Audio Out via USB

[G'Ner]

Does the Alpine charge your phone as well?

 

[Bimmerjo]

Sure Does!

 

[akj27]

I don't get it... so the droid *is* capable of playing audio via USB?

 

[Bimmerjo]

The droid itself does not play audio via USB, BUT allows a host USB device to read the music on the droids SD card, and the HOST USB device plays the audio

 

[zasran]

It's not audio, it's data. Most of the systems that claim to work with mp3 players via USB use them as USB mass storage devices, which means you can play audio files that are stored on SD card (which folders are searched and what file formats are supported depends on a particular device).

This means that audio (pandora, last.fm, navigation etc.) will not work via this interface.

 

[takeshi]

...and this earlier post

This is what Pioneer replied with:

Thank you for contacting Pioneer Electronics, Inc.
Not all MP3 player are compatible. The MP3 players need to be FAT32 formatted.



Thank You,

Pablo
Customer Service Representative


But the droid's memory card is fat32 formatted, so why doesn't it work? Only possible explanation is that it doesn't play audio/video via usb.

Supports the assertion that the Pioneer uses the same approach. The filesystem on the SD card wouldn't matter unless the Pioneer was reading what was on the card directly. If it was designed to receive audio via USB then the filesystem wouldn't matter.

 

[akj27]

I wonder why it doesn't work then... I'll contact Pioneer again. This is what the guy from Pioneer had emailed me earlier though, not sure if it makes sense...

I'm sure you knew it was a phone, however i did not, phone can't not be use through the USB only MP3 players that are formatted as FAT32.



Thank You,

Pablo
Customer Service Representative

 

[Bimmerjo]

It was just a generic response. I don't think he really knows the "mass storage device" process works. Also if it makes a difference, I have USB Debugging mode turned on as well...

 

[akj27]

on your phone?

 

[oceanlight]

i had my ipod hooked up to my car's stereo via usb and it worked.

i tried doing the same with droid, and it worked as well.

so... i never thought about this, but i assume my car stereo will read a flash drive too? or even a regular harddrive (in an enclosure)?

 

[zasran]

Most likely yes, pretty much anything that's USB mass storage device should work, including most of the cameras etc.

 

[oceanlight]

very cool. screw using my 16gb ipod. i'll throw one of my many extra harddrives in the car for waaaaay more storage. in fact, i'll be able to load up my entire 70+gb collection.

 

[akj27]

so it seems the issue is with my pioneer deck... oh boy, they'll hear from me now

 

[Toxik916]

i had my ipod hooked up to my car's stereo via usb and it worked.

i tried doing the same with droid, and it worked as well.

so... i never thought about this, but i assume my car stereo will read a flash drive too? or even a regular harddrive (in an enclosure)?

My deck plays music from my flash drive perfectly, so your stereo should play them.

 

[akj27]

How do you guys have your music folder setup? What I did is I just added a folder to the sd card directory called music, I don't know that there's another way.