Recommendations for incar media "server"

[jbeez]

I'm thinking about doing a tablet install or possibly a raspberry pi & digi+ dac module to toslink input to my helix DSP.

wondering if anyone had any experience/recommendations for either? If I go rasp pi I would just want to control the media from my cell phone. Trying to avoid bluetooth from my phone itself, i think its a little lossy TBH, however it sure is convenient for skipping tracks and steeringwheel volume through the factory ford mytouch system i have.

The big downer here is that I can't replace my factory headunit, there are functions in there that control things like AC/heated front seats that I can't control anywhere else in the car. Right now my back door speakers are still going through the factory radio so I'll still hear chimes and beeps and other things like that.

Some of the issues I see with an android tablet would be simultaneously charging it while also using the usb port for a dac to get the sound out. Besides the major issue of where the hell I can even put it.

This is what the cockpit of my car looks like now

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0Ybiw1urrK4j0O1HZIWCKTT-yXTSO7vNQZ67VQbFS0c=w1190-h892-no

[Bump4life]

i just did this in my vehicle. ipad mini first generation with pure i20. this charges and allows me access to audio via a wired lossless connection. i then purchased a western digital my passport wireless 2 tb and replaced drive with a ssd. used 8player to play flac or movies. works awesome!!

as far as android i am unfamiliar. but i believe you can still use the my passport wireless as the dlna server for the car! it works great. the stock hard drive in the passport wireless is a WD green drive. too slow to stream anything very very high quality, so i took it out to go for the ssd. no vibration issues and much faster for streaming.

also make a dedicated 2A usb to charge the my passport while you are in car so its not running on battery power.

[jbeez]

thanks, I'll look into those!