Has anyone installed a computer in their cars to play MP3s/DVD's/Games/etc...?

I'm talking about a complete computer mounted in the boot (or anywhere I guess) running Winamp etc capable of holding and playing thousands of songs, DVD's or DivX movies, games etc... can even install a TV tuner, GPS card, the list goes on. Check out some of the cars on www.mp3car.com or an australian group at http://www.austmp3car.tk/

Anyway, I've been researching this for months and being in the IT industry I've built quite a few computers for family and friends (and me) and after all of that I've got some old computers lying around that are destined for the car. So far Ive only discovered 2 things that are preventing me from doing it right now.

1. Lack of decent LCD screens available in Australia.
2. Lack of decent DC-DC power supplies available in Australia.

To get a decent LCD screen would involve getting one imported from the USA, and with the stupid exchange rate means an absolute fortune. As well as not being sure if you're giong to get it in good condition with no faults that require it being sent back etc... By the way, by "Decent LCD", I mean VGA resolutions.

Same with the Power supply, not very much available in Aus.

Anyone else out there already done this sort of thing in their car :?:

GBM has been through the same thinking process...

main problem?
When running your computer, the car would have to be turned 'on' not just on accessories.. why? because when you turn from accessories to 'engine start' the inverter would lose power, thus so would your compuer.... solution? UPS.. NO! a ups would draw soo much power from your battery, you'd kill your battery, or short out your car! :?

ive done quite a bit of reasearch too.. my best options are to mount a 'LCD' flat pannel TV (yes theyre around: http://www.computerdisposals.com.au/store/cart_detail.asp?prod_code=1810tv and use a car dvd player to run movies on your screen :?

thats what im contemplating :?

Id be interested to see how you progress, keep us all updated.

GBM

As for the power supply problem.....

If you get a DC-DC power supply you don't need an inverter, and most of the decent DC-DC power supplies have a shutdown timer built in that allow the system to lose power and keep it going for a preset time from 5 seconds up to about 10 minutes. Check out http://www.opussolutions.com/150watt.html for an example. There's also one called sproggy and a few other (once again... all in the US). Though there is this one: http://www.zantech.com.au/apowertech/PSU-12vdc250w.html in australia for $300.

The LCD screen I would like is something like this one: http://www.xenarc.com/product/700y.html

stripped down to just the bare screen and mounted behind a custom fibreglass panel on an angle where the cup holder/ash tray are in front of the Auto Gear stick.

anyway.... thats enough links for one day :-)

1600x1200 rez on a 7" screen ? WTF?

my 21" screen at work, i run at 1600x1200 and i have enough problems seein the lil icons on the screen! let alone on a 7" screen! what the hell would you see?

i like the idea of wireing it up next to your gear stick thing.. but it aint touch screen, so where is da mouse n stuff gonna go.. but the touch screen like it would be wild! it would look more like the cockpit of a 747 than a Magna dash!! :lol: mmm.. 747 cockpit.. GBM will think about that.. this could be interesting :wink:

instead of running a full computer, why not just buy a heap of older laptops? save space and could add a few as laptops dont use much power... run different apps on different screens?
screen one, above the gearstick (where you want it) use for a MP3 playlist, or id have it controling lights, and computer switches :twisted:
screen 2, Movies, and misc stuff...

I LIKE THE IDEA!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

GBM

I'd never run those screens at 1600x1200, but 1024 x 768 is supposedly pretty readable... browse the forums at mp3car and heaps of people post pics of their screen running various resolutions.

You can get a touchscreen overlay for those LCD screens for around another $100 USD I think. But some people on the mp3 car forums have said that they make the screen a bit more difficult to read in full daylight, so I'm not entirely sure about it.
Another thing I've already bought from a bargain bin at Harvey Norman was a small touch pad (like the little touch pads in laptops) to replace a mouse if I don't end up with a touchscreen. or one of these: http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/powermate/

hhhhmmmmm.... blue shiny thing... hhhmmmm

can you tell I've done a little too much research by the number of links I'm posting :)

as for the laptop vs normal computer thing.... laptops are expensive to get anything half decent and are limited in what you can upgrade in the future whereas a normal PC doesn't have to be in a normal pc case as. I intend mounting it on the back of a carpeted MDF panel into the side of the boot behind the wheel arch making it take up very little space at all.

Its very very possible (just look at the 'HIGHIQ' Celica).... but it ain't easy.

However, for the all important LCD screen look no further than this:
http://www.mikhailtech.com/modules.php?name=Articles&rop=showcontent&id=22

Only $120 USD... displays resolutions up to 1024x768 and is 5inchs in daimeter making it perfect for small space installations (ie. a car).

[quote=" but it aint touch screen, so where is da mouse n stuff gonna go.. "[/quote]
Simple, put a external touch pad mouse for a laptop (can be had for about $30) mounted into the drivers door pod. Simply, effective and best of all... compact!

I have one thing to say... you all have to much money and time on your hands :lol: j/k

Thats crazy, a computer in a car... oh well i suppose it would do everything...

but you'd have to shut it down and start it up every time you get in and out of your car... that would drive me crazy. :mrgreen:

Nah blake, you can set your computer to turn itself on as soon as it receives power (a setting in the BIOS) and can strip windows down to only run the bare essentials so that it will be fully up and running within less than 30 seconds. And with those power supplies I mentioned, you can set a delay timer on them so that they mantain power to the computer for those times your getting in and out of your car for only a couple of minutes, so that its still ready to go without shutting down all the time.

You can also set your power supply to send a signal to the computer that tells windows to shutdown. This means that all you ever have to do is turn your car on and off and your computer boots up and shutsdown with it.

30 second delay and you have 10,000 mp3's at your fingertips without ever having to fumble around with CD's again. :D

I'd do it if mp3's didnt sound like crap lol.

I know not everyone can hear the difference but I can..esp on high end stereos in cars...
hence y I'd rather spend $$ on a good SQ HU than an mp3 deck

Thats just me tho! :)

How would you connect your computer up to your car audio system??? you have no rca's.

I hooked my laptop up to my stereo once. You can get cables that convert from the 3.5ml headphone jack to rca's. Works a treat. You just cant use your head unit for volume etc.

like LHM said, you get a cable that converts the line-out of your sound card in your computer into RCA connectors, then get a Pioneer CD-RB20 auxillary in adapter (I've got a pioneer deck obviously) and plug your RCA straight into that.

check out www.partsexpress.com <- they ship to Oz!! Woot Woo!!
it doesnt say they do, but i emailed em.. and they said no problems :D

Cheap screens, everthing!!! Woot Woo!

speaking of cable converters i found yesterday in dick smiths a converter that goes from high load wires to RCA - basically speaker wires to RCA so as not to have four wires goind from the front of the car to the rear!!

excellent if you only have one set of pre-outs and you have subs and amps to run your subs and speakers!!

Manual