In Dash Car MP3 Player with 802.11?

An anonymous reader asks: "I'm looking for a car MP3 player, either with a tuner and CD player built in, or with a line-out to connect to the existing car stereo. The Omnifi DMP1 looks good, but you need to use their Microsoft Windows software to upload to it. When you take the harddrive module out it plugs into a USB port on a PC and can be used as a USB mass storage device, but none of the files you copy to it will be put into the database, so they won't play. It's also got an optional 802.11b adapter (plugs into a USB port), but it only works with their software. No SMB, let alone SSH, NFS, or FTP server is running." While this is an itch many of the more enterprising among us can scratch on their own, are there dash units currently available that aren't tied to any particular PC platform? "I looked around some more and found the empeg/riocar, but it was discontinued some time ago.

Yes, I know you can build one yourself. I built a navigation system for my car (which I took out again after my MS degree presentation because it was a PITA to use), and a PVR for my house (which I had a mishap upgrading when the source of TV guide data changed, and I haven't bothered fixing yet). This time I want something that works out of the box, but with a little more freedom for transferring files than I've found so far.

If I don't find a new product with all of what I want, I will either look for a used Empeg/Riocar, which there is a large development community for, and I'd try to add 802.11 and SMB to, or get an Omnifi DMP1 and attempt to hack it's database so I can add music without the WinXP software. Then if that goes well, see about getting an SMB or SSH server running on it (yes, it runs Linux)."

Comments

MP3 CD

[webgit]

A friend of mine has stereo in his car that you can just insert a CD with a collection of MP3's on it and it will play them just like a normal CD. Of course, it does also play normal CD's and lets you listen to the radio.

Re:MP3 CD

[hopemafia]

And as a bonus, these units are pretty cheap.... I got mine for under $200 installed, with the 3-year warranty, and that was a year ago so prices have probably dropped. My unit probably wouldn't be good enough for an audiophile...but then an audiophile wouldn't be playing mp3s on my cheapo stock speakers.

One CD holds about 8 hours of mp3s (aka ~500miles)...so unless you're driving really long days you won't even need to switch disks.

OGG on CD... any small OGG players?

[tod_miller]

I think you are fretting with WiFi and copying things. A bit of a non-story - either use CDA / CD-MP3 (I am sure you can buy MP3 player for car).

For added geek value, have a CD/SD/Memstick/pigeon carrier input to an ogg player. Less fuss more music.

Geek value points: avian carrier IP dataram transmission

OGG audio

an easy solution.

[4nd3r5]

Buy a pda with wifi and GPS.
Buy a 1 gb memory card.
Hook the lineout[pda] to linein [radio].
Buy a nice PDA mount for your dash board

now you have a navigation system, and a wifi enabled mp3 system

Now move to a nice neighbouthood, so it won't get stolen...

Not a Chance

[sweede]

Unless you write it yourself.
why?

Sure, you can find plenty of head units that support Mp3 Audio, my Alpine does that just fine (had i waited another two weeks i could of gotten one that supports DVD's and place 4 gigs of mp3's on a dvd instead :| )

You can find in dash head units that play Mp3s and have wireless LAN built in.

you can even find whole in car control centers that do everything you could possibly imagine in your car! http://www.drivesoft.net/

However none of these systems will work with linux without major hacking. Why? well for starters, of the entire audio industry, there are probably 12 people that would want 1) Ogg support, and 2)Wifi access and 3) Linux. So once again, if there is no market, there is no money and no reason to pursue that arena (at least for companies like Alpine).

So, as usual, it comes down to three choices.

Suck in your pride and use the Now until feature comes around.

Write/build/modify your own head unit.

Try to realize that there is simply NO reason that you NEED these features when there are existing head units out that have built in harddrives that can store 20gigs worth of mp3s, wma's, wavs, that in the end will be far cheaper than whatever it is you wanted to have. The only thing is they run Windows. BFD

All these solutions are way too expensive.

[ClioCJS]

A DVD-R costs 81 cents and holds 72 hours of music.

Aiwa has the CDC-MP3 head unit [$220 installed] which plays CDRs full of mp3s for 9 hrs per disc; Someone needs to come up with (or mod) a model that plays DVD-Rs full of MP3s.

No uploading. Disposable discs. Cheap media. 72 hrs of music PER DISC... I think you'd be fine.

Re:All these solutions are way too expensive.

[tchuladdiass]

That's what I want too, but let's go one step further. DVD's also come in the mini format, same as CD(about 3 inches?), and they hold 1.8 gig (30 hours). So, what I want is a portable cd/dvd/mp3 player built for that format so it's nice and compact. Sony had a player out a while ago for the regular mini cd's, didn't go over too well, but I think one that did mini mp3-dvd's should sell pretty good.

Re:All these solutions are way too expensive.

[tchuladdiass]

I did some googling, and came up with:
http://www.mp3playerstore.com/buy_it_now__/mp-2003 .htm, and
http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2003Sep/con20030 923021241.htm.
They are both portable cd/mp3/dvd units, but I can't tell from the descriptions weather they only play mp3's from burned cd's or if they will also take a dvd full of mp3's.

Alpine head unit + iPod

[pauljlucas]

No 802.11, but this allows you to connect an iPod to an Alpine head unit. (This is the generic version of the iPod/BMW thing.) I'll be getting one of these as soon as it's released. (I also highly recommend Crutchfield as an on-line vendor. I've bought from them several times. They also include extra detailed installation instructions and parts for your car.)

On Cliff's moderation: I posted your exact same question about a year ago and it got rejected.

Go for the empeg

[Drakino]

Several owners of the empeg units do indeed have them hooked to an 802.11 access point in their car and upload music wirelessly. The one do it yourself part of this will be to make the ethernet dockable. To do so, pull the tab off a cable and shave a bit of the plastic off. Then just mount the connector firmly on the dock the empeg comes with.

There are still used empegs being sold on the empeg boards at www.empegbbs.com . Feel free to stop on by and introduce yourself, the community is very much alive and active development from both Rio and the empeg community occurs. In fact, we now have lyrics displaying on our displays thanks to a third party developer.

As far as the PhatBox, it's ok, but you loose a lot of control the empeg gives you. Kinda a shame that the empeg was the first car player on the market, and still nothing has gone beyond it in features or usability in 5 years now.