RedAggie03

iTrader: (4)

I'm about to dive into the navigation conversion using DOM's or the AV unit...

I really want to do this for music videos...I do not see myself watching movies, but music videos would be cool.

So I'm thinking about getting something like the media gate or an iPod video.

My question is two parts:

1. if I get the media gate, does it play MPEG-4 and where would I get music videos?

2. If I go the iPod route, I know I can buy music video's from iTunes, but would the quality be any good since they are compressed to play on the iPod's smaller screen?

I don't want to buy a iPod video, buy the videos, and get worse quality than getting a media gate and finding mpg4 video's on the net somewhere...

How do you do music videos? Which approach will get me the best video quality?

Thanks,
Jason

hoopz87

burn music video dvd's...

RedAggie03

iTrader: (4)

What do you mean?

hoopz87

like... download music videos off of your downloading program.. and burn them onto a blank dvd and play it through that.. that would be an easy simple way to do it.. just download a dvd burning program or maybe ur computer already came with one.. idk

rockyfeller

iTrader: (6)

^^That's what I do too. When I go out partying at night with my friends I usually have videos running. Added with my LEDd out car my car is the ultimate "let's go clubbing in the city" car.

I love my Myron & Davis DVD player. I only paid $80 for it. (And I was so worried about reliability....mine has been working flawless so far. )

I use DVD-RWs and reburn whatever I want. Coolest thing is I can burn 4.7Gigs worth of music on MP3s in one folder and have all my music videos in another folder. They DON'T have to be burned to .VOB files, you can burn them directly as mpegs. Quite a few videos can fit on one DVD. Beautiful! I have about 100 music videos right now.

My #1 problem is many of the videos I download have very good picture quality but the sound is compressed and terrible. With all my high end speakers etc. it does no justice to the song. I think the only way around this is to redub the audio with some fresh audio and synch it up with a video editor. It may need some fiddling in case there is a minascule delay with the audio or video. I am going to experiment with a few of my favorite videos to see how well I can do it. Only problem is that it would take me hours and hours to do this with all my videos!

hoopz87

thats what i was gonna say, deff not worth it.. u have this problem with 100% of the videos u download or just some? bc that does suck..

rockyfeller

iTrader: (6)

No just some. One irritating thing is the sound levels can be different from video to video which is annoying. Some videos are really clear and loud, and some are really drowned and have excessive white noise. I can usually equalize and tweak it to make it good but the ones that are really annoying are the videos that have some level of distortion. It's either caused by compression/low quality and fidelity or the audio signal is overboosted. So even at low volume the sound is dirty. I can't watch more than 45 seconds of those videos and I'm paging to the next track.

Many times it's because of the way the video has been converted. Some expensive software programs are really good, others that are cheap suck. Also some people squash the videos into small files to save disk space. They'll use a less than optimum or ideal setting to convert. In most cases these programs try to do their best to retain picture quality. Audio quality is not as much a priority with some programs. How many more MB would it cost to get some better audio vs. better video? I don't think it should be much.

Once 128kps MP3s averaged about 3.5-6MB per song. Nowadays downloads are about 192kps and about 5-9MB a song. Videos on average are about 20-50MB each. I have a 650GB hard-drive so I'd be more than willing to invest 100MB per video if each song had CD quality audio. But then again .WAV files are HUGE......There's got to be a compromise.

krmerritt

I just got done with this install about a month or two ago. I used Dom's and Dice with my ipod video. I use it for music, music videos, and seinfeld. the music videos play fine on my screen but the sound and video quality varies depending on the source of the download. I split the video 1 input between my ipod and the rca jacks in the back of the center console along with the aux from the dice unit.

hoopz87

650! lmao.. damnnnn how many videos u got dl'ed?

xen-cuts

I don't understand what you guys are doing? Are you installing the DOM thingie under the dash and plugging an ipod in through that + a DICE?

I am about to use DOM's+Wendy Cam for the backup camera, but them I'm going to use Peripheral for the ipod connection. I guess that will prevent video playback from the ipod. To get vid capability, I was considering mounting a DVD player in the trunk but I'm not sure it's worth it??? Mainly, I can't find a dvd changer that I like...

Skrewologist

its just a matter of where you're getting your videos... this doesn't have much to do with hardware setup. i have some professional dvd music videos; excellent video and sound quality. they are on DVD9s

Fulani has a TL

iTrader: (1)

DVD9s???? Whats that

Skrewologist

Dual layer DVDs (8.5gb). They hold twice the amount of data than a normal DVD.
and the DVDs I had were formatted to utilize dual layer dvds. so theyre very high quality

OmeGa101

Hey,

Don't u get soem wierd engine noise thing when u're listening to your audio when watching a video?

Cuase when i watch movies in my car, i get this wierd buzzing noise coming from the aux slot where i connect my ps2slim too... Like whenever i rev the engine the noise gets louder? this is onli when i switch it to my ps2slim/aux.... Im powering ps2 via inverter if that makes a difference.

Skrewologist

I only get that sometimes when I'm using bluetooth in the car, but it hasn't happened lately. It's like a very faint whistling sound that is the same pitch as the engine

krmerritt

I use the Dice for my ipod audio which plugs into the charging port at the bottom of the ipod and have a rca video cord coming from Dom's video 1 input to the top 3.5 mm jack at the top of the ipod. I have the dice unit under my steering wheel behind the panel and Dom's unit is in the trunk on the right side behind the liner. My ipod is hidden in the top compartment of the two under the radio with all the cords coming thru the back of the compartment. Very clean and can use my steering wheel controls to switch music video, music, seinfeld episodes, etc.

illmat1k

iTrader: (1)

Use Torrent to download music video bundles. Works best if you have a fiberoptic internet connection like I do.

OmeGa101

where do u get audio?? Do u use the AUX that dice comes with? cause when i use that with my ps2 i get a very annoying noise =\

krmerritt

I have the aux from the dice split to the red and white rca jacks on the A/V faceplate. I haven't used them yet though. I've only used my ipod jack. However, it sounds like you're getting feedback from your aux cable. I went to Radio Shack and bought insulated audio cable. There's no need to spend $50 for Monster cable when you could just get shielded cable with gold contacts from Radio Shack for half that. Let me know if that works.

- Kyle

OmeGa101

Well, actualyl its not coming from the aux slot, its coming from the inverter im using? cause im using a ps2slim.. I also have a aux split into white and red rcas which i use to connect to the ps2's red and white. and i run the video wire to the doms unit.

I'm not sure if the inverter is the problem though.. b ut its really annoying when the gf is watching a movie when im driving.. she doesnt' realyl notice the buzzing but it annoys the hell outta me loll... like hwnever i press on the gas, the noise gets louder!

krmerritt

Try using on of these (http://www.ezrange.com/product-pr-5485.html). It may solve your inverter problems.

- Kyle

rockyfeller

iTrader: (6)

Well 650GB isn't just for music. LOL. It's the whole computer. I have a Sony Vaio MCE with a 19" LCD that's from 2004 and it's been amped up and expanded to it's maxx! It has Intel P4 with 3.2Ghz. 1.5GB of RAM, 2 DVD-RWs and 2 hard-drives etc. etc.. It came with 250GB and I added 400GB in the other bay. It was pretty crazy back then and even with the newest computers it's crazy my specs are still comparable and looks modern. Good for multimedia, I love it! I am leaning to an iMac for my next computer though.

But really 650GB is starting to be the norm. I am starting to see 2 TERABYTE ones now!!! Daym!! If you are not trying to save movies on them, I don't know why else you'd need that much space? I guess BlueRay fans are going to have fun with those.

rockyfeller

iTrader: (6)

Yeah it's all about the source. So "professional videos" meaning official videos you bought from somewhere? If you downloaded them please do share. We won't tell. Admittedly almost all of us have done our share of dowloaded

RedAggie03

iTrader: (4)

Well, I ordered my DICE unit with the iPod dock. I need to order my DOM's unit or the AV one, but I can't decide which route I want to go.

I've started looking for an iPod video...The new 6th gen iPod video will not work with the DICE? I've seen some listed as gen 5.5 - what is that?

Which iPod are ya'll using?

becker800

Just need a few questions answered please


I already have doms unit isntalled with a rear view camera.

I just bought a portable DVD player. I also have an IPOD touch.

Could you just give me a quick rundown of what I need to get audio and video working from both of these devices.

I think I just need to get the Dice Aux integration device shown here.

http://www.diceelectronics.com/aux_integration.htm

Then I plug my ipod and DVD player into that. This should give me audio for both of these correct?
Does the IPOD audio cable come with the aux kit or do I have to buy it seperately?
And something on this device switches between the 2 audios?

now as far as video, i saw merrit had a cable from 3.55 MM jack on ipod into one of the video inputs on doms unit. Where do u get this cable?

I assume I couldnt have ipod and DVD player going since i already have camera plugged in and there is only 2 inputs on Doms unit.

But I could just switch these 2 around depending on which i wanted i guess?

And as far as switching between the different videos, would I have to run a switch somewhere to go between the camera and the ipod/DVD player?

Last question, how does the car know to get audio from the Dice unit?
Thanks for the help.