Ex-Lexic

How do you upload material to the audio server? Is there a USB connection so you can plug in your pod?

flipside909

You can only load music onto the 8gb HDD by basically ripping a regular audio CD only. This works identical to this Eclipse/Fujitsu-Ten unit the AVN5495 as the LS460' audio unit is built in part with Denso/Fujitsu Ten:

http://www.eclipse-web.com/5495index.html

The New LS460 does NOT have a Sony MagicGate/Memory Stick input like the AVN5495.

flipside909

There is also the Audio Input in the center console which you can use to plug in any external audio device other than the iPod. There are no iPod controls on the new LS' head unit.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

ryan, so it's confirmed that the system will only RIP from an audio cd?! not even copy the files from a mp3 cd?! that doesn't make sense.... so if i have mp3 songs in the car, i have to burn audio cd, bring it to my car, stick in the cd (which only has around 15 to 18 songs), and wait for the system to rip it (it takes longer time than just copying i suppose)?!?!?!

if that's true, i think it's pretty silly.... i think they should at least allow people to stick in a mp3 cd and copy the files over..... if what you said is really true, i just hope the ls460 has mp3 playback feature like the 2is. i woudl just stick in a mp3 cd, which can do about 100 songs already (that's more than 5 audio cds already)

my 2 cents of course

flipside909

Yes it does have MP3/WMA playback, you just cant rip MP3/WMA from a CD to copy onto the HDD. Copyright infringement issue protections...RIAA and etc.

roblim

So how does the Harddrive get artist/song title information? If you rip a CD onto the hard drive, you need to enter the information manually? I don;t think CDs have any of this info., because when i rip into itunes if i do not have an internet connection my songs are labeled "track 1, track 2, etc.)

flipside909

Only if it's reading MP3/WMA off of a disc. Notice the HDD source screen? No titles to the tracks...which was why I was having a hard time trying to find what songs were on the unit. I just randomly scanned forward to find a song I wanted to listen to.

Ex-Lexic

flipside, does this mean that you can't select individual songs to upload but you must do a full CD?

jp82729

No, you will be able to select individual songs.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

some audio cd they have cd tag associated with the songs. i wonder if they would be ripped together with the songs? anyway i don't think it's big issue

i guess i understand about the copyright issue, though i don't see the difference from ripping an audio cd, coz 'that audio cd can be composed of illegally obtained mp3 songs anyway. regardless, it's kinda tough probably

flipside909

If this works exactly like the Fujitsu-Ten/Eclipse units, you must run the whole CD to copy...but would only make sense with a 30gb HDD like the AVN5495. On the LS460 on the otherhand, gb HDD isn't much to work with, but all the songs that I browsed through seemed like a collection of songs from one CD to another.

encore888

Hmmm, I hope they aren't defeating the purpose of the audio server in the first place. I'd like to see a flash memory slot like on the S-class. And the possibility of uploading individual songs from CD's, not whole CD's.

Jim Press said 'it'll take 3 years to hear those songs' I hope it doesn't take one year just to upload them.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

dunno, given what i know about the system now, i probably will only see myself using the mp3 cd and play from it directly

encore888

That sounds good too, the Mp3 CD can hold thousands of songs and if the audio server can copy off that, excellent. I was thinking of 12-track CDs...(exposing that I do not have experience with Mp3-capable cars).

rominl

iTrader: (4)

NONONO, from what ryan said above, the system canNOT copy songs from mp3 cd. it has to RIP songs from audio cd. that's why i said it des' tmake sense and i probably wouldn't do it.

i would just put in the mp3 cd and let the system play it directly (provided it has the function like the 2is)

and btw, a cd (700mb) can only hold around 100 mp3 at high quality. not thousands