100gb DMS is getting full!!!

[todd1010]

I only have 9.3gb of space left. It might be time to start looking for a bigger hard drive. What's the lastest updates for the biggest hard drive that will work with the phatbox?

[A543]

120GB. AFAIK, this limit is due to the Phatbox's hard drive controller not supporting 48 bit LBA.
The tradeoff to filling up a larger hard drive is that it will take even longer to copy all of your music to it. I know how much you hate that.  

[todd1010]

I wish someone would make from the ground up:

1) A Phatbox like functionality that intregrates into the factory head unit like it does now.

2)  Able to add your own hard drives any size.

3) SSA or VIOT (whichever?)

4) ID tags readable thru head unit

5) nested folders

[A543]

What, no cupholder attachment?

[LloydDobler]

I'm wondering if head unit mfg's integrating USB into their head units will solve this problem.  Right now they're just anticipating grabbing music from jump drives but I think you could put an external USB HDD on it with no issues, and if not, the next generation sure could.  And with USB, you could just get a hub and bam.  Double, triple the hdd's.

I sure hope this is where they're going.

[markbowen]

MTS, there are two units out there that come close to what you are looking for.

The closest is SSI's Neo Car Jukebox (http://www.ssiamerica.com/products/neo35), a trunk unit like the Phatbox.  When used with Open Source firmware it can accept any capacity 3.5" hard drive.  There is a voice module available, and a CD changer module that will let it interface and be controlled by Pioneer or Kenwood head units.  (Otherwise you have to use a satellite control module.)  

The Dension (http://www.dension.com/main.htm) DMP3 is another trunk unit, which can take any capacity 3.5" hard drive, and supports nested folders.  However, no voice module, and the only head unit it can directly interface with is Dension's own DH100ix, which is also a hard drive player/FM tuner (no cd), that can take any 2.5" hard drive (which itself is removable).  The DMP3 can be connected to other head units, but then to control it you have to use a separate satellite controller.  The Dension units appear to have been discontinued in the U.S.

The best thing about both of these systems is that the companies freely allow you to add your own hard drives without gouging you for "properietary" drives.  I'm generally happy with my Music Keg, but I'd love to see a 2.0 version that used regular 3.5" drives.

[todd1010]

I'm now down to 3gb left!  

[Firefox]

Maybe a bit of lateral thinking would help...

For desperate Kenwood users it's pretty easy to have 2 Kegs via a Kenwood KCAS210A switch. The headunit then allows you to seamlessly select either device in the usual way (i.e. using source button).
Product info...
http://www.abtelectronics.com/product/9894.html

Can be more cost effective than latest-greatest hard disk sizes (and allows you to keep wife/girlfriend/kids audio separate from your own).

[judb]

Well 120 gig drives are availble and work.

You could also do a mod to put in a larger drive ... I think someone on here tested using a 3.5 inch hard drive by screwing it to the case after cutting a hole in it for the cable.  This would make syncing music hard but not impossible.

Also you could try compressing your music more if your ripping from CD's... unless your just using FLAC files.  Buying and building a new DMS from scratch and using two DMS is an option as well.  Or stop downloading every song you find and putting it on the DMS..

My DMS is about half full at about 57 gigs used and I know theres a butt load of songs on there that I don't like spread out over hundreds of albums... if I get into a space crunch I'll have to start removing crap songs from the DMS instead of having full albums on there I never listen to all the way through.

[denniz]

OK, NOW I think I understand why them gynormous drives fill up.  I was under the impression that when one hears a crappy song one excercises one's delete button.  Silly me!   From time to time I've been known to just say, "You're toast!"    But then again, I TiVo everything.

Oh!  I almost forgot ... classical, Celtic, jazz, fusion.

[gtibug]

My DMS is about half full at about 57 gigs used and I know theres a butt load of songs on there that I don't like spread out over hundreds of albums... if I get into a space crunch I'll have to start removing crap songs from the DMS instead of having full albums on there I never listen to all the way through.

It is a vicious circle, the bigger the hardrive, the more you feel compelled to download and add craps.

[judb]

Actually with the exception of about 4 albums currently I own every peice of that music.  I don't download music much and its just to see if I want to spend money on the cd before I buy it.  those 20 second clips on amazon are too short to decide if an album is worth money or if its a waste.

(I have a good amount of FLAC audio too)

[todd1010]

I have a very big "collection" of music. My thing about putting them on the DMS is that when I travel, which I do a whole lot in my car. I want the convience of having "anything" that I can think of at my fingertips.

Granted I don't listen to know where near 75% of the music on there, because there's just so much. But when/if the mood strikes and I wan't to listen to some old music I haven't heard in a while, it makes having the Phatnoise well worth it!

Do you guys think that we'll ever be able to add more that 120gb hard drive to this Phatbox?

[judb]

well, in short, yes.

longer answer, it may require us to rebuild the kernel to support greater than 127 gig drives.. or whatever the limit was.. i forget at the moment.  The 48 bit LBA mode would have to be added to the kernel and the kernel tested to work on regular drives before testing on larger ones.  However currently theres not any greater than 120 gig drives that fit in DMS cases.. so its a semi moot point.  You could perhaps use a full size hard drive if you felt like cutting up your case and rigging together a power connector for it but I'm not inclined to try it out right now.

[todd1010]

well, in short, yes.

longer answer, it may require us to rebuild the kernel to support greater than 127 gig drives.. or whatever the limit was.. i forget at the moment.  The 48 bit LBA mode would have to be added to the kernel and the kernel tested to work on regular drives before testing on larger ones.  However currently theres not any greater than 120 gig drives that fit in DMS cases.. so its a semi moot point.  You could perhaps use a full size hard drive if you felt like cutting up your case and rigging together a power connector for it but I'm not inclined to try it out right now.

No, I don't think I'll cut mine up either. I just get me a 120 Seagate and go from there!

[sactownstang]

WoW  Amazing I Have like 320 albums on a 80 gig and still have 45+ gig free

How many albums u guys have or discs? It takes me forever to get from one album i like to a differnt one searching thru 100+++ albums? Wow!

[S80_UK]

It depends on the compression system used as well.  Personally, having listened to FLAC and compared it to the others, I have decided to stick with FLAC.  The differences are slight, by can be noticable.  That would mean only 220 albums or so on an 80 gig drive.

Actually, support for larger drives above 120 gig (they will be available quite soon in 2.5 inch format), and improved navigation options are two good ideas for the "What should this forum do now?" thread.

Les.