Connect a Macbook Pro to Car audio system?

[Aelyrin]

Does anyone know if it is possible to Connect a Macbook Pro to Car audio system? IF anyone has tried this I would be extremely interested in some pics/tutorials on a way to accomplish it.

Or as I have come up empty handed in my searches a link to information on the next someplace or a product that will allow me to do it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[GraceMolloy]

"CAN" it be done? Of course. Can it be done without looking crappy? Entirely different discussion.

It depends on what kind of head you have in your car.

 

[ChickenSwartz]

From headphone out, you can connect it just like you do an iPod, FM transmitter, cassette adapter, etc. Might not suggest it though, not good for the HD to be spinning while your car is bumping around.

 

[Dubba]

Yes, but WHY would you want to do this???

 

[danielbriggs]

You could buy a cheap nano and sync your songs across, then plug in or use an iTrip or similar????

 

[Aelyrin]

Yes, but WHY would you want to do this???

I travel about 2500.00 miles a week. I have a cd player in my vehicle, but I am not really an avid collector of CDs, I do however have access to a massive database of MP3s.

Occasionaly when I am lucky, my wife is able to come along with me, and she enjoys watching a movie during the trip. Instead of having headphones on and being separated from me it would be nice to just have it come in over the car audio. This is also nice if there are multiple passengers.

My vehicle is a 99 Dodge Dakota sport with a custom CD player (older, not sure of the brand). So the casette adapter options will not work for me. This would also be used in a 2003 Mazda Protege 5 with a 6 disk in dash cd changer.

I am surprised at the lack of options for this concept, it seems like many people would be interested in something of this nature...

Thank you for the replies!

 

[kgarchar]

your best bet is to get an iPod. So much easier.

 

[Blackheart]

You'll have to see if your model of head unit has an AUX in. If it doesn't, then it's probably not going to work unless you buy a new one.

Of note, sometimes it is possible if you have a CD changer input. For instance, on my Kenwood head unit, there was an adapter for a CD changer plug that gave me composite audio female adapters (the red and white plugs) that I used to plug in composite audio male adapters that had a headphone male plug on the other end.

 

[Aelyrin]

your best bet is to get an iPod. So much easier.

How does an ipod connect to a car audio system (with no casette player available).

 

[Aelyrin]

http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=898

Just found an article regarding bluetooth capable Ipods that can conect to bluetooth capable Car Audio systems.

If an ipod can do it thru the bluetooth connection, can a Macbook Pro? (Assuming one has a bluetooth capable car audio system).

 

[ChickenSwartz]

How does an ipod connect to a car audio system (with no casette player available).

There are all sorts of FM transmitters available. Plug into headphone out and then into cigarette lighter (12V DC as they are sometimes called). It transmits to a FM station that you tune on your radio. Quality is OK.

 

[GraceMolloy]

find out what model Head you have and research what connectors it has.

You very well may have AUX ports. Though the FM adapter or cassette would be the simplest method.

 

[Aelyrin]

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Xyf7zPH5KUV/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=300&I=020DB365US&search=usb+stereo

An interesting link there, you can plug your laptop into a USB port directly on the Car Audio Faceplate allowing you to use your laptop as a player.

 

[Aelyrin]

find out what model Head you have and research what connectors it has.

You very well may have AUX ports. Though the FM adapter or cassette would be the simplest method.

I'm kind of a noob to car audio, where would I find this information?

 

[sycho]

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Xyf7zPH5KUV/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=300&I=020DB365US&search=usb+stereo

An interesting link there, you can plug your laptop into a USB port directly on the Car Audio Faceplate allowing you to use your laptop as a player.

ummm no, that's for flash drives

 

[Blackheart]

I'm kind of a noob to car audio, where would I find this information?

Find the model number of your head unit and post it here. Some head units have this written on the faceplate. If it isn't there for you, you'll need to dig out the box that it came in.

 

[Cybix]

you need an ipod and an FM transmitter

 

[Aelyrin]

ummm no, that's for flash drives

Hmm, I just gott of the phone with a tech from Crutchfield who told me that it would work to use your laptop with that usb interfaced CD player. I spose he could have been mistaken, do you know for sure that it would not work?