On Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:56:47 -0400, Reginald P. Smithers III wrote:


Ipod is generally considered the most user friendly music player, and
the universal complaint is no FM reciever and the fact that you can only
you download music from ITunes, and that will lock you up with Ipod
because only Ipod will play Itune purchased music.

As with most DRM software, Fairplay has been cracked.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6083110.stm?lsm/

thunder wrote:
On Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:56:47 -0400, Reginald P. Smithers III wrote:


Ipod is generally considered the most user friendly music player, and
the universal complaint is no FM reciever and the fact that you can only
you download music from ITunes, and that will lock you up with Ipod
because only Ipod will play Itune purchased music.

As with most DRM software, Fairplay has been cracked.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6083110.stm?lsm/


The statement that you "can only you (sic) download music from
iTunes..." is incorrect and was incorrect prior to the cracking of
"fairplay."

1. Anybody got "HD" FM radio? Would you rate the difference in sound
quality as indistinguishable, marginal, or substantial?

HD FM isn't about better fidelity as much as it's about more programming.
Many stations are broadcasting more than one HD stream. But I don't have an
HD radio gear at this point.

2. Anybody using "memory cards" for music storage?

I've never seen any car stereo head units (the radio) with memory card
slots. I've seen some that have a USB socket. You can plug a regular USB
'thumbdrive' into them. You can also plug a USB card reader and use memory
cards. The little cards are easy to lose or get stolen.

3. What are the pros and cons of memory cards, mp3 CD's, CD changers,
separate iPod's etc? There's a real smorgasbord og choices now
available.


Then there's the hassle of having to use the stereo's controls to access the
tracks. This is true whether you're using USB or a connected iPod. Make
SURE TO TRY USING IT before buying it. Some systems have HORRIBLE user
interfaces for dealing with the iPod.

4. Any general advice on this subject?

It depends on your boat and listening habits. I greatly prefer having the
head unit in the cabin and a waterproof remote at the helm (and on the
transom but I don't use it that often). But the Clarion setup I've got
isn't very friendly with how it lets you control things. You may want to
consider a unit that supports remote control.

I also run the DVD player through the AUX input on the back of the radio.
This lets us watch movies using the full speaker setup instead of just the
little ones on the TV itself.

-Bill Kearney

Be careful choosing an automotive radio. Many nowadays don't have an
'OFF' switch and are intended to be on all the time the key is on. This
alone is very inconvenient. Also, some have incredibly offensive
self-promotion 'adds' touting the units salable abilities and
performance specs, which scroll across the display and cannot be turned
off, have displays which flash or pulse icons or digital graphic
equalizer displays to the music. Most have incomprehensible multi
function controls which are either not labeled, or you need a mag glass
to read microscopic icons. Several hours reading the poorly written
manual and several more practicing trying to adjust the controls from
memory while underway will tell you clearly how badly you ****ed up
choosing the model.
If you want cd/cassette function, and the ability to control a satellite
cd changer, I suggest sticking with a basic unit, forgoing the wiz-bang
Ipod thing, and getting this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/New-P...spagenameZWD1V

I have this unit in my boat, and also in a few cars. Really outstanding
performance specs and ease of use for a basic CD/Cassette radio, and
none of the bad stuff detailed above.
Here's some reviews on Epinions,:
http://www.epinions.com/Pyle_PLCDCS9...splay_~reviews
JR

Chuck Gould wrote:

Each time I resolved to replace the stereo system on my boat this
year, it would start working properly again and the task would drop
several notches on the priority list. Saturday, it gave up the ghost-
wouldn't turn on until about 50 attempts had been mae pressing the
switch, and even then the digital display was kaput. Only about 14
years' service from that unit- I guess they just don't make them like
they used to. :-)

Speaking of not making them like they used to.........

Holy Smackaroons

Used to think I knew a few things about car stereo (my stereo mounts
in the cabin where it's pretty protected- and I don't need/won't buy
"marine" version). Looking at the specs for potential replacements, I
can see where the industry has evolved substantially in the last 14
years while my technical awareness has not. It's like learning a new
language.

Questions for the more techinally hip:

1. Anybody got "HD" FM radio? Would you rate the difference in sound
quality as indistinguishable, marginal, or substantial?

2. Anybody using "memory cards" for music storage? Actually sounds
like a better approach than hooking up an external iPod, at least at
first blush. (We've got an entire galley drawer filled with CD's,
etc....would be nice to free up that space and store the music data on
something much smaller). So:

3. What are the pros and cons of memory cards, mp3 CD's, CD changers,
separate iPod's etc? There's a real smorgasbord og choices now
available.

4. Any general advice on this subject?



--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

On Sep 10, 2:53?pm, JR North wrote:
Be careful choosing an automotive radio. Many nowadays don't have an
'OFF' switch and are intended to be on all the time the key is on. This
alone is very inconvenient. Also, some have incredibly offensive
self-promotion 'adds' touting the units salable abilities and
performance specs, which scroll across the display and cannot be turned
off, have displays which flash or pulse icons or digital graphic
equalizer displays to the music. Most have incomprehensible multi
function controls which are either not labeled, or you need a mag glass
to read microscopic icons. Several hours reading the poorly written
manual and several more practicing trying to adjust the controls from
memory while underway will tell you clearly how badly you ****ed up
choosing the model.
If you want cd/cassette function, and the ability to control a satellite
cd changer, I suggest sticking with a basic unit, forgoing the wiz-bang
Ipod thing, and getting this:http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/New-P...Cassette-CD-Pl...

I have this unit in my boat, and also in a few cars. Really outstanding
performance specs and ease of use for a basic CD/Cassette radio, and
none of the bad stuff detailed above.
Here's some reviews on Epinions,:http://www.epinions.com/Pyle_PLCDCS9...d_CD_Player___...
JR





Chuck Gould wrote:
Each time I resolved to replace the stereo system on my boat this
year, it would start working properly again and the task would drop
several notches on the priority list. Saturday, it gave up the ghost-
wouldn't turn on until about 50 attempts had been mae pressing the
switch, and even then the digital display was kaput. Only about 14
years' service from that unit- I guess they just don't make them like
they used to. :-)

Speaking of not making them like they used to.........

Holy Smackaroons

Used to think I knew a few things about car stereo (my stereo mounts
in the cabin where it's pretty protected- and I don't need/won't buy
"marine" version). Looking at the specs for potential replacements, I
can see where the industry has evolved substantially in the last 14
years while my technical awareness has not. It's like learning a new
language.

Questions for the more techinally hip:

1. Anybody got "HD" FM radio? Would you rate the difference in sound
quality as indistinguishable, marginal, or substantial?

2. Anybody using "memory cards" for music storage? Actually sounds
like a better approach than hooking up an external iPod, at least at
first blush. (We've got an entire galley drawer filled with CD's,
etc....would be nice to free up that space and store the music data on
something much smaller). So:

3. What are the pros and cons of memory cards, mp3 CD's, CD changers,
separate iPod's etc? There's a real smorgasbord og choices now
available.

4. Any general advice on this subject?

--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page:http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thanks for the suggestion. Looks like a good, basic unit. I'm still
intrigued by the "memory card" option I saw on a couple of units on
the Crutchfield site, I'd like to just get the CD's off the boat
entirely.

Too bad about the brand name, "Pyle". I spent enough years in
automotive retail (but not stereos) to be sure the competitor's sales
force has a *lot* of fun with that one.

I won't pretend to be technologically savvy on this issue. I almost
had to be dragged kicking and screaming to CDs a few years back.
However I purchased a somewhat inexpensive stereo for my boat last
year that had an MP3 player connection (or for that matter any device
that had a headphone mini-jack output such as - to date myself- a
walkman tape or cd player). I then broke down and bought a cheapie 2
gb mp3 player this year and loaded it down with some 600 songs (yeah,
not the highest quality level but let's face it I am playing it on a
damn runabout boat not a $500,000 yahct). I think it is great! I
mostly just play it so it randomnly plays whatever is stored but find
it easy to pick artists or albums to play. Playlists are a bit more of
a pain to setup and I just haven't done any. No skip, no bounce, no
fading. I even like that the little mp3 player is attached to the
stereo by a wire and becomes a wired "remote" (my stereo doesn't have
its own remote). Gave the original cheapie to my daughter and bought
another cheapie (just a little less cheapie) that has the ability to
use the microSD memory cards in addition to the built-in 2 GB. I
haven't tried that, but it makes sense to me to put the cards in the
mp3 player, not the stereo as I see the mp3 player being something
that can be taken from one stereo player to another as I become more
techie with it (yeah, I said I wasn't very techie with these things so
stop your damned laughing). Anyhow I can see how I can connect this
player to my home stereo if I want, can plug it into a cheap extra set
of powered computer speakers out in the shop for an instant shop
stereo, will eventually be able to plug it into the car, etc. so I
would want the memory card capability in the player, not in what is
essentially just the amp and speaker system that your stereo is going
to become.

Dave Hall
\
On Mon, 10 Sep 2007 09:15:30 -0700, Chuck Gould
wrote:

Each time I resolved to replace the stereo system on my boat this
year, it would start working properly again and the task would drop
several notches on the priority list. Saturday, it gave up the ghost-
wouldn't turn on until about 50 attempts had been mae pressing the
switch, and even then the digital display was kaput. Only about 14
years' service from that unit- I guess they just don't make them like
they used to. :-)

Speaking of not making them like they used to.........

Holy Smackaroons

Used to think I knew a few things about car stereo (my stereo mounts
in the cabin where it's pretty protected- and I don't need/won't buy
"marine" version). Looking at the specs for potential replacements, I
can see where the industry has evolved substantially in the last 14
years while my technical awareness has not. It's like learning a new
language.

Questions for the more techinally hip:

1. Anybody got "HD" FM radio? Would you rate the difference in sound
quality as indistinguishable, marginal, or substantial?

2. Anybody using "memory cards" for music storage? Actually sounds
like a better approach than hooking up an external iPod, at least at
first blush. (We've got an entire galley drawer filled with CD's,
etc....would be nice to free up that space and store the music data on
something much smaller). So:

3. What are the pros and cons of memory cards, mp3 CD's, CD changers,
separate iPod's etc? There's a real smorgasbord og choices now
available.

4. Any general advice on this subject?

In article . com,
Chuck Gould wrote:

2. Anybody using "memory cards" for music storage? Actually sounds
like a better approach than hooking up an external iPod, at least at
first blush. (We've got an entire galley drawer filled with CD's,
etc....would be nice to free up that space and store the music data on
something much smaller). So:

There are professional units from Marantz - but since you are not into
recording with it - why not just get a portable PC or Mac and put iTunes
on it?
Good for watching DVD's too.
If you want the ultimate portability, any of the current iPods will do
(they are simple to operate), see www.apple.com/ipod.


3. What are the pros and cons of memory cards, mp3 CD's, CD changers,
separate iPod's etc? There's a real smorgasbord og choices now
available.

4. Any general advice on this subject?

CD's are good to buy the music, since you have full quality and can
always rip them for portability to whatever the latest format is.
If you want the ultimate quality, there is Apple's lossless compression
(to half the size).

Other than that use either mp3 (at least 192 kbps) - more universal or
mp4 (at least 128 kbps) smaller for the same quality. This will compress
to about 10%, ie 1 MB per minute or 60 MB for a full CD.
An iPod shuffle will then hold 16 CDs, an iPod nano 64 or 128 CDs, and
the iPod classic 1200 or 2400 CD's.

You need a very good set, very good ears and perfect silence to hear the
difference between 192 kbps mp4/AAC and the original.

iTunes (free, both for Windows and Mac OS X) will do all this for you.
It is a free download - easy to test. You'll get the playlists, albums
list, artist list and title list on your iPod - syncing could not be
easier.
If you want more control, extraction etc use Amadeus Pro on a Mac -
sorry cannot advise for Windows.

I still buy most of my music on CD's (to have the full quality) and then
rip for listening anywhere.

iPods are simple to operate, run long enough, and have good sound
quality. There is a reason they sell well. BTW: new models have just
been introduced.

My CD's stayed at home ever since my first iPod. As well as my Marantz
recorder (Compact Flash cards) stays at work (I need it to record.)

HTH

Marc

--
Switzerland/Europe
http://www.heusser.com
remove CHEERS and from MERCIAL to get valid e-mail

Chuck,

Many of the comments posted are accurate, and also are probably adding to
your confusion. First off, I've heard HD FM and wasn't impressed by the
quality. Perhaps on a high end stereo in a home environment, it may sound
better... but on a boat? Actually, for me, FM is not really an option
anyway. Where I boat I rarely get a reliable FM signal. So... I went with a
pioneer unit (non marine) that plays mp3 (and wma) CDs, has an input for an
MP3 player (I have a Zune, not an iPod), and the biggie... satellite radio
(XM). With the XM Radio, I rarely listen to the mp3 player or CDs anyway. I
know it's $12/ month but it's worth every penny for me. They carry MLB on XM
as well, so one of my favorite activities is going out on the boat and
listening to the Red Sox. Since I'm in CA, the AM Red Sox broadcast doesn't
quite make the trip...

Good luck with your decision.

--Mike

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
ups.com...
Each time I resolved to replace the stereo system on my boat this
year, it would start working properly again and the task would drop
several notches on the priority list. Saturday, it gave up the ghost-
wouldn't turn on until about 50 attempts had been mae pressing the
switch, and even then the digital display was kaput. Only about 14
years' service from that unit- I guess they just don't make them like
they used to. :-)

Speaking of not making them like they used to.........

Holy Smackaroons

Used to think I knew a few things about car stereo (my stereo mounts
in the cabin where it's pretty protected- and I don't need/won't buy
"marine" version). Looking at the specs for potential replacements, I
can see where the industry has evolved substantially in the last 14
years while my technical awareness has not. It's like learning a new
language.

Questions for the more techinally hip:

1. Anybody got "HD" FM radio? Would you rate the difference in sound
quality as indistinguishable, marginal, or substantial?

2. Anybody using "memory cards" for music storage? Actually sounds
like a better approach than hooking up an external iPod, at least at
first blush. (We've got an entire galley drawer filled with CD's,
etc....would be nice to free up that space and store the music data on
something much smaller). So:

3. What are the pros and cons of memory cards, mp3 CD's, CD changers,
separate iPod's etc? There's a real smorgasbord og choices now
available.

4. Any general advice on this subject?

On Mon, 10 Sep 2007 09:15:30 -0700, Chuck Gould penned the following
well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

Each time I resolved to replace the stereo system on my boat this
year, it would start working properly again and the task would drop
several notches on the priority list. Saturday, it gave up the ghost-
wouldn't turn on until about 50 attempts had been mae pressing the
switch, and even then the digital display was kaput. Only about 14
years' service from that unit- I guess they just don't make them like
they used to. :-)

Speaking of not making them like they used to.........

Holy Smackaroons

Used to think I knew a few things about car stereo (my stereo mounts
in the cabin where it's pretty protected- and I don't need/won't buy
"marine" version). Looking at the specs for potential replacements, I
can see where the industry has evolved substantially in the last 14
years while my technical awareness has not. It's like learning a new
language.

Questions for the more techinally hip:

1. Anybody got "HD" FM radio? Would you rate the difference in sound
quality as indistinguishable, marginal, or substantial?

2. Anybody using "memory cards" for music storage? Actually sounds
like a better approach than hooking up an external iPod, at least at
first blush. (We've got an entire galley drawer filled with CD's,
etc....would be nice to free up that space and store the music data on
something much smaller). So:

3. What are the pros and cons of memory cards, mp3 CD's, CD changers,
separate iPod's etc? There's a real smorgasbord og choices now
available.

4. Any general advice on this subject?

I just bought a JBL in anticipation of installation. This will be a
new install.....

Although it is iPod ready.... aux in.... I was really more interested
in it's ability to handle satellite radio (Sirius). I rarely listen to
AM/FM anymore.

--

Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Oak Island, NC.

Homepage
http://pamandgene.idleplay.net/

Rec.boats at Lee Yeaton's Bayguide
http://www.thebayguide.com/rec.boats
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Chuck Gould wrote in
ups.com:

3. What are the pros and cons of memory cards, mp3 CD's, CD changers,
separate iPod's etc? There's a real smorgasbord og choices now
available.


Ask it ONE important question......

Can I use Windows Explorer to simply copy a whole directory of MP3 music
files to the player, or its external memory card, and play it WITHOUT
using some hobbled up, record company approved, filtering software that
makes you do them one-at-a-time. God some of 'em suck moving music to
the player.

The computer should treat the player as just an external hard drive
copying files to....not filtering the files looking for illegal file
sharing which sucks even if you're not downloading like mad from
alt.binaries.sounds.mp3.(your favorite genre here) newsgroups.....

Copy the files onto a massive portable hard drive you can plug into your
laptop on the boat in MP3 format. I just bought a Western Digital MyBook
USB hard drive, a whopping 750GB, for $179 on sale at Best Buy. This
book-sized hard drive will store movies and music for a whole year in
one, small package.....not 250 fragile CDs all scratched up and
unplayable in a car stereo player that's gonna crap, soon, on a boat.

Plug the hard drive into the laptop and the memory card or memory MP3
player in, too. Copy what you want to listen to on this watch to the
player and tuck it in your pocket. Mine is a 2GB Sansa the size of a
woman's lipstick case with color LCD screen, FM Radio, voice recorder...
$80 on sale:
http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Cata...sa_Express_MP3
_Players.aspx
500 songs fit on its INTERNAL memory (2GB) and you can ADD another 2GB
with the external MicroSD very tiny memory module for $20 more from
Newegg.com. (I'm using Kingston memory now, lifetime warranty and they
replaced a bad one with no problem for free!)

You won't have to reload 1000 songs often. That's 64 hours without
hearing the same song twice. It also has random mode to shuffle the
deck.

The Sansa Express IS a USB plug...which runs 15 hours of continuous play
before you simply plug it into the computer for an hour to rapidly
recharge its lithium-polymer advanced battery pack.....all for $79!

(c; A condom would make a great waterproof carrying case in bad
weather...(c; Just put the open end with the headphone wire coming out
of it DOWN in your pocket.

To play through the boat's stereo is easy....use an FM stereo transmitter
like:
http://tinyurl.com/3axoru
I particularly like this model, though have never owned one, because the
whole transmitter is built right into a common 12V plug already in the
boats. If you want to play to the whole boat, not just yourself, plug
this cheap transmitter into the headphone jack on the tiny Sansa player
for days of unrepeated music you can also carry ashore, in your car,
listen privately in bed without disturbing HER...a real feature...(c;
(NOTE - The $150 FM transmitters sound EXACTLY like the $15 ones on any
radio.)

Larry
--
Paying for XM is just stupid.....