Newsletter #18: Microsoft Remakes Multimedia
When we say Microsoft Vista has some glitz, it's not just marketing; the newest version of Windows sports some revamped video and audio functions designed to promote the digital arts.
We got a hint of the new multimedia even before Vista shipped, as the updated Windows Media Player, and that first look offers a good introduction.
Learn the New Tune
What's new in Windows Media Center?
It has the same basic features as before, but it sports a redesigned menu system, mainly so you can control it from an Xbox 360 over your home network.
Has Windows Media Player changed?
A new interface gives you additional ways to organize and browse your media collection.
For example, you can access your music by an album cover view. Vista's search feature is integrated into Windows Media Player, so you can find media more easily, too. And Windows Media Player includes tie-ins to URGE, a for-pay music service that Microsoft launched with MTV.
Hardware Concerns
Will Vista play HD-DVDs and Blu-ray discs?
Not without third-party software. Though Vista ships with the infrastructure necessary to support HD-DVD--drivers, file system, codecs, and other components--you'll need additional dedicated software to play an HD-DVD video, and the OS has no native support for Blu-ray Disc.
Because of Digital Rights Management for prerecorded high-definition media, will I need to buy a new monitor to play premium high-def content?
You might, regardless of whether you're running Vista or Windows XP. For a PC to send next-generation video content to a display, the display must support HDCP--and while most HDTVs do support this copy-protection technology, many older monitors that support high-def resolutions do not.
http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/131951
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Do-It-Yourself Surveillance Protects Home or Business
Is that summer downpour flooding your basement? Did Rover get into the garbage again? Is your 50-inch flat-panel TV still in place? Find out from anywhere by using your PC to create an affordable home surveillance system that you can access over the Internet, or even over your cell phone. A professionally installed surveillance system costs at least $2000, but you can set up an uncomplicated USB-connected Webcam such as Logitech's QuickCam Chat for $30, a wireless camera that can be placed almost anywhere for less than $200, or a complete PC-based monitoring system for under $1000.
A basic surveillance system requires three things: a camera; motion-sensing software to activate the camera and to store its video or still images; and software to send the images over the Internet. Adding a wired or wireless network expands your home-surveillance capabilities.
If you're on a tight budget or you don't want to deal with installing remote cameras, an inexpensive Webcam can serve as a bare-bones surveillance device. Many Webcams come with motion-sensing and remote-access software, but paying extra for a full-featured program may be worthwhile, especially if you want to use several Webcams of different makes (for two software recommendations, see " Cameras With Swivel").
The biggest drawback of a Webcam, of course, is that it's tethered by a USB cable to your PC. Powered USB hubs and USB active repeater cables allow you to double or triple USB's 5-meter length limit. Or you can wait for the convenience of wireless USB products, which should arrive soon. In fact, Belkin's CableFree wireless USB hub may be available by the time you read this.
Click to see a full-size image.
IP cameras, on the other hand, can be placed anywhere there's a network connection, making them ideal for homes or offices that already have a wireless network. Since they connect directly to your router rather than through your PC, you don't need to keep the machine on to view the camera's image in a browser. Prices for cameras with such features as night vision, remote-control positioning (pan-and-tilt controls, for instance), and zoom lenses can quickly escalate past $1000, but less expensive wireless cameras like D-Link's DCS-5300G (about $500 online), Linksys's Compact Wireless G Internet Video Camera (about $100 online) and 4XEM's WLPTG Wireless Pan/Tilt IP Network Camera (about $390 online) have many of these extra features.
The pan-and-tilt capability of the 4XEM and D-Link units let me monitor my living room, kitchen, and yard (through a window) with one camera whose view I controlled remotely, rather than having to use two or three stationary cameras. If you have pets, attach a speaker to let them hear your voice from afar.
I installed three different wireless cameras on my wireless network, and though I struggled with the setup, after 5 hours I was monitoring my dog's water bowl, my front door, and my vegetable garden from my cousin's house across town.
Of course, your network camera will only be as useful as the surveillance software that runs it. If the software bundled with your camera is difficult to use, has too limited a set of features, or is impossible to install, you can ditch it and try one of the many third-party alternatives, such as DeskShare's $50 WebCam Monitor or iCode's $79 i-Catcher Sentry. I found both apps much easier to configure and more useful than the programs that came with several of the cameras I tried out.
Before you buy a camera-controller app, make sure its codec works with your cameras. IP cameras typically support either the MJPEG or the MPEG-4 codec, though some newer cameras support both. MPEG-4 cameras produce smaller video files, but at lower resolutions than MJPEG.
Here answers to some common questions about remote surveillance cameras.
How do I power a remote camera? If you want to place a camera somewhere without easy access to an electrical outlet, look for a camera that supports Power over Ethernet (PoE). PoE cameras can draw power from the CAT5 ethernet cable used to transmit data, eliminating the need for a separate power line. Some cameras feature built-in PoE support, while others, such as D-Link's $45 DWL-P200, require a PoE adapter.
What else can I monitor? If you need more than audio or visual confirmation that your home or business is safe and sound, Digi's Watchport Sensors monitor temperature, moisture, and motion. Each sensor connects via USB to a PC and comes with software that sends alerts via e-mail or cell phone. The sensors cost between $130 and $180 online.
Alternatively, Motorola's Homesight Wireless Easy Starter Kit HMEZ2000 monitoring system offers a turnkey home security system with modules for wireless cameras, window and door monitors, and wireless (but not Wi-Fi) temperature and moisture sensors. The starter kit costs about $250. Water, temperature, and window/door sensors cost between $40 and $80 each.
Where do I go for help? Don't waste too much time with a troublesome installation. Call tech support; 4XEM's excellent support line made my setup a breeze, while an hour with a D-Link support tech convinced me to try WebCam Monitor instead of sticking with D-Link's software. My most important lesson: If one quick call to tech support doesn't solve your problem, return your camera for one from a different manufacturer.
Setting up an external link to the Internet can be challenging on any camera. Check out the overview at networkcamerareviews.com and find several useful tips for installing and running an IP camera.
If you print something every day, you probably waste a little something every day as well. TheGreenPrint utility lets you cut down on wasted paper and ink by making it fast and easy to identify and delete unwanted pages, text, or graphics in print jobs. GreenPrint installs as a printer, so if you designate it as your default, it automatically pops up each time you print. At $35 (with a free 14-day trial), the program certainly isn't cheap--but given the price of ink and paper, it can pay for itself pretty quickly.
http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/131813
A basic surveillance system requires three things: a camera; motion-sensing software to activate the camera and to store its video or still images; and software to send the images over the Internet. Adding a wired or wireless network expands your home-surveillance capabilities.
If you're on a tight budget or you don't want to deal with installing remote cameras, an inexpensive Webcam can serve as a bare-bones surveillance device. Many Webcams come with motion-sensing and remote-access software, but paying extra for a full-featured program may be worthwhile, especially if you want to use several Webcams of different makes (for two software recommendations, see " Cameras With Swivel").
The biggest drawback of a Webcam, of course, is that it's tethered by a USB cable to your PC. Powered USB hubs and USB active repeater cables allow you to double or triple USB's 5-meter length limit. Or you can wait for the convenience of wireless USB products, which should arrive soon. In fact, Belkin's CableFree wireless USB hub may be available by the time you read this.
Click to see a full-size image.
IP cameras, on the other hand, can be placed anywhere there's a network connection, making them ideal for homes or offices that already have a wireless network. Since they connect directly to your router rather than through your PC, you don't need to keep the machine on to view the camera's image in a browser. Prices for cameras with such features as night vision, remote-control positioning (pan-and-tilt controls, for instance), and zoom lenses can quickly escalate past $1000, but less expensive wireless cameras like D-Link's DCS-5300G (about $500 online), Linksys's Compact Wireless G Internet Video Camera (about $100 online) and 4XEM's WLPTG Wireless Pan/Tilt IP Network Camera (about $390 online) have many of these extra features.
The pan-and-tilt capability of the 4XEM and D-Link units let me monitor my living room, kitchen, and yard (through a window) with one camera whose view I controlled remotely, rather than having to use two or three stationary cameras. If you have pets, attach a speaker to let them hear your voice from afar.
I installed three different wireless cameras on my wireless network, and though I struggled with the setup, after 5 hours I was monitoring my dog's water bowl, my front door, and my vegetable garden from my cousin's house across town.
Of course, your network camera will only be as useful as the surveillance software that runs it. If the software bundled with your camera is difficult to use, has too limited a set of features, or is impossible to install, you can ditch it and try one of the many third-party alternatives, such as DeskShare's $50 WebCam Monitor or iCode's $79 i-Catcher Sentry. I found both apps much easier to configure and more useful than the programs that came with several of the cameras I tried out.
Before you buy a camera-controller app, make sure its codec works with your cameras. IP cameras typically support either the MJPEG or the MPEG-4 codec, though some newer cameras support both. MPEG-4 cameras produce smaller video files, but at lower resolutions than MJPEG.
Here answers to some common questions about remote surveillance cameras.
How do I power a remote camera? If you want to place a camera somewhere without easy access to an electrical outlet, look for a camera that supports Power over Ethernet (PoE). PoE cameras can draw power from the CAT5 ethernet cable used to transmit data, eliminating the need for a separate power line. Some cameras feature built-in PoE support, while others, such as D-Link's $45 DWL-P200, require a PoE adapter.
What else can I monitor? If you need more than audio or visual confirmation that your home or business is safe and sound, Digi's Watchport Sensors monitor temperature, moisture, and motion. Each sensor connects via USB to a PC and comes with software that sends alerts via e-mail or cell phone. The sensors cost between $130 and $180 online.
Alternatively, Motorola's Homesight Wireless Easy Starter Kit HMEZ2000 monitoring system offers a turnkey home security system with modules for wireless cameras, window and door monitors, and wireless (but not Wi-Fi) temperature and moisture sensors. The starter kit costs about $250. Water, temperature, and window/door sensors cost between $40 and $80 each.
Where do I go for help? Don't waste too much time with a troublesome installation. Call tech support; 4XEM's excellent support line made my setup a breeze, while an hour with a D-Link support tech convinced me to try WebCam Monitor instead of sticking with D-Link's software. My most important lesson: If one quick call to tech support doesn't solve your problem, return your camera for one from a different manufacturer.
Setting up an external link to the Internet can be challenging on any camera. Check out the overview at networkcamerareviews.com and find several useful tips for installing and running an IP camera.
If you print something every day, you probably waste a little something every day as well. TheGreenPrint utility lets you cut down on wasted paper and ink by making it fast and easy to identify and delete unwanted pages, text, or graphics in print jobs. GreenPrint installs as a printer, so if you designate it as your default, it automatically pops up each time you print. At $35 (with a free 14-day trial), the program certainly isn't cheap--but given the price of ink and paper, it can pay for itself pretty quickly.
http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/131813
Ten Things You Need to Know About 1080p
New models of consumer electronics products almost change with the seasons: you've finally understood why you need a High Definition Television (HDTV) when along comes yet another electronic upgrade. As exciting as these developments are, they may also provoke vague feelings of discontent. This can occur if some know-it-all points out that your HD display is only 720p. When this happened to me recently, I countered with the fact that I was viewing HDTV while this person was still in nursery school. (Japan developed an analog version of HDTV in the 1980s, which I saw on press trips to Japan and later viewed in Canada when TV broadcasters there considered adopting the Japanese HDTV system for the future needs of Canadian TV broadcasting. It was ultimately rejected.)
hdtv
As many readers are aware, the "1080p" tide has been rising for at least a year and this spring it seems to have reached a new high-water mark, in part stimulated by the market appearance of new high-definition DVD players: HD-DVD and Blu-ray, recorded and studio mastered in 1080p. These two formats are not compatible (except for LG's HD-DVD/Blu-ray combo player, and a new combo unit due from Samsung), however they will play your existing DVDs.
Resisting the marketing juggernaut is never easy (we really know how to consume in the 21st century) so in the spirit of both welcoming and explaining 1080p, here are some guidelines to help you navigate the claims and counter claims:
1. What is it? "1080p" stands for 1080 progressive. It means that a video display or video source has the capability to display a high-definition video image made up of 1080 horizontal "lines" progressively scanned from the top to the bottom of the screen. Your old analog CRT set yielded about 330 lines. A standard DVD player delivers 480 lines. In techie terms, a 1080p high-definition set will display an image comprised of 1920 x 1080 pixels, or approximately 2 million pixels (a pixel is a picture element) versus a 720p image, which consists of 1280 x 720 pixels, or about 921,600 pixels. Other things being equal, the more pixels there are in an image, the greater the potential detail and clarity.
"1080p" is a refinement of HD video technology that has evolved from earlier HD displays known as 720p or 1080i (i for interlaced). The latter (720p or 1080i) are the existing standards for HD images broadcast over the air or by cable or satellite. Broadcast 1080p images are not available -- yet. But they may be some years down the road.
2. If you own or buy a new 1080p set, it will convert or upscale incoming 720p or 1080i images to 1080p. The upscaled images may look smoother and more nuanced, clearer if you will, than those viewed on a 720p set.
3. If you already own an HD set that is several years old, it will likely be a 720p model (rarely 1080i unless it's a CRT HD set), so there is no point in getting video sources that deliver a 1080p image because your video device can't display the extra pixels, unless of course you decide to replace your 720p or 1080i HDTV with a 1080p HDTV.
4. If you are deliberating about buying a new 1080p large screen display, then it will let you do two things: either sit closer to the screen than you otherwise could if you had a 720p display, or, if you decide to go for a 1080p front projector, then you could project a considerably bigger screen image that would look as clear and sharp as a 720p image viewed from twice as far back.
For very large TV displays -- 65 inches diagonal, say, or projected images of 96 or 108 inches, you would see more detail from viewing distances of 5, 8, or 9 feet, respectively. Note that 9 feet is currently the average viewing distance for TV in most homes. On the other hand, because a 1080p set has almost twice as many pixels as a 720p display, subtleties and gradations of color and texture should be better, and visible.
5. Some new AV receivers and DVD players have built-in video up-conversion and scaling to 1080p. The upconversion to 1080p done in an AV receiver is only a convenience, and may not be executed as well as the conversion performed internally in your 1080p video display or projector.
6. Note that any 1080p display or 1080p projector will, on its own, upconvert any incoming standard or high-definition video source connected to it to 1080p. You do not need to purchase an outboard scaler in an AV receiver to perform that function. Your 1080p set will do that automatically because it must in order to display the image and fill all the pixels. (Techies call the latter the set’s "native resolution" -- 1080p.)
7. You should also note that upconversion (scaling) to 1080p of standard definition (SD) video sources like regular DVDs or standard TV broadcasts will not make them look like a true HD image (720p or 1080i). They may appear smoother to the eye, but detail cannot be added by up-conversion.
8. The only sources currently available for true 1080p images are HD-DVD and Blu-ray discs, and those must be delivered from an HD-DVD or Blu-ray disc player via HDMI cables. HDMI connections carry video images as well as standard images -- and 1080p -- in digital form, whereas component video cables are analog and carry 720p or 1080i HD images. While component video cables are technically able to pass 1080p images, Hollywood studios do not permit 1080p discs to be made without the anti-piracy digital handshake code that must be passed via HDMI cables. HD-DVD or Blu-ray players will only output 1080p signals over HDMI connections.
9. Finally, if you use a 50-inch to 60-inch diagonal HD display, and plan on sitting farther than 10 feet away from it, the 1080p display may not look any clearer than a 720p display would at that distance, however you may perceive a slightly smoother and more satisfying picture from the 1080p set. Still, we are talking subtleties here. Only if you sit 5 feet or so from a 60-inch 1080p screen will the increased clarity of 1080p be immediately apparent.
10. If you are about to purchase an HD set, then getting a 1080p display will "future-proof" your system because it will display the maximum picture resolution from HD-DVD or Blu-ray discs no matter which format "wins", and it will be capable of displaying the highest clarity possible for almost any new video delivery system coming down the pipe. Of course, as we discussed earlier, there is always something else on the horizon, including the huge palette of colors obtainable with Deep Color, which new 1080p sets will be able to access through the latest version of HDMI 1.3 connections this fall.
http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/34579/356979.html
hdtv
As many readers are aware, the "1080p" tide has been rising for at least a year and this spring it seems to have reached a new high-water mark, in part stimulated by the market appearance of new high-definition DVD players: HD-DVD and Blu-ray, recorded and studio mastered in 1080p. These two formats are not compatible (except for LG's HD-DVD/Blu-ray combo player, and a new combo unit due from Samsung), however they will play your existing DVDs.
Resisting the marketing juggernaut is never easy (we really know how to consume in the 21st century) so in the spirit of both welcoming and explaining 1080p, here are some guidelines to help you navigate the claims and counter claims:
1. What is it? "1080p" stands for 1080 progressive. It means that a video display or video source has the capability to display a high-definition video image made up of 1080 horizontal "lines" progressively scanned from the top to the bottom of the screen. Your old analog CRT set yielded about 330 lines. A standard DVD player delivers 480 lines. In techie terms, a 1080p high-definition set will display an image comprised of 1920 x 1080 pixels, or approximately 2 million pixels (a pixel is a picture element) versus a 720p image, which consists of 1280 x 720 pixels, or about 921,600 pixels. Other things being equal, the more pixels there are in an image, the greater the potential detail and clarity.
"1080p" is a refinement of HD video technology that has evolved from earlier HD displays known as 720p or 1080i (i for interlaced). The latter (720p or 1080i) are the existing standards for HD images broadcast over the air or by cable or satellite. Broadcast 1080p images are not available -- yet. But they may be some years down the road.
2. If you own or buy a new 1080p set, it will convert or upscale incoming 720p or 1080i images to 1080p. The upscaled images may look smoother and more nuanced, clearer if you will, than those viewed on a 720p set.
3. If you already own an HD set that is several years old, it will likely be a 720p model (rarely 1080i unless it's a CRT HD set), so there is no point in getting video sources that deliver a 1080p image because your video device can't display the extra pixels, unless of course you decide to replace your 720p or 1080i HDTV with a 1080p HDTV.
4. If you are deliberating about buying a new 1080p large screen display, then it will let you do two things: either sit closer to the screen than you otherwise could if you had a 720p display, or, if you decide to go for a 1080p front projector, then you could project a considerably bigger screen image that would look as clear and sharp as a 720p image viewed from twice as far back.
For very large TV displays -- 65 inches diagonal, say, or projected images of 96 or 108 inches, you would see more detail from viewing distances of 5, 8, or 9 feet, respectively. Note that 9 feet is currently the average viewing distance for TV in most homes. On the other hand, because a 1080p set has almost twice as many pixels as a 720p display, subtleties and gradations of color and texture should be better, and visible.
5. Some new AV receivers and DVD players have built-in video up-conversion and scaling to 1080p. The upconversion to 1080p done in an AV receiver is only a convenience, and may not be executed as well as the conversion performed internally in your 1080p video display or projector.
6. Note that any 1080p display or 1080p projector will, on its own, upconvert any incoming standard or high-definition video source connected to it to 1080p. You do not need to purchase an outboard scaler in an AV receiver to perform that function. Your 1080p set will do that automatically because it must in order to display the image and fill all the pixels. (Techies call the latter the set’s "native resolution" -- 1080p.)
7. You should also note that upconversion (scaling) to 1080p of standard definition (SD) video sources like regular DVDs or standard TV broadcasts will not make them look like a true HD image (720p or 1080i). They may appear smoother to the eye, but detail cannot be added by up-conversion.
8. The only sources currently available for true 1080p images are HD-DVD and Blu-ray discs, and those must be delivered from an HD-DVD or Blu-ray disc player via HDMI cables. HDMI connections carry video images as well as standard images -- and 1080p -- in digital form, whereas component video cables are analog and carry 720p or 1080i HD images. While component video cables are technically able to pass 1080p images, Hollywood studios do not permit 1080p discs to be made without the anti-piracy digital handshake code that must be passed via HDMI cables. HD-DVD or Blu-ray players will only output 1080p signals over HDMI connections.
9. Finally, if you use a 50-inch to 60-inch diagonal HD display, and plan on sitting farther than 10 feet away from it, the 1080p display may not look any clearer than a 720p display would at that distance, however you may perceive a slightly smoother and more satisfying picture from the 1080p set. Still, we are talking subtleties here. Only if you sit 5 feet or so from a 60-inch 1080p screen will the increased clarity of 1080p be immediately apparent.
10. If you are about to purchase an HD set, then getting a 1080p display will "future-proof" your system because it will display the maximum picture resolution from HD-DVD or Blu-ray discs no matter which format "wins", and it will be capable of displaying the highest clarity possible for almost any new video delivery system coming down the pipe. Of course, as we discussed earlier, there is always something else on the horizon, including the huge palette of colors obtainable with Deep Color, which new 1080p sets will be able to access through the latest version of HDMI 1.3 connections this fall.
http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/34579/356979.html
Stunning Photos With High Dynamic Range, Part 2
Use specialized software to combine images for a great effect.
If you've ever photographed an idyllic landscape and ended up with a washed-out sky and dark, underexposed blobs instead of shadows, you'll understand why photographers are falling in love with High Dynamic Range photography. HDR allows you to capture far more color, brightness, and contrast information in photos than has been possible.
Last week we talked about how to capture the series of photos that would become part of our HDR masterpiece.
Combining the Images
Shooting the series was half the battle; now it's time to combine the photos into a single image that takes all the best parts of each.
You've got a wide choice of programs to create HDR photos. Adobe Photoshop CS2, for example, has an HDR feature. So does Ulead PhotoImpact. There are also some stand-alone HDR utilities out there, like Photogenics HDR and Photomatix Pro.
I downloaded the free trial version of Photomatix Pro. There's no time limit on how long you can use the trial version, but it inscribes a watermark across each of your photos unless you pay $99 for the license.
Using Photomatix Pro
To use the program, drag your set of bracketed photos into the program window and wait for them to display. If you haven't made any HDR photos of your own yet, here are some sample source images you can use (I took these photos on a tripod in front of my house near dusk):
Choose HDR, Generate from the menu and click OK when the program asks if you want to use the open images.
In the next dialog box, select the check box to align the source images--this lines up your photos in case you were handholding the camera or the tripod moved a bit between shots--and choose the default "standard tone curve." Click OK.
After some processing time, you'll get a result. It probably won't look very good, but don't worry: The composite image holds more contrast information than a typical computer display is capable of showing. The final step is to optimize the image for the screen. Choose HDR, Tone Mapping from the menu.
On this final screen, you can tweak many aspects of the photo, such as the white and black levels, the color saturation, and contrast levels. Feel free to experiment with the settings.
Click for full image.
You'll probably find that often you can just click OK to accept the defaults; the results will look impressive without much tweaking. I used a series of five photos for my HDR image, which appears on the right.
HDR isn't perfect. Because it relies on a series of photos, it's not appropriate for action photography--or, in fact, photos in which pretty much anything moves at all. It requires meticulous setup, a tripod, enough patience to configure a series of bracketed images--and, of course, the software to glue it all together at the end. But if you can deal with those shortcomings, you can make some photos that are nothing short of stunning.
Hot Pic of the Week
Get published, get famous! Each week, we select our favorite reader-submitted photo based on creativity, originality, and technique. Every month, the best of the weekly winners gets a prize valued at between $15 and $50.
Here's how to enter: Send us your photograph in JPEG format, at a resolution no higher than 640 by 480 pixels. Entries at higher resolutions will be immediately disqualified. If necessary, use an image editing program to reduce the file size of your image before e-mailing it to us. Include the title of your photo along with a short description and how you photographed it. Don't forget to send your name, e-mail address, and postal address. Before entering, please read the full description of the contest rules and regulations.
Click for full image.
This Week's Hot Pic: "Summer Snack," by Patrick Marcigliano, Cumming, Georgia
Patrick says: "I took this shot of my daughter at a beach house after she had just come in from the beach to eat some lunch. She was hopping up and down at the table's edge, playing hide and seek with me. I just happened to catch her when she paused for just a second to see what I would do."
http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/131612
If you've ever photographed an idyllic landscape and ended up with a washed-out sky and dark, underexposed blobs instead of shadows, you'll understand why photographers are falling in love with High Dynamic Range photography. HDR allows you to capture far more color, brightness, and contrast information in photos than has been possible.
Last week we talked about how to capture the series of photos that would become part of our HDR masterpiece.
Combining the Images
Shooting the series was half the battle; now it's time to combine the photos into a single image that takes all the best parts of each.
You've got a wide choice of programs to create HDR photos. Adobe Photoshop CS2, for example, has an HDR feature. So does Ulead PhotoImpact. There are also some stand-alone HDR utilities out there, like Photogenics HDR and Photomatix Pro.
I downloaded the free trial version of Photomatix Pro. There's no time limit on how long you can use the trial version, but it inscribes a watermark across each of your photos unless you pay $99 for the license.
Using Photomatix Pro
To use the program, drag your set of bracketed photos into the program window and wait for them to display. If you haven't made any HDR photos of your own yet, here are some sample source images you can use (I took these photos on a tripod in front of my house near dusk):
Choose HDR, Generate from the menu and click OK when the program asks if you want to use the open images.
In the next dialog box, select the check box to align the source images--this lines up your photos in case you were handholding the camera or the tripod moved a bit between shots--and choose the default "standard tone curve." Click OK.
After some processing time, you'll get a result. It probably won't look very good, but don't worry: The composite image holds more contrast information than a typical computer display is capable of showing. The final step is to optimize the image for the screen. Choose HDR, Tone Mapping from the menu.
On this final screen, you can tweak many aspects of the photo, such as the white and black levels, the color saturation, and contrast levels. Feel free to experiment with the settings.
Click for full image.
You'll probably find that often you can just click OK to accept the defaults; the results will look impressive without much tweaking. I used a series of five photos for my HDR image, which appears on the right.
HDR isn't perfect. Because it relies on a series of photos, it's not appropriate for action photography--or, in fact, photos in which pretty much anything moves at all. It requires meticulous setup, a tripod, enough patience to configure a series of bracketed images--and, of course, the software to glue it all together at the end. But if you can deal with those shortcomings, you can make some photos that are nothing short of stunning.
Hot Pic of the Week
Get published, get famous! Each week, we select our favorite reader-submitted photo based on creativity, originality, and technique. Every month, the best of the weekly winners gets a prize valued at between $15 and $50.
Here's how to enter: Send us your photograph in JPEG format, at a resolution no higher than 640 by 480 pixels. Entries at higher resolutions will be immediately disqualified. If necessary, use an image editing program to reduce the file size of your image before e-mailing it to us. Include the title of your photo along with a short description and how you photographed it. Don't forget to send your name, e-mail address, and postal address. Before entering, please read the full description of the contest rules and regulations.
Click for full image.
This Week's Hot Pic: "Summer Snack," by Patrick Marcigliano, Cumming, Georgia
Patrick says: "I took this shot of my daughter at a beach house after she had just come in from the beach to eat some lunch. She was hopping up and down at the table's edge, playing hide and seek with me. I just happened to catch her when she paused for just a second to see what I would do."
http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/131612
Monday, May 28, 2007
Roundup of Universal Audio Players
A universal audio player is a machine that will play four distinct music-delivery formats: DVD-Video (which can be used for audio only), DVD-Audio, SACD, and compact disc. Each has its specific requirements -- some of which necessitate a unique set of hardware specifications -- that enable it to interface with your system. Although it has been heralded for quite a while now, and there have been sightings (much like the Loch Ness Monster up to this point), universal players are available now from several manufacturers, and in time for the Christmas buying season.
You can think of the universal audio player as, first and foremost, a DVD player. This will make its use comfortable for most consumers once they get used to a few additional connections and operational differences. The DVD-Video performance will be identical to what you’re used to with your DVD player. You’ll connect to your TV using composite, component, or S-video cables, which will allow the video portion of the signal to get to your monitor.
The universal audio player will have a digital output for the audio signal that will interface with the digital input on a receiver or A/V processor (or digital-to-analog converter for pure two-channel audio). This digital output will send a signal encoded with Dolby Digital or DTS surround sound for your external decoder to unravel. There will also be two-channel analog outputs for conventional stereo playback, if you choose to use it that way. All this is standard operating procedure for DVD, and is carried over to universal audio players. But there’s more.
The differences come in when playing back multichannel DVD-Audio and SACD. With a few exceptions (which will be explained below), these formats interface with the outside world via a set of six-channel analog outputs. These six cables (usually RCA types) carry the full 5.1 signal -- front left and right, center, left and right surround, and subwoofer (or LFE, for low-frequency effects). They must have a corresponding six-channel input, which can be found on most modern receivers, A/V processors, and purpose-built multichannel preamps. The six-channel analog outputs will carry DVD-Audio, SACD, and an internally decoded Dolby Digital or DTS signal.
Note on the Dolby Digital and DTS signal via the six-channel outputs: Most older DVD players relied exclusively on external decoders for this function, but universal audio players have internal decoding. This internal processing can be utilized via the six-channel outputs, which will take the place of the digital connection to external decoders such as a receiver. It’s your choice which to use. Since I use a multichannel preamp (without its own decoding), I use my source player’s internal decoding exclusively. If you’re using six-channel outputs, it is redundant to use the digital connection too, unless there are specific processing features in your receiver or AV processor not present in the universal audio player that you wish to use.
Choices, choices
Below is a listing of currently available universal audio players. You’ll have to check with your local dealer, but at the time of this writing, these were readily available (or will be very soon) in most markets.
Pioneer should be credited for blazing the trail for universal audio players. Though their first player, the DV-AX10 ($5000, when available), did not play back multichannel SACD (instead, SACD via this machine was two-channel only), it was compatible with all the formats listed above. More importantly, it was almost two years ahead of its time. Pioneer’s current offerings are the DV-47Ai ($1200) and DV-45A ($700). Both players offer a full suite of features, including 192kHz/24-bit audio DACs, PureCinema progressive-scan video, and full bass management. The DV-47Ai adds a proprietary digital output (for SACD and DVD-A) for use with Pioneer’s upscale receivers. It should be noted that the "i-link" will not currently interface with other manufacturers’ gear.
Onkyo has in its stable the DV-SP800 ($1000). Features include 192kHz/24-bit audio DACs and the company’s proprietary Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry (VLSC), which was included "to remove unwanted pulse noise for a smoother analog output signal." The DV-SP800 is Onkyo’s top-of-the-line DVD-Video player as well, evidenced by 108MHz/12-bit video D/A converters.
On the upper end of the price scale for the players included in this list is the Marantz DV8300 ($1600). The host of performance-enhancing features includes Cirrus Logic 192kHz/24-bit digital-to-analog conversion, Marantz's proprietary HDAM (High-Definition Amplifier Module) output stages, as well as "a separate power transformer for the audio circuit, and a zero-impedance copper grounding plate for the analog multichannel output." Marantz specifies the DV8300 with "full bass management for DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, and SACD discs."
Although scant little information is available on the Teac/Esoteric DV-50 at this time, it is undoubtedly the most ambitious of the universal audio players currently available. Built like the proverbial tank in the best Esoteric tradition, the DV-50 includes user-selectable digital filters and a chassis designed to provide shock-resistant playback of all the currently available audio formats. As can be garnered from the DV-50's $5500 price -- and evidenced by its almost 50-pound net weight -- it is a serious machine. 200212_yamaha.jpg (11611 bytes)Look for a review here in 2003.
The Yamaha DVD-S2300 ($1000) sports a host of audio/video goodies such as Faroudja’s DCDi video processing (the only universal audio player with such capability) and full bass management. The player’s hefty build quality, especially for the price, has garnered the player a ton of pre-production Internet buzz. The gold finish in the picture may or may not be available in North America; write Yamaha and tell them you want it!
200212_integra.jpg (8237 bytes)Integra has come to the party with the THX Ultra Certified DPS-8.3. Equipped with 192kHz/24-bit audio DACs and built-in Dolby Digital and DTS decoding, the Integra has some features designed purely to augment audio performance. For example, critical signals are routed through heavy-gauge cables (as opposed to circuit boards, which are prone to noise pickup according to Integra). The DPA-8.3 retails for $1200, and it's another player you'll see reviewed on SoundStage! in 2003.
There are several more players from various manufacturers that I am unclear about in terms of availability and/or actual production. The Apex Digital AD-7701 was a second-generation machine. There’s been a promised replacement, but I have not seen one. Luxman was reportedly producing two players as well, but I have not turned up any availability in North America. I expect more players to crop up at next year’s CES, and of course the SoundStage! Network will report on all of them.
Universal audio players are an exciting development for those looking to be surrounded by all the currently available multichannel-music formats. But please check with each manufacturer to ensure that a particular player’s bass-management functions will satisfy your system’s needs. If not, you can use the Outlaw Audio ICBM to compensate for any deficiencies.
http://www.soundstage.com/surrounded/surrounded200212.htm
You can think of the universal audio player as, first and foremost, a DVD player. This will make its use comfortable for most consumers once they get used to a few additional connections and operational differences. The DVD-Video performance will be identical to what you’re used to with your DVD player. You’ll connect to your TV using composite, component, or S-video cables, which will allow the video portion of the signal to get to your monitor.
The universal audio player will have a digital output for the audio signal that will interface with the digital input on a receiver or A/V processor (or digital-to-analog converter for pure two-channel audio). This digital output will send a signal encoded with Dolby Digital or DTS surround sound for your external decoder to unravel. There will also be two-channel analog outputs for conventional stereo playback, if you choose to use it that way. All this is standard operating procedure for DVD, and is carried over to universal audio players. But there’s more.
The differences come in when playing back multichannel DVD-Audio and SACD. With a few exceptions (which will be explained below), these formats interface with the outside world via a set of six-channel analog outputs. These six cables (usually RCA types) carry the full 5.1 signal -- front left and right, center, left and right surround, and subwoofer (or LFE, for low-frequency effects). They must have a corresponding six-channel input, which can be found on most modern receivers, A/V processors, and purpose-built multichannel preamps. The six-channel analog outputs will carry DVD-Audio, SACD, and an internally decoded Dolby Digital or DTS signal.
Note on the Dolby Digital and DTS signal via the six-channel outputs: Most older DVD players relied exclusively on external decoders for this function, but universal audio players have internal decoding. This internal processing can be utilized via the six-channel outputs, which will take the place of the digital connection to external decoders such as a receiver. It’s your choice which to use. Since I use a multichannel preamp (without its own decoding), I use my source player’s internal decoding exclusively. If you’re using six-channel outputs, it is redundant to use the digital connection too, unless there are specific processing features in your receiver or AV processor not present in the universal audio player that you wish to use.
Choices, choices
Below is a listing of currently available universal audio players. You’ll have to check with your local dealer, but at the time of this writing, these were readily available (or will be very soon) in most markets.
Pioneer should be credited for blazing the trail for universal audio players. Though their first player, the DV-AX10 ($5000, when available), did not play back multichannel SACD (instead, SACD via this machine was two-channel only), it was compatible with all the formats listed above. More importantly, it was almost two years ahead of its time. Pioneer’s current offerings are the DV-47Ai ($1200) and DV-45A ($700). Both players offer a full suite of features, including 192kHz/24-bit audio DACs, PureCinema progressive-scan video, and full bass management. The DV-47Ai adds a proprietary digital output (for SACD and DVD-A) for use with Pioneer’s upscale receivers. It should be noted that the "i-link" will not currently interface with other manufacturers’ gear.
Onkyo has in its stable the DV-SP800 ($1000). Features include 192kHz/24-bit audio DACs and the company’s proprietary Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry (VLSC), which was included "to remove unwanted pulse noise for a smoother analog output signal." The DV-SP800 is Onkyo’s top-of-the-line DVD-Video player as well, evidenced by 108MHz/12-bit video D/A converters.
On the upper end of the price scale for the players included in this list is the Marantz DV8300 ($1600). The host of performance-enhancing features includes Cirrus Logic 192kHz/24-bit digital-to-analog conversion, Marantz's proprietary HDAM (High-Definition Amplifier Module) output stages, as well as "a separate power transformer for the audio circuit, and a zero-impedance copper grounding plate for the analog multichannel output." Marantz specifies the DV8300 with "full bass management for DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, and SACD discs."
Although scant little information is available on the Teac/Esoteric DV-50 at this time, it is undoubtedly the most ambitious of the universal audio players currently available. Built like the proverbial tank in the best Esoteric tradition, the DV-50 includes user-selectable digital filters and a chassis designed to provide shock-resistant playback of all the currently available audio formats. As can be garnered from the DV-50's $5500 price -- and evidenced by its almost 50-pound net weight -- it is a serious machine. 200212_yamaha.jpg (11611 bytes)Look for a review here in 2003.
The Yamaha DVD-S2300 ($1000) sports a host of audio/video goodies such as Faroudja’s DCDi video processing (the only universal audio player with such capability) and full bass management. The player’s hefty build quality, especially for the price, has garnered the player a ton of pre-production Internet buzz. The gold finish in the picture may or may not be available in North America; write Yamaha and tell them you want it!
200212_integra.jpg (8237 bytes)Integra has come to the party with the THX Ultra Certified DPS-8.3. Equipped with 192kHz/24-bit audio DACs and built-in Dolby Digital and DTS decoding, the Integra has some features designed purely to augment audio performance. For example, critical signals are routed through heavy-gauge cables (as opposed to circuit boards, which are prone to noise pickup according to Integra). The DPA-8.3 retails for $1200, and it's another player you'll see reviewed on SoundStage! in 2003.
There are several more players from various manufacturers that I am unclear about in terms of availability and/or actual production. The Apex Digital AD-7701 was a second-generation machine. There’s been a promised replacement, but I have not seen one. Luxman was reportedly producing two players as well, but I have not turned up any availability in North America. I expect more players to crop up at next year’s CES, and of course the SoundStage! Network will report on all of them.
Universal audio players are an exciting development for those looking to be surrounded by all the currently available multichannel-music formats. But please check with each manufacturer to ensure that a particular player’s bass-management functions will satisfy your system’s needs. If not, you can use the Outlaw Audio ICBM to compensate for any deficiencies.
http://www.soundstage.com/surrounded/surrounded200212.htm
Put the Compact Disc Out of Its Misery
This spring, the compact disc celebrates the 20th anniversary of its arrival in stores, which puts the once-revolutionary music format two decades behind Moore's Law. The IBM PC, introduced about a year and a half earlier, has been revved up a thousandfold in performance since 1983. But the CD has whiled away the time, coasting on its Reagan-era breakthroughs in digital recording and storage. The two technologies, the PC and the CD, merged not long after their debuts—try to buy a computer without a disc player. But the relationship has become a dysfunctional one. The computer long ago outgrew its stagnant partner.
To the new generation of music artists and engineers, "CD-quality sound" is an ironic joke. In recording studios, today's musicians produce their works digitally at resolutions far beyond the grainy old CD standard. To make the sounds listenable on antiquarian CD players, the final mix is retrofitted to compact disc specs by stripping it of billions of bits' worth of musical detail and dynamics. It's like filming a movie in IMAX and then broadcasting it only to black-and-white TV sets.
It doesn't have to be this way. The modern recording studio is built around computers, Macs or PCs. Beefed up with high-performance analog-to-digital converters and super-sized disk drives, they digitize music up to 192,000 times per second, storing it as 24-bit data samples. That "192/24" standard captures more than a thousand times as much detail as the CD's "44.1/16" resolution. Moreover, this music data is just another computer file, an icon on a desktop. Double-click it, and it plays. It would play on your home computer, too, if you could get your hands on it. All you would need to enjoy studio-quality sound at home are high-end speakers or an amplifier with digital connections to your computer. That's the "digital hub" scenario touted by Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and others. Plug everything into a home network, load up the computer with tunes, and press play from anywhere in the house. A three-minute pop song in 192/24 format fills about 200 megabytes of hard-disk space, which means Dell's latest 200-gigabyte drive could hold nearly a thousand of them.
But instead of gearing up for digital home hubs, record companies have rolled out two more shiny-disc formats: DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD. Both sound great, but you're forgiven if you haven't heard of them. Following the radical makeover of consumer electronics in the past two decades, these discs have wandered in like Rip Van Winkle, unaware how behind the times they are.
In sound quality, at least, each disc brings the listening experience up to modern standards. DVD-A, developed by an audio industry working group, pumps up the old CD format 500 to 1,000 times in data density to match that now used in studios. SACD, on the other hand, is based on a new form of digital recording developed by Sony and Philips that converts sound waves into bits (and back again) more smoothly. Both bring studio data to the listener, bit for bit, and include extra surround-sound channels for home-theater systems. Properly engineered, their improvement over CD sound is striking. Can the average person hear the difference? Instantly. As Fred Kaplan noted this past summer in Slate, it's enough to make you buy new speakers.
Yet both kinds of discs, despite being developed in the 'Net-head late '90s, are odd throwbacks to the pre-PC era. Most obviously, they're the same size as the original CD. Can you name any other digital device that hasn't shrunk in 20 years? The players for them are bulky, closer in size to Sony's first CD decks than to Apple's iPod, which holds 400 albums rather than just one.
Flip one of the players over, and you'll find another retro sight: analog output jacks. To prevent buyers from running off bit-for-bit copies of the new discs, gear-makers have agreed not to put digital ports on either DVD-A or SACD players. Yet old-fashioned analog connections erode pristine digital sound and are prone to interference from televisions, lights, and computers—the objects they'll be placed next to in modern homes.
The real deal-breaker is that a stand-alone player is the only kind available. By manufacturers' consensus, there won't be any network ports on the players, nor will there be any DVD-A or SACD drives available for computers. Some makers are promising a digital link from the player to a home-theater console, but it'll be deliberately incompatible with any of the jacks on a computer. In bringing the CD up to date with the PC, the music industry is also trying to split the two technologies asunder again.
It's no wonder that gearheads who buy the latest, greatest everything have ignored DVD-A and SACD in favor of MP3 players and CD burners. Computer-friendly music formats let you archive hundreds of albums on a laptop, create custom playlists that draw from your entire collection, and download them to portable players smaller than a single CD jewel box. Today's fans want their music in a form that fits the pocket-sized, personalized, interconnected world of their computers, cameras, phones, and PDAs. Asking digital consumers to give that power back in exchange for a better-sounding disc is like offering them a phonograph needle.
Paul Boutin is Wired's managing editor for blogs.
http://slate.msn.com/toolbar.aspx?action=print&id=2076336
To the new generation of music artists and engineers, "CD-quality sound" is an ironic joke. In recording studios, today's musicians produce their works digitally at resolutions far beyond the grainy old CD standard. To make the sounds listenable on antiquarian CD players, the final mix is retrofitted to compact disc specs by stripping it of billions of bits' worth of musical detail and dynamics. It's like filming a movie in IMAX and then broadcasting it only to black-and-white TV sets.
It doesn't have to be this way. The modern recording studio is built around computers, Macs or PCs. Beefed up with high-performance analog-to-digital converters and super-sized disk drives, they digitize music up to 192,000 times per second, storing it as 24-bit data samples. That "192/24" standard captures more than a thousand times as much detail as the CD's "44.1/16" resolution. Moreover, this music data is just another computer file, an icon on a desktop. Double-click it, and it plays. It would play on your home computer, too, if you could get your hands on it. All you would need to enjoy studio-quality sound at home are high-end speakers or an amplifier with digital connections to your computer. That's the "digital hub" scenario touted by Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and others. Plug everything into a home network, load up the computer with tunes, and press play from anywhere in the house. A three-minute pop song in 192/24 format fills about 200 megabytes of hard-disk space, which means Dell's latest 200-gigabyte drive could hold nearly a thousand of them.
But instead of gearing up for digital home hubs, record companies have rolled out two more shiny-disc formats: DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD. Both sound great, but you're forgiven if you haven't heard of them. Following the radical makeover of consumer electronics in the past two decades, these discs have wandered in like Rip Van Winkle, unaware how behind the times they are.
In sound quality, at least, each disc brings the listening experience up to modern standards. DVD-A, developed by an audio industry working group, pumps up the old CD format 500 to 1,000 times in data density to match that now used in studios. SACD, on the other hand, is based on a new form of digital recording developed by Sony and Philips that converts sound waves into bits (and back again) more smoothly. Both bring studio data to the listener, bit for bit, and include extra surround-sound channels for home-theater systems. Properly engineered, their improvement over CD sound is striking. Can the average person hear the difference? Instantly. As Fred Kaplan noted this past summer in Slate, it's enough to make you buy new speakers.
Yet both kinds of discs, despite being developed in the 'Net-head late '90s, are odd throwbacks to the pre-PC era. Most obviously, they're the same size as the original CD. Can you name any other digital device that hasn't shrunk in 20 years? The players for them are bulky, closer in size to Sony's first CD decks than to Apple's iPod, which holds 400 albums rather than just one.
Flip one of the players over, and you'll find another retro sight: analog output jacks. To prevent buyers from running off bit-for-bit copies of the new discs, gear-makers have agreed not to put digital ports on either DVD-A or SACD players. Yet old-fashioned analog connections erode pristine digital sound and are prone to interference from televisions, lights, and computers—the objects they'll be placed next to in modern homes.
The real deal-breaker is that a stand-alone player is the only kind available. By manufacturers' consensus, there won't be any network ports on the players, nor will there be any DVD-A or SACD drives available for computers. Some makers are promising a digital link from the player to a home-theater console, but it'll be deliberately incompatible with any of the jacks on a computer. In bringing the CD up to date with the PC, the music industry is also trying to split the two technologies asunder again.
It's no wonder that gearheads who buy the latest, greatest everything have ignored DVD-A and SACD in favor of MP3 players and CD burners. Computer-friendly music formats let you archive hundreds of albums on a laptop, create custom playlists that draw from your entire collection, and download them to portable players smaller than a single CD jewel box. Today's fans want their music in a form that fits the pocket-sized, personalized, interconnected world of their computers, cameras, phones, and PDAs. Asking digital consumers to give that power back in exchange for a better-sounding disc is like offering them a phonograph needle.
Paul Boutin is Wired's managing editor for blogs.
http://slate.msn.com/toolbar.aspx?action=print&id=2076336
How to Transform a CD-ROM Drive into a Car CD Player
To be used as CD player, the CD-ROM drive doesn't need to be connected to the computer. This way, it is possible to easily transform a CD-ROM drive into a Car CD player. Sounds crazy? Not so. With this tutorial you will be able to have a CD player in your car without spending almost anything.
The CD-ROM drive to be use may be of any type, from the first models ("1x") until the most modern ones ("60x"). The only prerequisite is that the drive needs to have is an earphone plug and volume control. And practically all CD-ROM drives have that.
There are two great advantages in transforming a CD-ROM drive into a Car CD player. First, who will want to break your car window to take CD-ROM drive? And, secondly, since any type of CD-ROM drive can be used, you may take an old drive that is just dusting away in your house (for instance, a 2x drive from an old 386 computer), which brings the cost down to almost nothing.
To install a CD-ROM drive in the car, you will need a female power plug, to be used to fit into CD-ROM drive power plug (that plug can be cut from an old power supply) and a voltage regulating integrated circuit called 7805, that may be easily found at electronic parts stores. You will also have to buy a heat dissipator for the 7805 (sold at the same store).
The car battery is a 12 V one, but the CD-ROM drive needs two voltages to work: 12 V and 5 V. The 7805 circuit is able to convert a 12 V voltage into 5 V (its pin 1 is for the input, its pin 2 is the grounding, and its pin 3 is the 5 V exit). Figure 1 shows the plan for the connection. The grounding pin should be connected to the wires of the plug grounding and the negative pole of the car battery, what is done by simply connecting that pin to the metallic body of the car.
All you have to do is to make the connections shown in the above schematics (don't forget to isolate all connections with insulating tape) and you are set: you will have a CD-ROM drive working as CD player in your car.
The audio output will be made using the earphone plug. To listen to a CD, you will have to use earphones. To have the sound come through the speakers of the car, you will have to buy an amplifier with RCA inputs and a stereo P2 (mini jack) x stereo RCA cable (the same type of cable used to connect Discman units to amplifiers). The stereo P2 plug (also known as mini jack), which is the one used for the earphones, should be fit at the earphone output of the CD-ROM drive, while the RCA plugs should be fit at the input of the amplifier. The volume control will be made using the volume control in the CD-ROM drive.
A last warning: in most CD-ROM drives, the reproduction button (play) and the advance button (skip) are on the same key. In other words, to skip a track, all you have to do is to press the play button.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the CD-ROM drive in use as a car CD player reproduce MP3 files?
No. If not connected to a computer, the CD-ROM drive will only work to play audio CDs. Music CDs in the MP3 format are recorded in the CD-ROM format. To read it, the unit forcibly needs to be connected to a computer. MP3 songs are not played by the CD-ROM drive, but rather by the sound card of the computer, and the machine processor is responsible for transforming the MP3 format into an audio format. Car CD players that play MP3 have a dedicated processor capable of reading the CD-ROM format and of converting MP3 files into audio ones. Since the common CD-ROM drive doesn't have such processor, it can not play MP3 files.
Can the same adaptation be made so CDs may be played in a domestic sound system?
Yes. To do so, the sound system must have an auxiliary input channel. However, to prevent the sound from getting distorted, you will have to use the audio output at the back of the CD-ROM drive and nor the earphone output, as mentioned last week. To do this, you will have to take the audio output cable from the CD-ROM drive and solder two RCA plugs - a black or white one (left channel) and a red or yellow one (right channel) – at the end that should be connected to the sound card of the computer. If you don't know how to do that, contact an electronics technician. To feed the CD-ROM drive you may use a power source from an old PC. One important detail: AT power sources have an on-off switch, but the ATX ones don't. If you will use an ATX power source, you will have to make a pin-14 connection (green wire), from the main plug of the source to any black wire to turn it on.
Won't the CD oscillate too much?
That will depend on the unit used (its manufacturer and model). Of course you cannot expect a CD-ROM drive to have the same stability of a car CD player. Remember that our tip is to assemble a car CD player spending nothing (or almost nothing). If you used our tip it is because you are possibly not willing to buy a car CD player.
Why should the connection between the CD-ROM unit and the amplifier be made using the ear phone output and not the one at the back of the unit?
That is because car amplifiers don't usually have volume control. If you use the output at the back of the CD-ROM drive – which doesn't have volume control either – the sound from the amplifier will always be at its loudest. We believe that this is not convenient. If you should use the output at the back of the CD-ROM drive only if you are to connect it to a pre-amplifier, equalizer, mixer, or home sound system, since they have volume control.
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/71/2
The CD-ROM drive to be use may be of any type, from the first models ("1x") until the most modern ones ("60x"). The only prerequisite is that the drive needs to have is an earphone plug and volume control. And practically all CD-ROM drives have that.
There are two great advantages in transforming a CD-ROM drive into a Car CD player. First, who will want to break your car window to take CD-ROM drive? And, secondly, since any type of CD-ROM drive can be used, you may take an old drive that is just dusting away in your house (for instance, a 2x drive from an old 386 computer), which brings the cost down to almost nothing.
To install a CD-ROM drive in the car, you will need a female power plug, to be used to fit into CD-ROM drive power plug (that plug can be cut from an old power supply) and a voltage regulating integrated circuit called 7805, that may be easily found at electronic parts stores. You will also have to buy a heat dissipator for the 7805 (sold at the same store).
The car battery is a 12 V one, but the CD-ROM drive needs two voltages to work: 12 V and 5 V. The 7805 circuit is able to convert a 12 V voltage into 5 V (its pin 1 is for the input, its pin 2 is the grounding, and its pin 3 is the 5 V exit). Figure 1 shows the plan for the connection. The grounding pin should be connected to the wires of the plug grounding and the negative pole of the car battery, what is done by simply connecting that pin to the metallic body of the car.
All you have to do is to make the connections shown in the above schematics (don't forget to isolate all connections with insulating tape) and you are set: you will have a CD-ROM drive working as CD player in your car.
The audio output will be made using the earphone plug. To listen to a CD, you will have to use earphones. To have the sound come through the speakers of the car, you will have to buy an amplifier with RCA inputs and a stereo P2 (mini jack) x stereo RCA cable (the same type of cable used to connect Discman units to amplifiers). The stereo P2 plug (also known as mini jack), which is the one used for the earphones, should be fit at the earphone output of the CD-ROM drive, while the RCA plugs should be fit at the input of the amplifier. The volume control will be made using the volume control in the CD-ROM drive.
A last warning: in most CD-ROM drives, the reproduction button (play) and the advance button (skip) are on the same key. In other words, to skip a track, all you have to do is to press the play button.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the CD-ROM drive in use as a car CD player reproduce MP3 files?
No. If not connected to a computer, the CD-ROM drive will only work to play audio CDs. Music CDs in the MP3 format are recorded in the CD-ROM format. To read it, the unit forcibly needs to be connected to a computer. MP3 songs are not played by the CD-ROM drive, but rather by the sound card of the computer, and the machine processor is responsible for transforming the MP3 format into an audio format. Car CD players that play MP3 have a dedicated processor capable of reading the CD-ROM format and of converting MP3 files into audio ones. Since the common CD-ROM drive doesn't have such processor, it can not play MP3 files.
Can the same adaptation be made so CDs may be played in a domestic sound system?
Yes. To do so, the sound system must have an auxiliary input channel. However, to prevent the sound from getting distorted, you will have to use the audio output at the back of the CD-ROM drive and nor the earphone output, as mentioned last week. To do this, you will have to take the audio output cable from the CD-ROM drive and solder two RCA plugs - a black or white one (left channel) and a red or yellow one (right channel) – at the end that should be connected to the sound card of the computer. If you don't know how to do that, contact an electronics technician. To feed the CD-ROM drive you may use a power source from an old PC. One important detail: AT power sources have an on-off switch, but the ATX ones don't. If you will use an ATX power source, you will have to make a pin-14 connection (green wire), from the main plug of the source to any black wire to turn it on.
Won't the CD oscillate too much?
That will depend on the unit used (its manufacturer and model). Of course you cannot expect a CD-ROM drive to have the same stability of a car CD player. Remember that our tip is to assemble a car CD player spending nothing (or almost nothing). If you used our tip it is because you are possibly not willing to buy a car CD player.
Why should the connection between the CD-ROM unit and the amplifier be made using the ear phone output and not the one at the back of the unit?
That is because car amplifiers don't usually have volume control. If you use the output at the back of the CD-ROM drive – which doesn't have volume control either – the sound from the amplifier will always be at its loudest. We believe that this is not convenient. If you should use the output at the back of the CD-ROM drive only if you are to connect it to a pre-amplifier, equalizer, mixer, or home sound system, since they have volume control.
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/71/2
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