581), is excellent for this purpose, there are various common PPI settings, and again mostly personal choice, a little experimentation with resolution and density will allow you to find what you prefer.
Hope this helps clear things up a little

Thanks for this, it helps alot!

vertical lines issue
just to add to the above: the vertical lines issue some have is related to choosing the wrong panel type. Chosing the correct one will solve the problem.

Wrong panel make errors display, ok! But Can it lead to additional consumption of the battery?

Dark-Side said:
Wrong panel make errors display, ok! But Can it lead to additional consumption of the battery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suspect it may, since display errors such as vertical streaks, pixel errors, colour issues etc are actually caused by a mismatch between the OS drivers and the actual physical electronics, and it's possible that the panel may demand more power than it would normally, I'd have to bench test this to be sure, but it's probably easier just to use the correct panel type setting.
The correct panel type should lead to a 'normal' demand on the battery.

zenity said:
I suspect it may, since display errors such as vertical streaks, pixel errors, colour issues etc are actually caused by a mismatch between the OS drivers and the actual physical electronics, and it's possible that the panel may demand more power than it would normally, I'd have to bench test this to be sure, but it's probably easier just to use the correct panel type setting.
The correct panel type should lead to a 'normal' demand on the battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use panel 2... I go to use panel 3 to test this. panel 1 make for me pixel errors. I'll report here.
Thank you
EDIT: no difference between panel 2 or 3 on my kais130

Thanks! That helps a lot.
I havd a thought, which is to change a physical LCD panel for my kaiser, HVGA or VGA... Is that possible? I would look into some electronic files later...

i guess that our chip has max resolution only 320x240 so no higher resolution
but as I look in the pdadb.net there are some devices with higher resolution and same chipset as ours so perhaps it is possible

It is unlikely to be possible to use another panel, since there are a lot of differences with the interface, it's not just the chipset, but how it's wired, plus higher resolution panels may need extra address lines which are not present in our kaisers.

For those of you experimenting with LCD Density settings. You may wish to try the following density settings.
100
121
144
169
196
Remember, pixels are square, so the density settings should reflect this, also the extreme ends of this table are just that, extreme

zenity said:
For those of you experimenting with LCD Density settings. You may wish to try the following density settings.
100
121
144
169
196
Remember, pixels are square, so the density settings should reflect this, also the extreme ends of this table are just that, extreme
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
density 106 works very well with 240x320 if the build is designed for 320x480. I'm using that on the CyanogenMod port. Haven't tried it with other builds though. I did try 107 once with another build but that did not turn out very well.

106? that should really look a little blurry, but I think it depends on the resolution that the build was designed for, however I think I'd find it a little small personally, have you tried 100? it should look clearer than 106, although I have noticed that some people just prefer a certain density regardless of the actual mathematically 'correct' one.

zenity said:
...
Panel Type:....
.... On Windows Mobile this difference can be detected by the OS, however on Android this is not possible, ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So how do I detect which panel in winmo?
I don't like the idea of just stabbing blindly in the dark and hoping I get it right.

Basically? Stab in the dark, there is no way in wm or android to know which type is fitted, type 2 seems most common, and is usually a 'safe' default, if the graphics/colours are wrong, you probably have type 1, if you have issues waking from sleep then you probably have type 3. So try panel 2 first.
Sent from my HTC Dream using Tapatalk

I'm running Android on my HTC Tilt and am using panel 2. I tried panel 1 and the colors were off so Panel 2 seems good.
But the problem I am having is that when I open up the dialer, it doesn't fit correctly on the screen, the bar which shows which numbers you have entered covers up the numbers 1,2,3 and the sides are cropped.
Everything else seems to be fine why is the dialer messed up?
Should I try changing density its at default right now.

I personally like to use 110, but every time I open detail application on Market, it gave me force close. Facebook for Android does that too (I mean FC) whenever I open detail message or upload picture from gallery.. I've tried 106, 104 and 100 and still having the same problem.. it's not happening when I use 120 for density, everything seems work properly normal.. is that common or I have to do something to fix that problem?

Thats not normal behaviour for market, although it has been known to be a little flakey on some builds, however this is unlikely to be related to lcd density, since density only affects the visual appearance of the screen, not the OS itself.

Which Panel?2 or 3?
Am using HTC Tytn II and recently i tried almost all Android builds(donut,eclair,froyo) on my device.panel 1 shows some pixel errors and panel 2 and 3 makes no big difference for me, both settings showing a white flash screen on wake up!
and panel 3 i feel little smudge,not sure.panel 2 wake up with white flash screen and follows by grains(just like noisy TV screen).All these for two seconds.after that TYTN II behave normally.Any body can help me please?

stajan said:
Am using HTC Tytn II and recently i tried almost all Android builds(donut,eclair,froyo) on my device.panel 1 shows some pixel errors and panel 2 and 3 makes no big difference for me, both settings showing a white flash screen on wake up!
and panel 3 i feel little smudge,not sure.panel 2 wake up with white flash screen and follows by grains(just like noisy TV screen).All these for two seconds.after that TYTN II behave normally.Any body can help me please?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As previously stated, panel 2 is the most common of all.
As for the white flash and grainy display, this is due to the fact that we have to "fake v-sync" in order to display anything on our screens. Remember, Android was not designed for our Kaisers, but developers got it to run, piece by little piece, really well on our devices. There will always be drawbacks to this as the hardware doesn't really meet the requirements of what Android was developed for.
If you want to see whats going on when you have a white screen or snow, slide the keyboard open and press "Fn-left softkey". this brings up a screen that shows you what Android is doing.
To return to the main screen, press "Fn-right softkey".
Hope this helps...

LCD Density Changer?

Has anyone been able to get any density changer apps working on their Nitro HD? I've tried all of the following, and none seem to work. It's possible there is a problem with my su access, so if anyone HAS gotten any of these to work, please let me know. That at least tells me I definitely have an su problem...
DPI Changer
LCD Resolution
LCDDensity
Root Tools

Never mind; my build.prop file was set to read only.

Excuse my ignorance, but what exactly are they for? Does the density changes only the size of text or everything including graphic become bigger/smaller?

[email protected] said:
Excuse my ignorance, but what exactly are they for? Does the density changes only the size of text or everything including graphic become bigger/smaller?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wondering the same thing as well.

aquariuz23 said:
wondering the same thing as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the most part, yes. Decreasing the LCD Density is like increasing your desktop's resolution. Icons and text become smaller, though apps that are written to scale to any resolution will usually appear the same.

Hmmm...I do see some issues with current density, for instance the avatars in Talk don't stretch to fit the square.
So witch tool would you suggest?

I tried DPI Changer the other and couldn't get it to work, thanks for the heads-up about the build.prop!
The Nitro also already has the "Screen Optimization" util (Settings > Display > Screen Optimization) that resizes checked apps to the Nitro's display. It helped with a few games, but some games just won't work (like Asphalt 5)...But now with the Density changer, maybe I'll give it another try.

[email protected] said:
Hmmm...I do see some issues with current density, for instance the avatars in Talk don't stretch to fit the square.
So witch tool would you suggest?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I'm not sure any of the tools above would work; part of the problem I am sure is that the build.prop file was not only read only, but there wasn't an entry for the LCD Density - so if the apps work by simply retrieving and editing the property, they aren't going to work. I just edited the file directly with a text editor, saved, and restarted the phone. Some of the apps would then at least report the new value, but still didn't seem to successfully update it. I quit looking because I got the density I wanted (about 270, down from the native 320).
As for compatibility with other apps, if they don't quite look correct it is because they aren't written well, and a different density changing app isn't going to do you any good. Again, it's like changing the resolution on your computer - it doesn't matter how you change your resolution - once it's set it is what it is, and apps that don't accommodate it just aren't going to look good.
Namuna said:
I tried DPI Changer the other and couldn't get it to work, thanks for the heads-up about the build.prop!
The Nitro also already has the "Screen Optimization" util (Settings > Display > Screen Optimization) that resizes checked apps to the Nitro's display. It helped with a few games, but some games just won't work (like Asphalt 5)...But now with the Density changer, maybe I'll give it another try.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Screen Optimization utility only seems to address apps that are written to a specific resolution - not pixel density. In this sense, the LCD Density is actually more like changing your computer's DPI - I didn't use that analogy first because more people are more familiar with changing a desktop's resolution. The fact is that LCD screens have a set resolution, and you cannot increase or decrease that resolution through software. The Nitro's extremely high resolution (1280x720) just isn't common enough in phones (most software would see it as a tablet) to be accounted for in all apps - particularly older ones. So, the screen optimization app that is built-in will automatically stretch apps to take up the entire 1280x720 pixels, even if the app only renders (for instance) 800x480 pixels .

[How-To/Guide] Change your LCD Density Setting For More Screen Real Estate

I posted a similar guide for my Galaxy SII, so I figured I would share the love here. Hopefully this helps out a few folks who want to better utilize the amazing screen on the GSIII. I am manually copying this from my post in the now closed combined GSIII forums. Please feel free to comment and make suggestions and please "thank" if you appreciate the post!
General Info for Beginners:
The Galaxy SIII comes with a gorgeous 4.8 inch, 1280 x 720 (albeit pentile) screen. As great as the screen looks, I couldn't help but feel that there is a lot of "wasted space" at the existing resolution. The best example of this fact is the app drawers default 4 x 5 layout. In my opinion, things look much better when the the icons are a bit smaller and more tightly grouped. For those that feel the same way, there is a simple build.prop edit you can do to "trick" you phone to thinking it is set to a higher resolution
How-To Change the Density Setting:
To accomplish this, all you have to do is change the build.prop setting for "ro.sf.lcd_density". There are multiple programs out there that makes this much easier but I have found the best results with "ROM Toolbox". Feel free to buy the full version to support the dev but if all you are looking to do is change the density setting, the lite version will do just fine.
1. download and install "ROM Toolbox" from the Google Play Store
2. go to the "Performance" tab
3. click "build.prop tweaks"
4. change the "LCD Density" slider to whatever DPI you like
5. reboot
As mentioned, there are multiple programs out there but based on my personal experiences, DO NOT USE "LCD DENSITY MODDER" from the play store. This app is known to cause soft-bricks/bootloops. However, I have been told that LCD Density Modder CAN still help with the Play Store app issue, but you will have to buy the pro version for that feature. Thanks uber_mike! (more on that later)
What Setting to Choose:
This is matter of personal opinion so try out different setups and see what you like best. Remember, the lower you set the number, the smaller your icons/text will appear but will also give you more screen real estate. I suggest starting from about 280 or so and working your way down and find something you like.
You may also notice that text and icons appear less sharp when messing with these settings. Keep in mind that because you are not truly changing your screen resolution, the translation will not be perfect. Personally, given the natural sharpness of AMOLED screens, I think most people while not be bothered by this or even notice.
"Phone Mode" vs "Tablet Mode"
As some posters have reported, going to 240 dpi or below will result in Android thinking your device is a tablet. I have been running 240 for a few days now and I'm loving it. In my opinion, may apps look a lot better in Tablet mode but if there are certain phone only apps you MUST have, please keep this in mind.
Potential Issues and Workarounds:
You will inevitably run into some compatibility issues so here are few final thoughts
Which ROM to use?
TouchWiz-based Roms: All roms based on stock Samsung TW for the GSIII were written with only the native resolution in mind. This means that certain apps and aspects of the OS will not scale well with a higher resolution::
- TouchWiz UX Launcher: If you are dead-set on using the default TW launcher, this mod may not be for you. The proportions will look way off and because you cannot edit things like margin or grid layout, it is not fixable. Aftermarket launchers like Apex handle the conversion much better (more on that later)
- The Phone Dialer: The dialer looks like small box that fills up only a portion of the screen. To resolve, you can use an aftermarket dialer app like "exDialer" from the Play Store
- TW E-mail App: The TW e-mail app (not gmail) also doesn't scale well. You can flash the AOSP version of e-mail as a workaround
- Stock Camera App: You will notice some of the border coloring and margins doesn't scale very well but the functionality is still perfect
- Notification Bar: I have noticed the little lines in the pull-down become off-center after you adjust the dpi. Again, a minor annoyance which doesn't effect functionality
- Twitter:*You may have profile pictures show up in 2 different sizes (Thanks Msilvame!)
Some additional feedback from other posters(thanks mhtruth!) but note that I personally do not have all of these issues
*status bar quick toggles DON'T scroll (stuck with just the 1st 5)
*status bar "remove all (X)" missing (swiping still works)
* in call speaker boost doesn't work...(only stops you from hearing not the person on the other end)
* some apps go into tablet mode (ex. HBO GO)
AOSP ROMs: CM9 and AOKP handle the conversion a bit better. You won't run into the dialer or e-mail issue like with TW ROMs but there are still some bugs.
- Certain pictures of contacts may appear too zoomed in, i.e. messaging notification pictures or the favorites tab
- Other aspects of the OS may become hard to read when scaled down so much, i.e. lock screen add-on buttons, notification pull down buttons
- I recently had a chance to mess with some JB ROMs and found that the lockscreen slider/phone answer slider does not scale well and is oriented towards the right of the screen. Boo
The Play Store Doesn't Show All Apps? - This is the biggest pain in the a$$ when you mess with the lcd density settings. There is a bug in the play store that prevents you from seeing certain apps when you change the lcd settings away from default.
I have seen a few "hacked" versions of the vending.apk out there that makes the play store think you are always set to a stock dpi but for some reason, this only works for a little while. LCD Density Modder Pro has a feature where it can install a "fixed" Play Store app that can help with this issue also, but there is also a workaround.
Here are the steps to get the market working again:
1. Change LCD Density back to stock (320)
2. Reboot to take effect
3. Clear the data for the Google Play Store AND Google Services Framework
4. Open the Play Store app and you should see everything again
5. Change LCD density back to whatever you like.
6. Reboot
I know this is a bit cumbersome but it's the best solution for now. I haven't quite nailed down what triggers the market to "break" but hopefully you won't have to do this fix too often. In opinion, this small annoyance is worth it.
Also, one thing I noticed when using Rom Toolbox is that after you set your dpi to a lower setting using the "build.prop tweaks" menu, if you go back and try to set it to the stock 320, it will max out at 280 or so. Not sure why this is the case but to do this manually, go to "build.prop editor" instead and change the "ro.sf.lcd_density" to 320.
I have been told that setting your dpi to 240 will also help with Play Store issues, since 240 is a stock resolution on other devices (GSII comes to mind). Feel free to try this out, but the size of icons and fonts may be a bit too small for some tastes (thanks DutchDogg54 and chakra!)
Everything Looks Too "Stretched Out"? - Having an aftermarket launcher will help with this tremendously, as the TW launcher does not scale well at all. I personally use Apex Launcher and there are some settings you can change to make the proportions look better
1. Homescreen Settings: Change the Vertical and Horizontal margins to medium or large
2. Dock Settings: Same as above.
You may also want to mess with different homescreen grid configurations now that you have extra room. I have bumped up mine to 5 x 5 and it looks great.
Bumping up the font size can also help even things out. At 240 dpi, I put mine to "normal", but at stock I used "tiny" (thanks falconator!)
List of all the ICS compatible launchers that will work for this mod:
- Apex Launcher (my fave)
- Nova Launcher
- Go Launcher
- Atom Launcher (new!)
- Holo Launcher (new!)
And that's it. I hope this will help you out so that you won't have to go through all the trial and error I did. I promise you, after you do this, it will be impossible for you to go back to the stock resolution (everything looks HUGE)
Update: I have added some of my and mhtruth's screenshots for those who are interested. I also added a screenshot of HBO GO in tablet mode
My setup:
- 240 dpi (Tablet Mode)
- AOKP M6 R3, Black Exodus Theme
- Apex Launcher
- Homescreen: 6 x 5 grid, Horizontal Margin: Medium, Vertical Margin: Large
- Dock: Horizontal Margin: Large, Vertical Margin: Medium
- Font Size: "Normal"
Feel free to show off your own homescreen screenshots! I will update OP and add yours too!

I was just complaining about this to myself this morning. Thank you for sharing this. I'm definitely going to try messing with this.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

I find that ROM toolbox is kind of buggy on the GS3.

There use to be an app o the market that did this and it stuck on boot. I hate messing with build prop myself. Someone should whip up a new app.
-me being lazy lol
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

Update:
Since 8/10 I have been running the AMAZING Paranoid Android ROM and I am in love with this. For anyone who liked the LCD Density Mod posted above, you should definitely check out this ROM. I got to experience it just a bit with my GSII and continue to be impressed with my GSIII.
I suggest you try "Phablet" Mode at first. The advantage to this ROM is that it allows you to individually adjust the density of each app separately as well as prevents market incompatibility issues. This is a MUST for people who like things at a setting other than 240.
Hope this helps!

Stuck in boot
after 3 hours of getting it rooted, i got the density app, i may of gotten the lcd density modder , i didnt know there was 2 kinds. but i put it to 200, rebooted and now i try to turn on and it goes to samsung logo but then just turns off again, what do i do?

Well, if it didnt back up your build.prop then the easiest thing would be to flash a rom.
Or if you have a nandroid restore just the system part.
Otherwise plug up to your computer and oull your build.prop, set it back to default and push it back to system.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

I'm running AOKP milestone 1 on my SGSIII, when I change my density I get screen flashes. Is this the incompatibility your talking about? I've tried different DPIs with the same result. I've used the density changer built into ROM control, as well as ROM toolbox, both with the same results. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Let me make a few notes:
First, stock ics touchwiz ROMs do not like anything lower than 240. This means any ROM that is touchwiz based off stock ics will result in boot loops.. trust me been there -.-
Secondly, don't waste your money on the LCD density mod app to fix the market. I've already fixed the market. Just flash my zip found [MOD][APP][UPDATE 3.10.10] 320DPI GoogleServicesFramework and google play and you should be golden. Don't have a custom recovery, then extract the files from the zip and use a root file browser to copy them to the system/app directory.
Oh and 240 isn't tablet mode. I'm currently at 210 and it's not tablet mode.. I don't remember what it was.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

So..... Any recommendations on the screen flashing after changing the density?

elterible said:
I posted a similar guide for my Galaxy SII, so I figured I would share the love here. Hopefully this helps out a few folks who want to better utilize the amazing screen on the GSIII. I am manually copying this from my post in the now closed combined GSIII forums. Please feel free to comment and make suggestions and please "thank" if you appreciate the post!
General Info for Beginners:
The Galaxy SIII comes with a gorgeous 4.8 inch, 1280 x 720 (albeit pentile) screen. As great as the screen looks, I couldn't help but feel that there is a lot of "wasted space" at the existing resolution. The best example of this fact is the app drawers default 4 x 5 layout. In my opinion, things look much better when the the icons are a bit smaller and more tightly grouped. For those that feel the same way, there is a simple build.prop edit you can do to "trick" you phone to thinking it is set to a higher resolution
How-To Change the Density Setting:
To accomplish this, all you have to do is change the build.prop setting for "ro.sf.lcd_density". There are multiple programs out there that makes this much easier but I have found the best results with "ROM Toolbox". Feel free to buy the full version to support the dev but if all you are looking to do is change the density setting, the lite version will do just fine.
1. download and install "ROM Toolbox" from the Google Play Store
2. go to the "Performance" tab
3. click "build.prop tweaks"
4. change the "LCD Density" slider to whatever DPI you like
5. reboot
As mentioned, there are multiple programs out there but based on my personal experiences, DO NOT USE "LCD DENSITY MODDER" from the play store. This app is known to cause soft-bricks/bootloops. However, I have been told that LCD Density Modder CAN still help with the Play Store app issue, but you will have to buy the pro version for that feature. Thanks uber_mike! (more on that later)
What Setting to Choose:
This is matter of personal opinion so try out different setups and see what you like best. Remember, the lower you set the number, the smaller your icons/text will appear but will also give you more screen real estate. I suggest starting from about 280 or so and working your way down and find something you like.
You may also notice that text and icons appear less sharp when messing with these settings. Keep in mind that because you are not truly changing your screen resolution, the translation will not be perfect. Personally, given the natural sharpness of AMOLED screens, I think most people while not be bothered by this or even notice.
"Phone Mode" vs "Tablet Mode"
As some posters have reported, going to 240 dpi or below will result in Android thinking your device is a tablet. I have been running 240 for a few days now and I'm loving it. In my opinion, may apps look a lot better in Tablet mode but if there are certain phone only apps you MUST have, please keep this in mind.
Potential Issues and Workarounds:
You will inevitably run into some compatibility issues so here are few final thoughts
Which ROM to use?
TouchWiz-based Roms: All roms based on stock Samsung TW for the GSIII were written with only the native resolution in mind. This means that certain apps and aspects of the OS will not scale well with a higher resolution::
- TouchWiz UX Launcher: If you are dead-set on using the default TW launcher, this mod may not be for you. The proportions will look way off and because you cannot edit things like margin or grid layout, it is not fixable. Aftermarket launchers like Apex handle the conversion much better (more on that later)
- The Phone Dialer: The dialer looks like small box that fills up only a portion of the screen. To resolve, you can use an aftermarket dialer app like "exDialer" from the Play Store
- TW E-mail App: The TW e-mail app (not gmail) also doesn't scale well. You can flash the AOSP version of e-mail as a workaround
- Stock Camera App: You will notice some of the border coloring and margins doesn't scale very well but the functionality is still perfect
- Notification Bar: I have noticed the little lines in the pull-down become off-center after you adjust the dpi. Again, a minor annoyance which doesn't effect functionality
- Twitter:*You may have profile pictures show up in 2 different sizes (Thanks Msilvame!)
Some additional feedback from other posters(thanks mhtruth!) but note that I personally do not have all of these issues
*status bar quick toggles DON'T scroll (stuck with just the 1st 5)
*status bar "remove all (X)" missing (swiping still works)
* in call speaker boost doesn't work...(only stops you from hearing not the person on the other end)
* some apps go into tablet mode (ex. HBO GO)
AOSP ROMs: CM9 and AOKP handle the conversion a bit better. You won't run into the dialer or e-mail issue like with TW ROMs but there are still some bugs.
- Certain pictures of contacts may appear too zoomed in, i.e. messaging notification pictures or the favorites tab
- Other aspects of the OS may become hard to read when scaled down so much, i.e. lock screen add-on buttons, notification pull down buttons
- I recently had a chance to mess with some JB ROMs and found that the lockscreen slider/phone answer slider does not scale well and is oriented towards the right of the screen. Boo
The Play Store Doesn't Show All Apps? - This is the biggest pain in the a$$ when you mess with the lcd density settings. There is a bug in the play store that prevents you from seeing certain apps when you change the lcd settings away from default.
I have seen a few "hacked" versions of the vending.apk out there that makes the play store think you are always set to a stock dpi but for some reason, this only works for a little while. LCD Density Modder Pro has a feature where it can install a "fixed" Play Store app that can help with this issue also, but there is also a workaround.
Here are the steps to get the market working again:
1. Change LCD Density back to stock (320)
2. Reboot to take effect
3. Clear the data for the Google Play Store AND Google Services Framework
4. Open the Play Store app and you should see everything again
5. Change LCD density back to whatever you like.
6. Reboot
I know this is a bit cumbersome but it's the best solution for now. I haven't quite nailed down what triggers the market to "break" but hopefully you won't have to do this fix too often. In opinion, this small annoyance is worth it.
Also, one thing I noticed when using Rom Toolbox is that after you set your dpi to a lower setting using the "build.prop tweaks" menu, if you go back and try to set it to the stock 320, it will max out at 280 or so. Not sure why this is the case but to do this manually, go to "build.prop editor" instead and change the "ro.sf.lcd_density" to 320.
I have been told that setting your dpi to 240 will also help with Play Store issues, since 240 is a stock resolution on other devices (GSII comes to mind). Feel free to try this out, but the size of icons and fonts may be a bit too small for some tastes (thanks DutchDogg54 and chakra!)
Everything Looks Too "Stretched Out"? - Having an aftermarket launcher will help with this tremendously, as the TW launcher does not scale well at all. I personally use Apex Launcher and there are some settings you can change to make the proportions look better
1. Homescreen Settings: Change the Vertical and Horizontal margins to medium or large
2. Dock Settings: Same as above.
You may also want to mess with different homescreen grid configurations now that you have extra room. I have bumped up mine to 5 x 5 and it looks great.
Bumping up the font size can also help even things out. At 240 dpi, I put mine to "normal", but at stock I used "tiny" (thanks falconator!)
List of all the ICS compatible launchers that will work for this mod:
- Apex Launcher (my fave)
- Nova Launcher
- Go Launcher
- Atom Launcher (new!)
- Holo Launcher (new!)
And that's it. I hope this will help you out so that you won't have to go through all the trial and error I did. I promise you, after you do this, it will be impossible for you to go back to the stock resolution (everything looks HUGE)
Update: I have added some of my and mhtruth's screenshots for those who are interested. I also added a screenshot of HBO GO in tablet mode
My setup:
- 240 dpi (Tablet Mode)
- AOKP M6 R3, Black Exodus Theme
- Apex Launcher
- Homescreen: 6 x 5 grid, Horizontal Margin: Medium, Vertical Margin: Large
- Dock: Horizontal Margin: Large, Vertical Margin: Medium
- Font Size: "Normal"
Feel free to show off your own homescreen screenshots! I will update OP and add yours too!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im running a stock rom on a Chinese phone (W9208) and i dont have LCD density...apps dont work either...is there hope for me?

rndm said:
Im running a stock rom on a Chinese phone (W9208) and i dont have LCD density...apps dont work either...is there hope for me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not too familiar with that model. pardon me if this is a stupid question but i'm assuming you mean "stock android"?
if so, then you're fine. download an app that will let you change the LCD density manually in the buildprop (i.e. Rom Toolbox). find the line "ro.sf.lcd_density" and change to whatever you like.
The tricky part here is to find the right number. I wrote this guide a while back for my Galaxy S3, which ran 320 dpi natively at it's 720p resolution. To achieve tablet mode (and retain compatibility with the Google Playstore), I changed it to 240. My current device (nexus 5) runs 1080p which has a stock dpi of 480. To achieve tablet mode, i changed to 320. Does this make sense? Again, it's tricky b/c i'm not sure what resolution your phone is
Well, i hope this helps, good luck!

elterible said:
I'm not too familiar with that model. pardon me if this is a stupid question but i'm assuming you mean "stock android"?
if so, then you're fine. download an app that will let you change the LCD density manually in the buildprop (i.e. Rom Toolbox). find the line "ro.sf.lcd_density" and change to whatever you like.
The tricky part here is to find the right number. I wrote this guide a while back for my Galaxy S3, which ran 320 dpi natively at it's 720p resolution. To achieve tablet mode (and retain compatibility with the Google Playstore), I changed it to 240. My current device (nexus 5) runs 1080p which has a stock dpi of 480. To achieve tablet mode, i changed to 320. Does this make sense? Again, it's tricky b/c i'm not sure what resolution your phone is
Well, i hope this helps, good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish it was stock android:crying:
Star's (Chinese manufacturer) manipulation of android to copy Samsung's touchwiz.
my device is 720p and has a 6.4 inch screen...hence me wanting to change the dpi...not sure what the dpi currently is but the drop-down status bar toggles labels are squashed.
I rooted and installed loads of dpi apps and none worked. Then I looked for "ro.sf.lcd_density" and realised I don't have one in my build prop. Know any fixes?

rndm said:
I wish it was stock android:crying:
Star's (Chinese manufacturer) manipulation of android to copy Samsung's touchwiz.
my device is 720p and has a 6.4 inch screen...hence me wanting to change the dpi...not sure what the dpi currently is but the drop-down status bar toggles labels are squashed.
I rooted and installed loads of dpi apps and none worked. Then I looked for "ro.sf.lcd_density" and realised I don't have one in my build prop. Know any fixes?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you should be able to manually add in the line yourself.
but a word of warning, given that i have no experience with "Star" and no idea what version of android is on there, I would proceed with caution if you do that
since you have it rooted, is there any way you can flash a completely stock custom version of android on there? is there any development support for it here on XDA?

rndm said:
I wish it was stock android:crying:
Star's (Chinese manufacturer) manipulation of android to copy Samsung's touchwiz.
my device is 720p and has a 6.4 inch screen...hence me wanting to change the dpi...not sure what the dpi currently is but the drop-down status bar toggles labels are squashed.
I rooted and installed loads of dpi apps and none worked. Then I looked for "ro.sf.lcd_density" and realised I don't have one in my build prop. Know any fixes?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use "Build.prop Editor" app and add that entry yourself. That's least painful way.

Perseus71 said:
You can use "Build.prop Editor" app and add that entry yourself. That's least painful way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great didn't know I could do that, however i might leave it now...
I installed texdroider and I couldn't type any numbers in the dpi change box (probably because it directly edits the lcd density registry, which i didn't have)
Then after that I installed LCD density modder app which put my phone into a bootloop after setting 300dpi
So I assume even after adding the entry I wont have much room to play with anyway?
---------- Post added at 10:37 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:35 AM ----------
elterible said:
you should be able to manually add in the line yourself.
but a word of warning, given that i have no experience with "Star" and no idea what version of android is on there, I would proceed with caution if you do that
since you have it rooted, is there any way you can flash a completely stock custom version of android on there? is there any development support for it here on XDA?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried searching Mediatek LCD desnsity change but to no avail. Thanks anyway.

rockyhas said:
after 3 hours of getting it rooted, i got the density app, i may of gotten the lcd density modder , i didnt know there was 2 kinds. but i put it to 200, rebooted and now i try to turn on and it goes to samsung logo but then just turns off again, what do i do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As mentioned, there are multiple programs out there but based on my personal experiences, DO NOT USE "LCD DENSITY MODDER" from the play store. This app is known to cause soft-bricks/bootloops. However, I have been told that LCD Density Modder CAN still help with the Play Store app issue, but you will have to buy the pro version for that feature. Thanks uber_mike! (more on that later)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're screwed. Do a reset.

I did the LCD changes through playstore i ddint see this thread and now my phone logo comes but black screen after hard rest nothing working help HTc Sensation xl

[Q] Font size imbalance

One of the first things I have noticed with the Tab Pro 8.4 is a severe imbalance between the font sizes of Samsung UI elements and non-Samsung. For example in Play Store when I enter text in the search box it's crisp but quite small. Yet the text in the Settings menus is a very comfortable size compared to the Google font size. If I increase the font size system-wide then the Google font size becomes comfortable and the Samsung font size becomes cartoonishly big.
Has anyone else noticed this and/or come up with a reasonable solution?
Perhaps one culprit is the fact that the true DPI of this device is 359 and Samsung has programmed 320 into the build.prop. That means it's lying to the OS that the screen is 9.4" not 8.4". So apps are drawing text and graphics a bit too small, but Samsung decided to jack up their own font sizes to a comfortable range. If I were to edit the DPI to 320 that still wouldn't be likely to help as then Samsung would just remain cartoonishly big.

I agree 100% with this problem and have tried changing the DPI in the build.prop. Big mistake as it causes crashes everywhere in Sammy apps.
The only work-around I have found was to use the Xposed framework with the App Settings app. This way you can adjust each app individually.
Its not a perfect solution, but its the best I have found in the 5 days I've owned this tab.
cmstlist said:
One of the first things I have noticed with the Tab Pro 8.4 is a severe imbalance between the font sizes of Samsung UI elements and non-Samsung. For example in Play Store when I enter text in the search box it's crisp but quite small. Yet the text in the Settings menus is a very comfortable size compared to the Google font size. If I increase the font size system-wide then the Google font size becomes comfortable and the Samsung font size becomes cartoonishly big.
Has anyone else noticed this and/or come up with a reasonable solution?
Perhaps one culprit is the fact that the true DPI of this device is 359 and Samsung has programmed 320 into the build.prop. That means it's lying to the OS that the screen is 9.4" not 8.4". So apps are drawing text and graphics a bit too small, but Samsung decided to jack up their own font sizes to a comfortable range. If I were to edit the DPI to 320 that still wouldn't be likely to help as then Samsung would just remain cartoonishly big.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

tpowell.ca said:
I agree 100% with this problem and have tried changing the DPI in the build.prop. Big mistake as it causes crashes everywhere in Sammy apps.
The only work-around I have found was to use the Xposed framework with the App Settings app. This way you can adjust each app individually.
Its not a perfect solution, but its the best I have found in the 5 days I've owned this tab.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, I've used it before on other devices. I used the newly released FlashFire to take a backup of my system to external SD before installing Xposed. I currently have a dpi of 360 assigned to all of: Chrome, Dropbox, Gmail, gReader, Google Maps, Netflix, News & Weather, Nova Launcher, Plume, Root Explorer, Tapatalk, Titanium Backup, PressReader, and the App Settings app itself (as everything was a bit too small). That puts these apps in the same range of screen element size as on Nexus devices. Feel free to pick a bit higher for a bit bigger as we do tend to hold tablets further from our faces than phones.
In fact the Nexus 5 itself (which is my daily phone) has a build.prop that is too large for the real screen size, 480 instead of 445 (factor of 7.8%). But it does make the UI a bit more comfortable without sacrificing too much screen space. So theory if you want any apps on the Tab Pro to display their UI elements at least as large as they physically appear on a Nexus 5, you'd assign a DPI in the 380-385 range to those apps.

tpowell.ca said:
I agree 100% with this problem and have tried changing the DPI in the build.prop. Big mistake as it causes crashes everywhere in Sammy apps.
The only work-around I have found was to use the Xposed framework with the App Settings app. This way you can adjust each app individually.
Its not a perfect solution, but its the best I have found in the 5 days I've owned this tab.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Old thread but thanks! My GF has the 8.4" model and in the latest Facebook app the font is like 1/32" and she cannot read it
I read here and there the forum, rooted the tablet, installed xposed, installed AppSettings and changed the DPI, it worked! :good::good::good:

Is it possible to change the DPI without shrinking the keyboard?

I tried using the adb command and while it does adjust the DPI, the keyboard will shrink to a point where its impossible to actually type, but the size of the screen elements are to my liking.
I didnt see ro.sf.lcd.density in my build.prop so I added it in but it doesn't seem to be doing anything on a reboot. On my 6P I was able to adjust the DPI with this line and the keyboard wouldnt shrink so it was still usable for my thumbs.
Has anyone found a way to adjust the DPI outside of the adb command that would give more screen real estate without compromising keyboard usability? Maybe some values you guys are liking that you can suggest to me.
Thank you

pr0adam said:
I tried using the adb command and while it does adjust the DPI, the keyboard will shrink to a point where its impossible to actually type, but the size of the screen elements are to my liking.
I didnt see ro.sf.lcd.density in my build.prop so I added it in but it doesn't seem to be doing anything on a reboot. On my 6P I was able to adjust the DPI with this line and the keyboard wouldnt shrink so it was still usable for my thumbs.
Has anyone found a way to adjust the DPI outside of the adb command that would give more screen real estate without compromising keyboard usability? Maybe some values you guys are liking that you can suggest to me.
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Developer options > smallest width.

mitchdickson said:
Developer options > smallest width.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh i should have mentioned that as well. Shrinks the keyboard like crazy. Ideally I want a way that shrinks everything BUT Swiftkey. Today in a different thread I found you can shrink everything and scale up GBoard which may be what I end up doing but Im a bit stubborn since on the 6P I was able to shrink everything but swiftkey.

Are you talking about Swiftkey specifically? I changed the display size in Display settings, and the default Gboard keyboard stayed the same size when the display size was both Default, and then when I went up a size. It stayed the same. I expected it to get bigger, but it didn't. Unless it did, and I didn't notice, but when I put the display size back to default the keyboard stayed the same size cause it looked almost too big compared to the rest of the display. Does your default Gboard keyboard get bigger/smaller when changing the display size?