Hooking up to a stereo...HELP!

[Cisco]

Just bought a home theater system....and the best part is it has a USB port for attaching personal audio devices, such as the x5. Actually that's the reason I bought it.

So, can you control the X5 with IT'S controls, or does it go into "Connected" mode once it detects a USB connect. I thought I could control the x5 like normal, and play it through my new system, not the case if I use the USB connect, huh?

[vince.nl]

you can either use the stereo's controls to play music off your X5 (just using the X5 as storage), and that's done with the usb-cable.

If you want to use the X5's controls but want the sound to go trough the stereo, just use a mini-jack to RCA cable, which connects the audio-out of the X5 to the aux in of your stereo.

[Zeus's Uncle]

Whoa, sweet, you have a stereo that can access usb hard drives and play mp3s? What brand and model is this wonder?

[vince.nl]

not too uncommon these days..

check http://froogle.google.com/froogle?btnG=Search+Froogle&lmode=online&q=stereo+system+with+usb&lnk=qsugt

for just a few examples.

even cheap brands are coming out with these things nowadays, saw one here in the Netherlands today for $80 or something.

[Zeus's Uncle]

Ah, looks like these are USB inputs for a computer connection. I assume that they work like BitHead amps, where they appear as another sound card in the computer. Not what I was thinking, where you plug in the USB hard drive, very different behavior. I've seen those already, my friend has one. But the poster said it was for hooking up personal audio devices like the x5. I don't think I've seen something that can just access a USB hard drive and find the files itself.

[afruff23]

I don't get what the USB port does on the stereo.

[Cisco]

It's a home theater system...SAMSUNG HT-P38, and YES..it will access your files on your mp3 player. Earlier today, I was controlling my near 5000 songs, ON MY TV SCREEN, playing them through the USB port on the receiver, my x5 plugged into it. IT IS UNREAL!!! Never seen another model that allows you to do that!!

But NOW, I've got a new problem. I enjoyed it while it lasted. NOW, I can't get the x5 to quit retorting to the "Ok To Disconnect" screen. Just like a PC...you need to have your x5 on the "connected" screen when plugged into the home theater system in order to access your files.

Why is it doing this?? Anybody else have this problem??

[afruff23]

I sometimes get this error when I connect it to ym computer. Disconnect the cable from the stereo and X5. Replug. If that doesn't work, then turn on the X5, then turn it off. Replug.

[afruff23]

HOw do you search through so many files. I would expect it to have some sort of sorting procedure to be practical(i.e. use folder/filename treeview). Does it support m3u files on the X5?

[Zeus's Uncle]

Nice. Does it require using a television or other monitor? Or can you browse directly on the stereo?

[Cisco]

Believe it or not...you just search files based on whatever you have on your folder. If you have the Stones on your x5, just bring up the Stones folder, select album, song, and play. You can control the menu using the remote supplied with the home theater system. Cool huh??

It brings up music, just like the files are saved on the x5. I have each artist with a folder, then individual albums in a folder, so forth and so on. But you can access playlists too I'm thinking, I just don't have any saved yet. So I'm not sure for certain whether m3u is supported, I'll let you know as soon as I can get some playlists on my x5.

Haven't figured out if I can play using a shuffle mode either. I hope so, that's the way I usually use my x5, kind of my own personal radio station. BTW, I finally figured out that you have to have the "USB" mode selected on the Samsung system, in order for the x5 to recognize it's connected. THat's why I kept getting the "okay to disconnect" message I think.

[Cisco]

Well..in order to be able to know what you're playing...you would have to have a monitor. The TV in a way becomes the little 3 inch screen on the x5..you see all your files, etc. But you can advance tracks on the receiver unit itself, it even says the track file name on the message screen briefly, then switches to song time. This is really flippin' cool! I never imagined I'd find a home theater system with a USB port on the front. I just noticed my Direct TV receiver has one too, I wonder what that would do??

[NoComp]

IMHO there's a much better solution to have full control over your music compared to hooking up the X5 to a Hifi-Stereo via USB.

Here's how I control my music at home (without X5) and what you need for it:
1. A Bluetooth enabled Java MIDP2.0 JSR-82 mobile phone. (all new NOKIA Series 40 & 60, all new SonyEricsson ...)

2. A bluetooth Dongle for your PC

3. Get the ultimate mobile Java Applet "Bluetooth Remote Control"
Linky:http://www.bluetoothshareware.com/bluetooth_remote_control.asp

4. Connect your PC-Audio-Out to your HiFi-Stereo-AUX-In.

5. Start your favorite Music Player (WINAMP, WMP10, best implementation unfortunately only for iTunes right now)
(I dont like iTunes at all but it's with no doubt the best supported musicsoftware out there right now - most plugins aso)

6. Start the Java applet on your phone

7. Enjoy full control over your music without sight to your HiFi-Stereo and up to 10 meters away! (even through walls!!!! try that with an Infrared-remote)

That's what you'll be able to do:
Play/Pause/Skip Tracks, search for files, browse Artists/Playlists/Albums, full information about the currently playing track on the cell phones display, aso....
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/nocomp/playnow6280.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/nocomp/browse6280.jpg

Your also able to shut down your Computer, Reboot and enable Standby-Mode, control your Powerpoint presentation (with slides on the mobile phones display!!!!!), aso ...

OK, that's tech-geek-style and surely not easy for a technology-novice. :nutty:
But anyway - it rocks and surely THE solution I always dreamt of! :rock: