For people who are addicted to their iPods, driving can be painful until they figure out a way integrate their iPod to their vehicle. The ideal solution, for those who can afford it, is to go for latest model cars that are iPod enabled. However, not all of us are so lucky, but this should not make us despair. There are number of iPod interfacing options available for vehicles today. You just need to pick the option that suits your needs the best depending on your budget and requirement.



There are many people who try to take the easy way out by using their headphones to enjoy their iPod in their car. But, you do not have to be a genius to know that it is one of the most unsafe things to do while driving. When you use earphones or headphones, you will not be able to hear the other sounds on the road. This will subject you, your passengers, and others on the road to a great risk.

The next option is a safer way to interface your iPod. This meathod uses a wireless FM Transmitter. With a FM transmitter, you will not be required to interfere with your vehicles factory wiring. This is one of the most convenient, cheapest and easiest ways of enjoying your iPod in your car. But this method of iPod integration does not guarantee high quality sound. If you are ready to compromise a little on sound quality and have a little static in the background, then a FM transmitter is one of the best iPod integration methods.

Another easy method is using iPod adapters with your car stereo tape player. You can get cassette adapters that will allow you to enjoy your iPod in car without any additional wiring. However, this way of iPod interfacing also compromises the quality of the sound output and can damage your factoy radio's tape mechanism.

You can check whether your car stereo has AUX input or auxiliary input jack. If your car stereo has provision for AUX input, you can easily connect your iPod to your car stereo using your iPod's headphone connector. Here the sound fidelity is retained to a great extent however, you would still need to use your iPod for all the basic operations such as song selection, forward, rewind, play, pause and stop. Here, only the audio is transferred to the car stereo while the controls remain with the iPod.

A direct audio input is almost the best way to get your iPod interfaced to your car. This method will give you the clearest sound without any static or interference. Basically, a direct audio input tricks the radio into thinking there is a stock cd changer or satellite radio connected to the radio. Since these stock devices have good sound quality, the audio from the iPod will not be degraded. Some direct audio inputs adapters are designed around iPods and supply a cable that will plug into the bottom of your iPod. These adapters will charge your iPod and allow for control from your vehicle's radio.

If you cannot tolerate poor sound then you should go for direct audio input for iPod interfacing to your car. If you are going consider this option, then first find the right person to install the device. This will allow you to enjoy the best quality audio while you control your iPod through the vehicle's audio system.