In Car Entertainment!

[Lex]

Hi all,

Anyone have any thoughts on what will eventually replace cassette tape in the car?
I still seems that everyone is still using tape, which is surprising as it is a format which is far from ideal in the car - every time I have made a tape it usually lasts about two weeks before sounding absolutely terrible due to exposure to extreme temperatures.
Of course there is CD, but this is far from ideal as well due to the size of it. Plus also I think people like to make their own compilations which isn't all that easy (for your average person) on cd.
I thought MiniDisc would be the ideal solution, but it has simply not come down in price enough in terms of hardware - an average in-car minidisc player is about £200/£250.

What about MP3? I suppose it is a possibility, but it doesn't seem to be happening?

Just seems surprising to me that the cassette tape is still so dominant. I don't know about you guys, but I have never felt happy about spending £12/£15 on a pre-recorded cassette which lasts about a month (in fact some of them sound awful the day you buy them!)

Would be intereted in people's thoughts...

Lex.

[JSW]

There are several in car mp3 players around.

Think one is even by Kenwood.

I have used cd in my cars for quite a few years now and never had any probs.

But I think MP3 is the way to go if only more manufacturers would get their act together.

[MartinImber]

MINIDISC!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[laurel]

but I have never felt happy about spending £12/£15 on a pre-recorded cassette which lasts about a month

Don't most poeple copy their CD on tape?

I used to do before upgrading to a multi-cd changer.

It really would be great if the player decoded MP3 though, then I could fit about 120 albums into the changer!

Cheers

Laurel

[Lex]

I agree that minidisc seems like the ideal solution, my point though was that it just isn't going to happen.

And yes, most people do copy on to tape, but there are still people who go out and buy originals.

I didn't say there were any problems with CD either, I just don't think it is ideal for use in cars.

[Garrett]

Fancy a Minidisk in the car myself, I like to make my own selections to listen to in the car. I have a converter at present for my portable, but on the outlook for a dedicated player, wouldn’t mind with a digital radio. Now that would be NICE.
Lex I had a mate who picked one up in a sale for about £80 but never told me until he got it fitted, which was then too late, they had all gone, and it was me who got him into minidisc in the first place, and even showed him how to edit on his deck.

[Lex]

Originally posted by Garrett

Lex I had a mate who picked one up in a sale for about £80 but never told me until he got it fitted, which was then too late, they had all gone, and it was me who got him into minidisc in the first place, and even showed him how to edit on his deck.

Who needs friends like that?!

I love minidisc and am disappoiinted that it hasn't been more successful.

[JSW]

http://www.carplayer.com/ssi/cpm25/hddunit.shtml

http://www.sounddomain.com/shop/type/MP3+Players

Look at all the goodies from Clarion http://www.autopc.com/

[pointon]

Originally posted by MartinImber
MINIDISC!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AGREED!!!!!!!!!!!

[mjn]

i only know 1 person with a cassette player in their car!!

Everybody else CD / Cd Multichangers, and have done for many years....didn't think u could still buy cassette players for cars..!!

[Garrett]

Originally posted by Lex


Who needs friends like that?!

I love minidisc and am disappoiinted that it hasn't been more successful.

He took the unit to a dealer to have it fit and the dealer asked him how much he paid for it, and when he told him, he said it was cheaper than what he could get them for, he went and told him where he got it. His excuse was he wanted to make sure it worked in case he had to go back and swoop it. But he could have said to me "if I tell you and mine goes belly up and there is non left will you let me have your" I’m sure I would have accepted that arrangement. Anyway what is the chances of it not working in the fist place.
I think it is a case of one upmanship.
I agree it is a fantastic medium, just love the edit facilities, and its portability.

My father has been trying to get a mate of his to get one for years without success, but he got one in a midi-system. Then jokingly said to my father why haven’t you got me to have one before now. A case you don’t know what you are missing till you get one.

[micb3rd]

For me it is CD all the way.

I was into Car Audio way before Hometheater and Hifi.

I select the songs I like usually like on my PC (MP3 format) and then burn them to a CD.

My Pioneer 3100-R reads CD-R and CD-RW so I can use either, If it is just a track or two I want to listen to, then they burnt to a CD-RW if it is more than 40-80 mins of music the go on a CD-R.

My Pioneer has *NEVER*skipped on music in the car even when I have driven across bumpy farm roads or eneven fields at car shows\car parks.

I have a small sound system consiting of :

Pioneer 3100-R headunit.
In the front doors - Tornado 3-1/4 inch coxials.
On the rear shelf - Alpine 3969 6x9's
In the boot - Kicker ix702 amp and Infinity Perfect 10 inch subwoofer in custom sealed 0.8 cf box.

The disadvantage to lisening in the car is that you can get a lot of tires and wind noise so you have to pump the volume up to compensate, in my small system the max listening volume is around 130 db.

A MP3 headuint would be tempting but I like to use my normal shop bourght CD's and It would take a fair bit of time to convert all my CD's to MP3 compatibles.

[MartinImber]

Last weekend I fitted Infinity 605cs into my Omega - this weekend I'm fitting my Sony 5970 MD player - removing a Delco CD head unit!

Omega - a very good family car!

[MartinImber]

However I may get a CD Changer!

[sofaboy]

I dont think that cd will go out of fashion for in car..but i think new sound systems will come out... like DD 5.1 or DTS....

so you have the quality and the volume....
only what I think....