I personally know that the video of the Mk. I is what put me over the edge and made me buy the empeg. I knew the "power" that a music/technology lover like me would gain from the empeg, but it took seeing the visuals (eye candy) and easy user interface in action to make me consider buying it. Also made it seem more "real". IMHO, more RioCar's would have been sold if a video demo was on the site.

For years I was thinking (and still do) that a company could make a mint from a box like the empeg that was just an EQ and had all the visuals. There are a few graphic EQ's out there, but one that would have the visual impact of the empeg would sell like crazy. Even a home box that made your TV light up or part of your audio rack dance would be hot too...

It was a big part of my final decision to make the investment....:)

What video are you referring to?

It was an owners video of his Mark I.... Steve's website: http://steve.nac.net/empeg/

That was the deciding factor for myself. Once I watched the video over and over again I forked over the money and have never looked back.

I'd say this BBS was my deciding factor... but that video definitely pushed me close to the edge. Seeing the visuals and a screen on a car stereo that could do just about anything instead of being locked do certain graphics was an awesome site. We've all decided by now... SonicBlue should have left the marketing to us... hehehe

SonicBlue should have left the marketing to us...

Amen.

Browsing some "old-school" in-car PC/MP3 player websites turned me on to the Empeg back in the pre-Mk1 days. I said "I want one!"

Steve's video made me say "I absolutely need one of these things"

This forum made me say "I absolutely need one of these things, and I am going to get it."

Empeg's announcement of selling to SonicBlue made me take the action and say "I'm getting it."

A few days and a few too many FedEx tracking number inquiries later, it arrived.

If he is still here - "THANKS STEVE!"

I saw the geek site and the empeg.com site and said, hey that looks pretty cool. I was considering a PhatMan from PhatNoise as a potential solution, since it was cheaper.

Then I saw Steve's video. I knew right that second I must have one. I don't want one, I NEEEED one. Like an uncontrollable hunger. I'm sure it had a lot to do with the fact that it was a kick ass product ... but seeing it in action ... in live comentary made all the difference to me. THAT'S what sold me.

(It took some time after I had already purchased it to find the BBS).

Greg

Although the reduction of the price was the biggest selling point for me (I had been ignoring the product before, due to the high price), the video is what put me over the top.

Once I saw how easy it was to use it, as well as all the cool advanced features like searching for an artist by name, I knew I had to have it.

Although the reduction of the price was the biggest selling point for me (I had been ignoring the product before, due to the high price),

Is anyone from Sonic Blue listening?

In reply to:

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SonicBlue should have left the marketing to us...

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I think they did and forgot to tell us . I bet we have sold more by word of mouth than the web site generated on its own! I know that I have convinced 2 others to purchase. And now with the price drop....here comes the fleece.

seeing that video made me wnt one

I just purchased mine today, and already convinced a friend to get one and another is seriously thinking about it.

I think the biggest problem with the empeg/RioCar though is that it's a niche product. Your average consumer doesn't want to remove their car stereo, plug it into their computer, and download mp3s onto it. Furthermore, this would require the user to know how to rip their CDs into MP3s too.

I think that the product could have been more successful, though, if it had been marketed to the right people. I think their biggest two audiences would be:
a) the young computer geek who loves file swapping programs and wants to listen to their illegal mp3s in their cars. They also want to have the "badass" car stereo system

but more importantly...

b) the middle-aged, middle-class hi-fi stereo junkie. I work for MUSICMATCH (mp3 jukebox software), and this is our biggest audience and exactly what Rio should have aimed for. It's the 35-50 year old white male who makes at least $50,000/yr and owns over 500 CDs. This group consists of die-hard music fans who have the money to spend on outrageous stereo systems. If Rio had gone and advertised in HiFi magazines (such as Stereophile) and gotten them to review the product, they would probably have had much better sales.

Anyways, that's my two cents.

I searched all over the internet for mp3 solutions and funny toys.

I found empeg site when it was at MKI.
It was too expensive for me to buy at this time, I was student.

I was coming sometime on empeg site to see price drop ...

I had tape audio in my first car.
I bought a new powerful car to go to my new job (60 km)

So, I said to myself : i must have a different audio system than other people !!!!

I first (don't blame me) bought Neo35 (a little bit cheaper that empeg, but less hackable believe me).

But Neo35 didnt fit in my car rack.Not very Beautyful.
AAnd only things to do was to upgrade the bios, which I experienced many many problems.

Went on many empeg hack sites, and found Steve Video.
In live, I saw my future car player in action. FANTASTIC !!!!!

Fnally, I decided to buy Empeg after SonicBlue acquired.

I followed my ups package during 3 days and received it .

Now it's GREAT.

Every people that come in my car is amazed.

I have now found THE MOST POWERFUL CAR AUDIO PLAYER.

I was never aware there was a video.

I was looking for something to play my MP3 files in my car with as little CD swapping as possible. A friend of mine turned me on to the website and I never looked back from there.

Someone else already said it, "I didn't WANT one, I NEEDED one".

I found the empeg during it's Mk I stage (before they were even being shipped) and got in line when the Mk II's were announced. But it wasn't so much a matter of waiting for the price to come down... it was more of a "when will I have enough capacity at that price to justify it". So in my mind, the empeg wasn't too expensive, the hard drives were. So, knowing that I could upgrade the drives was a big factor. So was this board (not only all the great owners, but especially Hugo posting here helped.) In fact, I bragged that I had posted a few questions and the creator of the empeg actuall answered it! So I knew that even if the company went under, there would be enough of a loyal following to support it (ie, custom lens, kernals, aps, cnc'd facias, etc, etc).

The Video made me need it. The higher capacities and support (this board) justified it.

I found it in the pre MK1 days when I was going to build an in-car MP3 player... Once I found the instructions I had no time and by the time I did the mk2 was out.

So I bought one ...... no 118

then found that the price was dropping so told everyone I know who was interested and between us we bought 7....

Not bad for a weeks worth of email banter ;)

Did you get the referal details from your friends? you should get a pile of fleecies!

Most definitely the video, the BBS then the competition.
I also looked at Phatnoise, Neo & others & to me it was nom contest.
Phatnoise was close but never came out! It still hasn't what I would call hit me still as being better, it still doesn't really work w/any HU's besides Kenwood & a few OEM brands. Phatnoise IMHO still has many drawbacks. 1) still swapping something. 2) track info drawbacks. 3) limitations on track access. 4) specific song,album,artist acess. 5) requires a HU that will work w/it. 6) no visuals.

here is the video ...the real server is not working on my server, but the empeg videos work just fine, and look better anyway. :)


enjoy.

I too was waiting forever for the PhatNoise...then I had two significant realizations.

1st, the max of 99 playlists. I know 99 seems like a lot, but I plan on having more than 99 CDs on the hard drive.

2nd, they originally said it would retail for $499. I think it's at $749 now, and probably still going up.

i'd love to do another video!! :)

no problem! i really had no idea you all were even watching it. hee heeh. :)

well, since i had no video when i bought mine, i would have to say that my deciding factor was the quick and friendly response from the early empeg team. Any questions i had, no matter how small, they envested some time into their response, making sure i understood what was going on.

As for buying... honestly, my first thoughts, about a year before the first production was made, i said, "that's the stupidest idea! ... a computer in your car!.. who would do that?" ... then within that year, i began to collect mp3s, and saw the power and potential of what they were taking about.

By the time my chance to get one arose, i was able to convince 2 other friends to get one, and i ordered 3 at once! then when the new mk2's came out, we all got upgrades! It's great! ... i'm going to get a 2nd markII as a spare. i don't know how i would replace my mk2 if something were to happen to it, esp now since they're not making anymore!

2nd, they originally said it would retail for $499. I think it's at $749 now, and probably still going up.

and now that empeg/rio-car is EOL will go up even more.

I did ;)

I discovered empeg.com early 2000 searching for mp3-car-solutions, but it was too expensive for me at this moment. But i didn't find something else with this fantastic features, so the fight between heart and mind began.
Especially i loved the database-functions like they were announced on empeg.com. A player which will remember, which music i like most, was the main reason. Then i found the video and was sure, that i need this toy. In late summer 2000 i had the money and ordered the MK2. It arrived October and i loved it, but was very disappointed because the database-functionality was not included. The rest is the best piece of hardware, i've ever bought. My friends said i'm crazy, when they heard about the price, so no fleece for me...
Now a year later i see my favorite functionality coming in v2 and from this time i'm satisfied to 100%.
OK, there are some whishes for future, but i hope software-development and support will not end after v2....