Topic: Phatbox Portable (Read 2510 times)

TimB · « **on:** July 08, 2003, 02:34:36 pm »

Any thoughts from the pros on this http://www.phatnoise.com/products/digitalmediaplayers/index.php

Thanks!

-=Tim==--

smcvick · « **Reply #1 on:** July 08, 2003, 03:03:45 pm »

I've had one installed in my car quite a while now, and I love it. (I've got the Kenwood MusicKeg version) Nothing quite like having 10 GB of music in the car, that I can access directly through the head unit. Media Center doesn't support the Phatbox, though, so I have to use the PhatNoise desktop software when I want to load new tracks into the cartridge.

SteveG · « **Reply #2 on:** July 09, 2003, 05:58:44 am »

smcvick,

Does the cartridge on the PhatNoise show up as a drive on your PC or can your PC only recognize it with PhatNoise's software?

Steve

smcvick · « **Reply #3 on:** July 11, 2003, 02:23:43 pm »

The cartridge sits in a cradle that connects to the pc thru a USB port. When attached to the computer, the PhatNoise hard drive does show up as a drive on the pc. I'm fairly certain, however, that when files are synced with the cartridge, some sort of database is updated at the same time. So it isn't simply a matter of copying your mp3 files and playlists over. If PhatNoise will give you access to an API that you can use, though, I would be more than happy to test out any plugin that you come up with.

iCamp · « **Reply #4 on:** July 12, 2003, 04:08:41 pm »

Rockford Fosgate has a similar system with one distinct improvement: it uses 802.11b.

Park your car at home and you can synch music with your PC wirelessly. No need to go down to the garage, remove the cartridge you left behind with your arms full of groceries, and then dock it with your PC.

http://www.omnifimedia.com/home/

SteveG · « **Reply #5 on:** July 12, 2003, 05:36:16 pm »

I can try to contact PhatNoise, but could you try copying a file with Explorer to verify that it does not work so I can know for sure that I need to start to chase this.

Thanks,

Steve

smcvick · « **Reply #6 on:** July 14, 2003, 08:39:10 am »

The hard drive on the DMS (their acronym for the cartridge, don't recall what it stands for) is definitely available to the OS when it is sitting in the cradle, and copying files to and from it is easy to do. Simply copying a new MP3 file to the DMS does not make it available to play, however.

Each audio file is associated with a 'Disc', which is essentially a playlist. Using the changer controls on your headunit, you can move from disc to disc, which gets you to the playlist you want. Track controls then move you from track to track within the playlist, as you would expect. If a given track is on the hard drive, but is not associated with a 'Disc', there is no way to access it. It's possible that each 'Disc' is defined using a standard m3u file format, but even if that is the case, additional information will be needed to store the sequence of the playlists.

SteveG · « **Reply #7 on:** July 16, 2003, 01:50:30 pm »

smcvick,

Thanks for the information. I will contact PhatNoise and see if they are willing to work with us to make connections from within MC possible.

Steve

RobOK · « **Reply #8 on:** August 11, 2003, 11:58:41 am »

Did you hear back from PhatNoise? PhatBox is an awesome product, but lacks in software. I would be in heaven if MC could power my PhatBox along side powering my PC, Tivo and iPod as it does now!!!

MC and PB, a match made in heaven!!

SteveG · « **Reply #9 on:** August 11, 2003, 12:02:54 pm »

No response from the last time . I just emailed them again, so hopefully we will hear something. We will keep trying to bring that match made in heaven to earth.

Steve

SteveG · « **Reply #10 on:** August 12, 2003, 05:27:10 am »

FYI,

I got a response from PhatNoise today. Unfortunately they do not work with any 3rd parties such as ourseleves. Sorry. Maybe in the future.

Steve

mander · « **Reply #11 on:** August 18, 2003, 02:58:30 pm »

What is the e-mail? If everyone sends mail bitching maybe they will change their mind, or at least listen to their customers.

mander · « **Reply #12 on:** August 18, 2003, 02:58:32 pm »

What is the e-mail? If everyone sends mail bitching maybe they will change their mind, or at least listen to their customers.

RobOK · « **Reply #13 on:** October 17, 2003, 12:52:12 pm »

Quote from: SteveG on August 12, 2003, 05:27:10 am

FYI,

I got a response from PhatNoise today. Unfortunately they do not work with any 3rd parties such as ourseleves. Sorry. Maybe in the future.

Steve

This may be a dumb question, but do you NEED them to make it work? It can't be all that complicated as they are just creating playlists ("Discs") and songs. (although in fairness, they are also generating voice prompts which might be more complicated).

I will post on their board to encourage them to reconsider.

Keep up the good fight.

SteveG · « **Reply #14 on:** October 17, 2003, 02:46:27 pm »

Maybe or maybe not. The only way to know for sure would be to get the device and then begin the possibly painful process of sorting out how to get it to work without their assistance. We would prefer that they give us a little cooperation to keep the cost of implenting support down.

Steve

RobOK · « **Reply #15 on:** October 20, 2003, 01:46:33 pm »

Quote from: SteveG on October 17, 2003, 02:46:27 pm

Maybe or maybe not. The only way to know for sure would be to get the device and then begin the possibly painful process of sorting out how to get it to work without their assistance. We would prefer that they give us a little cooperation to keep the cost of implenting support down.

Steve

Thanks Steve.... that's a fair answer.

RobOK · « **Reply #16 on:** October 27, 2003, 04:41:06 pm »

Quote from: SteveG on October 17, 2003, 02:46:27 pm

Maybe or maybe not. The only way to know for sure would be to get the device and then begin the possibly painful process of sorting out how to get it to work without their assistance. We would prefer that they give us a little cooperation to keep the cost of implenting support down.

Steve

They have a support site that may have a lot of what you need....

http://phatbox.sixpak.org/phatbox/linux.phtml

I know i keep coming back to this, but your products would fit so nicely together.

Rob.

RobOK · « **Reply #17 on:** December 02, 2003, 03:59:59 pm »

* bump *

Are there any other PhatBox people out there or am I the only one?

WeeHappyPixie · « **Reply #18 on:** June 09, 2004, 10:02:35 am »

No mate, your not the only one and this thread has been open for quite some time.

Like many of you with a PhatNoise (I have a Kenwood MusicKeg) I would prefer to have all my music on my PC controlled from a single program and that is MC.

There is a new beta version available of the PMM software but I cant say anything about it because of NDA I signed however since all this time has passed can JRiver not try and pursue this cause one more time.

Fingers crossed.

John

Chris Shaw · « **Reply #19 on:** June 09, 2004, 12:28:14 pm »

I've been considering a car MP3 player for some time. The one I'm looking at at the moment is the Dension iceLink. It allows you to pop your iPod into a cradle (on the dash or in the boot) and to control it from your head unit CD changer controls. Only one set of files to synchronise and they're with you wherever you go. Anyone tried one of these?

RobOK · « **Reply #20 on:** June 09, 2004, 02:10:24 pm »

Quote from: WeeHappyPixie on June 09, 2004, 10:02:35 am

....snipped... since all this time has passed can JRiver not try and pursue this cause one more time.

Fingers crossed.

John

You are asking J River to support PhatBox, right? It was hard to tell from your wording.

WeeHappyPixie · « **Reply #21 on:** June 10, 2004, 10:58:21 am »

Yeah,

I would love to be able to use MC with my PhatNoise. They tried before but PhatNoise dont work with outsiders. Just I feel if they did work with J River then they would end up with a good player and user base. MC is updated very often.

John

RobOK · « **Reply #22 on:** June 11, 2004, 07:02:17 pm »

i agree... if MC could load a PhatBox, the PhatBox would be that much better! (due mostly to using Smartlists to load the PhatBox).

It really shouldnt be that hard, PhatBox makes a lot of their documentation available on the "unsupported" web site, but in reality their developers are hackers and really do support developers, just unofficially.

chopdog · « **Reply #23 on:** September 05, 2004, 09:50:20 am »

JRiver : You seem to have a dedicated following of users. You also seem to have a following of users who have very strong ideas as to what Media Centre should offer. Such users have money to spend on plug ins and feature sets. Why not implement some of the feature sets people keep asking for such as Phatbox and Squeezebox support ? It seems obvious that you should make an attempt to support the main hardware product used in the majority of vehicle manufacturers ranges, and the only MP3 wireless player that seems to actually be extremely good.

We have money : please give us the features and create a happy world for all to live in !!!

Oh - and then I can put Phatbox into my car, safe in the knowledge I won't spend twice as much time managing my music than listening to it.

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Author Topic: Phatbox Portable (Read 2510 times)