Ok Rob and empeg people,

I've got the high school graduation money coming in and I'm just about ready to buy an empeg, but I don't want to jump the gun on a $1000 product if Sonicblue is about to put out a product that is better suited for me, so if you could answer either of the folowing two questions it would be a great help. First, what if the main difference between these two products? Is it aimed at a cheaper market? At a different type or volume of storage? Different way of operating? etc. On this BBS, my second question is akin to strapping dynamite to my chest and diving into the flaming pits of hell, but here goes nothing: About when is a tenative date when we might get some more information on this product? If you can't answer any of these questions, I understand, but if this new thing isn't something I want, it would be nice to be able to show my friends my new empeg before everyons leaves on their summer breaks!

Thanks,

John

[ johnmcd3 - funding for my empeg purchace: 80% complete ]

I thought Rob said that it wasn't a car product.

Sean

John, I would be willing to bet, through te delicate subtlties of rob's teases, that whatever product is in the works will be used in conjunction with the car player. That is only a guess, but I would be willing to bet that it is not simply a different type of car player.

Just watch, in a few months I will be offered some salt to go with my tastey foot.

Anyway, the empeg is a VERY worthwhile purchase, and that is something I can tell you with absolute certainty.

DiGNAN
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, etc.

This post by Rob indicates that it is definantly a car mp3 player of some sort, [note that sonicblue will release "an array" of car mp3 solutions] and unless I'm misreading this, it does not at all sound like this new product will work in conjunction with the empeg.

[ johnmcd3 - funding for my empeg purchace: 80% complete ]

Erm.. new car product?

I guess you got this idea from mention on here that we've been working on another project recently. Don't forget that we're Rio's HOME and automotive development division. Our next product might well be something you'll want, but you won't want to put it in your car

Obviously we do have plans for the car player range, however we intend to sell a lot more of the current Rio Car product. I guess your concern is that if you bought a Rio Car today you would come to regret it in a few months - I don't think you will.

Rob

bag, cat, out of the, would you be letting.
Sooooooo.
it's some sort of home product. hmmm. I'm guessing some sort of master control & comms system if empeg's track record is anything to go by.



Murray 06000047
I don't think, therefore I am not.

i think it might be time to start taking bets

note that sonicblue will release "an array" of car mp3 solutions

All that could mean is that they're solving the empeg's problems

GET AN EMPEG!!

DiGNAN
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, etc.

I thought they already had a kick-butt home product? What I'd like from them is a great PORTABLE product, with storage akin to the empeg's. Single laptop hard drive, and it could be smaller than a diskman. Clik, or other PCMCIA-type storage, and it could be a little bigger than the empeg's remote!
Just wishful thinking...I know RIO has a full line of portable products...


_~= Dearing =~_
"WAY too happy about having #99."

Hmmm... Rob just posted the following on the Reciever BBS:

Quite nice, but a completely different product to the
Receiver. It's a music server, not a thin client.

Rio don't have a comparable product - yet. The development of such a
product was announced in a press release several months ago, so maybe
you'll be able to compare like with like soon.

Rob

/Michael

ok, I'm conviced. I thought this next thing was a car mp3 thing because the press release said that Sonicblue was to make "an array of automotive solutions," and you responded in reference to this next thing, that "one product does not make an array." You're excatly right in that I was worried I would regret spending all this money if you were about to release a newer, better car mp3 solution that the empeg. But I have been drooling about this thing for about a year, and it's one of the coolest pieces of electronic equipment I've ever seen, and I think that I'll be buying one in the next week or two. Thanks for creating such a cool product. :)

John

[ johnmcd3 - funding for my empeg purchace: 80% complete ]

It would be some what of a challenge to produce a signifantly better solution than the empeg for in car mp3s i was very hesitant to spend so much on the empeg but i haven't regreted spending one penny on the thing since i bought it. My only regret was going for 12 gig instead of a bigger model.

The 12GB model is still the way to go... best value. Then, you can add another 20GB model for under $130! :)

For anyone wondering if the empeg is worth it or not... your concerns are very valid. You SHOULD ask yourself these questions (and the BBS) before spending so much money. Since this IS a peice of technology, it will eventually drop from it's "hottest thing on the market" status. But, it wont become obsolete. As long as you have a PC (or Mac or Linux box) you will be able to use the empeg. Mp3 will certainly go through a few changes in the next few years, but the empeg's software is upgradable. And mp3's are here to stay - at least for quite a few years.

People may *gasp* when you told them how much you spent on a "car radio", but the empeg/RioCar is more than just a car radio. It will literally change the way you view music. You can listen to it at home (either connected to a PC, home stereo or headphones with an adapter) or in a vehicle. It won't skip and you can find any song in seconds. In fact, my empeg has almost 4000 songs on it, and I can find a song faster than when I had my CD player. With my CD player, I had to reach for my CD book, find the correct CD (hoping the CD art allows for the artist and disk title), remove the CD currently in the player, load the CD I just found (trying not to scratch or dirty up the CD), wait for it to spin up and skip ahead through the CD until I recognized the track.

With the empeg/RioCar, I can find a tune by browsing through the playlists (this is actually my favorite meathod because of how I set up my playlists) or search (either by PIN, aritst, song title, year or genre). And I don't have to listen to the song to know if it is the right one. All of the info is right there.

But the empeg's real power isn't just in it's ability to be upgraded for find music "on demand". What is really great is how much music you will re-discover! I have nearly 600 CD's. With my CD player in my car, I would never listen to half of my CD singles because they only offered 2-5 songs on them. Wasn't worth bringing it along. But, with the empeg it doesn't matter! Or with albums that you "like" but usually can't listen to an hour's worth of..you can bring those along too! My favorite mode to listen to in is shuffle of the root playlist. It is like having a radio station where you like every song! And you don't have to guess at the album or artist name because it is right there! Also,you are surprised at what song comes up next. There is so much music that I am rediscovering in my collection. CD's that would otherwise just colllect dust. So many memories have come back!

Another great asset of the player is this forum.. Name one other product that is this professionally built where you can visit an internet forum and have the original developer regularly post messages? Or so many knowledgeable users that even develope there own applications and tools and give them away (along with expert advice!)?

Sure, eventually there will be a Mk. II or something with a full color screne or somethig with built in GPS, but that is the nature of technology. And while you are waiting, the rest of us are enjoying!

One thing I would recommend is to take some time to rip as many CD's as you can to your hard drive and get all of your ID tags in order (see the FAQ). In the month or two it took me to do this, I continued to learn about the empeg and the price dropped $100. I can't gaurentee a price drop, but when I finally got my empeg, I knew how to work almost all of the features because of the info available on this BBS!

32GB (JUST UPGRADED!) Mk. II BLUE
Detroit, MI USA
www.PfeifferBeer.com

I can't think of a better thing to spend your graduation money on.

Go for it, you won't regret it.

In the meantime, read both pages of the FAQs, especially the ones about organizing your MP3s and tags.

And just to dig up an old thread, check out here and here

___________
Tony Fabris

Hehe, I'm assuming that after your graduation, you wil be going to a school that allows freshman to own cars! Mine didn't, so I'm glad I fell into the year I could have a car at school when the Mk2's started shipping...

DiGNAN
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, etc.

Good threads Tony! I hadn't read those before!

32GB (JUST UPGRADED!) Mk. II BLUE
Detroit, MI USA
www.PfeifferBeer.com

Yeah, I'm going to Duke in Durham, NC and taking my '95 Z28 Camaro.

John

[ johnmcd3 - funding for my empeg purchace: 80% complete ]

Hey - another Dukie! I graduated in '86. FWIW - Duke used to deduct the bluebook value of a car from any financial aid. I have no idea if they still do.

With advance apologies to the wildcats' and terps' fans, if you follow basketball (and you will if you don't) check out www.dukebasketballreport.com. Very nice for all college hoops - he even got a link from espn.com in February, and written about by cnnsi.com in March. Good content, good presentation, nice bbs.

Very well said, Tony. I was just was showing my empeg to a fellow nerd last night. He said that it was very cool, but he hardly listens to CDs anymore. That's the point! A year and a half before I bought my empeg, I sold my only car with a CD player. I didn't get a new one because I knew I'd get stuck in steps 2-4. Nothing tickles me more that hearing my empeg serve up a song I like but haven't listened to in years!

-jim 080000260 w/18G in a Carrera

Duke....

Oh man, I'm sorry.... ;p

(O|||||O)

Yeah, they do factor the value of your car into your financial aid package, but unfortunantly I did not qualify for aid (just barely - argh!), so it doesn't concern me. I do follow college basketball to some extent, but from what I've visiting it look like I'll be doing a lot more the next four years!

- John

[ johnmcd3 - funding for my empeg purchace: 80% complete ]

You're sorry you went to Clemson? You have my condolences;)

I live in the DC area, and have season tickets in Cameron. The empeg certainly makes it a more pleasant drive back and forth to Durham - especially coming back after those 9:00 weeknight games.

-jk

The students camp out for games in a tent city (Krzyzewskiville) - it's such an institution that the lamp posts around K-ville have network jacks. It's really amazing.

Have a good time - maybe I'll see you sometime next season?

-jk

remember when i was speaking of my phatbox and hugo said that somthing they were working on was going to be better? I don't feel like finding the post but if you search for threads where i posted you'll see it. hehe...its going to be a player to connect to the headunit!

____ _ ____ _
xlR

Read the thread it is Not going to be a car product. Empeg already built a unit similar to the Phatbox but i think it has sunk without trace as deicated head units are a far better way to go than a "phatbox"

I live in the DC area, and have season tickets in Cameron. The empeg certainly makes it a more pleasant drive back and forth to Durham - especially coming back after those 9:00 weeknight games.

I know what you're talking about. I drove down to nearly half of the Clemson football games last season, and its an 8 hour haul (nonstop) each way (I live in NoVA now). Talk about putting some miles on my Jeep and a dent in my wallet from gas. It's getting cheaper now to fly, since gas prices keep skyrocketing.

Looks like you have no reason to drive down to Durham in the fall (football) and I have no reason to drive down to Clemson in the late winter/spring (basketball). ;)

Although we did upset #1 UNC last season when we were last in the ACC! Didn't see that one coming!

(O|||||O)

Maybe we are thinking "within the lines" too much... perhaps it is a home product *primarily* that you can also hook up in the car ...

32GB (JUST UPGRADED!) Mk. II BLUE
Detroit, MI USA
www.PfeifferBeer.com

Perhaps there's more than one new product.

Rob

Rob, what would YOU know?!


:)



32GB (JUST UPGRADED!) Mk. II BLUE
Detroit, MI USA
www.PfeifferBeer.com

Good point.

And I thought my game day haul was a tough one. My sympathies. Is there an airport near Clemson that's not outrageously expensive? Is G'ville/S'burg close enough?

That UNC win was great - Trangese (Big East rep to NCAA selection committee) said it was the reason UNC didn't get a number one seed - the only one of the top 7 or 8 teams that lost to a team not invited to the tourney.

-jk

"as deicated head units are a far better way to go than a "phatbox""
I was hoping the people on this forum were above passing judgment on other systems they haven't tried. And for the most part they have been...until you. I find it funny that you're convinced that any type of unit that is not a replacement headunit is "not better".

____ _ ____ _
xlR

I can think of any number of advantages that a self contained head unit has over a trunk system, most of them UI related. There are also some advantages in the other direction, most of them installation related. I feel qualified to comment as we were the first company to develop both of these genre of product (the latter not having been released to market yet).

A well rounded product line should probably include both variants, and other combinations as well.

Rob

I completely disagree but hey I'm biased. But my experience with bb's and flaming wars prompts me to stop here.
Have a great day everyone!

____ _ ____ _
xlR

Greetings!

So, given this new, in trunk MP3 player that hasn't been released to marketing, you will have a range to cover both genres.

What I am curious about would be the differences between the two, and if features developed for one would work their way into the other product. I personally like the removability and ease of the all-in-one in-dash empeg unit, but I would be curious to hear any details, specifics or comparisons that can be released.

Paul G.
SN# 090000587 (40GB Green)

I'll tell you My reasoning for thinking that the Empeg is better designed by being an all-in-one unit that doens't require a box in the trunk:

I can take it anywhere I want with me, and I do - my music walks up to my house/work/parties with me. I think this is one of Empeg's biggest strenghts - the ability to take it with you.
-mark

...proud to have owned an Empeg since 00287

There could be a trunk mounted system that can also be removed to play in the house.... But unless there is a big remote screen, I think it would suffer with a bad UI....

I think the best solution might be to have the source (empeg) in the trunk and have it interface with a navigation system's big color display.....

32GB (JUST UPGRADED!) Mk. II BLUE
Detroit, MI USA
www.PfeifferBeer.com

I'm sorry,xlr, this is not a flame, but I can't see anything you could disagree with in rob's comment. If it were any less delicately put, he wouldn't be saying anything for either type of product, if you know what I mean.

What he basically said was that there are UI advantages to the empeg, which I don't think you can deny. Chances are that most people don't have the type of head unit displayed on their site, so you're left guessing at which songs are currently playing or coming up, etc. Even with the head unit they show, you'd be hard pressed to claim that they have a better UI.

What he also said was that the phatbox has an advantage in installation. I don't know why you would disagree to this, so I can't really speak any more about it.

However, I reserve total judgement as to which is the better product for the reason you point out (I haven't used it). You can't really complain about the reception the product gets here, though. What more do you expect from a large group of empeg owners on a message board dedicated to their product, regardless of their level of technical expertise? If it makes you feel better, I think the phatbox is a great alternative to the empeg, and I'm sure you had very good reasons for you choice. Nevertheless, I'm gonna have fun with 12GB my in-dash player with full visuals. Sorry.

ps-I may be jumping the gun, but are you associated with phatnoise at all? I wanted to visit their website and typed in www.phatbox.com, which forwarded me to your personal site. what's up with that? just curious...

DiGNAN
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, etc.

Must be cyber squatting. I thought he was an Alpha tester or something based on previous posts.

That's what I assumed too. He should buy stock!

DiGNAN
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, etc.

No, he stated earlier that he was an alpha tester. The redirect thing is just odd..

32GB (JUST UPGRADED!) Mk. II BLUE
Detroit, MI USA
www.PfeifferBeer.com

It seems that he might have it registered.
All I can get from a WHOIS is this.
Netcat reports the following DNS error when looking up www.phatbox.com;
DNS fwd/rev mismatch: www.phatbox.com != celery.columbus.rr.com

On his site, http://www.netkev.com/contact.html it lists his email as [email protected].
Find any resemblence between the two domain names?

The real website for fatbox's company is www.phatnoise.com. Perhaps he wishes to make a little money is this gets popular which is why he might be motivated to convince people it's a good product.

Just my opinion...

I used to see his nic in the forums they had on phat site which seems to be no more.

#695 Mk2 BLUE&GRN&PUR 12Gig

I feel qualified to comment as we were the first company to develop both of these genre of product (the latter not having been released to market yet).

That's what I wanted to know when I started this thread! Now that I do know that Sonicblue's new car mp3 player is of the non-head unit, trunk mounted variety, I feel more comfortable buying an empeg/riocar because that's what I want.

[ johnmcd3 - funding for my empeg purchace: 80% complete ]

I wouldn't jump to any conclusions; the trunk unit Rob is referring to was developed a couple of years ago, and that unit didn't go beyond a small production run for an OEM.

We're working on lots of things; as with any technology, progress is inevitable. I'm sure if you wait long enough, more desirable things will appear - but all the time you've been waiting, you could have been enjoying an empeg :)

Hugo

Ah, that sounds like the unit empeg did for Visteon - there was a picture of it on the Visteon web site (actually think I still have a copy somewhere myself). From the outside it looked just like a MK1 with a blanking panel on the front instead of the display, and it pretended to be a CD changer so it could be operated from a standard radio with changer interface.

(list 6284, Mk1 S/N 00299 4GB blue [for sale]. Mk2 S/N 080000094 6GB blue)

Also worth noting when buying any nifty new technology where Moore's Law applies (stuff gets twice as fast every 18 months, or you can pay less for the same stuff, yadda yadda):

There's always something cooler around the corner. Don't get paralyzed by what's coming next. Instead, when you need something, get what's available now. This is how you buy PCs. It's the same way you should by MP3 gear.

It's also worth pointing out that, generally, prices on older-generation tech tend to drop in anticipation of newer tech that's about to come out (and to clear out old inventory). I don't know if SonicBlue intends to follow this general trend or not, but given that RioCar prices have stayed relatively constant, you might read the tea leaves to imply that there isn't a RioCar replacement coming soon.

This, of course, says nothing about any other products they may have in the pipeline.

That UNC win was great - Trangese (Big East rep to NCAA selection committee) said it was the reason UNC didn't get a number one seed - the only one of the top 7 or 8 teams that lost to a team not invited to the tourney.

Yeah I know. Unfortunately I wasn't around to witness it firsthand, as I had pretty much given up on Clemson's wonderful season. One of my buddies called me and told me we had just beat #1 UNC, and I couldn't believe it. We have a tendancy to beat UNC when we aren't supposed to beat them. Same thing happened 2 years ago when we weren't ranked and upset them when they were #4 or so, and we upset them by almost 20 points. I was still at school then and was actually on sportscenter about 6 times because at the end of the game I ended up rushing onto the court (along with everyone else) and I was picking up one of the MVP's of the game, so I ended up being in the picture. My claim to fame, at least for that year ;).

And yeah, GSP is about 30 minutes from Clemson, but finding cheap airfare there is the key. I have 3 airports I can fly from (Dulles, BWI, Reagan) so the chances are pretty good... except that when I visit down there I usually like to bring one of my whitewater kayaks to go play on the Chatooga river... and they are usually bigger than what can be stored under the seat in front of you. ;)

surfing a wave... performing a "stern squirt"... Man, I miss the Chatooga. :)

(O|||||O)

Man, I miss the Chatooga.

But just think about how much you love the metro area traffic....ah crap.

DiGNAN
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, etc.

Do you ever paddle over at great falls?

Great water in the mountains of NC/SC/GA/TN. Chatooga was great. Nant was always way too cold, but predictable in a drought. How I miss those days. I (very occasionally) get back there for mountain biking. Don't paddle any more, though - I did C-1, and my knees don't forgive the way they used to.

-jk

But my experience with bb's and flaming wars prompts me to stop here.

You're right about BBS'es having a lot of flame wars. Fortunately, this BBS has (so far) managed to avoid flame wars for the most part. I think that if you wanted to list all of the good features of the phatbox here, we would like to see them.

Generally, if anyone ever argues a point on this BBS, it's done calmly and with reason/logic, not with flames.

___________
Tony Fabris

Do you ever paddle over at great falls?

Yep, actually I go there quite often. I've only ran one drop there though, haven't quite grown the [PG13 censored] to run all of the falls quite yet, though I probably will this season sometime. There is good paddling there year round.

Yep, nantahala was always freezing, but then again it is bottom-fed from a dam... I used to go there when nothing else was running. Nant falls is a great place to catch some good enders. I personally liked the Ocoee, but it was always too busy. The Chatooga was always my favorite.

I don't know how you C1 guys do that. Theres no way I could sit in that position longer than 20 minutes. :)

(O|||||O)

Sitting here as an Empeg owner the phatbox would be totally unsuited to what I use the empeg for which is a very portable MP3 player with a huge capacity. I can take it away on ships with me where it sits as a "home" stereo for four months at a time. The fact that it plugs into my car is actually just a huge bonus. So the phat box could never do that. The small hard disc players coming onto the market could do it but they have no where near the capcity of the empeg.

As a pure in car solution the empeg is probably equal to or possibly inferior to the phatbox for an everyday user only concerned with a in car mp3 player. The phatbox allows you to have a normal headunit easily with a radio no fooling around to have in car cd as well. It uses the amps of the excisting head unit which is nice for those with out amps. It uses an interface that won't be too alien to those with a decent compatable head unit.

HOWEVER

The empeg is not in any way a pure incar MP3 player it is a very portable music machine that can do lots of clever things. It has brilliant search facilities which hopefully will improve with the mythical 1.1 and the radio unit is just round the corner (hopefully). Anywhere that you have a power supply and a pair of rca inputs you can have your empeg. The visuals are fun but are not the best reason to buy it but the screen is excellent in allowing you to have easily read and accessed menus instead of features hidden away under bewildering button combinations as needed by most mainsteam head units.

If the empeg didn't have the ability to be pulled from you dash it would be in my opinion and circumstances pathetic but it can which raises it to unparalleled brilliance.

That is why to my frame of mind the phatbox while clever in its own right is flawed and not a direct competitor to the empeg

Rio Volt Car?



(Seems a likely area for Rio to target, even if empeg dosen't touch it)