Music in the car, best solution?

[lagoausente]

Hello guys, I´m looking for a mp3 player for my car. The issue is that I would like to take advandate of the high capacity storage devices these days. I have thought about a DVD, 4.7 gb of mp3 without change the disc seems good idea. But I have found that DVD players doesn´t come with "album" switch like old disman mp3 player. Mp3 discman allow to jump from one folder to other with just one button, and to jump from one song to other with the track button. I´m wrong? or DVD players dont allow that? Having 4.7 gb of songs, and if have to jump song by song wouldn´t allow to jump from one album to other album...
I have seen also on Ebay, some Hd multimedia players. They have video output to be conected to a screen. Do you know if the onboard buttons allow to can select ok the folders/songs without the screen?

I would you like to know your experiences or suggestions. I just would like something above 700mb each disc of music storage, so something hd or DVD based.

[braincell]

You should consider having an auxiliary input for an MP3 player. My car CD player also plays MP3 CDs.

[lagoausente]

sorry, forgot to mention that I have an amplifier in the car, so I can directly plug an mp3 player. What I´m looking is for can carry some gb of music. Of course, most CD auto radio players play mp3, but I would prefer a bigger storage device, like a DVD or an hd.
Any experience with those multimedia hd players?

[ScofieldKid]

USB has arrive. It rocks. The player I know that has it is something like the Eclipse 3200. Just plug in your USB key, and you're done. You can get 16GB and 32GB USB keys these days as well.

[lagoausente]

USB has arrive. It rocks. The player I know that has it is something like the Eclipse 3200. Just plug in your USB key, and you're done. You can get 16GB and 32GB USB keys these days as well.

I´m looking for usb on ebay now. Some autoradio seem to support USB hard disks aswell.

[lagoausente]

ScofieldKid, how do you select folders, and files to play? I see on ebay some autoradio that claim usb support that allow hard disk conection. But, how can nagivate withing the hard disk to select the files to play?
Can you tell me the player you know to have a look?

[at0m]

USB has arrive. It rocks. The player I know that has it is something like the Eclipse 3200. Just plug in your USB key, and you're done. You can get 16GB and 32GB USB keys these days as well.

And then cross fingers on the interface to access and scroll all that music eh. :?

I prefer my Iriver h340 (with 60GB hd), with its own proper interface: Dynamic playlists, song ratings, 10 resume bookmarks, some games for the passenger, etc...

Too bad still I have to let it pass via this sigarette-lighter FM transmitter. It sounds ok, but the problem was to find a transmitter that works properly, most of them are too weak.

An Aux input on the radio would improve the quality undoubtedly, then I'd get an extra h300 and keep it installed permanently in the car.

[lagoausente]

An Aux input on the radio would improve the quality undoubtedly, then I'd get an extra h300 and keep it installed permanently in the car.

Or just and amplifier..

[lagoausente]

I have beeen searching for the Irivier H340, and haven´t find it on Ebay. Current models are H10 with only 20gb there. Is avaible the 340 y any site? How much cost?

Have found this ones:

http://cgi.ebay.es/7-TFT-LCD-RM-MP5-HDD ... 240%3A1318

http://cgi.ebay.es/3-5-LCD-Portable-Mul ... 240%3A1318

Don´t know about the audio quality.
Do the Iriver allow to change the hdd from 20gb to a higher one aswell?

In the other hand, I still have the doubt about how the autoradio devices that support usb allow the searching for files on the hdd..

In the other hand, maybe fot that high prices could be buying a used tablet-pc, wich would work as gps also. There are Hp ones for around 300 or less on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.es/TABLET-PC-COMPAQ-TC1 ... 240%3A1309

[ScofieldKid]

Navigation on the Eclipse is dead simple. Up/Down to go through folders, right/left to select songs.
That Eclipse unit is a pretty great sounding unit as well. For me, the USB is just as easy as it gets to manage.

[at0m]

lagoausente, where do you live? In the US I found this h320, and this one in Germany, both for about the same money, 80$/60eu.

H320's are more common than H340's and a bit cheaper. AFAIK, the H320 is slightly more thin (-3mm?) and can host any 1.8" with a single bladder, and the H340 is a bit thicker supporting dual bladder 1.8" drivers.

I bought a new 60GB disk for my second hand H340, and I installed a new 2700mAh battery (17eu) in it, extending unpowered play/rec time to 30+ hrs. For the iRiver H340 incl. both the GUI and GUI-less remote controls, charger, docking station, and stiff and a leather cover, in great condition, I paid 105eu. And I'm still mad at myself for dropping if off the car during one drunk party, that would have saved me buying a new disk, went for a 60GB Toshiba MK6006GAH for 85eu.

You guys asked about its sound quality. I think it's superb, and considering it has got little phone jacks and not cinch nor digital output eh. Also the switchable mic/line input is converted with minimal noise - great for field recording! Using rockbox, this must be the most flexible music player/sample recorder around, and not too expensive IMO..

Oh, and in the car I use a larger font, don't know of many other players/OS's supporting that

[lagoausente]

Thanks atom. I´m watching 3 items of H320 on Ebay.
Sorry, I live in Spain, have just updated my profile.

I still in doubt about the iriver or something like this http://cgi.ebay.es/Radio-DVD-TFT-3-6-Bl ... 240%3A1308

It has also bluetooth hands free, and allow jump betwwen folders on mp3. It cost 155 on this store http://www.mediasea.es/tv/detalle.asp?Referencia=36sx

What do you mean with "larger font"? bigger letters?

Also the H100 series have optical in/out.., are better then the 300 series?

[at0m]

stardust, I think I got a battery from http://www.cameronsino.net/ , but their db doesn't seem all operational atm. so I can't provide a P/N now... It was 2700mAh, of that I'm sure.
Hoh, I forgot to mention the external battery pack which click-fits on the back of the h300. It has room for 4 AA batteries and connects to the charging port, but I've never really used it.

lagoausente, bigger font as in bigger letters. Check out some rockbox WPS (While Playing Settings?) files at their site:
http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/M ... IriverH300
http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/M ... 0Graveyard
The ISP hosting their website is currently (06/12/2008, 17h) being DoS'd, their site now shows a backup server without downloads but the main host will be hopefully online again soon.

[at0m]

Just in the car battery life wouldn't matter, since you can keep it hooked up to the charger.

Did you know rockbox has voice menu's? So you can let rockbox speak any menu item or file selection. This option is built-in for the visually impared, but might also handy while driving :>

[lagoausente]

I finally bought a UMPC (ultra mobile pc). The Samsung Q1 on ebay for 300 euro. Runs Xp tablet.

http://www.samsung.com/es/consumer/deta ... 1U/000/SES

Seems quite nice and very portable, a full OS, hard disk, 7" screen. Nice to run Google Earth offline (yes it´s posible).