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iPhone Enable HD on iPhone 3GS w/o JB

cheesyappleuser

cheesyappleuser

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 5, 2011
557
208
Portugal
Hi everyone! :)

I'm about to record some videos with my iPhone 3GS and, since my iPhone 4 is going to be recorded on those videos, I have to use it - those are my only recording devices that work.

The problem is, the iPhone 3GS only records at 640x480. In fact, I found this thread: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1028982/
However, I don't have JB on the iPhone, and I don't actually want to JB it just to record some videos. Is there a way to hack into the Private files and backup-subsequently replace the original files with these ones, in order to enable HD on the 3GS?

Best regards,
Pedro.
 
You can't do that. And even with the modification, the 3Gs still only captures 640x480 worth of pixels. It just packages them differently. Rather sad that it truly is limited to VGA resolutions.
 
PedroCst said:
Is there a way to hack into the Private files and backup-subsequently replace the original files with these ones, in order to enable HD on the 3GS?
Click to expand...

MOD NOTE: Even though it's not necessarily a JB, it's still a hack. So maybe the folks in the Hacks forums will know something about this.

B
 
gngan said:
How can a VGA TV watch HD? Don't make sense to me.
Click to expand...

In a nutshell, the 3Gs' camera and CPU are able to capture and transcode 720p video. Apple of course wouldn't allow this as they'd have to save a feature for their next iPhone. It was found out that on iOS 4, you could change the image capture settings to make it record a 720p video frame, instead of a VGA one. However, it doesn't really capture 720p worth of pixels. It just makes the current pixels bigger to fill the 720p frame and then puts it in a 720p container. The end result is a VGA video that has been resized to 720p with some slight quality loss. This same procedure has been attempted with the iPhone 4 and 1080p video capture with similar results. Some people have even gotten the 3Gs to fill a 1080p frame with VGA pixels with the same low quality results.
 
Intell said:
In a nutshell, the 3Gs' camera and CPU are able to capture and transcode 720p video. Apple of course wouldn't allow this as they'd have to save a feature for their next iPhone. It was found out that on iOS 4, you could change the image capture settings to make it record a 720p video frame, instead of a VGA one. However, it doesn't really capture 720p worth of pixels. It just makes the current pixels bigger to fill the 720p frame and then puts it in a 720p container. The end result is a VGA video that has been resized to 720p with some slight quality loss. This same procedure has been attempted with the iPhone 4 and 1080p video capture with similar results. Some people have even gotten the 3Gs to fill a 1080p frame with VGA pixels with the same low quality results.
Click to expand...

You mean that if I use some sort of video edition program to put the video at 960x720 pixels I'll get the same result but I don't need to JB?
 
Intell said:
You can't do that. And even with the modification, the 3Gs still only captures 640x480 worth of pixels. It just packages them differently. Rather sad that it truly is limited to VGA resolutions.
Click to expand...

It depends. I've made a lot of tests and found out that it does deliver far better resolution. .

HOWEVER! At least under 4.x (I haven't tested this under 5.x yet - will do some time when I update my Video Camera Enhancer Cydia app), you'll be facing the infamous "clicking" problem, which is a real PITA.

All in all, I only recommend hacking if you aren't bothered by the clicking problem.

----------
PedroCst said:
You mean that if I use some sort of video edition program to put the video at 960x720 pixels I'll get the same result but I don't need to JB?
Click to expand...

Please read my past articles - in them, I've explained what's possible on the 3GS and what not.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Menneisyys2 said:
It depends. I've made a lot of tests and found out that it does deliver far better resolution.

HOWEVER! At least under 4.x (I haven't tested this under 5.x yet - will do some time when I update my Video Camera Enhancer Cydia app), you'll be facing the infamous "clicking" problem, which is a real PITA.

All in all, I only recommend hacking if you aren't bothered by the clicking problem.

----------



Please read my past articles - in them, I've explained what's possible on the 3GS and what not.
Click to expand...

From what I understood, most 3GS hacks don't do anything but the full sensor does. I have three questions: what is the resolution that the full sensor uses, does it produce a fluid or a choppy video, and where can I download the files for v5.1.1. It seems that I'll have to re-JB my iPhone for a day, but I don't really care :p
 
Last edited by a moderator:
PedroCst said:
From what I understood, most 3GS hacks don't do anything but the full sensor does. I have three questions: what is the resolution that the full sensor uses, does it produce a fluid or a choppy video, and where can I download the files for v5.1.1. It seems that I'll have to re-JB my iPhone for a day, but I don't really care :p
Click to expand...

1, the full sensor, oversampling

2, IIRC it's pretty fluid (as opposed to oversampling the entire sensor on the iPhone 4), apart from the occasional clicks

3, nowhere ATM, albeit now that a lot of people have asked for a 5.x-compliant version, I really may update my camera enhancer. In the meantime, you can just edit the plist files yourself.
 
Menneisyys2 said:
1, the full sensor, oversampling

2, IIRC it's pretty fluid (as opposed to oversampling the entire sensor on the iPhone 4), apart from the occasional clicks

3, nowhere ATM, albeit now that a lot of people have asked for a 5.x-compliant version, I really may update my camera enhancer. In the meantime, you can just edit the plist files yourself.
Click to expand...

Sure, I don't mind to update the files from myself - via iFile.
I just need to know what do I have to modify, because I'm really unaware of it.
 
PedroCst said:
You mean that if I use some sort of video edition program to put the video at 960x720 pixels I'll get the same result but I don't need to JB?
Click to expand...

Yes.

Menneisyys2 said:
It depends.

HOWEVER! At least under 4.x (I haven't tested this under 5.x yet - will do some time when I update my Video Camera Enhancer Cydia app), you'll be facing the infamous "clicking" problem, which is a real PITA.

All in all, I only recommend hacking if you aren't bothered by the clicking problem.
Click to expand...

You're suggesting that this hack works on iOS 3. It does not at all. The clicking problem starts happening in iOS 4.2 and upwards. The overall gain is hardly noticeable and the real quality is about the same as a VGA stretched to HD sizes.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
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