Setting up for a van - wireless headphones?

[steelerfan2014]

Hi all,
I have a full sized van that came with a CRT TV and a VCR. I took those out with the plan to replace with a Media Center. That way I can put video and music on the PC and not have to have lots of DVDs in the van etc. Controlling the PC will be done with a logitech media center remote.

I don't anticipate having any issues doing the replacement - a 17" monitor (DVI) fits perfectly and I have a Dell USFF optiplex 760 with a 240gb SSD for the win7 media center. The electrical wiring is already in place for the old equipment, and I am adding a small UPS so that when the power goes off, it gracefully shuts down.

What I am having trouble with is the wireless headphones - I do not want to use the Van sound for this (keep the kids quiet etc). I need to set up four sets of wireless headphones. Line of sight might be an issue for the back bench - so IR is out. Leaving bluetooth and RF.

Should I go bluetooth or RF? Can all four headphones connect to the same transmitter? The PC and monitor are in a "hutch" between the front seats - can the transmitter go in there or does it have to be external?

Grateful for any recommendations,
Rob

[steelerfan2014]

Anybody have any ideas?

How about just wireless headphone recommendations?

Thanks,
Rob

[barnabas1969]

I suggest you go look on some of the forums which are devoted specifically to a "carputer" such as mp3car.com.

When I was thinking about building a carputer, I was looking at these headphones:
http://www.enasco.com/product/EL10526J

I haven't tried them, so I can't tell you much other than those were the ones I was considering.

Also, it sounds like you are connecting your carputer to an inverter (which converts the car's 12VDC to 120VAC). This isn't the best way to go. You should look into the Pico PSU from mini-box.com.

[kingwr]

I would also suggest that Media Center isn't the best solution. Media Center requires Windows and sets itself apart in these areas: DRM, Cable-card support, extender platform. You aren't using any of those functions. Why not MediaBrowser on Linux with a wi-fi hotspot to support control/streaming to and from your mobile devices.

[3rob3]

Agreed, though I would go with something like Openelec (XBMC). MB3 and Plex are both client/server based. Since this will be more standalone XBMC would be a better choice. You could even run XBMC on something as small as a Raspberry Pi.

As for the headphones, I have no idea.....sorry.

[steelerfan2014]

Hi all - thanks for the prompt replies.

Barnabas - thanks for the headphone link - but they are IR which has line of sight issues. As for the power - I was going to use the wiring in it and use a converter - just to keep it simple. Sticking with 12vdc would be nice, but I want a UPS between the power and the PC. That way when the van is shut down its not like pulling the plug.

kingwr - I have used mythbuntu before and it was an idea. The Dell comes with a win7 pro licence - so I was just going to use that to keep things simple. It also helps with making sure the media center remote works. Have had issues with remotes and mythbuntu. I have a usb wifi that can be added for updates etc. The big thing is to put movies and MP3s in electronic format so I don't have to keep that stuff in the van.

3rob3 - I have used XBMC as well - but in this scenario it is the same as mythbuntu - I already have win7 pro.

[barnabas1969]

If you mount the IR blaster up high (on the ceiling?), then line of sight won't be an issue. Those things typically blast a very powerful IR signal. Ever noticed that you can point your IR remote-control at the wall behind you, and it still works? Light bounces off of objects.

If you read about the Pico PSU, you will see that it can be configured to automatically shutdown/standby/hibernate the PC. It doesn't just "pull the plug" when you turn off the ignition. If you do it right, it will keep power on until the PC finishes with the shutdown/standby/hibernate process.

An inverter/UPS combo in a moving vehicle is a very bad idea. If you are planning to use an LCD computer display that is not made for a mobile environment, select one with an AC/DC adapter which has a DC output that can easily be converted with a DC-DC power supply. Many LCD monitors have a 12-19VDC input. It wouldn't be too difficult to find a DC-DC power supply which can supply those voltages.

I can't really comment about XBMC and MediaBrowser. I tried MythBuntu several years ago and it was a complete failure. I couldn't even get it to boot and run reliably. Besides the fact that it wouldn't do copy-protected CableCARD... the people on the myth forum were complete jerks. There are much nicer people here on this forum.

[machausta]

Barnabus is absolutely right about the power supply, I had one in my work van a couple of years ago and it is the way to go. As for a display, again something DC that doesn't require an inverter is ideal and openelec boots wicked fast compared to your other options. The Raspberry Pi is awesome, but too slow to be a real winner in my book for the application you are using it for.

[barnabas1969]

Just to make sure you understand why an inverter/UPS is a bad idea... here are a few things that I can think of (off the top of my head) that could happen and/or be a problem:

• Fire hazard, especially in a collision
• Electrocution hazard
• Very dirty electric supply to the PC which could cause damage over time
• Electrical noise induced back into the vehicle's wiring, which could cause damage to electronic/ignition components and/or noise on the car stereo
• Greatly reduced longevity of the UPS batteries due to the extreme heat in a vehicle which is parked in the sun

[mike_ekim]

Sorry, I can't recommend a wireless headphone setup. Have you considered a splitter and hardwiring some headphone jacks like an airplane? You may be able to route the wiring down from the hutch to the underside of the van and then up at the individual seats.

Generally I feel annoyed when a person asks for advice on a forum and the majority of relies are "why are you doing that, you should do something else" but in this case I have to agree with other posts: putting Media Center in a van seems to be less than ideal. By all means, install the carputer if that is what you want, and sadly I can't give you any real help. But if my goal was to allow people to watch movies in a van without a stack of DVDs, a desktop computer and a UPS would not be my first (or second, or third) choice.

For example:

• You could use a smartphone or tablet with HDMI out to the monitor, and then use something like a wifi hard drive or sneakernet with a sd card to put new movies on it (or take the tablet inside and use wifi, or maybe wifi would reach the driveway). The tablet would have a built in battery so there would be no power issues, plus you could potentially do some interesting things like GPS/weather reports etc for people in the back seats.
  
  Chromecast might also be a good option for you to stream media from your phone to the TV. I haven't been keeping up with Chromecast, so I don't know if that capability is back.
  
  Even a Roku with an external drive or a similar box (WD, etc) might be a whole lot better. (disclaimer: I have a Roku 3 at home and I am head-over-heals madly in love with it.)