I have my pc (Win XP) connected directing to my Rio Central with the usb cable for direct sync (usb port #1 on the Rio). I was having problems with it and found out that it was a driver issue for the Rio Central with Win XP.

Just click on this site and update the Rio Central driver under system properties > hardware > device manager > usb controllers. The new driver file is RIOXDRV and you just need to update the driver (ie not install/reinstall emplode) : http://www.empeg.com/downloads/car-emplode-v2.00.zip

Hope that helps for anyone who was frustrated like me that I couldn't use the direct usb connection approach rather then using ethernet usb adapter or hpna.

Wow, I hadn't thought about how the old USB issue from the car player would affect the central. I thought they'd solved that problem by the time the central was out. Hm. Maybe I'm remembering wrong.

What about using a USB-to-Ethernet adapter? Is there anyway to get that working with the Rio Central? I can't for the life of me (except for cost savings) think of why they didn't include an RJ-45 jack and Ethernet support rather than a stupid 56K modem. That seems like a step backwards from the empeg. How can you network that on a LAN even if you wanted to? And what about using 3rd-party apps like emphatic with it? Can any of that custom software (or that specifically written for the Rio Central) be installed and configured to run on the unit?

If I download and install the RIOXDRV file on my Win XP system, will that also allow me to connect my empeg via USB? (I'm assuming so based on your above comments if it's the same driver needed).

Yes, in fact, I'm using one on my Central. You plug a USB cable from the central's rear-facing USB port into the USB-to-ethernet adapter, then plug the ethernet cable into the adapter. There's a trick: It has to be the right kind. If you go to the Central's "About" menu (I think it's the about menu if I recall correctly), it lists the specific models of USB-to-ethernet adapter that were supported. Might be hard to find one of them, though, that was years ago.



Yeah, they were trying to save on cost. Fortunately they were able to code in the adapter support, so anyone who really wanted ethernet could use it.

That's for connecting the Empeg-Car to the Windows PC, yes. You also need the connection software (Emplode) which is part of that file as well.

If you mean connecting the Empeg-Car to the Rio Central, then no. At least, I don't think they ever implemented a connection directly between the two.

There were plans to implement empeg-download capability into the Central, but it was never developed or implemented. Only a limited number of Rio portable FLASH players are supported.

Short of an open-source implementation of the Central software, you are out of luck.

I currently rip on Central, upload to PC using jEmplode (USB+ethernet adapter), download from jEmplode to empeg (ethernet). I can only do this with my Mk 2, as I was not able to get USB going with jEmplode.

Incidentally, AVG is now marking the jempeg.com site as a drive-by malware installer. Has anyone maintained contact with Mike Schrag?