Sound System Article
03-18-2005, 01:37 PM
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Sound System Article
Cars Get into the Downloading Craze
By Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY
Chevrolet will introduce an entertainment-system option on its Uplander minivan this spring that has hard-drive memory capable of storing 40 movies, 10,000 song tracks or basic video games. It will be offered in General Motors' other minivans by the year's end.
Storing music and movies on the hard drive cuts clutter. "As the mother of two kids, you have CDs and DVDs floating around the vehicle. It's nice to consolidate," GM spokeswoman Lynda Messina says.
The system is made by Los Angeles technology company PhatNoise, which has produced an audio-only version as a dealer option for Volkswagen and Audi since 2003.
It's "like an automotive iPod," CEO Sharon Graves says. The units are built into the car like regular car stereos. To load music, owners download their CD collection onto a personal computer, then transfer the data to a cartridge, which is inserted into the car player.
Honda included a stereo with memory in the concept version of the Acura RD-X that it showed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. Spokesman Mike Spencer says it could make it into a production version of the SUV slated for next year.
Toyota's Lexus division is "seriously looking into" audio with memory, spokeswoman Charlotte Lassos says.
Audio makers started rolling out high-end automotive players that included memory about two years ago, but none caught on. Now they're going to try again, starting next month, with new units by:
•Eclipse. A combination navigation and audio system will have hard-drive storage for 3,000 music tracks, equal to about 250 CDs, and will record off the radio. Says marketing director Michael West: "Ultimately, hard drive is going to replace these other media because it's going to be so convenient." List price: $2,699.
• Clarion. The audio maker is adding three models to its "Music Catcher" line. They use a flash-memory system that doesn't have as much storage as hard drives - up to six CDs worth of music - but is billed as cheaper and more durable. "There are no moving parts, so there's no chance for it to break," says Clarion's Gregory Arroyo. List price: up to $899.
Sony tried earlier with a hard-drive unit that consumers didn't embrace, spokeswoman Rachel Branch says. Now it's looking for a new solution.
Likewise, Alpine Electronics had a unit with a removable hard drive that used different software from users' PCs, so it was harder to download music for the car. Vice President Stephen Witt says the audio maker is considering new options.
By Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY
Chevrolet will introduce an entertainment-system option on its Uplander minivan this spring that has hard-drive memory capable of storing 40 movies, 10,000 song tracks or basic video games. It will be offered in General Motors' other minivans by the year's end.
Storing music and movies on the hard drive cuts clutter. "As the mother of two kids, you have CDs and DVDs floating around the vehicle. It's nice to consolidate," GM spokeswoman Lynda Messina says.
The system is made by Los Angeles technology company PhatNoise, which has produced an audio-only version as a dealer option for Volkswagen and Audi since 2003.
It's "like an automotive iPod," CEO Sharon Graves says. The units are built into the car like regular car stereos. To load music, owners download their CD collection onto a personal computer, then transfer the data to a cartridge, which is inserted into the car player.
Honda included a stereo with memory in the concept version of the Acura RD-X that it showed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. Spokesman Mike Spencer says it could make it into a production version of the SUV slated for next year.
Toyota's Lexus division is "seriously looking into" audio with memory, spokeswoman Charlotte Lassos says.
Audio makers started rolling out high-end automotive players that included memory about two years ago, but none caught on. Now they're going to try again, starting next month, with new units by:
•Eclipse. A combination navigation and audio system will have hard-drive storage for 3,000 music tracks, equal to about 250 CDs, and will record off the radio. Says marketing director Michael West: "Ultimately, hard drive is going to replace these other media because it's going to be so convenient." List price: $2,699.
• Clarion. The audio maker is adding three models to its "Music Catcher" line. They use a flash-memory system that doesn't have as much storage as hard drives - up to six CDs worth of music - but is billed as cheaper and more durable. "There are no moving parts, so there's no chance for it to break," says Clarion's Gregory Arroyo. List price: up to $899.
Sony tried earlier with a hard-drive unit that consumers didn't embrace, spokeswoman Rachel Branch says. Now it's looking for a new solution.
Likewise, Alpine Electronics had a unit with a removable hard drive that used different software from users' PCs, so it was harder to download music for the car. Vice President Stephen Witt says the audio maker is considering new options.
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