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Menneisyys
01-03-2005, 03:12 PM
I think that the larger screen is about the only advantage that the Toshiba has over the Loox...

It also has a microphone ring. However, according to the folks at PPCTechs ( http://www.firstloox.org/forums/showthread.php?p=19173 ), early this year a line-in CF card will be released. Hope it'll be stereo :)

surur
01-03-2005, 03:47 PM
It also has a microphone ring. However, according to the folks at PPCTechs ( http://www.firstloox.org/forums/showthread.php?p=19173 ), early this year a line-in CF card will be released. Hope it'll be stereo :)

Well, since the thread started up again, and to take it further off topic: :)

I understood there was no way of getting sound in via a CF card. If a way has been found, does this open up the scope for GSM CF cards which actually use the audio hardware IN the unit, as apposed to a separate headset?

Surur

Menneisyys
01-03-2005, 03:55 PM
I understood there was no way of getting sound in via a CF card. If a way has been found, does this open up the scope for GSM CF cards which actually use the audio hardware IN the unit, as apposed to a separate headset?

That'd be great. It's because of the lack of support for the PDA's mike/speaker/ BT headset that made me stay clearly away from any kind of CF GSM card (all current GSM cards have this problem). Unfortunately, I don't think it can be done via hacking, without the help of the card manufacturers. And we all know how lazy and non-responsing manufacturers are...

Janak Parekh
01-03-2005, 04:38 PM
I understood there was no way of getting sound in via a CF card.
To the best of my knowledge, no unit actually routes the CF pins to the internal audio hardware, and I don't even know if the CF spec allows for it or not. Any recording solution (like the PDAudio-CF (http://www.core-sound.com/pdaudio-cf.html)) has, to this date, included its own DAC and used proprietary drivers/software. My guess is also that the PPCTechs unit will do the same thing, unless it somehow adapts the headphone jack itself.

--janak

Sven Johannsen
01-03-2005, 05:02 PM
OK, I said I was out, but this is new ground. It didn't look to me like PPCTechs said there was a CF audio in card coming, it looked to me like they were going to make an adapter. They already make one for 2.5mm headset jacks. What is needed for those PPCs that have audio in, some Toshibas, the Dell x50, maybe others, is a 3.5mm version of that adapter. You can already get various ones from http://www.pc-mobile.net/toshiba.htm. I bought too of the ones for the Toshiba from pc-mobile and they work fine on my X50. The one that has a single earbud and cord mounted mic makes a great Skype accesory.

As for Audio in via CF card, that exists too. http://www.core-sound.com/HighResRecorderNews.html for $199. Why so high? because the CF card doesn't have audio capability. What they had to do is cram a digitizer (encoder) into the CF card, create the digital file and then just transfer the file over the CF interface. With the development cost and limited market, the price is high.

Menneisyys
01-03-2005, 05:21 PM
What is needed for those PPCs that have audio in, some Toshibas, the Dell x50, maybe others

The hx4700 also has mic in (and the 5450/5550).

As for Audio in via CF card, that exists too. http://www.core-sound.com/HighResRecorderNews.html for $199. Why so high? because the CF interface doesn't have audio capability. What they had to do is cram a digitizer (encoder) into the CF card, create the digital file and then just transfer the file over the CF interface. With the development cost and limited market, the price is high.

Still, I think a "plain" 16 bit/44 kHz (instead of 24 bit / 96 kHz) resolution/sampling frequency, which is excellent for everyday recording, is enough, and can be MUCH cheaper (24 bit / 96 kHz ADC's are by far more expensive than 16 bit/44 kHz ADC's).

Furthermore, the Core Sound card only has the output file format of PCM WAV - not even ADPCM or any compression. And, if it isn't able to work together with any PPC-based on-the-fly MP3 encoder, it's pretty useless for casual "I want to record my lecture/my family events in stereo" use.

Sven Johannsen
01-03-2005, 07:26 PM
Still, I think a "plain" 16 bit/44 kHz (instead of 24 bit / 96 kHz) resolution/sampling frequency, which is excellent for everyday recording, is enough, and can be MUCH cheaper (24 bit / 96 kHz ADC's are by far more expensive than 16 bit/44 kHz ADC's).

Furthermore, the Core Sound card only has the output file format of PCM WAV - not even ADPCM or any compression. And, if it isn't able to work together with any PPC-based on-the-fly MP3 encoder, it's pretty useless for casual "I want to record my lecture/my family events in stereo" use.

Totally agree. I think the Core Sound thing was built with some very specific 'professional' application in mind, not for the casual recorder. It remains that the encoding needs to be done in the CF card. Poviding the option of changing the format using a UI on the PPC would add a bit of complexity. Would be nicer if the OS just supported stereo, and the internal mic in was duplicated at a jack. The encoders are already in there.

Janak Parekh
01-03-2005, 07:39 PM
Totally agree. I think the Core Sound thing was built with some very specific 'professional' application in mind, not for the casual recorder.
Indeed, it was specifically developed as an alternative to DAT recorders. ;)

Anyway, if you look at Menneisyys's post on FirstLoox, you can see that the allusion was clearly to the Pocket LOOX, which presumably needs a CF card to enable recording. I guess we'll have to wait and see what their solutions is.

--janak

Janak Parekh
01-03-2005, 07:41 PM
FYI, this discussion was split off from http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=316364#316364 as I thought it was worth discussing on its own merits. :)

--janak

Sven Johannsen
01-03-2005, 07:56 PM
Anyway, if you look at Menneisyys's post on FirstLoox, you can see that the allusion was clearly to the Pocket LOOX, which presumably needs a CF card to enable recording.

Yea, but the statement about the adapter in Menneisys's post on the Loox forum, was a quote of a post by Nachodog on an iPAQ forum. So I don't know what that adaper thing Leonard talks about is for. Adapter though, sounds more like something that you could break out the 4 ring jack into seperate mic and headphone jacks, such as PPCTechs already makes for the 2.5" phone jacks, which they call adapters, on their site.

rola
01-08-2008, 08:03 AM
Although I come here too later, I still find it's a good topic.

Sven Johannsen
01-09-2008, 03:34 AM
Late? The topic has mold on it. ;)