Am I crazy or is this a brilliant idea?
EndersShadow
Posts: 17,579
So I have been thinking over and over again about my car setup for audio (see sig).
I am seeing lots more digital media player hit the market instead of new CD players....
So I had a thought........
What if I bought a cheap (CL or Goodwill) netbook, loaded it with XMBC (on a USB drive), and a Windows Media Remote. I then purchase a USB to RCA DAC, and found a used car equalizer that accepts RCA (or would I even need one ?).
Using that setup I could keep all my music (and even maybe movies) on the computer, and play it through my car amps.
Even better I could take it with me to just about any new car (or freinds house) I got and it would work.....
Am I crazy to be thinking this?
I am seeing lots more digital media player hit the market instead of new CD players....
So I had a thought........
What if I bought a cheap (CL or Goodwill) netbook, loaded it with XMBC (on a USB drive), and a Windows Media Remote. I then purchase a USB to RCA DAC, and found a used car equalizer that accepts RCA (or would I even need one ?).
Using that setup I could keep all my music (and even maybe movies) on the computer, and play it through my car amps.
Even better I could take it with me to just about any new car (or freinds house) I got and it would work.....
Am I crazy to be thinking this?
"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
Post edited by EndersShadow on
Comments
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It would work, sure. However, if you wanted to change songs or needed to navigate the thing while driving, it think it would be a nightmare. I think you would be better off with a nice double DIN head unit that has iPod control built in. You can use an iPod for movies and music, and having the control on the head unit works well.
I use a Kenwood DNX8120 with an iPod Classic 160GB (I have a lot of music, and I like to keep the compression minimal). I am very happy with this setup, and find that it works well. Oh, and units like this already have a quality 10-band EQ built in if you wanted to use it; I personally don't. -
It would work, sure. However, if you wanted to change songs or needed to navigate the thing while driving, it think it would be a nightmare.
Thats what the windows media remote would be for. Just like using your CD players remote.It would work, sure. However, if you wanted to change songs or needed to navigate the thing while driving, it think it would be a nightmare. I think you would be better off with a nice double DIN head unit that has iPod control built in. You can use an iPod for movies and music, and having the control on the head unit works well.
I use a Kenwood DNX8120 with an iPod Classic 160GB (I have a lot of music, and I like to keep the compression minimal). I am very happy with this setup, and find that it works well. Oh, and units like this already have a quality 10-band EQ built in if you wanted to use it; I personally don't.
Dont have an Ipod (which is part of the problem) and dont really want to get one. I have a Zune HD and love both it and the software that goes with it (but there is beyond limited accessories that work with it).
Going to play around and see what I can do.....
Thinking a small netbook running XMBC via flash drive, and possibly a 7" USB monitor to display whats playing, ect....."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
I'm wondering if a line driver might be needed as well...
I'm curious...do any netbooks have a digital output? -
I'm wondering if a line driver might be needed as well...
I'm curious...do any netbooks have a digital output?
Not that I am aware of, hence wanting/needing the Async USB to RCA converter, although some of those come with Optical or Coaxial (which I wouldnt need here)...
Think I have the netbook on lock:
http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/sys/2456743158.html
Its got 3 USB ports (1 for Windows Media Center Remote, 1 for external LCD display, 1 for USB to RCA DAC."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
EndersShadow wrote: »So I have been thinking over and over again about my car setup for audio (see sig).
I am seeing lots more digital media player hit the market instead of new CD players....
So I had a thought........
What if I bought a cheap (CL or Goodwill) netbook, loaded it with XMBC (on a USB drive), and a Windows Media Remote. I then purchase a USB to RCA DAC, and found a used car equalizer that accepts RCA (or would I even need one ?).
Using that setup I could keep all my music (and even maybe movies) on the computer, and play it through my car amps.
Even better I could take it with me to
Am I crazy to be thinking this?
I had a JVC AVX840
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&biw=1260&bih=619&q=jvc+avx840&safe=active&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=17419047544627453195&sa=X&ei=8LAxTrjBA4K3twehg72JDQ&ved=0CC8Q8wIwAw#
You could hook a jump drive or hard drive to the usb port. It also had an sd card slot. This might be a more viable solution. You would not net a netbook or anything. Just carry your usb thumb drive or hard drive and and SD card around with you and keep going. Simple and easy. -
I had a JVC AVX840
You could hook a jump drive or hard drive to the usb port. It also had an sd card slot. This might be a more viable solution. You would not net a netbook or anything. Just carry your usb thumb drive or hard drive and and SD card around with you and keep going. Simple and easy.
I can connect a USB drive to my current setup....my thoughts are more about being able to play FLAC files over compressed MP3's, and also be able to use hotspots for wi-fi, ect..."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
Ok, so pretty much, you just need a devices that is capable of playing hi-rez files and sending it into you radio?
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A friend and I were messing around with such an idea back in 1997 for a project for college. Only we were using a home built interface/remote system and winamp (it really whips the llama's ****). It worked but it was clunky.
But you're still crazy.Expert Moron Extraordinaire
You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you! -
Ok, so pretty much, you just need a devices that is capable of playing hi-rez files and sending it into you radio?
Well, looking more into replacing the headunit entirely.
I dont need it for amplification (since I use my external Sundown amps), so basically I just need it to decode the audio.
Using a laptop running XMBC give me flexibility to run just about any format I would want, I can tweak the EQ a bit through the laptop, but the amps do most of that, and its portable......
I would leave the Headunit I have in the car. I might even leave it connected if there was a good way to just switch RCA inputs in my car (so I could flip between the netbook and the CD player)....
I already have 3 sets of RCA's running into the trunk and one of them is currently not being used (went from a 4 channel amp running fronts and rears to a 2 channel running fronts).....
Found a very decent netbook w/ SSD for a decent price. Going to see if I can aquire that one since I would get both a nice little netbook (for vacations for web only mostly) that would also run XBMC and probably be able to hold all my music files both now and in the future...."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
EndersShadow wrote: »Well, looking more into replacing the headunit entirely.
I dont need it for amplification (since I use my external Sundown amps), so basically I just need it to decode the audio.
Using a laptop running XMBC give me flexibility to run just about any format I would want, I can tweak the EQ a bit through the laptop, but the amps do most of that, and its portable......
I would leave the Headunit I have in the car. I might even leave it connected if there was a good way to just switch RCA inputs in my car (so I could flip between the netbook and the CD player)....
I already have 3 sets of RCA's running into the trunk and one of them is currently not being used (went from a 4 channel amp running fronts and rears to a 2 channel running fronts).....
Found a very decent netbook w/ SSD for a decent price. Going to see if I can aquire that one since I would get both a nice little netbook (for vacations for web only mostly) that would also run XBMC and probably be able to hold all my music files both now and in the future....
Can you fit a double din? Why not get the 7 inch touchscreen. It will take care of everything you need. Instead of getting an external monitor get a usb to composite to plug the video to the video input of the HU. run your dac to the audio part of that input. You should be good to go. I have friends that have played around with building a small car pc. Its a nice Idea. I think the double din will kill two birds with one stone and then your still able to switch back to cd if your want or even dvd if you have concerts on DVD. -
Can you fit a double din? Why not get the 7 inch touchscreen. It will take care of everything you need. Instead of getting an external monitor get a usb to composite to plug the video to the video input of the HU. run your dac to the audio part of that input. You should be good to go. I have friends that have played around with building a small car pc. Its a nice Idea. I think the double din will kill two birds with one stone and then your still able to switch back to cd if your want or even dvd if you have concerts on DVD.
I am pretty sure I cant fit a double din in my Jetta
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Plus I figure the more things I put in the loop the more the signal could be affected.
Still thinking this out and might get one of the netbooks on my list just to tinker around with. Worse case it doesnt work out and I still end up with a netbook
Plus I have a Windows Media Remote at my house I am not really using, so I could re-purpose that and to start with just put my music on it and run it through the 3.5m Aux port (till I could get the DAC).
Not the best solution audio wise, but it would be a start...."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
EndersShadow wrote: »I am pretty sure I cant fit a double din in my Jetta.
Plus I figure the more things I put in the loop the more the signal could be affected.
Still thinking this out and might get one of the netbooks on my list just to tinker around with. Worse case it doesnt work out and I still end up with a netbook
Single Din flipouts are always an option but I understand about the signal path. You kind of have me wanting to try this idea out now. I would probably build a standalone unit that could fit in the center console. -
Single Din flipouts are always an option but I understand about the signal path. You kind of have me wanting to try this idea out now. I would probably build a standalone unit that could fit in the center console.
LOL....great minds think alike....
This guy built one (though not using a laptop). He is even using a 7" LCD screen that I was debating lol....
However I found one that I would get later on thats a 7" TOUCHSCREEN LCD (but its a bit expensive so that might be a later addition, or just go with a 7" non touch model).
I could run the laptop off a cigarette lighter adaptor with 2 connections. Use one for the laptop and have another for the USB DAC (thinking either the HRT+ or the Musiland Monitor).
So after the laptop all I would need is the DAC and then just switch the RCA's on my current setup from 2 sets (1 fronts, 1 sub) to 1 set from USB DAC to 2 channel amp, and then use the 2 channels pre-out to the sub amp, which honestly cleans up my setup a bit anyway........
I might even be able to mount everything in the Trunk and just have a really long USB cord run to the DAC and then 2 small sets of RCA's (think Signal Cable :eek:)"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
I had the same issue. Not a fan of apple products and love my zune hd. While it has taken far longer then desired to get up and running, I am building a car computer to try and simulate the Zune interface and add missing functionality to my car.
For much more information regarding carputers and there implementations, I recommend visiting http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/ . Their show off your project section can help you point you in the right direction and help you determine if it is the correct path for you. -
I had the same issue. Not a fan of apple products and love my zune hd. While it has taken far longer then desired to get up and running, I am building a car computer to try and simulate the Zune interface and add missing functionality to my car.
For much more information regarding carputers and there implementations, I recommend visiting http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/ . Their show off your project section can help you point you in the right direction and help you determine if it is the correct path for you.
Was already browsing that site
In my case if I get a laptop running Windows 7, I can just put my Zune library on the computer and use it that way...or Windows Media Center, or Media Monkey (more prefered over WMC)....
They do have some good choices for touchscreen monitors on that site, which is something I would need at some point...."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
Problem semi solved....
I have a Zune HD and an Alpine IVA D900(7 inch dvd flip out),
what I did was, buy the Zune HD dock and a USB cigarette lighter plug(could hot wire it also) The dock has hdmi, optical, and composite outputs. Right now I dont have a Processor but have been looking into one so I am just using the composite output for audio and video. -
One thought I forgot to mention is with that I am able to still use my steering wheel controls with the new head unit. That means I can control the iPod that way as well, and it is very nice that way.EndersShadow wrote: »Thats what the windows media remote would be for. Just like using your CD players remote.
Yes, I can understand that. The reality is, I very rarely use the iPod outside of the car; it just stays in my glove box. When I'm out and about I use my Samsung Droid Charge as my music player (with Voodoo Sound Control). However, I don't tend to listen to music on the go very often; I mainly listen in my car or at home. I suppose that may be why I don't really care one way or the other in terms of the Zune/iPod interface. I will say that I don't mind the iPod interface, however iTunes stinks like rotten eggs. That being said, the iPod does have one advantage (for me) that the Zune cannot match; 160GB storage capacity.Dont have an Ipod (which is part of the problem) and dont really want to get one. I have a Zune HD and love both it and the software that goes with it (but there is beyond limited accessories that work with it).
Since you're concerned about sound quality, just make sure you stick with good quality components. I like Alpine and Kenwood Excelon head units. For amps, there are a lot of good choices - Alpine (aside from the first gen PDX amps), Kenwood Excelon, Audison, Eclipse and JL Audio for starters. I don't know what you have for speakers, or if you were planning on upgrading those along with the amp. I will just say that I cannot recommend the Polk SR5250's highly enough. -
One thought I forgot to mention is with that I am able to still use my steering wheel controls with the new head unit. That means I can control the iPod that way as well, and it is very nice that way.
Yeah, I dont have those so its not that big a deal.I will say that I don't mind the iPod interface, however iTunes stinks like rotten eggs. That being said, the iPod does have one advantage (for me) that the Zune cannot match; 160GB storage capacity.
Yup, not an Itunes fan. I have all my music in either MP3 (some really crappy compression from waaaayyyy back) or FLAC. Since an Ipod wont do FLAC and I would prefer to keep it in FLAC, I need an alternate solution. I did call a buddy of mine (he owns a car audio shop) to discuss if I can plug a laptop direct into the amps and I am fine, and he told me I could.
He actually suggested an Ipad since I would have Internet, wireless, a touch display and my Kenwood (KDC-MP438U) HU would charge it while working with it. It just doesnt have enough storage for my music and doesnt play FLAC...
The laptop I am looking at only has a 80 gig HDD, but its an SSD which is something I would want anyway to help eliminate skipping and damaging a platter style HDD. I can always buy a bigger one at a later date, and I dont have a massive amount of music (yet).Since you're concerned about sound quality, just make sure you stick with good quality components. I like Alpine and Kenwood Excelon head units. For amps, there are a lot of good choices - Alpine (aside from the first gen PDX amps), Kenwood Excelon, Audison, Eclipse and JL Audio for starters. I don't know what you have for speakers, or if you were planning on upgrading those along with the amp. I will just say that I cannot recommend the Polk SR5250's highly enough.
Right now I have 2 sets of Polk db6501 components in my car and a 10" Treo TE dual 4 ohm sub (wired for a 2 ohm load). I am running a Sundown 125.2 (125x2 @ 4 ohm, 200x2 @ 2 ohm) amp for my fronts and a Sundown 1200D for my sub (700x1 @ 2 ohm, 1400x1 @ 1 ohm).
So I already have quality parts there. Technically I dont need a DAC as I could just use a 3.5mm to RCA jack straight from the laptop. However I am quite sure the DAC in the laptop isnt as good as a dedicated one would be.
After doing some looking it appears I would need as I suggested a Asynchronous USB to RCA DAC (thinking Musiland Monitor or HRT Media Streamer), laptop and then a touchscreen monitor of some sort, probably one that uses VGA. MP3Car.com has a bunch of them that are around 200ish bucks and range in size from 7" to 10" or higher.
So to start I will more than likely just get the laptop, then the DAC, and use my Windows Media Center remote and the computers screen, then later on get the touchscreen.
In addition if I wanted/needed I could always get a USB CD drive and and mount that in the front of the car and still be able to play CD's since the netbook doesnt have a CD drive (that I am aware of)
This system would totally replace what I have now and allow me to leave that system in place, making for a pretty easy de-install at a later date (just re-wire the Polks to the HU wiring, and take the wiring out of the trunk)."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
Problem semi solved....
I have a Zune HD and an Alpine IVA D900(7 inch dvd flip out),
what I did was, buy the Zune HD dock and a USB cigarette lighter plug(could hot wire it also) The dock has hdmi, optical, and composite outputs. Right now I dont have a Processor but have been looking into one so I am just using the composite output for audio and video.
If Im not mistaken, the problem with having the dock is that you still have to use the Zune for touchscreen controls. If the screen was projected on the device and functional, thats awesome. -
If Im not mistaken, the problem with having the dock is that you still have to use the Zune for touchscreen controls. If the screen was projected on the device and functional, thats awesome.
I believe he's using composite RCA to pass the video & audio to his DVD player and from their to his speakers.
Doing so would also pass the video/screen display to the DVD player so he's golden.
I debated buying a Zune dock and using RCA's straight to the amp and then mount it on the dash. But I want a more portable and scalable solution which a laptop allows for since I can always install another SSD HDD with more space as I need it."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
Definitely don't blame you on that oneEndersShadow wrote: »Yup, not an Itunes fan.
The only thing I will mention on that is that the iPod's can use ALAC, which is also lossless and similar in function to FLAC. It's easy to convert from one to the other; I use dbPowerAmp for that. If you are intending to use lossless files, you will want a large HDD. I just don't see a Zune cutting it for that, however, I realize that is purely my opinion.I have all my music in either MP3 (some really crappy compression from waaaayyyy back) or FLAC. Since an Ipod wont do FLAC and I would prefer to keep it in FLAC, I need an alternate solution.
I've not heard of Sundown amps, but it sure sounds like a great system!Right now I have 2 sets of Polk db6501 components in my car and a 10" Treo TE dual 4 ohm sub (wired for a 2 ohm load). I am running a Sundown 125.2 (125x2 @ 4 ohm, 200x2 @ 2 ohm) amp for my fronts and a Sundown 1200D for my sub (700x1 @ 2 ohm, 1400x1 @ 1 ohm).
Agreed.However I am quite sure the DAC in the laptop isnt as good as a dedicated one would be. -
EndersShadow wrote: »I believe he's using composite RCA to pass the video & audio to his DVD player and from their to his speakers.
Doing so would also pass the video/screen display to the DVD player so he's golden.
I debated buying a Zune dock and using RCA's straight to the amp and then mount it on the dash. But I want a more portable and scalable solution which a laptop allows for since I can always install another SSD HDD with more space as I need it.
That is what I am doing. Luckily in my Altima there is a perfect spot in front of the shifter that lets the dock just sit with the zune in it. Then I can use the IR remote that comes with the dock to control the menu on my Flip out screen. It works very well. I am still in the process of trying to find the Alpine H510 processor that is made for my HU so I can go optical and hopefully get a better signal and sound quality. -
i read about half of this... Save some time and money and just integrate an ipad into your install.2013 Toyota Prius
Audible Physics 3 Way: H6MB, AR3-A, AR2.0
Image Dynamics iDMax 12" D2v4
(2) Alpine PDX-V9 Bridged, Alpine PDX-M12 (500w Mid-Bass, 200w Mid, 200w Tweet, 1200w Sub)
Mosconi 6to8 v8 -
eloplayspolo wrote: »i read about half of this... Save some time and money and just integrate an ipad into your install.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL6PxvwuIyM
IPAD - Custom Homemade Car Installation - YouTube2013 Toyota Prius
Audible Physics 3 Way: H6MB, AR3-A, AR2.0
Image Dynamics iDMax 12" D2v4
(2) Alpine PDX-V9 Bridged, Alpine PDX-M12 (500w Mid-Bass, 200w Mid, 200w Tweet, 1200w Sub)
Mosconi 6to8 v8 -
2013 Toyota Prius
Audible Physics 3 Way: H6MB, AR3-A, AR2.0
Image Dynamics iDMax 12" D2v4
(2) Alpine PDX-V9 Bridged, Alpine PDX-M12 (500w Mid-Bass, 200w Mid, 200w Tweet, 1200w Sub)
Mosconi 6to8 v8 -
eloplayspolo wrote: »i read about half of this... Save some time and money and just integrate an ipad into your install.eloplayspolo wrote: »eloplayspolo wrote: »
What you guys dont seem to be getting here is that I DONT WANT TO RE-RATE ALL MY SONGS AND RE-FORMAT THEM TO ITUNES OVER MP3 OR FLAC........
Would it make it easier in my car, yes, but then I would have 2 librarys, one for my Zune and one for my Ipad and honestly it requires waaayyyy more work than I want right now.
I am super happy with having everything in MP3 or FLAC format and want to keep it that way!That is what I am doing. Luckily in my Altima there is a perfect spot in front of the shifter that lets the dock just sit with the zune in it. Then I can use the IR remote that comes with the dock to control the menu on my Flip out screen. It works very well. I am still in the process of trying to find the Alpine H510 processor that is made for my HU so I can go optical and hopefully get a better signal and sound quality.
Yeah, thats where I might be going, I just like the idea of more space and the possibility of using a USB DAC to get better sound than I would get from using the DAC's in the Zune. In addition the output volume wise via AUX isnt that good and I find myself wanting to crank it and running out of volume all the time. With CD's this isnt a problem so I know its a lack of voltage either from the Zune, or the HeadUnit..."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
its really too bad you dont know about the software that does all that for you.... kinda tough to download something and click start though.....
pink is way cooler.2013 Toyota Prius
Audible Physics 3 Way: H6MB, AR3-A, AR2.0
Image Dynamics iDMax 12" D2v4
(2) Alpine PDX-V9 Bridged, Alpine PDX-M12 (500w Mid-Bass, 200w Mid, 200w Tweet, 1200w Sub)
Mosconi 6to8 v8 -
i would push the envelope and go with an iPad
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Hi EndersShadow!
I am just working on the same project, a carputer. You have a Jetta, EnderShadow? In that case we are dealing with the same problem too.. space...room for all the wiring and stuff. I have a -94 Golf Cab, almost fully restored now, but I'm still working on the multimedia. Never satsfied. Even bought a one of those fancy 1DIN 7" touchscreen that folds out. It had loads of features built in, and in addition I bought some addons like DVB-T and DAB reciever. It was a winCE system and had it all: CD DVD USB SD AUX BT FM AM DVB-T DAB GPS REV.CAM HDD REMOTE.. even GAMES !? To me it was a deram come true.
BUT: nope.. it is a very unstable and almost unfinished product, The soundquality sucks, and the noise was terrible.
So now I want a Carputer based on the Asus AT5IONT-I DELUXE, a mainboard that has a lot of features, and uses ordinary 12V straight from your car battery. It even has a good IR remote for your system. I don't thrust the onboard soundcard, so I will connect a Creative SB X-FI Extreme PCI-E 7ch 24bit 96khz. Together with the Creative software, this card sounds great . I use it in my home surround system.(..and YES I am gonna have a 7ch soundsystem in the car! .. i know.. crazy) As touchscreen I think the Lilliput 669GL-70NP/C/T/HB would do the trick. Remember, that you also can connect this system to your car-diagnose system OBD/OBD2 and read out errormessages and data.
The frontpanel in the dash is something I would make myself. Will try to make a fold-out screen, but at least a little display with PC-data, USB AUX and DVD .
The advantage with putting the Carputer in the trunk, is that the noise will be will be reduced because of the short signal cables from the PC to the amps. The signals to and from the frontpanel is digital, and not subject for any noise.
Oh, and speakers? 2xSR124, 6xMM6501UM and 2xdb501. Powered by Boss Audio (so far).
Here are some nice links:
Mainboard
Soundcard
Touchscreen
Cabinet
[URL="http://stores.ebay.com/The-Mobile-Computing-
Solution?_trksid=p4340.l2563"]Lots a nice stuff[/URL]
Best Soundcard ever
If you haven't fallen asleep yet, send me some views.
Golf III Cabriolet w/ 1x SR124 | 2x UM6501UM | 2x db501
1x SR124 and 4x MM6501UM added soon
10kW Boss | 7F Cap | Kenwood (Car PC is in the making) -
I'm wondering if a line driver might be needed as well...
I'm curious...do any netbooks have a digital output?
Not sure about netbooks, but my '07 MacBook has one.
