As part of my strategy for removing all the physical CD's from my living room, and most from my car, and joining the 21st century of modern electronics, I have installed two media streamers: An OmniFi DMS1 for my home, and an OmniFi DMP1 for my S2000.

The home DMS1 works great. It is simply a wireless bridge from a PC with all the tunes to my reciever/TV (it doesn't stream video, but allows you to search music/see tags/progress on you TV screen. The controls and music selection are very iPod-like.

The car DMP1 is a little different. It is actually a 20 gb (upgradeable) laptop harddisk cartridge that outputs via RCA's to an AiNet adapter on my Alpine Deck. However, the drive cartridge is removable so I can take it inside if I need to transfer huge amounts of files (USB 2.0). Or I can leave it in the car overnight and transfer smaller numbers of files over my wireless network (it comes with it's own wireless B USB adapter.) It will automatically "SYNC" with the database on the PC while the car is in the garage, the same database that feeds the home DMS1.

The home and car devices came in a bundle, along with two Dlink USB wireless devices for $205 shipped. The most expensive part is the car DMP1, since it has a hard disk/mechanicals and is a little more complex, but those are available on eBay and elsewhere for around $150 or so.

I have recently come into a huge pile of legal digital music (several thousands of tracks) so I want to have it in my car and available at my home stereo. Also as I said above I want to put my "bulky" CDs in the attic. (I know, I know, it's all relative...)

I will post pictures at some point, but there is not much to see in the car (I'm a stealth kinda guy...) I consider the car streamer to be under evaluation so the controller device is not yet permanently mounted. Everything else is hidden under the passenger seat. It is attached to the car's electrics with a small fused module that I put near the fusebox.



This is what it looks like:
-Back Left: The case that holds the USB hard drive cartridge.
-Front: The hard disk cartridge itself; it can be ejected and taken inside and plugged into a USB port on a PC.
-Back Right: The DIN-sized controller/selector device. After removing two brackets it is exactly the size of a detachable faceplate for a head unit. It connects to the rest of the stuff with a single wire.

Here is a close-up of the controller:



As I said, it is as thin as a HU detachable faceplate, so there are many mounting possibilities, including on a visor, etc. Some people have removed the silver plastic frame and painted it black or gray to blend better with the interior of their vehicle, make it less blingy.

Notice I keep saying "detachable faceplate?" While testing this thing out until I'm sure I want to keep it in the S, I wanted to avoid cutting and also protect it from abuse in the cabin. Well, as I was scratching my chin, out of the corner of my eye I spotted the case for my Alpine HU faceplate. It came with the HU, but I never detach the face since it is conveniently hidden behind the radio console door.

I tried it out and the darn thing almost fits perfectly. I drilled a small hole for the controller wire, filed down a couple of nubs inside the case, and it truly fits perfectly. So now I have it in the case accessible to me or my passenger, protected when parked or not in use. If I want to see what's playing, I prop it between the shifter and the closed radio door where it seems quite happy.

Here is the wireless LAN adapter (antenna angles up, or flat for different mounting options; this model is supposed to be good for "extreme" temperatures):
EDIT: WiFi deleted for space; we have all seen a WiFi adapter...
They're 802.11b only, but work fine on my g network. There is plenty of bandwidth on 820.11b for streaming audio, especially compressed audio. 128 WEP is enabled to keep my home WLAN somewhat secure.

Thse things are supposed to also stream internet feeds, but I haven't messed with that. You car would need to be parked in a hotspot, or you would have to listen to prerecorded material.

The other really good news is apparently both the home and car models are simple little linux computers, so there is already a great hacker community hard at work adding modifications, fixing bugs, etc.

So far, so good. Audio quality is as good as the MP3s and WMAs that it holds.

If anyone wants to read more on specs and stuff, you can go to HERE Rockford Fosgate was discontinuing these products but there seems to be a resurgence of interest. They are still available on eBay and through some retail outlets.

 

Oh the pimpness!!!

 

nice.

 

That is damn slick.

That makes your garage the worlds biggest docking port.



Man, I really need to stop surfing this site. It's REALLY getting expensive.

 

 

Tell me about it....