Background: I purchased an '03 TL-S WDP with Ebony and no navi... Everything EXACTLY how I wanted since I wanted to tint the windows and put a double din Pioneer Z2 in. Well since then I decided to wanted a Carputer and since that I am back to the Z2, so obviously one would think I am indecisive. Well this is not the case, I just want exactly what I want and no one offers it.

Dilemma: I have A LOT of gigs of music (~50 to be exact), all full albums with the tags and album art done right, etc. (I am a perfectionist). What I want is a 6.5" - 7" screen that I can use a solid and intuitive navigation system that has POIs and load my library of music on but still be able to watch a dvd if I want (this is not a priority) and still be able to throw in an old fashioned CD or DVD. I would prefer the music interface to utilize my tags and album art and be visually appealing. The problem with all this is that there is no system to do this...

Question: What is the best double din set up? I know the Z2 has like 20 free gigs and i think someone will/should hack it to be able to add a larger HD (then it would be perfect). Is there something I am not thinking of or a system/setup someone can suggest to me, I am open to anything even if it does not entirely meet my stipulations. Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing the suggestions.

 

Id do a carputer. You can/will get alot more options and space that way.

Oh and id be asking this in the Audio section of the forum

 

http://store.mp3car.com/MP3Car_G4_po..._p/sdk-014.htm
up to 250gig harddrive...

 

Nice c0v3rr1d3! I am looking into this right now... Almost sounds too good to be true. Any first hand experience with it?

 

no first hand experience but its been in the works for a few years and has been refined. Its basicly a carputer with a very nice frontend in an all in one unit. there are some threads on it and reviews in the mp3car forums so i'm sure u can find any answers to question you may have there.

 

I like it for the most part though, I like the look of the Z2 better and the G4 is a bit pricey but so is the Z2...

 

sounds like you need a headunit with an ipod adapter? i think they show cover art

 

I mean no offense here but I think using an ipod is gHetto as hell... You have this cord coming out of an ipod in your car, if you forget it, your screwed, etc... Again, just my opinion but this is no an option for me, thanks for the input though.

 

how do you plan on getting music into the car on a hard drive based system? either

1) corded permanent (i.e. ipod, mediagate)
2) corded temporary (i.e. to copy onto drive in headunit or carputer)
3) cordless (wireless to carputer or wireless to mediagate)

What are you looking to spend?

 

I don't necessarily agree. Since I never walk around with my IPOD, I hid it in my car..no wires showing or anything and I have full control of my music on my IPOD! With over 55gb on it, having music is never an issue for me, especially with XM also!

 

Holy crap that thing is nuts! I want it now.

 

I agree with CJITTY, mine is hidden under my armrest, there are no cords to be seen. You have to do it right.

 

my ipod is hidden in the glovebox, and my AVIC D3 has awsome ipod controls, so i imagine the Z2 would be at least as good. I don't consider that setup to be ghetto

 

As I said, this is strictly opinion... Some people thing Acuras are ghetto and some people thing Kias are the shit... I just don't particularly like the ipod setup and am determined to find another method.

I plan on getting the music there by taking the HD out and loading it on by putting attaching it to my home computer where all my music is...

 

you can build a setup like this for a lot less than 2200 dollars.

 

yea.. i agree... i could do that so much cheaper lol... id never spend that much on a carputer that could be built wayy cheaper than that...

 

i added every option and if came out to 3, 337.xx
thats ridiculous. Its a really cool system, but you ever have to be filthy rich, or spend 8hrs a day in your car and use it as your office.

 

I agree, it is sort of outrageous.

As f now I think I will go one of two ways...

1. Carputer (which is a lot of work and I still don't know if I can get it how I want it).

2. AVIC Z1 or Z2 with an 80GB IPod hidden somewhere (not the best but it will work)...

 

Check this out.

https://www.timekiller.org/carpc/index.php

 

I'm yet to find anyone that thinks Acuras are ghetto, and I certainly have not met anyone that thinks kias are anything but shit. But your right, everyone is entitled to their opinion, whether it's wrong or not.

 

What??? Wrong according to who, you? Who died and made you the decider of all that is?

I am just saying that people thing differently, thats what makes this world wonderful. Think if everyone thought the same about everything and how boring it would be, you have an '02, I have an '03 see...

My Acura/Kia comment was obviously a hyperbole but it got the point across. Now lets get back to the subject at hand and how I think a carputer/car pc running street deck on an 8" touchscreen is the way for me to go, any ideas?

 

snooping around that site, you can probably just go for a touch-screen monitor from them and find software that'll work with it. Then run a laptop to that monitor under the passenger's seat so you can load and unload music and stuff easier. Plus you can add whatever GPS you want with it.

 

Damn that looks hot. I need to do something like that.

 

i did a whole carputer setup with wifi,bluetooth,navi,radio,xm,etc everything i could get for it. It ran me 600 with everything and i used a laptop to save room i received an offer i could not refuse so i ended up selling instead of putting it in.....carputer gives you all the flexibility you can ever want.

 

not to thread jack or anything, but what's this DIN and double DIN thing?

EDIT: nvm i found it

International standard ISO 7736 defines a standard size for car audio head units. The standard was originally established by the German standards body Deutsches Institut für Normung, and is therefore commonly referred to as the "DIN car radio size". It was adopted as an international standard in 1984.

Head units generally come in either single DIN (180 x 50 mm panel) or double DIN (180 x 100 mm panel) size. The depth is not standard.

 

Thanks...

 

Ok, so I really hate to keep this going if no one is interested but I threw a quick photochop (very rough) together to convey my idea and get opinions on the concept and feasibility of this. I like the idea of this for a number of reasons especially the one where I get rid of that good for nothing cd holder... Here it is:



The optical drive is there in case I want to put a cd in, which in reality will probably never happen since I will have a pc under my seat which means almost unlimited capacity for music/videos... But in the event someone brings a cd for me to listen to, I want to be able to pop it in... I would like to just have a slot there but then I need to find a place to conveniently put an eject button and I figure it would look trashy...

Ideas/criticism (positive or negative) is welcomed. Thanks guys and remember this is a very rough chop.

 

This is what it is going in, for those who care...

 

looks good. I like the idea. I would try to make the screen tilt , and have the cd player behind it. like that it would be a lot more lowkey.
plus you'll have an touch eject button on the screen so dont worry about that

 

Good idea and I would love to incorporate that but I do not know how feasible that is since I am essentially ejecting from a PC... Any ideas? I am sure this is not in the scope of the site but its worth a shot...

 

Haha, damn, I was just kidding, it's called sarcasm.

 

well you'll have a media player on your carputer. media player usually has an eject function
all i can help you with sorry.

 

well you'll have a media player on your carputer. media player usually has an eject function
all i can help you with sorry.

 

Im starting the software build-up for my carpc on my 03 NBP. I have a via C7 1.5Ghz setup in a Voompc enclosure that will be outputing 5.1 digital through spdif to a Hifonics Zeus ZX 5.1 amp. Im using roadrunner as the frontend and planning on using this skin




courtesy of moahdib at mp3car.com

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/rr-s...-released.html

 

really nice skin.
i'm anxious to see what you end up with.

 

Nice, I think I am going to go with Streetdeck but I like RR as well. What are your plans for the touch screen, size and fabrication? Where are you mounting the Voompc enclosure, I would love to put that under a seat and my amp under the other but I do not know if there is enough room... Keep us up to date, like that skin too.

 

I plan on using a lilliput 7" or 8" touch screen and fabricating a bezzel for it. The pc will probably go in the trunk next to the amp. Like i said, im just starting on the software build up and my time's kinda limited. Don't know when im gonna get around to the install.

 

i have a aftermarket receiver and a ipod hooked up to it in my audi. mounted the ipod in the glovebox and drilled a few holes. works great. personally, id do that over a pc screen and shit in the dash since its more hidden. one of those setups is just begging to be stolen

 

I don't live in an area where I need to worry about that. Plus tinted windows and alarm are great theft deterrents. Plus, I do not know that someone would steal a car pc before a double din unit, they steal what they know they can sell...

 

true, a carpc would take way more time to steal than a headunit