Hi,
Might seem a dumb question ... but
Is it possible to use the empeg connected to a p.c. (maybe via ethernet) to just play tracks fron the p.c. without downloading them to the empeg?

This is possible, if you check out the Latest Software link at the top of the page, you will see there is a receiver version of alpha11. This will convert the empeg into a Rio Receiver and allow you to play files from the Rio Server software running on your PC.

This is not ideal as you loose normal empeg function (right guys ???). There may be other solutions out there...

(Can't believe I may even beat Tony to this one!) Have you read through the Empeg FAQ yet?

Cheers

Cris.

Yes, you do -- though not permanently, of course, as you can always put back a standard-edition firmware.

It probably wouldn't be rocket-science to have a script that checked Ethernet link on startup and ran either a Receiver Edition firmware or a standard one. But I don't have such a thing to hand.

Peter

Hi,
I'm not terribly techie, I was just wondering if you could have, say, a laptop in your car (or a pda or something) that you could directly play from and see the tracklists etc... kind of like a remote drive?

Oh, in-car? I can't really think of a sane way of doing it in-car. You could wire up the laptop to the Empeg's aux audio in, but of course the tracklists etc. would then be visible only on the laptop, not the Empeg. Really the Empeg experience kind-of assumes you've already put all your content on the player.

Peter

Hi,
What I was really after is, is there ANY way that you could connect to another device (not via an audio in) possibly by ethernet or something and play directly from it and have some kind of control of it from the EMPEG.
I'm sure I read about something like that on here somewhere .....
Just can't find it....

Out of interest, why would you want to do that anyway???

Putting your music onto the empeg will always be the best solution, after many years the empeg is still the best way of getting mp3's in your car, and I am not sure why could would want to use it in the way you are suggesting ???

Edit - Thinking about it the empeg does not support Ethernet via the docking connector, so you would have to have an ethernet lead dangling form the dash and plug it in the back before you slid it into the dock. Unless you came up with some custom sled arrangement.

Cheers

Cris.

The in-car ethernet docking solution was invented years ago, and several of us have it working without the need for dangling patch cables and whatnot!

I *might* even still have my master copy of it around someplace.. If I do, I could run off a dozen or so for others who want it.

It's a properly sized and notched piece of MDF, which attaches with two screws at the back using only existing cutouts in the factory sleds, and provides automatic docking to the ethernet connector when a player is in the sled.

The connection on the back is a short length of CAT5 with a male connector on it. A standard female-to-female dongle can be used to convert that back to a socket, in the same way as is done in my home docks.

Cheers

I'll take a shot at answering...

Say a buddy of yours hops in your car with a USB stick and says, "Duuuude! You gotta hear this new album!"

The scenario would continue with either 1) the empeg plays music directly from the stick, or B) the empeg is able to download selected files from the stick and then play them.

I don't think it's such a weird thing to wish for.

Or, for those old-timers among us, a CD. It's not at all a daft idea, but even with Mark's help in the hardware department there's still no software support for such a thing, I'm sorry to say.

If someone were designing an Empeg-type device these days, they'd put USB host on it, plus probably wifi and a UPnP client, for exactly this sort of reason.

Peter

For me, podcasts. I have them all on my iPhone, and in the past used an iPod Nano. It's something easy to carry into the house and sync, and also allows me to listen to them outside the car.

My solution is still a line in plug, since even the Centrafuse software I use lacks proper iPod integration to allow control from the head unit.

Yep, just like a said.... "some custom sled arrangement".

Cris.

Thumbs up!

This is the killer feature I'm looking for. But this thread is the only one in the whole forum, so I'm not looking forward to get this working?!

Regards,

Falk

The empeg is a slave only USB device, so unfortunately you can't plug a USB stick into it. It least not without some sort of extra hardware/software and as far as I'm aware no one has ever actually achieved reading another USB drive with an empeg.

As Andy said, The Empeg can't do this because it's not USB-host.

In my experience, the most common thing isn't the above scenario. What is more common is someone hopping in the car with an iPod or a CD. In that case, the Empeg's aux-in works perfectly. I do this all the time, and it works great.

I'm interested in knowing why aux-in isn't sufficient for most folks. Do people really carry their music on a USB stick and expect someone else to supply them a compatible playback device?

Wasn't there a Barenaked Ladies album released on USB stick?

http://www.amazon.com/Barenaked-Ladies-321515-On-Stick/dp/B000CECR4Q
Apparently so, interesting.

It's all most new cars come with for connectivity, if anything...

My new car (Honda Fit) accepts input from a USB stick, from an aux-in (3.5mm jack), from an SD card, from an iPod, from a regular CD, and from an MP3 CD. Oh, and I guess the radio antenna counts, too...

tanstaafl.