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Firmware change for enabling MP3 on earlier radios

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by Aerocorp, Dec 7, 2005.

  1. Aerocorp

    Aerocorp New Member

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    Many of us are happy but also frustrated that the '06 Prius CD radio will finally offer MP3 capability as an option.

    I've inquired with Toyota Canada whether that radio could be retrofitted on my '05 Prius, and got the expectable response, i.e. "not currently planned to be offered as an accessory for the '05 model blah blah blah...".

    Technically though I'm sure it'll be feasible, IF the radio can be made avaialble as a part, BUT they'll probably ask an arm for it.

    Then someone seeded the following idea in my mind by asserting it's doable on some other radios:

    Simply, upgrade the firmware to implement MP3 decoding.

    Of course in principle IF the radio has a CPU with enough crunching power AND spare CPU time AND memory, this could be achievable, since the laser diode needs to read bits just the same, and downstream analog music is restituted at the AUDIO OUT leads after the DACs.

    So, I asked this question also to Toyota Canada and as expected there was no reference to that possibility in their reply.

    Does anyone now enough about the Prius standard radio to figure whether that possibility can even be considered remotely possible ?

    Best regards,
    Gilles
     
    #1 Aerocorp, Dec 7, 2005
  2. DaveG

    DaveG Member

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    I'm going to say that it's totally impossible. I have never seen the option to upgrade the firmware in a straight CD player (DVD players yes, but never a CD player).

    Allowing MP3 playback would assume that the CD player has hardware inside it that could decode the MP3 compression. Most CD players have an extremely simple playback circuit that doesn't do a lot more other than take a raw bitstream (there's no compression on regular CDs), and run it through a buffer and then a digital to analog converter.

    I'd suggest getting an iPod and an interface of some sort (works great for me!).

    Dave
     
    #2 DaveG, Dec 8, 2005
  3. silentak1

    silentak1 Since 2005

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    Excellent idea, however i don't believe it is feasible either without hardware modification.
     
    #3 silentak1, Dec 8, 2005
  4. Aerocorp

    Aerocorp New Member

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    I'm kindof also leaning on the skeptical's side about this firmware upgrade. However if we were lucky maybe there were provisions in the radio for an add-on daughterboard. Or maybe only one board would need to be changed in the radio, if we could get it direct from the manufactorer. Anyabody aware of who's manufacturing it ?
     
    #4 Aerocorp, Dec 8, 2005
  5. Astrotoy7

    Astrotoy7 New Member

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    #5 Astrotoy7, Dec 21, 2005
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