The future of car audio was revealed this week.

It wasn't revealed @ NAIAS or even CES, but at MacWorld.

http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/248/2041/1183/store.apple.com/Catalog/regional/amr/itv/img/overview-123.jpg

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=A2527936&nclm=AppleTV

The device isnt even design for cars at this time, but it's small size and simplicity will make it a favorite for aftermarket installers here in Southern California in a few months.

The new Apple TV is a 40gb wifi device and automatically syncs with either your PC's or MAC's itunes. What ever movies or music you have on itunes automatically is updated on the Apple TV via wi/fi. If a person installed that Apple TV to connect to their aftermarket stereo that has a built in screen for DVD or Nav the Apple TV could be controlled via it's small wireless remote to listen to all your music and even watch movies on the cars video screens.

The Apple tv would automatically update when you pulled your car into the garage or driveway. The only minor problem at this time is that you would have to keep the Apple TV powered for syncing when the car was parked.

Im sure that in the future Apple will build wi/fi into next-gen ipods that come later this year and possibly offer wireless itunes syncing into future OEM headunits.

I'm not sure how a device designed to hookup to a TV set is considered car audio.

There are some systems that can pull in your MP3 files into your car over wi-fi already. I think Lexus has one.

When you look at how much this stuff costs for your living room ($300), it seems like a no brainer feature for future high-end car audio systems.

Non apple versions are already out.

My Co-Workers brother sells them over in the UK for 400 pounds each.

Non apple versions are already out.

My Co-Workers brother sells them over in the UK for 400 pounds each.

I havent seen anything on the market that automatically syncs your mac or PC to yours car entertainment system and especially when it comes to transferring videos as well.

For $300 its a bargin for what it does as long as all your videos and music are stored within itunes.

There is just no end to all these gizmos that keep coming out.

I havent seen anything on the market that automatically syncs your mac or PC to yours car entertainment system and especially when it comes to transferring videos as well.

For $300 its a bargin for what it does as long as all your videos and music are stored within itunes.

Will get you the link when he gets into work :). Similar stuff though wifi sync from your home PC to car.

http://www.planet4networks.com/acatalog/Car_Computers.html

Will get you the link when he gets into work :). Similar stuff though wifi sync from your home PC to car.

http://www.planet4networks.com/acatalog/Car_Computers.html

It looks like that's just a car PC that would cost around $630 when the Euros are converted to US Dollars. I must be missing something, but I couldnt find the wi-fi feature or option on the devices that you linked.

The Apple TV is far more simple and intuitive especially when trying to use it while driving, the same thing can't always be said for a Car-PC running Windows.

Dude, you can't use the AppleTV in your car. Figure it out.

It looks like that's just a car PC that would cost around $630 when the Euros are converted to US Dollars. I must be missing something, but I couldnt find the wi-fi feature or option on the devices that you linked.

The Apple TV is far more simple and intuitive especially when trying to use it while driving, the same thing can't always be said for a Car-PC running Windows.

Was told they have a wi-fi sync ability and it stays on for a set time once the car has been turned of at home to sync with your PC. Will check again possibe that version is not on the website.

Dude, you can't use the AppleTV in your car. Figure it out.


I did figure it out ;)

The installation would be rather simple as long as your aftermarket stereo had a monitor with video/audio inputs and the video/audio output could easily be modified/adapted for a car and so would the power supply conversion.

For over the last year people have even installed the small $500 Mac mini's in there cars to do almost the samething and the Apple TV would be even easier.

Mac mini in a Lexus @ http://theradblog.typepad.com/theradblog/2005/03/mac_mini_in_a_l.html

http://theradblog.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/macminilexus.jpg

You'll need to find a HDTV-compliant auto screen then.

(I actually think car hacking is pretty cool. I thought you were serious about this being an automotive product, sorry.)

(I actually think car hacking is pretty cool. I thought you were serious about this being an automotive product, sorry.)

I think he got a little carried away with the strong wording of the title because he's a Mac fan.

Don't get me wrong - we will see this put in cars, and it is neat, but it's not going to make nearly the impact I was expecting from the title "the future of car audio";)

Iit's not going to make nearly the impact I was expecting from the title "the future of car audio";)

My point is that this concept/functionality of the Apple-TV will become more common place and integrated into future car OEM entertainment systems over the next few years. Im not expecting the installation of Apple-TV's to become signifigant since it will mostly be done by a very limited amount of mac geeks (like myself) and others who want to do some experimentation with their car.

You'll need to find a HDTV-compliant auto screen then.

True, but there are some easy ways to get around that. It's not that you cant get it to work, only that the screens images might not be a clean as they could if you had a true HD monitor.

My point is that this concept/functionality of the Apple-TV will become more common place and integrated into future car OEM entertainment systems over the next few years.

Oh, I definitely agree with that, but I think any nerdy type person with a decent idea of the way technology is heading has seen a concept of home/car sync'd media functionality coming for nearly a decade now.

Add to that connectivity to control various items in your house (alarm, lights, garage door, etc), live customized streaming music (think a napster 'steam all you want' type subscription straight to your car's nav system, as an alternative to predetermined satellite radio channels), and so on.

Oh, I definitely agree with that, but I think any nerdy type person with a decent idea of the way technology is heading has seen a concept of home/car sync'd media functionality coming for nearly a decade now.


Many have a good grasp of where the future is going, but few have the ability to actually make it work efficiently and intuitively and even fewer know how to sell it and make people want to buy it. Napster, Real's Rhapsody,and etc all have good concepts, but they're lacking some key ingredients preventing them from creating a product and/or service people really want and they're leadership lacks the ability to make a convincing sales pitch.

I think with the adoption of 'ipv6' in the next few years and the ability to create unlimited ip addresses for consumer products will eventually allow for all incompassing entertainment subscription serivce for all of one's home and mobile gadgets. The day when you have access to unlimited entertainment on all of your devices but you actually own none of it is coming soon.

What's funny that I just got of the phone with my brother who's @ MacWorld right now with his wife and they're just about to walk into a Apple-TV seminar.

True, but there are some easy ways to get around that. It's not that you cant get it to work, only that the screens images might not be a clean as they could if you had a true HD monitor.

From what I've read, it uses the HDCP copy protection, which excludes the regular kinds of lcd panels for now. But if you can work around that, the image quality should be great even with a tiny screen, so long as the aspect ratio is correct.

I think you're right that AppleTV is vision of how things are going to work in the future, but the conventional car audio approach is how we will get there for automobiles.

Check out the Ford/Microsoft system that was previewed -- even if you prefer Macs (like I do), it's not like your car is going to have a Start Menu or something.

We have the technology to do all this stuff, its been around for a while.

Its just agreeing on formats and such, and then simplifying the interfaces (wireless between other devices, and human control interfaces) to make it hassle free to use is the tricky part.


Of course it has to be cheap enough and readily available.


Finally sometimes you got to convince people to slightly alter their behavior and needs. In this case, do I *really* need to mirror my whole music and video library in my car? And if so, how much would one pay for this covenience?

If the trend continues, the answer in the future will most likely be yes, hopefully the cost of one would expect from jumping to a base head unit to the highend audio system option of cars today.


Image this: future kids will be oblivious to the scenery around them during car trips, since they will be staring at LCD monitors all day! Its already started now..