Are there in dash car stereos with MP3 player hard drives that you can transfer MP3 files onto from either a PC or a portable MP3 player?
Sure, just takes an iPod, a Sawzall and some duct tape. Actually I think the closest you can get now is with the new BMW factory stereos which have a connection for an iPod.
Actually, there are car stereos that feature built-in hard drives and MP3 playback. Here’s a link to one. I’m sure a well-crafted Google search could turn up more.
There are also models with a module controlled by the headunit (much like a trunk-mounted CD changer is controlled by the HU)
Check out items like Kenwood’s Music Keg and Phatnoise’s PhatBox as examples.
Google alpine ipod
basically it’s an interface that allows you to plug your iPod directly into a compatible Alpine head unit. Then you can control the iPod thru the HU. Plus it charges your iPod and when you get out of the car you take the iPod with you.
Not a bad way to go, especially if you already have an iPod. But it may be a little pricey
A person can just buy a $30 wireless transmitter and connect that to their MP3 player if they want to play files on their portable MP3 player on their car stereo. example. So playing files from your MP3 player on your car stereo is already doable. However with this setup you have to manipulate the MP3 player to change songs, while with something like the alpine Ipod maybe you manipulate the in dash radio to change songs.
What i’m wondering is why haven’t car stereos with built in hard disks become popular yet? Aren’t hard disks becoming extremely cheap and small nowadays? Why are there no 10GB car stereos. 10GB is about 3000 songs, or about 200 CDs worth of music. Joe Random’s link is the first time i’ve ever seen a hard disk in dash radio.
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/product/detail/0,,2076_4039_37868,00.html
The price must be why I have never heard of these things. Joe Random’s example was $700. This one is $2000 for a 10GB hard drive in dash player. You can get an Ipod for $250.
On a not-really-related note, I have wondered why most car stereos don’t have simple provisions for audio input. Why use a sketchy FM transmitter or those horrible cassette adaptors when they could have put a 3.5mm headphone-type cable or jack on the face of the radio? Especially factory radios.
I’ve never seen a factory car stereo system come with a 3.5 mm jack, but I have bought one that had it. It was a “Sharp” brand (I don’t remember the model… sorry.)
Just looking online, there are plenty of car stereo’s that will play mp3’s from a CD-R. Some are very reasonably priced.
I’ve had one of these for years and have nothing but good things to say about it. It can handle any capacity laptop hard drive currently made (I think the max is 255GB, but it could be 128GB) and can take either one or two of them. It has both USB (1.1) and ethernet (10MB) interfaces and is one of my favorite toys.
They aren’t made any longer, but you can still find them for sale at the above site or on E-Bay.
iRiver had a recent announcement about a hard-drive based in-dash MP3 player to fill the Rio Car niche.
I have not had good luck with these sorts of things. My wife has the iTrip and while it works it does not work well. There is a fair amount of noise unless you place the ipod just right in the car.