I'm wanting to have my desire in car for music just as i had an ipod
my particular head unit could display album art and filter by song,artist genre etc
will phones/android ever have this functionality?
i guess for the short term control will only be via bluetooth enabling simple control like skip/next etc
i'm not sure if the usb connection even has enough pins to enable such control of sending song name etc to the head unit and filtering etc?
could this be done over bluetooth?
A few months ago I upgrade my car stereo to an after market one which was great, I noticed the improvements all around.
But I've begun to wonder if it's at all possible to create an app, not only for the Evo, that could directly control the car stereo. I figured that the actual stereo, the bulkier part that does all the work, just needs something to control it, which in most, if not all, cases is the face plate(the one with the dials and buttons and display).
I know an app could be written up with the proper framework to control the stereo, but how would I go about to finding the actual signals that CONTROL the stereo to implement?
I would like to build an Android car infotainment device to replace all my gadgets inside the car. One option would be a micro PC with USB touchscreen and a lot of devices connected via USB. The other one would be an Android gadget, either small tablet or TV box.
The biggest question I have is: what Android devices support 5.1 audio? This is a must, though I actually can use only 4 channels. What audio formats are supported for this?
The other question would be TMC - the FM kind, not online.
Are there any embedded platforms out there (except PC and Android) which support multi-channel audio?
Has anyone done this before? I might be reinventing the wheel.
No updates? Either nobody knows about Android 5.1 sound output or they are working under NDAs.
Are you planning on keeping a headunit to control volume, do you want am/fm radio, etc....
without a headunit you will need an amp where you can use the headphone to rca adapter and usually its the amp that would add front and rear to the left/right output of your android device so you would still get the 4 chan output effect. to go for the 5.1 chan you will need another device that actually controls the 5 speakers plus the subwoofer which might be tricky but I'm sure its not impossible.
the setup I was going to go with was a amp that I can mount its power controls (left right front back and volume) (or amp/eq combo) to where I can reach it and build a mount for a 7in (possibly diff size not sure depends on how it will look) and use the heaphone to rca adapter to power the audio and put the usb inside the dash possibly with a little hub if they make it (that way not only is it getting power from it, if it allows, the addition of say a thumb drive with added music/movies. some tablets/phones have fm radios built in as long as something is plugged into the headphone jack (my new phone doesn't seem to have it but thats a feature I will be looking for in a tablet)
4chan amp
eq that would allow 2 chan in and 4 chan out plus sub out (if you have a separate sub amp)
I just want to know if there are any android devices that are able to stream 5.1, I can take it from there. Same question about TMC support.
Some details:
My car is already fitted from the factory with 4 channel preamp and 12 speakers including subwoofer low-pass. It has low-level input for those channels, worst case I would buy a preamp.
FM is pretty much given on most Android devices, probably excluding some tablets, but I won't actually miss it if it's not there.
TMC would be nice since all Androids usually have a GPS sensor and sometimes compass.
Anyway, it was mostly a request for suggestions or even a rant - I'm surprised that something like this doesn't exist yet. With the exception of dedicated units going >$$$-$$$$, an alternative set-up would be a medium-range blueray player coupled with an Android tablet. Music control could be set up with DLNA, bluetooth streaming or mixing player and android audio would be a bit harder but not impossible.
hey friends
this is a nice thought and you are absolutely great.
this is wonderful thread
........................
Great Idea
Hi,
Currently I'm also thinking about installing an android tablet in my car to have music, navigation, movie player, speed camera warning, etc. But the biggest problem is the sound. I want to connect tablet with car audio using jack-jack cable. Everything is fine till the AUX source is selected in car audio device, but when I switch it to Tuner or CD - the sound from tablet is cutted off, so e.g. navigation announcement are not heard.
Any suggestions for this issue?
audio rom
its a shame that there are many many roms but none fur special purposes like this.
we need a car rom
[email protected] said:
Hi,
Currently I'm also thinking about installing an android tablet in my car to have music, navigation, movie player, speed camera warning, etc. But the biggest problem is the sound. I want to connect tablet with car audio using jack-jack cable. Everything is fine till the AUX source is selected in car audio device, but when I switch it to Tuner or CD - the sound from tablet is cutted off, so e.g. navigation announcement are not heard.
Any suggestions for this issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only solution can see is to run the audio from the tablet alone. I.e. use the tablet to provide both radio tuner AND navigation. You will end up using the car system purely as an amplifier.
Cris123 said:
Only solution can see is to run the audio from the tablet alone. I.e. use the tablet to provide both radio tuner AND navigation. You will end up using the car system purely as an amplifier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This would be what I would do in this situation. Or just unplug the audio cable from the tablet when using other radio options so the navigation will come through the tablet's speakers.
I want to do something similar but rather than purchase a new device I want to use my Note2. No head unit at all. The Note2 would likely be dedicated to this use and I'd get a different phone to use as, well, a phone.
For sound I was hoping I could use USB OTG to connect a USB sound card with 5.1 output but I'm not sure if this would work. I want to use the sound card instead of audio direct out of the headphone jack because that reduces my connected cables to just one (easier) and should provide at least 4 channel output which eliminates the need for another device to control volume, fader, and balance.
For radio I was going to use SDR for AM/FM (and more) via a cheap USB TV tuner.
http://sdrtouch.com/
Where I'm stuck now is that I'd like to be able to connect an iProduct (iPhone/iPod) like you can to most car radios and control/stream music from the iProduct, via the Android Note2 using USB OTG again. I cannot find how to do this but the Parrot Asteroid Smart runs Android and it seems to be able to do it so it must be possible.
http://www.parrot.com/usa/products/asteroid-range/parrot-asteroid-smart/
Any info anyone can provide regarding the sound card and iPod integration would be highly appreciated.
You can go wireless and use some AirPlay receiver for Android.
I don't know about wired solutions, the classic iPod connector has ~30 pins and some of them are used for audio and some of them are used for serial-like playlist control plus current track information.
brainwash123 said:
You can go wireless and use some AirPlay receiver for Android.
I don't know about wired solutions, the classic iPod connector has ~30 pins and some of them are used for audio and some of them are used for serial-like playlist control plus current track information.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's just a USB to iPod cable that they use for everything else... Parrot Asteroid Smart that I linked to has it as do most modern stock head units.
Did a little more googling and it seems several companies sell android head units that support iPod.
Why don't you use a USB DAC? There are a few out there that are surround sound capable.
Out from the DAC into an eq preamp and out to your existing amplifier. The eq preamp has main volume controls as well as sub control with dedicated output.
Also there are head units out there that are just "receivers" capable of accepting a digital inputs and outputting 5.1 signal via RCA.
I installed a nexus 7 2013 in my VW, currently using Bluetooth to connect to a receiver where it the outputs to an rca input on my deck that was relocated to my glovebox. I am planning on replacing the Bluetooth adaptor with a USB DAC in order to achieve a higher quality sound.
I am currently doing a similar install in a 2010 charger, a deck will not be used however as I will be using the DAC method with an eq and output to the factory amp. I considered going the android TV box route as I have a MINIX box, but there is some work involved in getting the touchscreen to function properly as it is not set up for this out of the box.
You can purchase a double din deck from eBay (I stumbled across it a few days ago but didn't write the link down) it has a dual os system. It uses android for the car audio function and windows for the car PC function. Not sure how well it works but it got reasonable reviews.
Edit: ...and once again I answer without reading the whole thread...:silly:
Is it somehow easier to get all the various apps on the phone to output audio to a DAC than a USB sound card?
unL33T said:
Is it somehow easier to get all the various apps on the phone to output audio to a DAC than a USB sound card?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe when the device detects a DAC (must use an otg cable BTW) it automatically re routes all audio out the USB. You can disable automatic USB audio routing in developer settings.
k.s.deviate said:
I believe when the device detects a DAC (must use an otg cable BTW) it automatically re routes all audio out the USB. You can disable automatic USB audio routing in developer settings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sounds easier. Thanks for the tip.
Well I can't find any information regarding the iPod integration and I've found next to nothing for DVD video and audio CD playback and radio and backup camera functionality would also take some mucking about so it looks like I'd probably be better off buying something like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-Android-4...621?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a31320af5
Which has it all sorted out already. So much for that fun idea. No idea what apps they use for all that stuff.
Which has it all sorted out already. So much for that fun idea. No idea what apps they use for all that stuff.[/QUOTE]
That unit looks slow at only dual-core. It will probably be sluggish when multi-tasking.
The main chip probably supports several I2S devices (aux in/adc, tuner/adc, DVD) and routing plus demuxing is done via linux hardware control.
The DVD player and tuner probably support the i2c or spi protocol to control seeking and other functions. This is again controllable via the linux devices.
Usually the consumer devices don't have these easily exposed and it's probably a non-trivial task to piggyback on existing hardware, assuming the needed connections are broken out on the board. As far as I can see the only Android devices with CD or DVD are the car players like above.
Another option would be to take the sound from the HDMI signal. A DVD player/tuner can be wired in parallel with an HDMI switcher. However controlling the tracks would not be easy, it would require emulating the remote with an IR transmitter.
All, as there's a lot of questions coming in to iBOLT's customer service, and on forums about connecting the sound to the car-stereo speakers, using aux-out, playing music while a phone call is coming in etc. I figured we can start a new thread dedicated to all the variables involved. I'll try to make a summary below of functionality. If you have not seen the video or images of this product you can do so on www.ibolt.co/ibpf-33307
First, the iBOLT S III Dock solves the problem reported by many users that when they insert an aux-cable from the headset jack their Bluetooth device does not work properly. Since our Dock takes the Aux-out through the microUSB it works differently and from our testing, and end-user reports, the Bluetooth works fine.
Below is a run down on different options how to connect the Galaxy S3 Dock to car-stereo speakers for playing music and sound from all Apps.
BLUETOOTH OPTIONS: Please note that when using any Bluetooth hands-free device (headset, portable, built-in from car-manufacturer etc) with the Galaxy S3 you can choose if the connected device is to be used for phone calls only, for audio streaming or both. This depends on which Bluetooth profile your device is using. See attached screen shot for an example of the S III UI. This is from a Bluetooth U-connect system used in Chrysler cars (although they should all be the same).
1. Car-stereo systems featuring A2DP:
If your car is equipped with a Bluetooth hands-free system it may allow you to to stream audio (in addition to hands-free functionality) but only if your system features the A2DP (Advance Audio Distribution Profile). If it does have A2DP profile you will have the option during the pairing process to select the "Media Audio" in addition to "Call Audio" (see attached screen shot). If this is the case, the Aux-cable that's included with the Dock will not be used as Audio Streaming over Bluetooth is the preferred choice if your system is set up for it. In this scenario, simply hide the aux-out cable end or tuck in under the car seat or center console.
2. Typical car-stereo/Bluetooth systems:
If your car-stereo does NOT allow you to choose the "Media Audio" this means that your system is designed with the so called "Hands-free Profile", thus it is only able to be used for hands-free calling. For this scenario the aux-out cable from the iBOLT Dock should be plugged in to the 3.5 mm aux-in on the car-stereo, usually located in the center console or in-between the front seats. When you play music (or GPS Navigation sound) from your Dock to the car-stereo speakers and a phone call is made or coming in the Aux sound will automatically mute and start again once the phone call has ended. The sound quality when using the aux-out 9ft cable has been reported to be very good. Some users have indicated that the base is even better when using BT A2DP Audio Streaming, versus aux cable. This sounds very logical.
3. Cars without integrated Bluetooth:
If your car does NOT have a 3.5 mm aux-in jack but features a cassette player there's plenty of "cassette-to-3.5 aux" options to buy. Search at your preferred electronic retailer for the solution that is right for you. Once inserted the iBOLT Dock can be used for playing music through the car stereo as if played through the cassette player but at lower quality.
4. Cars with CD player only, no BT, no cassette player:
For cars that has neither 3.5 mm Aux-in, nor a cassette player there's some FM transmitters that features a 3.5 mm aux-in or with Bluetooth A2DP connectivity, allowing a way of connecting the Dock to the car stereo. We have very limited knowledge of this option as it has not been tested by us but theoretically it should work. Any feedback which models work well would be much appreciated!
There's more options and more variables but the above should provide a basic run-down. As there's many knowledgeable users on this forum, clarifications or comments are always appreciated. Connecting the phone's music to the car-stereo is something of high interest to a lot of people.
Our concept with the iBOLT S III Dock was to make the first (?) phone holder truly designed for placement on the left side of the steering wheel. Run the 9ft cable down the door seal and under the drivers carpet and/or seat up to the center console where power and aux-in is usually located. With the phone on the left side it is "out of the way" as far as blocking the view and more importantly, it is within finger tip reach for answering call or switching application. If you have not tried the application "CarHome Ultra" we recommend you do so as it's free for 30 days. Having a good "car panel" in combination with the right Dock placement, and the aux/BT set up as described here is very cool. The S III will become a integral part of the driving experience!
Finally, we strongly recommend connecting the Galaxy S III phone to a Bluetooth device for hands-free calling, regardless which option is used to connect to the car-stereo speakers for listening to music/app sound. To use the S III phone as a "speaker phone" while in the Dock works fine with regards to the driver hearing the other party. However, the party on the other end often hear an echo, a lot of background noise or the driver sound "faint" or like "in a tunnel". This is because virtually no Smartphone (including S III) is designed with a dedicated DSP (Digital Signal Processor) chip for cancelling background noise and echo when used for hands-free speaking. Smartphones don't have full duplex either when in speaker mode, which essentially means the microphone is at least partially shut down while the other party speak. The conversation is therefore similar to using a "walkie-talkie", where only one party can speak effectively at a time. Summary: connect your S III phone to a Bluetooth device from a respected brand manufacturer unless you're holding the phone to the ear when driving (bad idea!) or using a old fashioned wired headset.
I hope this long intro helps setting the stage for a good discussion about the best way to have the ultimate hands-free experience when driving!
I was hoping this was a newer Android feature but it seems to only work on my LG G4. The reason I want this is because I have my Nexus sitting at the bar between my kitchen and dining area plugged into a pair of speakers but I also want to play the audio to my soundbar in my living room over bluetooth at the same time.
Is it possible to get this feature on our Nexi somehow?
You can wait for a half-baked kernel hack which may work sometimes or get this hardware solution:
splitter
transmitter