Voice Control and Speech - Issues and Questions

[DV52]

and what does this cost ..for the dealer to put the software patch on the car? Just wondering if I should get them to do it while its getting it PD before they deliver it

emufriedchicken: (great handle!!). My position with VW Aust. was that I expected voice control to come standard with my Golf Highline because that's what thier advertising material said when I purchased the vehicle. In my defence, I was able to prove my case because I fortunately kept a copy of the VW brochure that I was given by the dealer. So the dealer installed the Voice Control fix as a warranty claim (I paid no additional money above that of the original cost of the vehicle).

Not sure that someone who has just purchased a Golf can mount the same arguement because the current brochures (as I understand) no longer claim that the highline series have voice control. Not sure what it would cost to buy voice control as an option. I guess that every new Golf buyer needs to decide if the value of this option is commensurate with the cost.

[veew]

My position with VW Aust. was that I expected voice control to come standard with my Golf Highline because that's what thier advertising material said when I purchased the vehicle. In my defence, I was able to prove my case because I fortunately kept a copy of the VW brochure that I was given by the dealer. So the dealer installed the Voice Control fix as a warranty claim (I paid no additional money above that of the original cost of the vehicle).

Do you still have the brochure advertising the VCM as a feature. I'd like a snapshot of it just for my own records.

VeeW: I don't think that the voice control fix that I got installed on my Golf is related to any Apple product. I've only had a short play with the function since I got the car back from the dealer but it seems to use its own software. I don't have an IPhone to check how this type of phone integrates with VW's Voice Control (if at all)

It doesn't sound like it is since you don't have an iPhone to check it out. I thought activation of the VCM was to enable it to activate Siri on pressing the button which would allow you to control music selection from there.

I'd be interested to hear your review of the system the more you use it, would like to know if it is worth having/paying ~$400 as reported on some threads.

[DV52]

Do you still have the brochure advertising the VCDS as a feature. I'd like a snapshot of it just for my own records.

veew: A guy who calls himself (or herself) pologti18t has already included a copy of the brochure that you requested on this forum. I have never embedded a VWWatercooled link into one of my replies before, so hopefully my virgin attempt below will work. The particular post that you want is on the tenth page of the thread (assuming that you have set-up your profile to see the earlieast post on the first page ). If the link sends you to the wrong page then the date of the pologti18t post is 23-04-2013, 05:21 PM. My appology for the complication - there's probably an easier way to do this.

Mk7 Golf - Australian Specifications and Prices (Base, Comfortline and Highline)

You need to go to page 36 and read the section called "Discover Media audio and satelite navigation system". There is a clear reference to the voice control function as a standard feature on the highline series in this section. Please be aware that this version of the brochure was printed in April 2013. I have seen a later version of the same brochure that has the voice control words deleted.

[DV52]

Do you still have the brochure advertising the VCDS as a feature. I'd like a snapshot of it just for my own records.


I'd be interested to hear your review of the system the more you use it, would like to know if it is worth having/paying ~$400 as reported on some threads.

I've now had a decent play with the voice control utility on my Golf mk7 and my observation is that it's a functionally rich application.
Since the fix got installed, I now have a new Voice Control option on the car's set-up screen as shown below

At the highest software level, voice control appears to be able to fully mimic any of the function keys that are on either side of the display unit. The picture below shows the possible commands that enable the user to access the function keys by voice. Note the red-microphone symbol at the top LHS



Once the user selects Radio for example, saying the word "Station"provides the next screen. Speaking the number shown in red (on the LHS) selects the station



If the user selects Sat Nav, the following sub options are available



If the user says "new destination" for example, the next screen that appears is the normal table that invites you to manually enter the address of the new destination. Voice control does not allow the user to enter the new destination by saying the address. You have to manually enter the address by typing in the information.

Now for the hard bit; what is this new functionality worth? My long held (personal) view is that money has a negative value proposition; the more that you have, the less that you value it! The reported cost of $400 for voice control may seem a trivial amount to some, or it may be viewed as a king'sransom by others. So I'm going to take the coward's way out in answering this question - you decide!