Friday, October 27, 2006
Car Audio Plus New Design... any thoughts?
Check out the new design at Car Audio Plus the UK's hottest Car Audio, In-Car Entertainment & In-Car Technology Superstore and post your comments how this looks and what needs improving.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Are iPod FM Transmitters illegal to use in the UK?
Gadgets which play music held on iPods over FM radios are set to become legal in the UK sometime December 06. Does this mean they are as good a quality and as safe as the Dension iPod Car Kits? Read on...
Devices such as the iTrip plug into MP3 players and connect them wirelessly to radios in cars and homes. Despite being illegal in the UK and Europe the gadgets have become extremely popular because the majority of car stereos do not have the means to connect iPods or other MP3 players.
The problem here is that people simply are not aware of the Dension iPod Car Kit that enables full connectivity of your iPod with your factory fitted or aftermarket car radio ultimately providing you with a 100% compatible, high quality perfoming in-car portable audio product solution. The Dension iPod car kit seamlessly connects to your exisintg audio system, are accessible and discreet and are full controllable via your radio and steering wheel controls where fitted.
Here is a typical post on a UK forum:
Comment:
"What!? What's the problem with them!? What are your other options to listen to your MP3 Player in your car? Casette adapter?"
Answer:
"I have an itrip. I don't use it.......... because.
- It's a pain to set a frequency
- The audio quality is crap
- It's difficult to find a clean area of radio spectrum
- You have to change the radio frequency every time you use it, probably because the thing forgets the last frequency you set it as.
- The frequency you set it to NEVER lines up to the one on the radio; so you have to search for it, which takes forever.
- If you move more than 10 miles, some station gets in the way and you get even worse sound.
- When the ipod plays the "tuning track", and if you have it set to continuous and random play, it moves on to the next "tuning song" immediately, which screws the itrip up as it begins the retuning process again.
- That means you have to have a new playlist so the "tuning track" can sit on it's own. If you don't know which frequency you will need that is a VERY big pain.
- It's pretty much pointless on long journeys as you have to go through the pain of the above problems AGAIN to tune it back in; which is impossible while driving.
- You have to make sure that the itrip songs can't come up whilst playing random songs or it will reprogram it again. That means you can't have random on "All tracks". You have to make a playlist with everything BUT the itrip tracks.
Maybe they have a new model and tuning system by now or something; but the one I had was sooooooo useless I can't ever recommend the thing for anyone EVER.
You are better off just investing in a new car stereo with some line-in jacks and MP3CD functions (you can get one of those for the price of two itrip type devices). If you just want something for short journeys (it's useless on long ones remember) then just use your headphones or burn off a CD."
Read the full post here:
Ofcom, the communications regulator, today outlined plans to legalise the use of iTrips and other "low power FM transmitters" in response to growing consumer demand.
It will consult on the issue until September, after which the devices are expected to become legal by the end of this year.
Simon Muys, a telecoms lawyer at London firm Olswang, said legalising the gadgets was a logical solution to a problem that has been irritating Ofcom since their introduction into the UK around two years ago.
The gadgets use the FM broadcast spectrum which is regulated by Ofcom. Under current rules, all users need a licence or an exemption from the regulator to broadcast on FM but this has proven impossible to enforce.
Mr Muys said Ofcom has recognised that with so many of these products in the market the most practical solution is to introduce an exemption.
Is the FM Transmitter the only option for In-Car iPods?
But there is a better, higher quality solution to this problem even when the ban is lifted. Dension iPod Car Kits produce high quality sound performance through your cars existing audio system be it an Alfa Romeo or VW. They integrate fully with your factory fitted car radio and provide you with full control via your radio or steering wheel controls (where fitted).
iPod Car Kit for Factory Fitted Car Radios (Alfa Romeo to VW)
iPod Car Kit for Aftermarket Car Radios (Alpine to Sony)
Universal FM Modulator iPod Car Kit (for car radios with no CD Changer or AUX socket)
The FM Modulator Dension iPod Car Kit is NOT an FM Transmitter and works differently by connecting inline with your aerial connection. These are fully legal and produce far superior quality to the FM Transmitters.
Devices such as the iTrip plug into MP3 players and connect them wirelessly to radios in cars and homes. Despite being illegal in the UK and Europe the gadgets have become extremely popular because the majority of car stereos do not have the means to connect iPods or other MP3 players.
The problem here is that people simply are not aware of the Dension iPod Car Kit that enables full connectivity of your iPod with your factory fitted or aftermarket car radio ultimately providing you with a 100% compatible, high quality perfoming in-car portable audio product solution. The Dension iPod car kit seamlessly connects to your exisintg audio system, are accessible and discreet and are full controllable via your radio and steering wheel controls where fitted.
Here is a typical post on a UK forum:
Comment:
"What!? What's the problem with them!? What are your other options to listen to your MP3 Player in your car? Casette adapter?"
Answer:
"I have an itrip. I don't use it.......... because.
- It's a pain to set a frequency
- The audio quality is crap
- It's difficult to find a clean area of radio spectrum
- You have to change the radio frequency every time you use it, probably because the thing forgets the last frequency you set it as.
- The frequency you set it to NEVER lines up to the one on the radio; so you have to search for it, which takes forever.
- If you move more than 10 miles, some station gets in the way and you get even worse sound.
- When the ipod plays the "tuning track", and if you have it set to continuous and random play, it moves on to the next "tuning song" immediately, which screws the itrip up as it begins the retuning process again.
- That means you have to have a new playlist so the "tuning track" can sit on it's own. If you don't know which frequency you will need that is a VERY big pain.
- It's pretty much pointless on long journeys as you have to go through the pain of the above problems AGAIN to tune it back in; which is impossible while driving.
- You have to make sure that the itrip songs can't come up whilst playing random songs or it will reprogram it again. That means you can't have random on "All tracks". You have to make a playlist with everything BUT the itrip tracks.
Maybe they have a new model and tuning system by now or something; but the one I had was sooooooo useless I can't ever recommend the thing for anyone EVER.
You are better off just investing in a new car stereo with some line-in jacks and MP3CD functions (you can get one of those for the price of two itrip type devices). If you just want something for short journeys (it's useless on long ones remember) then just use your headphones or burn off a CD."
Read the full post here:
Ofcom, the communications regulator, today outlined plans to legalise the use of iTrips and other "low power FM transmitters" in response to growing consumer demand.
It will consult on the issue until September, after which the devices are expected to become legal by the end of this year.
Simon Muys, a telecoms lawyer at London firm Olswang, said legalising the gadgets was a logical solution to a problem that has been irritating Ofcom since their introduction into the UK around two years ago.
The gadgets use the FM broadcast spectrum which is regulated by Ofcom. Under current rules, all users need a licence or an exemption from the regulator to broadcast on FM but this has proven impossible to enforce.
Mr Muys said Ofcom has recognised that with so many of these products in the market the most practical solution is to introduce an exemption.
Is the FM Transmitter the only option for In-Car iPods?
But there is a better, higher quality solution to this problem even when the ban is lifted. Dension iPod Car Kits produce high quality sound performance through your cars existing audio system be it an Alfa Romeo or VW. They integrate fully with your factory fitted car radio and provide you with full control via your radio or steering wheel controls (where fitted).
iPod Car Kit for Factory Fitted Car Radios (Alfa Romeo to VW)
iPod Car Kit for Aftermarket Car Radios (Alpine to Sony)
Universal FM Modulator iPod Car Kit (for car radios with no CD Changer or AUX socket)
The FM Modulator Dension iPod Car Kit is NOT an FM Transmitter and works differently by connecting inline with your aerial connection. These are fully legal and produce far superior quality to the FM Transmitters.
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