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today the IPOD photo was released and I had an idea I've been pondering for a while... (here is the link for the device http://www.apple.com/ipodphoto/ )

1. This is the fun part, Since I just installed the Svideo AVelectronic unit I bought from thew at rx8garage.net (I love it!), I could have one of the 4 video inputs on the unit used for the Video output on the Photo Ipod...then I would have the song info on my NAV screen, including time information and it also displays a picture of the album if you choose, how sweet would that be

2. If this new Photo Ipod is compatible with the Denison Icelink unit (for MBus with PIE or just the Icelink official model) I would hook it up and have steering wheel controls and power integrated all in one, which has been discussed to death on this forum, I know but I just want to make sure the icelink is compatible with the new Photo IPOD...I already have the PIE adaptor with a stereo AUX in which works great but I would have to get a switcher to allow the HU to have either the IPOD' steering wheel controls w/audio or the AVelectronics video swither controlling the 4 A and V inputs. Maybe someone could help me hack apart the ICElink to seperate the audio from the steering wheel controls, this way the audio out of the IPOD could be routed to the AVelectronics box I bought from rx8garage.net.

OK so upside is: 40 or 60 gigs of music/photos to go, steering wheel controls (if it works), song information we so deserperately want OEM integrated looking displayed ON THE NAV screen downside is price

The other option is an XBOX media center for music which is also great (sweet visualizations on the Xbox media center which is a huge advantage) but no steering wheel integration at this time...but for me I still want this because then I could use it as a video server (250gigs) with hundreds of movies to go and games (copies of ones I already have of course, copyright stuff) if I load the movies on in DIVX format...can be DVD formatted as well just much less space (250 gigs buys you over 400 movies in divx format)

Ok what do you think of all this, besides my writing is a little confusing :p

Nubo

Amen, who needs song titles on the LED if you can get s-video from iPod-photo right to the Nav! Now for the first time I am regretting not getting the Nav

I'd be surprised if it doesn't maintain compatibility with ice-link. Now that vendors are hopping on the bandwagon interfacing with iPod, it would be nuts for Apple to invalidate the standards. On the other hand, if ice-link was result of reverse engineering then it could be another story.

mysql101

heh. Sounds neat, but I can't say it tickles my fancy. I already have cd player, mp3 player, xm radio, navi and the car itself to play with, and thats more than I make use of.

Sputnik

Personally, simply having the album cover on the screen wouldn't do anything for me. Having time and track information wouldn't be of too much interest to me either. But if the video output of the ipod contained what was on the screen of the ipod (as opposed to if that video output just showed pictures when you are in that viewing "mode"), then one would be able to use that to navigate the ipod, and that would be very nice. I would save all of that space for that music, and not load it up with all sorts of other crap, like all of these manufacturers have done with the palm pilots and clones. EVERY palmtop now is twice the size and weight with half the battery life, for crap I don't want, and there are no more slim, lightweight, straightforward models available anymore. It's like as if only SUVs were available. I just hope that doesn't happen with the ipod.

---jps

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yup...the video output of the Ipod Photo is just a replica of the IPOD screen just with better resolution and analog NTSC (works with PAL too)...so you can navigate the IPOD on the Nav screen, pretty sweet I think

thew

... one more good reason for a svideo input

or You can plug that Ipod into the input block at your passangers side and give your passanger something to do

Sputnik

Not to question your info, but where did you find that out?

---jps

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the ipod photo website I posted, when you connect it through the video out (and there is only composite not svideo, not sure where that came into the picture) the video out just displays virtually the same image as the ipod screen except the nice thing is you can choose widescreen or normal, so it would work great with our widescreen nav display

plus it works with NTSC or PAL (good for our friends oversees)

this is all on the ipod photo website, I'm not divulging special insider information or anything

I'm still thinking an xbox or a computer for music just because the ipod photo is o expensive, but could be a dang cool setup

,maybe I'll buy one, play with it work a while and return it if I don't like it

Sputnik

S-video is listed in dock ports, under tech specs. And there is what appears to be an S-video port in one of the docking modules (although, that type of plug can be used for a multitude of things).

And I've looked all around that site, but I can't find where it talks about output resolution, format, or what is included. Do you have anything more direct?

---jps

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# TV out on, off or ask
# TV signal PAL or NTSC

iPod Photo Dock

* Dock connector
* Audio and composite video output
* S-video output


pulled from tech specs http://www.apple.com/ipodphoto/specs.html hey I didn't notice there was svideo output through the dock thanks for pointing that out

but I read about the widescreen thing on another website, let me find it

Sputnik

Okay. Thanks!

---jps

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here is the article:

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,118339,00.asp

I'm really going to have to try this out, renting from a major retailer (buy and return if I don't like )