General iRiver DAP FAQ's

[seadzz]

I just got my new player and want to know what encoder to use, mp3, wma or ogg. What is the best one and what settings should I use?

Answer:

There is no simple answer to the question of which encoder to use. Lets talk about bitrates first and get back to the encoder. Bitrate is the speed of the encoder. Faster speed means better quality but also means bigger file size.

As a rule encoding at 128kbps will give you a file size of 1 MB per minute of encoded music. A four minute song will give you a 4 MB file and a 11 track album will result in a 44MB album. You need to take this into account since in HD players you do not have infinite storage space. You will need to ask yourself what do you want out of your player. If max number of songs is your goal then encode at a lower rate 96kbps for example. If max capacity is not important and you want max quality then encode higher maybe 320 kbps. A solution may be in the something in the middle, say 128kbps range.

In any event it's a balancing act between quality and capacity, which you need to wrestle with before you decide on which codec to use.

If you are really serious about finding the right bitrate and codec to use in your player then you need to perform a ABX TEXT. To learn more and get the freeware to do this you will need to do a search on ABX Testing and download some the freeware to accurately conduct this test. If all this sounds lile too much work you could always go through the second best method defined below. Just a word from your pal seadzz....they do not call it second best for no reason.....do they? You are worth the best, heck if this was not the case you would be a iPod user downloading music via iTunes......yuck.

The second best method is to rip a track you know well and encode it using several bitrates (use only one codec at this point). Go back and test these encodes against the wav file. Once you get a bitrate that is close or close enough to the wav file to make you happy AND the file size is about what you want then you have your magic bitrate. Note: I use a track with lots of violin, piano and female voices....heavy metal is not the best bet for use in selecting codecs since this type of music (Rock and Roll) tends to mask codec artifacts. Thie second best approch is kinda hack imho but it is at least an effort. Really do the ABX thing mentioned above....it is worth the time and effort.

On to the codec question:

The oldest and most universally supported codec is MP3. There are many variants but the most popular is called LAME. You can find a link to this download at the download section of this forum. MP3 LAME is supported in many audio devices other than mp3 players and if you intend to share music with others you should consider MP3 as your first choice. Also mp3 gives the best battery life so if battery life is important to you go mp3LAME.

WMA is a Microsoft developed codec that is newer than mp3 and is designed as a low bitrate encoder. This means it sounds best at low bitrates (so MS claims). Test it yourself to see if it is right for you.

Ogg Vorbis-ogg for short. Newest of the codecs and is open source if that is important to you. Generally thought to produce higher quality playback then mp3 files of similar size. Note: It consumes large amounts of battery power compared to mp3 but to some users the audio playback quality is worth the cost.

At the end of the day your ears need to be the judge. Take your bitrate of choice which you have determined earlier and encode a given track with mp3 LAME, WMA and OGG. Let your ears tell you what sounds best and take it from there.

In the area of encoding there is no best since the type of music you listen to R&R, POP, Classical all sound different at different bitrates and codecs. Your ears are not calibrated the same as mine and I do not have to listen to your player.

Pick what sounds best to you and gives you the total number of songs you feel you need to have.

Here is a link to more info on this topic.

http://grahammitchell.com/writings/vorbis_intro.html

While much of it is ogg vorbis related but it can prove helpful to all newbie's.

Gives you a step by step guide to help determine right bitrate to use for your ears and the logic is good for all codecs.

Enjoy the music,

sdz

[coreman]

The answer is a definite "maybe". One of the leading causes of USB 2.0 ports failure to recognize a connected device is the USB cable connecting the port and device.

However very high quality USB 1.1 cables might work but they are in a minority. The reverse is always true, USB 2.0 cables are fully compatible with both USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 ports.

There is no physical difference between USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 cables but the USB 2.0 cables are built to a much higher quality standard that meets or exceeds the requirements for the much higher comm speed of USB 2.0 and this is detected by the USB 2.0 port during hookup.

Thisresponse by Jeff Roberts, aka "USBman", explains the above.

The cable should be changed to a certified USB 2.0 cable if the error message "USB Device Not Recognized" is displayed while connecting the iHP series of players to your PC.

[seadzz]

Question:

I have a huge vinyl album collection. How do I convert these to digital and get them into my player?

Answer:

Go here and read this...far too long to post here but not too hard to do.

http://www.delback.co.uk/lp-cdr.htm

Have fun and enjoy.

sdz

[Big D]

The information provided here is given as a guide. There may be errors within the FAQ and we apologise if there are.

If you find an error please PM one of the moderators so we can correct it.

Please note that this is not a discussion forum.

If you would like to submit to the FAQ please contact a moderator first. We are more than happy for people to contribute.

[seadzz]

Folks,

To keep this area as neat and orderly as possible please post any questions you may have about your players in the proper section of the forum.

The FAQ section is a reference area that is used to store information only. This is not the proper place to post questions, observations or issues in.

If in reading these FAQ posts notice any inaccuracy please PM a Mod or site Admin and we will fix these errors\ omissions.

Many thanks for your cooperation.

sdz

[seadzz]

Updated April 8, 2005

I just bought a new iRiver Model XXX player and want to connect it to my car stereo. How do I go about doing this?

Answer

There are a number of ways to attack this issue, some simple, some difficult and some maybe illegal if you live in certain parts of the planet.

Let’s look at the easy and best sounding way first and move on to the other possible methods.


PLAN A

For the best possible playback quality a direct connection to your car stereo is the best and first choice. Unfortunately most OEM (came with the car) stereo units were not intended to take remote inputs….that is too bad. If you have had an upgraded stereo installed in your car and it has a front panel LINE IN you are in luck. Some units have a LINE IN but it is located on the back of the stereo. This means you must lay on your back with your head under the dashboard with a flashlight and look to see if you have this input. You could of course just remove the stereo and look at the back of the unit or look at the owner’s manual….but that would be too easy.

If you have a LINE IN be it analog or optical simply plug your player into that connection and you are off and running….real easy. You should also read this thread and look for posts made by Spike as he has the answer that solves your problem if you want to add LINE IN function to a car that does not have one. Thanks Spike U'Da man!

If however you do not have a LINE IN on the front or back and do not follow Spikes suggestions we have to look at PLAN B.


PLAN B

Hope you have a cassette player. If you have a tape player then simply get a cassette adaptor that will plug into your LINE OUT of the player. This will give you good results but is not as good as PLAN A. Google to find manufactures of this device or visit iRiver’s website and check out what they sell. If you do not have a cassette player and you do not live in a country that prohibits the next course of action consider the next option.

PLAN C

Use a FM Transmitter. This is a small device that takes the audio output from the iRiver player and converts it to a small broadcast signal and sends it without wires (via the antenna in your car) to a blank channel on your FM car stereo. Works ok but may not give audio quality similar to PLAN A or B and may not be legal in your country. I would go on as to why I personally think banning such devices is stupid but I respect “bunker dwellers” too much to stir up this kettle of cat fur. If legal in your country visit your local electronic gizmo store or Google to find. If not look at the next option.

PLAN D

Caution: This is the last resort and should only be undertaken if you are both too cheap to buy a new aftermarket car stereo with a front mounted LINE IN and have some experience in electronics.

Tools required:

Oscilloscope, VOM, Wire cutters, screw driver (Hex Head and Flat Blade) Soldering Iron, Electrical Tape, Sense of Humor, Band Aids, Aspirin, Two six-packs of Budweiser or similar low quality beer, a mini male headphone with the wire coming out of it stripped and tinned, one roll of Duct Tape, two tickets to the local movie theater

Sequence:

Give movie tickets to the wife\girlfriend and get rid of her for at least several hours. She will be of no help in this project and will think you are a jerk for being too cheap to buy a new stereo with a LINE IN anyway.

Drink at least three cans of beer and ask yourself if this is really worth doing AND why am I so cheap not to buy a new car stereo.

If after the first three beers you still want to move forward, you first must disconnect the car stereo from its electrical supply. I would remove the fuse that controls the radio. If you can’t find the fuse, forget this project completely or simply disconnect the car battery. Next using some degree of care extract the car stereo from the dashboard without cutting your hands to shreds and buggering up the dash. Don’t forget to remove the electrical wires as well as the antenna and speaker connection. These are usually quick disconnects but may have some locking feature. Use some degree of care in doing this.

Drink two more beers.

Once free from the electrical and mechanical embrace with your car you can now settle down for some real electronic surgery. Remove the knobs and other nonsense from your stereo. Then take your hex head screwdriver and remove all screws that you can see. Never mind where they go and what they are for and do not pay too much attention that some are bigger than others. You can worry about that when you reassemble the stereo.

Once you have managed to remove all the screws you should try to open the metal case to get at the electronic insides of your stereo. This is normally close to impossible but after cutting your fingers a few times and saying !$#%^& and also *&*^%$FF several times you should manage to open the case.

Drink one more beer if you got this far.

After exposing the electronic bits the fun really starts. You have a choice now, one is to refer to the electrical schematic to see where to connect the male mini plug to the circuit or simply reconnect the stereo to a 12VDC supply and speakers and use the O Scope to figure it out. I would prefer to use the circuit drawing but we are iRiver Tech’s and who needs a wimp drawing.

Drink several beers while trying to figure this out.

If you have managed to locate the proper point in the circuit to make the solder connection now is the time to remove whatever un-required diode, transistor or capacitor to make room for the splice. Be careful what you remove unless it is related to the AM side of the circuit since no one listens to AM anymore and those bits are worthless. Do pay attention to LH AND RH so you do not screw things up and black and red wires are not interchangeable.

After making the electrical connections and proofing that the stereo still works you may drink two more beers. If however after connecting it to 12 VDC the stereo generates arid smelling black smoke and does not work anymore quick drink the remaining beers, pick up all the loose bits and pieces of your stereo and throw them in the trash. Call your friend and have him come over and pick you up in his car since at this point your fingers will be all chewed up from metal cuts and you will be plastered from drinking all these beers to drive your car..

Have him take you to a electronics store where you can buy a new stereo for your car to replace the one you just trashed and hope he can install it in your car before you wife\girlfriend comes home.

enjoy the music,

sdz

[Big D]

This forum is for people to quickly and easily find information, and is not a discussion forum. If you have a question then please ask it in the relevant support forum.

Anyone may write an FAQ. It needs to answer a specific commonly asked question and not already be posted here. If you write an FAQ please post it here and PM a mod/admin to lock it.

Thanks

[andrewmel]

Upgrading firmware is an easy process, although there are a few steps. Upgrading the firmware (sometimes refered to as "flashing") to the Korean version will NOT result in your player displaying Korean characters, it will be in English.

The first step involves obtaining the firmware .zip file from the iriver site. The link to the latest firmware will be found in the h3xx boards when it is released. There is a firmware forum here.

You do not have to upgrade to intermediate firmware versions. If you have 1.06 on your player and want to go to 1.25, you do NOT have to go to 1.20.

When you have downloaded the .zip file extract the contents. Depending on the upgrade you will either get an executable file or a .hex file. If you get an executable file you just double click it and you will get a .hex file. Either way you now have a .hex file.

Connect your player via a usb port to your pc then drag and drop the .hex file into the top (Root) directory of your player. The root directory has the MUSIC and RECORD folders in it. Then disconnect your player.

For the next step I recommend that you either have a fully charged battery or are connected via the ac adaptor to mains power.

Hold (not press) the blue NAVI button and a set of icons will appear. General will be highlighted. Press (not hold) the NAVI button and a set of options will appear. Use the (-) button to go down to firmware upgrade then press the NAVI button again.

On the popup "Firmware Upgrade" select Yes, then press the NAVI button again.

The firmware upgrade is now in progress. When it is finished the player will turn off. Turn it back on again and after a few seconds you will see the new firmware version written in black on the boot screen.

During the firmware upgrade the "software" that runs the player is copied from the .hex file to flash memory on the player. This means you can now delete the .hex file.

All options will be set back to their defaults. The most annoying of these, in my opinion, is that usb charging is set on and the radio station settings are wiped.

For those of you using the database function you will need to turn the database back on. (For TedJ, who doesnt even use it )



Enjoy your new firmware

a

[andrewmel]

There are five ways to speed boot time.

0.5) Go to Rockbox!!!! (this was added much later )

1) Have less songs.

More songs, slower boot time, but as we have hd daps we want more songs so onto the next one.

2) Improve your FAT table layout

As you add more and more songs, and delete some the directory structure and the FAT becomes more complex. This simple, if slow, procedure will speed that up. I culled this from a post by Mr. Anderson, who improved it from an earlier post....

* Make a full backup of your H320/H340 on your PC.
* Delete all files... also hidden (Recycle Bin can be removed if you use the "TweakUI" tool - link: http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/tweakui).
* Open a commando prompt START->Run->write "cmd" and press enter
* Go to your H3x0 backup drive (write "help cd" if you are lost here [img]images/smilies/icon_smile.gif[/img]) - Check out this tip BTW link: http://www.tech-recipes.com/windows_tips232.html
* Now copy your "folder structure" from your "H3x0 backup" to the your "H3x0-drive" (i.e. E: ) by

C:\H140-BACKUP> xcopy . E: /T

* Verify with a defragmentation program (i.e. "OO defrag") that your folders are positioned at the start of the harddrive.
* If not then try to delete the folders (maybe copy some random big files and delete them again) and do the xcopy folder structure copy again (FAT32 file positioning is strange)
* Copy all your files and music back to your H3x0 by

C:\H140-BACKUP> xcopy * E: /S

or use Total Commander (Windows Explorer does not copy in correct alphabetical order)
over:
> xcopy * <ihp drive>: /S

3) Turn the database function off.

4) Defragment your players hard drive.

a

[andrewmel]

there are two contacts for iRiver outside korea, iriver germany and iriver america.

contact details for iriver Germany

Adress:
iriver Europe GmbH
Repair department
Mergenthalerallee 79-81
D- 65760 Eschborn
Germany


iriver Europe GmbH
Mergenthalerallee 79-81
D- 65760 Eschborn
Germany

Christian Moeltner (cm@iriver.at)
Denis Brack (denis.brack@iriver. com)
jason.jeon@iriver.co m This email address produces bounce backs and is assumed not working.


internet www.iriver.com

http://www.iriver.eu.com/contact_us....no_cache=1&L=0
Please go here to start the RMA process.

The IRiver Germany number is 49 6196 4700

Hmmm, there is some doubt about the German phone number.... so here is an alternative.

49 6196470100

Stick 00 in front from the UK.
Stick 0011 in front if you are calling from Australia.

contact details for iriver America

US Phone(s)
Customer Service Toll Free Number
1(800) 399-1799

Email Support: support@iriverameric a.com

iRiver America, Inc.
638 Gibraltar Court
Milpitas, CA 95035
(Thanks reddshack)


contact details for Australia
(C. R. Kennedy the Australian distributors).

http://www.crkennedy.com.au/v1/index.cfm?pageID=266&

a


contact details for iriver in China
Page: http://iriver.com/html/support/forum...iew.asp?idx=27

Number (China Only Apparently) : 800 988 0991

Thanks to adamti91 for the info.

A

[seadzz]

Which is the right player for me?

Answer:

While this is a very subjective area I will share with you the thought processes and logic I used in selecting what was right for me. The conclusions you reach may differ from mine and that is 100% ok since my ears and music preferences are not the same as yours. In the end as long as you are happy that is all that matters.

I took the player selection and broke it down to several parts that made sense to me. I wanted a small player that sounded great and held a bunch of hours worth of music. Not too much to ask do ya think?

Storage Media and Capacity

There were to me several choices out there in the world of DAP’s and I looked at the pro’s and con’s of each. You have CDRW, Flash and HDD. Each have their upside and downside. Here is my thinking on each one. Remember it is my thinking not yours but here is what I was going through.

CDRW-Been around a long time; proven; not expensive; but big and bulky. I did not want to carry around a bunch of disks and their storage capacity mean I could not fit much of my music on just one disk. I saw this as a possible solution to my DAP’s search but not really the way I wanted to go.

Flash-Small, quick access; low power required allowing for impressive battery life; physically small allowed for a small formfactor player but only had 1 GB (at the time was 512 mb max) of storage space thus limiting the number of tracks it would hold. Could be a solution to my DAP quest but I wanted something bigger

HDD-could be large in terms of storage space; larger in size than flash so the entire player would be bigger than the flash based unit; required more power than flash player so battery life may be a consideration; somewhat shock sensitive so not as robust as flash memory.
At the time 20GB was the max available so this was a solution I could live with. If I were buying a new unit today I’d go for the 40 GB but at the time this was not a choice. Knowing that @ 128 kbps a one minute encode yielded 1 mb file I did the math and figured a 20 gb player would give me the amount of music storage I wanted. Knowing this you should select a HDD player that gives you the formfactor and amount of music playback time that fits your needs. So to some people a 5 or 10 GB player may meet their requirements. Here it is again, @ 128 kbps you get a average of 1mb file per minute of music. A average song is 4 minutes and an average CD holds 11 tracks so this will give you a 44 mb file.

44mb average album X (your required number of albums) = HDD Size*

* All this is meaningless if you encode at another bitrate but it gives you a baseline to work from.



Supported Codec

There are several codecs out in the world of audio compression and I wanted to audition each one. I needed to find a piece of software that would allow me to give each codec a road test. I Googled for a audio compression front end and downloaded one. You can do the same thing or use a ripper that takes external encoders ie EAC . Next I need to find the encoders. I went to Google again and found rarewares and got the most current flavor of mp3 LAME, ACC, MPEG4, MPC and OGG. Next I took a wav file and using Foobar2000 v0.8.3 which includes a ABX Test Comparator tested 10 second segments of the wav file. In the end I found that one that sounded best and ripped and encoded fastest was MPC which I was real happy about. BUT no players support MPC…..go figure! I had to go with my second choice…bumer!

To my ears, playing my music using my gear Ogg Vorbis sounded better than AAC (Apple’s codec used in iPods). So I went searching for players that supported ogg.

In the end it was a balance of storage size, supported codec and audio playback that led me to the player I use today. I did not want a FM radio, lyrics support and did not require video so these were non issues to me. What was right for me may not be right for you but I got what made me happy and that is what is important.

So use your mind and your ears to figure out what is right for you…..don’t post a question on the MR board asking if the H3XX is right for you. Heck I didn’t need the MR board to help me figure out what player to buy (MR did not exist then anyway). I already had the tools: My Brain and My Ears. Chances are that you have the tools too!

Enjoy the music,

sdz

ps: there are several hidden messages in this thread





Search Terms: Best player , Ideal Player , whats best for me , What is best for me , What's best for me , Most suitable player , correct player for me , correct player , best priced player

[Febs]

HOW DO I CONNECT MY IRIVER TO AN EXTERNAL PLAYER (HOME STEREO, CAR STEREO, ETC.)

Q. What is contained in this FAQ?

This FAQ contains information about hooking up your iRiver player to an external device such as a home stereo or a car stereo. Contents of this FAQ include:

How do I connect my iRiver to my home stereo?

-If your stereo has a 3.5mm (1/8”) line input
-If your stereo does not have a 3.5mm (1/8”) line input
--Where do I connect on my stereo?
--Where do I connect on my iRiver?
--How should I set the volume on my iRiver?
--What cable do I use?
--How to tell an audio input from a video input?
--Can I use the “PHONO” or “TURNTABLE” input on my receiver?
--What if my stereo does not have any audio inputs?

What is the best way to connect my iRiver to my car stereo?

-Front panel auxiliary inputs
--What is it?
--Advantages
--Disadvantages
--What cable do I use?
-Auxiliary inputs designed for CD changers
--What is it?
-Cassette adapters
--What is it?
--Advantages
--Disadvantages
-FM transmitters
--What is it?
--Advantages
--Disadvantages
-Bluetooth*

[*coming soon]

Q. HOW DO I CONNECT MY IRIVER TO MY HOME STEREO?

FAQ authored by Febs, incorporating a prior FAQ authored by Carman, with input from tripucka7 for American terms/prices and adapter info, and Shrink for volume advice.

1. If your stereo has a 3.5mm (1/8”) line input

First, determine whether your home stereo has a line-in port. If it does, use a 3.5mm male to 3.5mm male (1/8” male to 1/8” male) stereo cable to plug one end into the line-out port of your player. Plus the other end into the line-in port on your home receiver. Set your stereo to "AUX" or “LINE IN” mode and you’re set to go. Note that the H1xx and H3xx series of players come bundled with a 3.5mm to 3.5mm (1/8” to 1/8”) cable. If your player did not include such a cable, you can get them at most electronics stores, including Radio Shack and Maplin.

2. If your stereo does not have a 3.5mm (1/8”) line input

Where do I connect to my stereo? If your stereo doesn't have a line-in port (and most do not), then you can connect your iRiver player through any of the following types of audio inputs, which may be located either on the front or the back of your stereo receiver/amplifier:

--an auxiliary input (often labeled “AUX” or “AUDIO”)
--a tape input (often labeled “TAPE,” “TAPE IN,” or “TAPE PLAYBACK”)
--a CD audio input
--a VCR audio input
--a DVD player audio input

Where do I connect on my iRiver? For players with a line-out jack (e.g., the H1xx series and H3xx series of players), you can connect to either the line-out jack or the headphone output. For other players, use the headphone output.

How should I set the volume on my iRiver? Some Mistic River members have found a volume of 35 on the player to be appropriate, but to avoid unpleasant surprises and potential damage to your speakers, it’s always best to start with a low volume and raise the volume gradually until you find a comfortable level. You may find it helpful to switch back and forth between the input you are using for the iRiver and another input device, like a CD player, and raise the volume on the iRiver until the two inputs are the same volume. If you hear distortion in the output, try backing off the volume of the iRiver player and raising the volume on your stereo.

What cable do I use? The audio inputs on most receivers use a type of plug known as an “RCA plug,” which is sometimes also called a “phono plug.” Thus, to connect to these inputs, you will need a 3.5mm (1/8”) stereo to RCA (phono) stereo audio cable. This cable can be picked up on the internet, or in your local electronics shop and cost around £5-10 / $5-10 USD. The price varies with cable length and quality of the jacks.

Here are some examples of appropriate cables from Radio Shack and Maplin.

Another option is to use an adapter in conjunction with your existing 3.5mm-3.5mm cord which came with your iRiver. These can be picked up for around £2-5 or $4 USD. They are an adapter which fits onto one of the 3.5mm jacks and "converts" it to 2x phone/RCA plugs. Although this is a cheaper option, please note the general rule of "The more connections made, the greater the deterioration of sound,” so you may want to avoid this if possible.

How to tell an audio input from a video input? Note that RCA plugs can be used for video inputs as well as audio inputs, and you want to be careful to plug your player into an audio input and not a video input. There are two ways to tell the difference between the two. First, video inputs are usually clearly labeled as such on the receiver. Second, many manufacturers, particularly in recent years, have color coded their inputs. Audio inputs will be color-coded red (for the right channel) and white (for the left channel), while video inputs will be coded yellow.

Can I use the “PHONO” or “TURNTABLE” input on my receiver? This is generally not recommended. Certain types of turntables historically had a lower output level than what later came to be standard for audio devices. Those turntables required the use of a pre-amp to raise the signal before it was amplified. Some manufacturers of audio components included a pre-amp in their “PHONO” input so that a separate pre-amp was not required. As a result, these inputs expect to see a much different input signal than what is standard for most of today’s audio devices. If the only input that you have available to you is a "phono" or "turntable" input, it generally will not hurt to try it, but be aware that the result is likely to sound unpleasant. If you do try such an input, start with the volume on both your player and the stereo set very low and raise both volumes gradually to avoid any surprises.

What if my stereo does not have any audio inputs? Some lower-end home stereos do not have audio inputs. For such stereos, use the cassette adapter or FM transmitter methods described below in the car audio section.

Q. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO CONNECT MY IRIVER TO MY CAR STEREO?

FAQ authored by Febs.

There are several methods that you can use to connect your iRiver to your car’s stereo system, depending on what your car’s audio system allows: (1) connection through a front panel auxiliary input, (2) connection through an auxiliary input designed for a CD changer, (3) connection through a cassette deck using a cassette adapter, and (4) through the FM radio using an FM transmitter. It is also possible that at some point in the relatively near future, Bluetooth technology will allow wireless connections between a player and a Bluetooth-enabled car stereo.

1. Front panel auxiliary input

What is it? As digital audio players increase in popularity, car audio manufacturers are beginning to include auxiliary inputs on the front panel of their stereos. For example, many car stereo head units by Aiwa and JVC now have this feature. If your car stereo has such a front-panel input, this is the easiest and best-sounding way to hook up your iRiver player to you car’s stereo. Refer to your car stereo's owners manual for information on how to connect via a front-panel auxilliary input.

Advantages. If your car stereo has a front panel input, this method is inexpensive and easy. Connecting through an auxiliary input sounds better than connecting through a cassette adapter, and significantly better than using an FM transmitter.

Disadvantages. People who are obsessive with hiding wires in their cars may not like having the cable dangling from the head unit on the dashboard. Otherwise, there are few disadvantages.

What cable do I use? Use a 3.5mm male to 3.5mm male (1/8” male to 1/8” male) stereo cable to connect your player to the car stereo. Note that the H1xx and H3xx series of players come bundled with a 3.5mm to 3.5mm (1/8” to 1/8”) cable. If your player did not include such a cable, you can get them at most electronics stores, including Radio Shack and Maplin.

2. Auxiliary inputs designed for CD changers

What is it? Many OEM (original equipment from the manufacturer) car stereos, as well as some aftermarket car stereos, have a pin connector for a cd changer. Several companies, including Precision Interface Electronics (PIE) and Blitzsafe, make make adapters that convert the pin connector to two RCA inputs. You can then connect the RCA inputs to the line-out or headphone output of your player using a 3.5mm (1/8”) stereo to RCA (phono) stereo audio cable, which is available at any electronics store, including Radio Shack and Maplin.

The Crutchfield site sells auxiliary input adapters for a number of brands of car stereo. The Crutchfield site has additional information on how auxiliary adapters work and how they are installed. Although Crutchfield's discussion of auxiliary input adapters is geared towards another brand of digital audio player, most of the information there is applicable to your iRiver as well.

Source: Information provided by Spike in this thread, as well as information provided by Riffraff.

3. Cassette adapters

What is it? A cassette adapter is a cassette tape housing with a lead coming off the end of it and a 3.5mm (1/8") plug which fits into the line-out or headphone output of your iRiver player. The adapter is designed to play through the cassette deck of your car. These adapters are available from most electronics stores for under $25 USD.

Advantages. Cassette adapters are relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and sound better than FM transmitters.

Disadvantages. Some car stereos have difficulty with the cassette adapter. When they sense that there is no signal on the adapter, their autoreverse mechanism kicks in and tries to switch to "side B" of the cassette, which cuts off the signal from the player. Also, depending on how your stereo loads a cassette, the wire from the cassette adapter can sometimes make loading and unloading of the adapter awkward. Finally, people who are obsessive with hiding wires in their cars may not like having the cable dangling from the head unit on the dashboard.

4. FM transmitters

An FM transmitter is a device that plugs into the headphone jack or line-out of your iRiver player and broadcasts the output to the FM radio in your car stereo. The is generally a split of opinion on the sound quality of FM transmitters. Some Mistic River members have had good results from FM transmitters, while others have found the sound quality to be unacceptable.

FM transmitters work by broadcasting the signal from your iRiver player to an empty FM frequency. The signal from broadcast FM stations is much more powerful than the relatively weak signal from an FM transmitter. In cities where there are a large number of FM stations, the relatively low signal from the FM transmitter can be essentially "drowned out" by the signal from commercial radio stations. (Think of what happens when you listen to an FM radio station on a long drive. As you start to get out of range of a station and its signal fades, you get interference from other stations that are broadcasting on the same frequency or nearby frequencies. The same effect often happens when using an FM transmitter in an area where there are many FM stations.) Thus, in order to use an FM transmitter effectively, you need to use it on a frequency where there is no signal from a commercial radio station. Entry-level FM transmitters allow you to pick from a limited number of FM frequencies. More expensive models allow you to select any frequency that your car stereo is able to receive.

Some FM transmitters run on batteries, while others plug into the car's lighter plug or power socket. FM transmitters can eat batteries fairly quickly, so look for a model that gets its power from the car rather than from batteries.

FM transmitters are available at almost any electronics store that sells car audio, such as Crutchfield or Best Buy. Different models of FM transmitters are discussed frequently on Mistic River. (An example can by found in this thread.) Do a search for "FM transmitter" if you would like to learn about Mistic River members' experiences with specific models of FM transmitters.

Advantages. FM transmitters can be used in any car that has an FM radio. They can be a good option if your car has no line-in or cassette player, or if you are travelling and will be using rental cars.

Disadvantages. FM transmitters do not sound as good as connections via a line-in or a cassette adapter. FM transmitters may receive interference from broadcast radio stations, particularly in areas where there a large number of broadcast FM stations. Battery-operated models can eat batteries quickly, especially if you forget to turn the transmitter off when you are out of the car. FM transmitters are not legal in all countries.

5. Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a relatively new technology that allows wireless communications between electronic devices like mobile phones, PDAs, and computers. For example, some car manufacturers are beginning to make "Bluetooth-enabled" cars. These applications, to date, have been geared primarily towards mobile phones. A Bluetooth-enabled car, for example, contains a hand-free system that allows a driver to connect a mobile phone to a hands-free system in the car, without using any wires. It is possible that in the future, you will be able to buy a Bluetooth adapter that transmits wirelessly from your iRiver player to a Bluetooth-enabled car stereo.

For information on Bluetooth technologies, visit Bluetooth.org.

[SlimmerSumo]

Symptom : When you try to safely remove your iRiver Player using the "Safely Remove Hardware" in the tool tray (in Windows, bottom right) you are often asked to "try later" as the drive is busy

Possible Cause : MusicMatch Jukebox is running in the background

Diagnosis : Search open processes using Task Manager and see if mim.exe is running.

Solution : Uninstall MMJB or stop the process mim.exe before using the safely remove hardware function.

Other Causes : Using Windows Explorer search for each open process identified in task manager and consider if these may be accessing your iRiver. Applications like Virus checkers may be doing this, but normally they will not constantly access the drive and you will succeed in stopping the drive if you try later.

[andrewmel]

You can find links to the latest firmware here

HDD Audio/Video :: Firmware Links

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