x box media centre Vs carputer install -what do u guys think

shue · Post by **shue** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 10:22 pm

been planning a proper ICE install in the car and am kinda wondering what u guys think would be better. a media centre x box or a full blown car pc.

bobz · Post by **bobz** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 11:46 pm

carputer wins hands down.

BobZ

shue · Post by **shue** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 3:06 pm

been kinda swinging towards the carputer myself. got my old laptop with a shot LCD and battery. im first gonna sort the whole sounds system and get into making the carputer. anyone in melb good with stuff like this wants to help?

Post by **Supplanter** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 6:01 pm

carPC can be a lot smaller than an xbox, maybe small enough to fit inside the dash behind the head unit/touch screen.

shue · Post by **shue** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 6:41 pm

carPC can be a lot smaller than an xbox, maybe small enough to fit inside the dash behind the head unit/touch screen.

yea if i get a mini itx. this is basically just a toy so im not spending big money on it. carputer would be basically my old laptop wired up to a touchscreen in the dash or if i go the xbox way i'll just hook it up to a el cheapo screen from asia . anyone knows where i could find an external dvd drive and how much it would set me back?

noccers · Post by **noccers** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 10:36 pm

shue wrote:
carPC can be a lot smaller than an xbox, maybe small enough to fit inside the dash behind the head unit/touch screen.

yea if i get a mini itx. this is basically just a toy so im not spending big money on it. carputer would be basically my old laptop wired up to a touchscreen in the dash or if i go the xbox way i'll just hook it up to a el cheapo screen from asia . anyone knows where i could find an external dvd drive and how much it would set me back?

you can get slim USB2 external DVD drives for about 50 bux on ebay, that's what I'm getting for mine.

I toyed up with the idea of putting an xbox or a pc in my car, and obviously went the pc because I'd miss the radio too much, and I want GPS/TV aswell. But it really depends on your needs.

I'm down for helping you out if you need an extra pair of hands though

shue · Post by **shue** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:03 pm

im getting a head unit for cd, radio. i want the carputer for mp3's, dvd's gps. not too keen on tv . the only thing winning it for the carputer is the fact that it can run gps. have any of u seen a single din motorised touch screen available in oz?

noccers · Post by **noccers** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:26 pm

shue wrote:im getting a head unit for cd, radio. i want the carputer for mp3's, dvd's gps. not too keen on tv . the only thing winning it for the carputer is the fact that it can run gps. have any of u seen a single din motorised touch screen available in oz?

yep, definitly. Lilliput have one for about $450, or you can go to a good car audio store and buy a branded one and pay $1,000+ for a touch screen. There's a few around. Pretty simple, just slots in, flips out and away you go.

shue · Post by **shue** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 1:19 pm

Lilliput have one for about $450

is this off ebay ? or is there a supplier in australia for the Lilliput's. any idea where i can get a xenarc for cheap in australia.

noccers · Post by **noccers** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 11:11 pm

shue wrote:
Lilliput have one for about $450
is this off ebay ? or is there a supplier in australia for the Lilliput's. any idea where i can get a xenarc for cheap in australia.

I don't know of anywhere in Aus that stocks Lilliput or Xenarc, no. All the places I've seen stock branded screens, but I'm sure one exists somewhere.

Not interested in buying from Ebay or overseas?

Post by **Supplanter** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 11:47 pm

I stumbled across advertising for a place in Melbourne that sells some of this stuff severals months ago but I have no idea what they are called

Spud · Post by **Spud** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 2:19 pm

If your going the carputer way just make sure you get a decent sound card for it. Onboard won't cut it and neither will and elcheapo.

I say install both a carputer and an Xbox. Dump a 360gb hdd in the Xbox, fill it up with Xbox games, Emulators, Movies, whatever; plug that into your carputer via a TV card or something and you got the best of both worlds.

shue · Post by **shue** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 3:10 pm

the way im seeing it, the xbox seems to be winning it for me. just $$ to features. carputers slappin my old laptop in would be heaps of arsing around + atleast 1000$ to get it fitted up and running well. with the xbox i can get a lcd tv screen for less than 200$+xbox for 100$

Spud · Post by **Spud** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 4:57 pm

Your quite right.

Then just send it to me, I'll mod it, put the larger hdd in, Xbox Media Center, Emulators all the colours of the rainbow and your set.

Spud · Post by **Spud** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 5:16 pm

If you were going to do PC here is how I would do it...

Get a laptop with Windows Media Center and mount it upside in the roof. You can hide the entire unit except the screen. That will fold down when you want to use it. I know what your thinking, the screen will be upside-down. That's easy fixed with some software.

Laptop is wired to your battery. Control can be down a few ways. You can wire up a keyboard and mouse if you like or you can go Bluetooth or RF devices as well. You can also get a nice Media Center Remote too I guess and run another IR extention to a more suitable position.

Hdd's aren't big enough in a laptop. No worries just get a 4 port usb hub and wire that down to the dash somewhere. That way you can plug external hdd's, UBS sticks, iPod's whatever straight in and away you go.

Sound is obviously hooked up to your already pimped sound system so once thats all wired up away you go. PCMCIA Sound card would be recommended for the laptop though. The onboard headphone jack won't cut the mustard.

This setup is more suited for a larger car, or any car where the back seat is actually a proper back seat lol. Maybe if the laptop could swivel in the roof a little for driver or passenger viewing. Either that or detach the screen and wire/mount it where you want it.

Thoughts?

shue · Post by **shue** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 1:02 pm

Your quite right.

Then just send it to me, I'll mod it, put the larger hdd in, Xbox Media Center, Emulators all the colours of the rainbow and your set.

now i know who to annoy to get it modded for me. will hit u up once i get to that section of the install

Spud · Post by **Spud** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:12 pm

shue wrote:
Your quite right.

Then just send it to me, I'll mod it, put the larger hdd in, Xbox Media Center, Emulators all the colours of the rainbow and your set.
now i know who to annoy to get it modded for me. will hit u up once i get to that section of the install

Hehe sure thing shue. Anyone else too; if you have an Xbox that needs modding come see me. Free of charge to any member of FTO Australia.

Camo · Post by **Camo** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:55 pm

I was down at JB-Hi Fi the other day and they have there:

The PS2 (second edition - the really small ones!) that comes with a quite large LCD TV!!!!

Was a very good price and would be perfect for a car install!

I think its the perfect compromise!

Its much smaller then an xbox and smaller then a carputer.

Spud · Post by **Spud** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:07 pm

As a gaming console the PS2 is great but the only other thing it's really good for is as a DVD player. But in a car it will jump. That and it doesn't have the media functionality that a modded Xbox does. There is a media player for modded PS2's but it's nothing on Xbox Media Center. That and the price to mod a slimline PS2 is still very very high.

Once XBMC is installed on your Xbox it will play any media format bar high definition media (720p, 1080i video).

If there was any way to plug this LCD that comes with the PS2 into an Xbox that would cool. Use it for the Xbox and keep the PS2 at home.

shue · Post by **shue** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 10:51 pm

agreed. ps2 is great for games and nothing else. xbox is ho-hum with games but can be modded to be a mini computer . ps2 u can mod it to play copied games but where are u gonna fit a hard drive?

FTO AUSTRALIA

x box media centre Vs carputer install -what do u guys think

what do u think?

x box media centre Vs carputer install -what do u guys think