---------------------------------------------------------- XDP4000X-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Fri 07/11/03: 6 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 03:18 AM - Re: How is your phatbox working ? (dbsoft@wanadoo.nl) 2. 09:59 AM - Re: How is your phatbox working ? (Matt Dralle) 3. 04:12 PM - Re: How is your phatbox working ? (dralle@matronics.com (Matt Dralle)) 4. 05:40 PM - Sony DVX-100 Changer... (dralle@matronics.com (Matt Dralle)) 5. 10:17 PM - Re: How is your phatbox working ? (Roland M) 6. 10:36 PM - Re: Sony DVX-100 Changer... (Roland M) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 03:18:13 AM PST US From: dbsoft@wanadoo.nl Subject: Re: XDP4000X-List: How is your phatbox working ? --> XDP4000X-List message posted by: dbsoft@wanadoo.nl Thanks Matt, Is it possible to put in a different harddisk myself, or should I buy the largest drive from the Phat-people ? (I have assembled my own PC) Dick Brussee > --> XDP4000X-List message posted by: Matt Dralle > > Buy one. With the recent firmware modifications to more directly support > the C90 and 4k, the Phatbox is a swell device. I am working on a Linux > driver to support the Unilink over the parallel port with the thought of > developing a Linux-based MP3 changer, but that's just a dream right now and > > mostly a project for my spare time. > > I can highly recommend the Phatbox. > > Matt Dralle > > > At 11:24 AM 7/10/2003 Thursday, you wrote: > >--> XDP4000X-List message posted by: "Dick Brussee" > > > >Hello XDP-People, > > > >How is your Phatbox working on your CDX-C90r and the XDP-4000X ? > >Should I buy one ? Or should I buy another product ? > >What should I buy ? > > > >I read something on this forum about building a sony-unilink-car-mp3 > >player. Any news on that ? > > > >Hope to hear something about it. > > > >Kind regards, > > > >Dick Brussee > >The Netherlands > > > Matt G Dralle | Matronics | PO Box 347 | Livermore | CA | 94551 > 925-606-1001 V | 925-606-6281 F | dralle@matronics.com Email > http://www.matronics.com/ WWW | Featuring Products For Aircraft > > > There's three sides to every story, babe. There's your's; > there's mine; and there's the cold, hard truth... > > Don Henley > Long Way Home, 1982 > > > > > __________________________________________________________ http://www.wanadoo.nl/ ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 09:59:07 AM PST US From: Matt Dralle Subject: Re: XDP4000X-List: How is your phatbox working ? --> XDP4000X-List message posted by: Matt Dralle Buy the largest one that Phatbox sells. They have some "special" format that they use and standard drives will not work. I know because I bought a 60gb 2.5" and tried it... Waa. I have a contact with in Phatbox that I worked with on the C90/4000x firmware. I tried to get him to slip me the "secret" but he said that he could not. Oh well. Anyway, I have really enjoyed the Phatbox. I have a little over 1000 cds all ripped in and loaded on the Phatbox. Very awesome. Buy one, you'll love it. Matt Dralle At 03:17 AM 7/11/2003 Friday, you wrote: >--> XDP4000X-List message posted by: dbsoft@wanadoo.nl > >Thanks Matt, > >Is it possible to put in a different harddisk myself, or should I buy the >largest drive from the Phat-people ? (I have assembled my own PC) > >Dick Brussee > > > > --> XDP4000X-List message posted by: Matt Dralle > > > > Buy one. With the recent firmware modifications to more directly support > > the C90 and 4k, the Phatbox is a swell device. I am working on a Linux > > driver to support the Unilink over the parallel port with the thought of > > developing a Linux-based MP3 changer, but that's just a dream right now and > > > > mostly a project for my spare time. > > > > I can highly recommend the Phatbox. > > > > Matt Dralle > > > > > > At 11:24 AM 7/10/2003 Thursday, you wrote: > > >--> XDP4000X-List message posted by: "Dick Brussee" > > > > > >Hello XDP-People, > > > > > >How is your Phatbox working on your CDX-C90r and the XDP-4000X ? > > >Should I buy one ? Or should I buy another product ? > > >What should I buy ? > > > > > >I read something on this forum about building a sony-unilink-car-mp3 > > >player. Any news on that ? > > > > > >Hope to hear something about it. > > > > > >Kind regards, > > > > > >Dick Brussee > > >The Netherlands > > > > > > Matt G Dralle | Matronics | PO Box 347 | Livermore | CA | 94551 > > 925-606-1001 V | 925-606-6281 F | dralle@matronics.com Email > > http://www.matronics.com/ WWW | Featuring Products For Aircraft > > > > > > There's three sides to every story, babe. There's your's; > > there's mine; and there's the cold, hard truth... > > > > Don Henley > > Long Way Home, 1982 > > > > > > > > > > > > >__________________________________________________________ > >http://www.wanadoo.nl/ Matt G Dralle | Matronics | PO Box 347 | Livermore | CA | 94551 925-606-1001 V | 925-606-6281 F | dralle@matronics.com Email http://www.matronics.com/ WWW | Featuring Products For Aircraft There's three sides to every story, babe. There's your's; there's mine; and there's the cold, hard truth... Don Henley Long Way Home, 1982 ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 04:12:39 PM PST US From: dralle@matronics.com (Matt Dralle) "Re: XDP4000X-List: How is your phatbox working ?" (Jul 11, 2:24pm) Subject: Re: XDP4000X-List: How is your phatbox working ? --> XDP4000X-List message posted by: dralle@matronics.com (Matt Dralle) >-------------- >OK Matt, I will, I will. A few more questions : > >1) when you say C90/4000x, does it mean that I can connect it directly to >the 4000 and not the aux from the c90 as you mentioned earlier ? Yes! With the recent firmware modifications, you can now connect the Phatbox audio outputs directly to the 4000x's "CD changer" audio inputs. I hooked a analog-to-digital converter (48khz) up between the Phatbox and the 4000x, but it didn't seem to detect correctly. So, I'm just using the analog outputs. > >2) What compression rate do you rip it ? 192 or more ? > I've ripped everything at 128kbps, high-quality. A-B testing with the CD shows a slight decrease in clarity when I'm sitting in the garage with the motor off and the volume high. In almost every other situation, I really can't tell the difference. I also listen to the same collection of MP3's on my PC using WinAmp 2 streaming off my web server through an Creative Audgy 2 sound card and a Yamaha receiver. Same experience here. If if I A-B test with the actual CD, there is a slight difference in clarity, but altogether acceptable - and I'm pretty picky about my audio experience. >3) Is it easy to control it with the C90 ? I have not connected the wired >remote. Is that a problem, or can I navigate through the List and mode >buttons on the C90 front ? Yes! The Phatbox looks just like a CD Changer with 100's of CDs. One of the features I got Phatbox to add to the C90 firmware was the ability to increment/decrement the current disc selection by +-1, +-5, and +-25 using the 1/2, 3/4, and 5/6 preset buttons respectivly. This addition has made navigation though many discs much easier. Shuffle Changer works now on the Phatbox, so you can just set it to shuffle all the songs from all the discs. I find myself saying, "Hey, I didn't know I had that song" an lot now! Oh, I've never hooked up the wired remote... So did you order your Phatbox yet...? :-) Matt Dralle Matronics > >Dick > > >> --> XDP4000X-List message posted by: Matt Dralle >> >> Buy the largest one that Phatbox sells. They have some "special" format >> that they use and standard drives will not work. I know because I bought >a >> 60gb 2.5" and tried it... Waa. I have a contact with in Phatbox that I >> worked with on the C90/4000x firmware. I tried to get him to slip me the >> "secret" but he said that he could not. Oh well. >> >> Anyway, I have really enjoyed the Phatbox. I have a little over 1000 cds >> all ripped in and loaded on the Phatbox. Very awesome. >> >> Buy one, you'll love it. >> >> Matt Dralle >> >> >> At 03:17 AM 7/11/2003 Friday, you wrote: >> >--> XDP4000X-List message posted by: dbsoft@wanadoo.nl >> > >> >Thanks Matt, >> > >> >Is it possible to put in a different harddisk myself, or should I buy the >> >largest drive from the Phat-people ? (I have assembled my own PC) >> > >> >Dick Brussee >> > >> > >> > > --> XDP4000X-List message posted by: Matt Dralle > >> > > >> > > Buy one. With the recent firmware modifications to more directly >support >> > > the C90 and 4k, the Phatbox is a swell device. I am working on a >Linux >> > > driver to support the Unilink over the parallel port with the thought >of >> > > developing a Linux-based MP3 changer, but that's just a dream right >now and >> > > >> > > mostly a project for my spare time. >> > > >> > > I can highly recommend the Phatbox. >> > > >> > > Matt Dralle >> > > >> > > >> > > At 11:24 AM 7/10/2003 Thursday, you wrote: >> > > >--> XDP4000X-List message posted by: "Dick Brussee" > >> > > > >> > > >Hello XDP-People, >> > > > >> > > >How is your Phatbox working on your CDX-C90r and the XDP-4000X ? >> > > >Should I buy one ? Or should I buy another product ? >> > > >What should I buy ? >> > > > >> > > >I read something on this forum about building a sony-unilink-car-mp3 >> > > >player. Any news on that ? >> > > > >> > > >Hope to hear something about it. >> > > > >> > > >Kind regards, >> > > > >> > > >Dick Brussee >> > > >The Netherlands >> > > >> > > >> > > Matt G Dralle | Matronics | PO Box 347 | Livermore | CA | 94551 >> > > 925-606-1001 V | 925-606-6281 F | dralle@matronics.com Email >> > > http://www.matronics.com/ WWW | Featuring Products For Aircraft >> > > >> > > >> > > There's three sides to every story, babe. There's your's; >> > > there's mine; and there's the cold, hard truth... >> > > >> > > Don Henley >> > > Long Way Home, 1982 >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > >> > >> >__________________________________________________________ >> > >> >http://www.wanadoo.nl/ >> >> >> Matt G Dralle | Matronics | PO Box 347 | Livermore | CA | 94551 >> 925-606-1001 V | 925-606-6281 F | dralle@matronics.com Email >> http://www.matronics.com/ WWW | Featuring Products For Aircraft >> >> >> There's three sides to every story, babe. There's your's; >> there's mine; and there's the cold, hard truth... >> >> Don Henley >> Long Way Home, 1982 >> >> >> >> >> >-------------- -- Matt G. Dralle | Matronics | P.O. Box 347 | Livermore | CA | 94551 925-606-1001 Voice | 925-606-6281 FAX | dralle@matronics.com Email http://www.matronics.com/ W.W.W. | Featuring Products For Aircraft They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759 ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 05:40:04 PM PST US From: dralle@matronics.com (Matt Dralle) Subject: XDP4000X-List: Sony DVX-100 Changer... --> XDP4000X-List message posted by: dralle@matronics.com (Matt Dralle) With regard to this Sony DVD changer: http://sm.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-NOFhHUI0fKF/ProdView.asp?a=0&s=45&cc=01&g=83000&id=detailed_info&i=158DVX100 http://sm.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-NOFhHUI0fKF/ProdView.asp?a=0&s=45&cc=01&g=83000&id=essential_info&i=158DVX100 I've got a couple of questions that I didn't see answered in the glossy. First, can you record audio MP3's onto DVDs and play them back on this unit? Second, I noted that it mentioned a "Optical Digital Output: The DVX-100 has an optical digital output that can be linked to a DTS/Dolby Digital processor." Does this happen to output 48k, PCM if you play a DVD with MP3's on it (thus compatible with the optical input on the 4000x)? 10 DVD's would be about 47GB of data or about 1000 albums at MP3 128kbs. Its a little more expensive than a Phatbox, but somewhat more flexible in that you could easially (and cheaply) add additional cartridges with another 47GB for the cost of 10 blank DVD-Rs. If the opical output is compatible with the 4000x, audio quality would be great too. Anyone on the List played with one of these and particularly with regard to the 4000x? Thanks! Matt Dralle -- Matt G. Dralle | Matronics | P.O. Box 347 | Livermore | CA | 94551 925-606-1001 Voice | 925-606-6281 FAX | dralle@matronics.com Email http://www.matronics.com/ W.W.W. | Featuring Products For Aircraft They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759 ________________________________ Message 5 _____________________________________ Time: 10:17:40 PM PST US From: "Roland M" Subject: Re: XDP4000X-List: How is your phatbox working ? --> XDP4000X-List message posted by: "Roland M" >--> XDP4000X-List message posted by: dralle@matronics.com (Matt Dralle) > > >Yes! With the recent firmware modifications, you can now connect >the Phatbox audio outputs directly to the 4000x's "CD changer" audio >inputs. I hooked a analog-to-digital converter (48khz) up between the >Phatbox and the 4000x, but it didn't seem to detect correctly. So, I'm >just using the analog outputs. The reason why the XDP won't "recognise" the digital signal is because the UniLink "switch" position of the PhatBox must be permanently in the "Analog" "position". UniLink changers/slaves with no digital output have their UniLink Audio Type command set to "Analog" permanently. That is why the changers with digital output have this switch--so the XDP unit knows which signal to "expect" from the changer... (The switch additionally turns on the optical output but the analog outputs are still on. For example if you set the switch on a changer to "digital" but connected the still active analog outputs of the changer instead the XDP would still look for the digital signal and ignore the analog connection thus resulting in no sound.) Unless you can change the PhatBox somehow so that it outputs (in UniLink language) to the master that its audio mode is "digital", the XDP-4000X will NEVER use the digital input for that UniLink slave device--it will only "expect" that the signal is analog because the slave says it is "analog" and therfore it will only be able to accept input on its analog inputs. Roland M. ________________________________ Message 6 _____________________________________ Time: 10:36:24 PM PST US From: "Roland M" Subject: Re: XDP4000X-List: Sony DVX-100 Changer... --> XDP4000X-List message posted by: "Roland M" >--> XDP4000X-List message posted by: dralle@matronics.com (Matt Dralle) > > >Second, I noted that it mentioned a "Optical Digital Output: The >DVX-100 has an optical digital output that can be linked to a DTS/Dolby >Digital processor." Does this happen to output 48k, PCM if you play a >DVD with MP3's on it (thus compatible with the optical input on the >4000x)? > >Anyone on the List played with one of these and particularly with regard >to the 4000x? > >Thanks! > >Matt Dralle > > Matt, while I've never used that unit and can't answer most of your questions, I can answer a few of them. (By the way when I say "UniLink adapter" in the course of this email I mean the adapter that is available for that changer to make it into a UniLink controlled changer.) About the optical output there are two things to think about. One is that the XDP will NEVER use either of its digital inputs unless (as I described in the last discussion of the PhatBox) it gets the signal from the master (in the case of the HU input) or the slave (in the case of the changer input) VIA UNILINK telling it that the particular device is in digital output mode. If it does not get that signal it would NOT use the digital input. You could use a toslink switcher and use the "trick" mode of having a changer with digital output selected and then change the optical feed over to the other device (in this case the DVD changer) but that is a hassle at best. To get the optical output working seamlessly you would need the $100 UniLink adapter for that changer that should be available now from Sony. Now if that adapter allows for a digital "switch" position the XDP will gladly accept the digital signal from the DVX and use it. If it does not offer that facility you are out of luck as far as seamless integration goes. The second thing you have to look at is what you described. Most DVD players have an option to put their ouput to either DolbyDigital/DTS (aka MPEG) output while playing DVDs or PCM output (available for DolbyDigital tracks only unless the player has a built in DTS decoder which the DVX does not). Obviously the XDP is not compatible with an MPEG digital stream so the DVX would also have to have a setting to change its output to PCM for DVDs in order for it to work. I'm confident it would have this setting, however you wouldn't be able to use PCM for DTS soundtracks like I mentioned. (This is in addition to the stuff I said about their being a digital "switch" on the XA UniLink adapter for the DVX). As for MP3 CDs the same applies again... Some DVD players allow PCM output of MP3 CDs and some offer no digital ouput for MP3 discs at all. Others have the choice between outputting raw MP3 data or PCM through the digital outputs. So long as the DVX had the option to set MP3 output to PCM digital (or it did this by default) that would be what you're looking for. Keep in mind, AGAIN, for the digital INPUT on the XDP to work/be active, the slave (in this case the UniLink adapter for the DVX) would have to indicate it is in digital mode. If the adapter did not allow this you would have to implement the switcharoo on the optical cable but this would also require you NOT to be using the UniLink adapter because you'd have to fool it into thinking it was on a digital changer instead. I don't know if the UniLink adapter allows the UniLink Audio Mode to be indicated to the master as digital or not, but I have the inkling that it wouldn't somehow because Sony always mucks things up like that. This might sound confusing, and I apologise if it does but to everything I know about XDP units and DVD players this is how it is. Roland M.