RockboxPlayerV1 - Free/Open hardware audio player for Rockbox

[cool_walking_]

Chalk up one more for compact Li-Ion battery.

I agree recording can be something that sets this player apart.  While it's not a necessity for me, I _would_ use it quite a bit if it were there.  I'd throw in all the recording gizmos you can (so long as it's not _too_ expensive), to appeal to recording enthusiasts.

[scoz]

If possible as well as reasonably easy access for replacing batteries, make it reasonanbly easy to replace the hard disk (assuming hard disks are being used), ie no soldering unlike in my former Archos JBRFM.  Also instead of using those bloody torx screws/bolts, that seem to get used all the time, use phillips head screws.  most people have access to a suitable screwdriver or if not they can easily find one.

[casainho]

In fact, even the sansa e200 series has "easy replaceable" Li-Ion batteries, in that it has the battery in a separate "compartment" that is just a few screws away.

I prefer "easy replaceable" + easy swappable. I will differentiate this two different ideas on wiki page.

[mborus]

Hi,

I'd like to add some thoughts as well.

I my opinion the H120 inputs and outputs are near perfect,
so I'd wish to have them just like this in the new project.

Davide-NYC wrote:

The line-out/optical output jack (on the other hand) is almost never used since I pull audio off of the DAP via USB.

In my living room I use the digital output a lot. My receiver has front input connectors for digital and analog. Connecting digitally gives me a sound quality that equals my CD-player. With digital out it's easy to claim that the RockboxPlayerV1 can sound better than most other players on the market.

Another reason for both digital input/output is that with the H120 you can chain players. I can connect the digital output to my H120, press record and then use the digital out to pass the signal to the next recorder...

FM radio in the background: If FM radio is implemented, it should be possible
to record from the radio without listening to the audio. This would allow
timeshifting features for radio.

I am very interested in knowing what people that records are interested!

I record a lot, so here's what I care about:

- Recording time longer than 6 hours in uncompressed WAV using batteries
- Recording time longer than 24 hours when connected to a power adaptor
- High quality recordings: The harddisk or CPU should not interfere with the audio. Two examples: With the line-in recordings on the Archos V1 you can hear the spin-up noise, if you search for it. On the Iriver, recording FM radio directly into mp3 disturbs the FM-reception.
- line in/microphone in combination: The iriver line-in doubles as a microphone input. This allows me to use stealth microphones without the need of a amplifier box.
- clock, so that timer recordings are possible and the date/time info of recordings are correct.
- display: in my opinion, the H120 b/w display is good enough to set recording levels correctly. I'd prefer a b/w display that's always on to a color display that needs to be turned off to save power.

[cool_walking_]

I never even thought about the RTC - I thought it was a given.  So yeah, RTC for me, please.

The one thing I disagree with mborus on is lack of colour display.  I watch a lot of video and use a lot of the plugins which are aided by a colour display.  So that's a fairly major thing for me.

[Davide-NYC]

I essentially agree with everything mborus said.  I think the basic idea (from a recording enthusiast perspective only) is that the H1x0 series is almost perfect.

To summarize: Starting from the iRiver H1x0 as a basic platform the only things a recording enthusiast would definitely need *in addition to what is already in an H1x0* are the following:

- Real Time Clock (probably a given)
- better that 20bit/48kHz digital input support (putting it in the professional category)
- SSD or CF or equivalent... (no moving parts/no interference)

Am I right folks?  

[casainho]

The one thing I disagree with mborus on is lack of colour display.  I watch a lot of video and use a lot of the plugins which are aided by a colour display.  So that's a fairly major thing for me.

Please read the objectives of RockboxPlayer - Good quality hardware audio player and recorder - no video player or game console;

If you want a portable video player, you have a lot of options in market, but I believe you will not find both things, with good quality.

I am being archiving suggestions on:
http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/RockboxPlayerWishlist

[AlexP]

Please read the objectives of RockboxPlayer - Good quality hardware audio player and recorder - no video player or game console;

And who defined those objectives?  Surely that too is personal preference?

[casainho]

Please read the objectives of RockboxPlayer - Good quality hardware audio player and recorder - no video player or game console;

And who defined those objectives?  Surely that too is personal preference?

I did. I started writing the idea of this project on wiki and that objectives reflects my believes.

[GodEater]

Personally, if I were going to make a device dedicated to running Rockbox, I'd be making a device which exercised all of Rockbox's capabilities - which would mean including a colour screen.

Just my 2 pennies worth though - I accept I'm not working on developing this device, and ultimately the decisions will be made by those who are.

[casainho]

Personally, if I were going to make a device dedicated to running Rockbox, I'd be making a device which exercised all of Rockbox's capabilities - which would mean including a colour screen.

Just my 2 pennies worth though - I accept I'm not working on developing this device, and ultimately the decisions will be made by those who are.

Project to design and build a Free/Open hardware audio player for use with RockBox. --> for use with, doesn't mean it should exercised all of Rockbox's capabilities - this are things that are already decided and written.

Well, but If you read the pages about actual work, you will read about colour screen! Actual PrototypeB will use OLED 18 bit color.

And you are right - respect the work of the others developers. Thank you.

[AlexP]

Please read the objectives of RockboxPlayer - Good quality hardware audio player and recorder - no video player or game console;

And who defined those objectives?  Surely that too is personal preference?

I did. I started writing the idea of this project on wiki and that objectives reflects my believes.

I know, that was my point.  I appreciate it was your idea, but if you ask other people for their opinions, it isn't very constructive then just to say no as they disagree with your opinions.  Why bother asking?

[Llorean]

Seriously, if you want exclusive control of this, rename it to "casainhoPlayerV1", but if you're going to treat it like a community project, remember that "What I want it to be" isn't always what's right for the community.

[casainho]

if you ask other people for their opinions, it isn't very constructive then just to say no as they disagree with your opinions.  Why bother asking?

I started by writing a message in ML with the subject: Suggest features for a new hardware recorder/audio player for using with Rockbox, so I was expecting just suggestions about a possible recorder/audio player and not a video player. I may have been unfriendly, sorry.

Seriously, if you want exclusive control of this, rename it to "casainhoPlayerV1", but if you're going to treat it like a community project, remember that "What I want it to be" isn't always what's right for the community.

I do not want exclusive control, I just defined what I wanted AND believe as realistic objectives, possible to do. I want to work with others that also believe, desire, the same idea. Who do not share the same beliefs and have others, can always start working on that others, I assume there is space, freedom for do that.

[Llorean]

Rockbox already has many features that make use of a color screen. Why exclude them just because *you* don't want a color screen. Other than a slight increase in cost, what harm is there in a color screen? I don't see a color screen being "unrealistic."