Digital music goes from desk to dash

[Ming]

Digital music goes from desk to dash
October 22, 2004
BY MIKE WENDLAND
DETROIT FREE PRESS

Digital music is moving from our computers to our automobiles -- but the automakers aren't helping much.

That's according to a group of mobile electronics executives who gathered in San Francisco this week for a forum sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association. One of them, Keith Lehmann, vice president of the Kenwood America car stereo company, called it a "stay out of my car" attitude, according to ZDNet.

Lehmann complained that close to a quarter of the top automobile models this year have physical or software barriers that prevent installation of any electronic devices that come from outside companies.

Maybe so. But don't put General Motors Corp. in that category. Along with my pal Guy Gordon from WDIV-TV, I had a chance this week to preview a new MP3 Mobile Digital Media system that GM is about to offer for all its crossover sport vans. It's from a company called PhatNoise, and features a 40 GB hard drive that moves between the car and the home PC.

The idea is simple. You pop the hard drive into a cradle at your computer and drag the playlists and MP3 songs you want from your music library. Then you take the drive out of that cradle and put it in a slot in your vehicle.

The system works with DVD movies and FM, AM, CDs and satellite radio, too. The hard drive can store up to 10,000 songs or 40 typical movies in MPEG format.

Look for it on the Buick Terraza, Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac Montana and Saturn Relay.

PhatNoise also has a partnership with Mazda, which uses a 20 GB hard drive that can hold 3,500 songs.

This is the first generation of what the executives who spoke at the San Francisco forum believe is the next big thing for digital music.

By 2010, another car stereo maker, Pioneer Electronics, predicts there will be 10 million cars equipped with hard drives as Detroit carmakers get with it.

The next generation, though, will be wireless, meaning that the same Wi-Fi network that hooks up all computers wirelessly to the Internet can transfer the music between your car and home computer.

From there, it's anyone's guess. But I'm predicting you'll drive into a gas station someday soon and, as you're filling up the car, be able to fill up the in-car MP3 hard drive with new tunes you wirelessly download from a music kiosk next to the gas pump.

Article Here: http://www.freep.com/money/tech/mwen...e_20041022.htm

[mrfunji]

This is a great idea. However, I think it would be alot more appealing if the system were in say an Ion or Cobalt (so called Gen Y cars). I think more soccer moms will be asking "what is an MP3" rather than loading one to the hard drive.

Also if it could intergrate seamlessly into the car (like you could use the seek button on the radio to change tracks) that would be sweet.

[MTRANS]

It's about time the auto makers offered a MP3 player in vehicles. Hundred of songs from one source. This way you don't need clumsy CD stackers, and you don't need to be changing disc's in traffic.

[bakerna]

I think this is gonna set off the music indusytry again...GM will probably get a bunch of lawsuits saying that they promote pirating music....Great idea though...I wonder if you could run games????

[jro4566]

It's interesting to see just how technology is constantly evolving...heck, just a year ago I didn't know what PhatNoise was! Now it's available in the CSVs and (as the article says) Mazdas and next year in Volvos!

[Sparta]

about time.

[Redneck]

uhm....Ford has the Mach 1000 sound systerm that incorrperates MP3 into it. Its been out for a couple years now.

[bksavs]

MRFUNJI has it right, this system needs to be in cars aimed at enthusiasts. Vette, G6, Cobalt, all Buicks and Caddies. One feature not mentioned was the individual use ability. Radio up front, DVD in the rear, people listening to different stations. Having done many family trips, I can tell you that this is a great feature. I want to find an MP3 hard drive system to retro-fit into my Blazer and Camaro. I have over 25 gig of music on my computer and it would be nice in the car.

[ByTheLake]

Not much of an issue, really. Several GM products have CD players that can play MP3 CDs. I've driven a new VUE and Grand Prix that had MP3 CD players. I have a CD with about 220 songs on it.

To the uninitiated, an MP3 CD is simply a data CD, not an audio CD. With an audio CD, the MP3 songs are decompressed before being burned to the disc, so you can typically fit 15-25 songs on an average CD. MP3s are loaded in their compressed format. The MP3 CD players have the decompression processing built in to the player.

I'd prefer to take a 50 cent CD into my car with 200+ songs on it instead of dealing with any expensive alternative.

[impala02]

Originally Posted by ByTheLake

Not much of an issue, really. Several GM products have CD players that can play MP3 CDs. I've driven a new VUE and Grand Prix that had MP3 CD players. I have a CD with about 220 songs on it.

To the uninitiated, an MP3 CD is simply a data CD, not an audio CD. With an audio CD, the MP3 songs are decompressed before being burned to the disc, so you can typically fit 15-25 songs on an average CD. MP3s are loaded in their compressed format. The MP3 CD players have the decompression processing built in to the player.

I'd prefer to take a 50 cent CD into my car with 200+ songs on it instead of dealing with any expensive alternative.

A single CD may hold 200+ songs, but these little hard drives can hold over 10,000...big difference. Plus it can store movies, which is a nice feature. I'm not quite sure how the interface works, but hitting the skip button to get through thousands of songs would be painful. Hopefully, there is a good way to catalog the music and movies.
These units are definitely over-priced now, but like everything new, the more it is used across a wide range of vehicles, the cheaper it will cost.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Mach 1000 system sounds like an MP3 CD player like ByTheLake mentioned.

[ByTheLake]

Originally Posted by impala02

A single CD may hold 200+ songs, but these little hard drives can hold over 10,000...big difference. Plus it can store movies, which is a nice feature. I'm not quite sure how the interface works, but hitting the skip button to get through thousands of songs would be painful. Hopefully, there is a good way to catalog the music and movies.
These units are definitely over-priced now, but like everything new, the more it is used across a wide range of vehicles, the cheaper it will cost.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Mach 1000 system sounds like an MP3 CD player like ByTheLake mentioned.

If I could get an MP3 CD player in a vehicle, I'd choose that, given the current price of the Phat-noise or whatever the hard drive system is called. Someday this type of feature will probably be standard fare, but for now, 200+ songs on a CD is plenty for me.

[Ming]

Originally Posted by ByTheLake

I'd prefer to take a 50 cent CD into my car with 200+ songs on it instead of dealing with any expensive alternative.

He made a CD with 200 songs on it?

[quinnp12]

took them long enough. but as others have already pointed out, what is the point of putting it in a soccer mom vehicle. i work at an electronics store, and i dont think ive ever seen a mom buy an mp3, let alone anyone else over 30. it should definitely go into the gen y cars first

[rodd62]

i feel new stereos should have secure digital or some othe type of flash media slot in them...

[carMuck]

Originally Posted by mrfunji

This is a great idea. However, I think it would be alot more appealing if the system were in say an Ion or Cobalt (so called Gen Y cars). I think more soccer moms will be asking "what is an MP3" rather than loading one to the hard drive..

I completely agree with you Mr.Funji! I'm not sure the types who would buy these vans would want something so cool or had the ability to use it either! I once test drove a Malibu Maxx and asked the salesman, (who was maybe in his 40's at the most) if you could get a Mp3 player and he didn't even know what it was and so I enlightened him a bit on it!
To a certain point, though, it seems to me that even a lot of manufacturers have been slow to offer a "traditional" CD/MP3 player in their cars. I don't think you can get one on a Volvo V50 or a Chrysler Pacifica. WTF? I figured luxury cars would have it first, but instead its mostly Fords and Saturn IONs I see with them!