Plugged In: Digital Media Source Units
Text by Dave MacKinnon, Photos by the Manufacturers
It wasn’t long ago that automakers phased out tape decks in new cars in lieu of CD players. In the past couple of years, most of them have caught on to the iPod revolution and now include either a USB port or dedicated iPod connection to let the latest generation of music enthusiasts bring their collection with them.
As the mobile entertainment aftermarket is typically one step ahead of the OEM guys, there is another change on the horizon, which will include only digital media source units in a car. What is digital media you ask? In this context, it is any device that can store computer recognisable files, such as an SD card or USB memory stick. So what makes a digital media deck different? It’s not what it’s got, it’s what’s missing – a CD transport. Some manufacturers refer to these decks as ‘mechless’ in that they don’t have a CD mechanism.
So, why would you want a digital media deck? Given the current availability from the top manufacturers, digital media decks are poised to increase in popularity because of the features that have been included to replace the CD mechanism. These include high resolution and colour displays, enhanced compatibility for different media formats and often a unique look that differs from the rest of the company’s product offerings.
Okay, so you have finally sold the last of your 45s and the neighbour is rocking your old eight-tracks. It’s time to go digital – so where do you get your music? The answer is, of course, the Internet. No, I am not talking about illegal downloading from Napster, Kazaa and Bit Torrent; there are lots of places to buy music quickly and legally, the best known of which is iTunes. Here, you simply set up an account, click on the song you want, and in seconds, you are listening to your favourite track or album.
What was once the biggest thorn in the side of music companies has reinvented itself on the right side of the law – Napster is now a great resource for music and makes it really easy to copy and paste downloaded music to a USB memory stick or similar.
Another option is to convert your existing CD collection into a digital format (MP3 or WMA). If you are running Windows (XP, Vista or Windows 7), then converting an entire CD to a collection of WMA files is as easy as inserting the CD into your computer and using Windows Media Player to rip it. Ripping is the act of converting the contents of a CD to a collection of digital media files.
So, why do we want our music in digital format? The best reason is that we can take a large collection of music with us in a very small package. Take, for example, the Apple iPod series of digital media players. Even the tiny little iPod Nano with 4GB of storage can give you an impressive 2,000 songs. Stepping up to the big 160GB Ipod Classic means you can have 40,000 songs. That’s like 4,000 entire CDs, right in your pocket!
The first digital media decks were designed around the concept of bringing your digital music with you. They all tended to show a preference towards the Apple iPod in terms of compatibility and interface. The newest generation of digital media decks now includes provisions for video playback. This was a logical extension as more and more people are converting their DVD collections to digital formats.
So, what should you look for when shopping for a digital media source unit? Since the price, features and capabilities of the decks differ from one manufacturer to another, this can get tricky. First and foremost, though, is to ensure that the music or videos you have plays on the unit you buy. Try this in the store on their display board. You should also ensure that the deck has the audio features and capabilities you want. These include preamp outputs, crossovers, high-quality D/A converters and more.
You should, of course, ensure the unit will fit in your vehicle and that the interface is easy to use and intuitive. A provision for factory audio control integration would be nice.
Since many of these digital media units represent premium products, it is likely you will find many of them with Bluetooth hands-free and audio streaming built in. Try your phone with the deck on the display board of the store you are purchasing from. Ensure it functions the way you want and has the capabilities you desire.
Related Posts
© Copyright RPM Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Site Designed by JC Design