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PJ Matthews
29-10-2005, 23:51
Our teeeny computer in a box that is the new iPod 5G Video would seem to be perfect for a car entertainment setup. There are many in car docks around for the ipod although we obviously need a new one to support video features, it wouldn't be that hard to modify an existing 5G dock for this purpose.

Output quality varies dependent on the coding of the films on the iPod. If you encode at a 320x240 res it can look very poor on large screen TVs but should be fine for a 7" screen. Alternatively you can encode your videos at 720x xxx res which the ipod happily scales down for its screen and outputs very nicely to a TV although it takes up alot of space.

The downside to this setup is that menus do not display on the monitor, only video output and slideshows which is a real let down. We do however know that the iPod can display its menus on a screen as Steve Jobs had a modified 5G iPod doing just this at the launch recently. It is however not currently supported in firmware. This may change as alot of reviews do say how good it would be for the menus to work on TV. Many Alpine units can also already control ipods through the dock connector as can some Philips ones.

Thoughts, ideas suggestions?

PeeJ
digit
30-10-2005, 01:10
If you brought a unit to link the ipod controls to steering wheel controls that would get around the control issue a bit i guess? You'd have to be in the right place though. But once you were in the video mode or whatever you could skip back and forth easily :)
UbT
30-10-2005, 01:50
i very much doubt you would be able to get it to work on the steering wheels, the ipod/dock would have to suport it for the steering wheel.
Alpine Sterio > V Vectra uses a little 3.5ml headphone jack in the rear of the sterio for the controls to work so i guess the ipod would need this :rolleyes:.
NapsterUK
latency
30-10-2005, 11:19
seconded, any steering wheel controls are done from the head unit, there's no way you'll get direct control to the iPod methinks...
UbT
30-10-2005, 18:48
seconded, any steering wheel controls are done from the head unit, there's no way you'll get direct control to the iPod methinks...
i bet BMW/Mursades will do it at some point.
latency
30-10-2005, 21:31
They don't have to, the BMW/Mursades head units do it all, like the alpine and pioneer stuff.

This is the point of a head unit, to control everything. There's no point in having the car sterio there if half the controls by-pass it.
UbT
30-10-2005, 23:58
No you no murks and bmws now come ipod ready. Well When you plug your ipod in. It will change tracks ect.. then
latency
31-10-2005, 10:03
What do you think is controlling those steering wheel buttons and dock conenctor?

They don't just go to the speakers you know, they have to have a controller box- ala, built into, or plugged into the head unit.

I'm not trying to decieve you here man, this is what the head unit is for.
UbT
31-10-2005, 15:09
Yeh i think you have me confused here. And i got you confused in your post before me.