It's time for a major overhaul of Skoda (and VAG) ICE systems

[brenno]

Which vehicles?

Did you read the thread?

You can't even do that through a Mac computer.

Why not? I do it all the time.

[Transporter]

I still use CD's

Nah, I just drive
As if, you would want to stream the music, charge the iPhone and who know what else to do while driving.

I think that it could have something to do with the safety, that you can't do the things wirelesly. You connect the cable and use the steering wheel controls without touching the screen and fiddling with the radio.

[Maverick]

Did you read the thread?

I'm sure he did but there is no way to stream music over usb.

Why not? I do it all the time.

You're not streaming music, you are using the iphone as essentially a usb drive and doing the decoding on the headunit, device or computer which is not supported by Apple as it requires you to have an authentication chip for drm purposes and Apple can and have changed this in the past rendering devices useless. A firmware upgrade cannot always fix this. Some get around the drm and authentication chip by streaming audio via bluetooth but the quality of the sound is not as good as via the analogue output.

[pat25d]

I'm sure he did but there is no way to stream music over usb.

Exactly.

Tell me which pins of the USB connection are used for audio streaming?

[Maverick]

Not the one I tried. Edit: 2008 model.

2008 models used the split cable that has the apple connector on one end and a usb (power and control) and 3.5mm (analogue) on the other end.

Not the one I tried.

You can dismiss the information from the owners manual and from their website all you like.

Not really required is it? I already have an analogue input port.

It is required if you want to control the iphone from the headunit (safely).

A better example of future proofing would be to use a widely used USB port, and not a legacy port. Seriously.

Ok so you know more then the teams they have working around the world on the UI and features of headunits that are used in more cars then any others from the worlds soon to be number 1 manufacturer. Somehow I suspect that they know a little more then you do about the interface and what people want.

You said that having the MDI port makes it possible to upgrade the firmware. I really don't see the advantage here. You could easily do the same via a USB port. Besides, if I wanted to do an upgrade with the MDI I wouldn't be able to due to the proprietary cable that VW requires you to purchase before doing so.

Once again we come back to the DRM issue, do you understand that using an authentication chip requires reverse engineering and there is no guarantee that it will work if Apple makes changes?

The MDI comes standard with the USB cable, USB is a standard for data transfer not for audio transfer.

MDI also allows easy upgrading to say a MDI2 when new technologies come out, USB does not do this and requires replacing the headunit.

Yeah yeah.....you said all that previously. Why does it work in other cars though? This is the bit I want in my VAG vehicle

Aah, so all of a sudden it's not possible to update the firmware of any other manufacturers head unit. It's only possible on VAG cars with an MDI. Got it.

What part of reverse engineering, may not work in the future and is not supported by Apple don't you understand?

Sorry, did you just say that I don't have to buy a proprietary cable in order to use USB?

Standard with the MDI.

Of course I can use analog inputs, but seriously, I had analogue inputs on a VW in 1993. I'd like something a bit more up-to-date now.

The analogue port does not allow control of devices and comes back to safety.

I want to be able to take my Android or iOS device, whatever tickles your fancy....no misguided hate or angst here, and plug it into the car with the supplied cable, and it just works.

You may want to do this but others are happy to use cheap mass storage that is easy to keep up to date and that doesn't tie you into a company like Apple for example.

What I *don't* want to have to do, is get home after having a new car delivered to me, and realise I have to go back to the dealer, and buy different over-priced cables and have to swap them around (which is a real pain in the arse) whenever I want to change my device. It's a poorly designed system for those with multiple devices, and that's one of the key points by the OP in this thread.

It's only poorly designed for those that can't think for themselves, the MDI is an excellent bit of kit and VW put together some of the best headunits from any manufacturer that even allow you to upgrade older models with newer headunits and new features. No other manufacturer does this and very few have dedicated teams that design a consistent UI and have control over all parts of the headunit design process.

[brenno]

I'm sure he did but there is no way to stream music over usb.

You say this in one breath, then in another you acknowledge you can get music from your device through your head unit via USB. Clutching at straws much?

You're not streaming music, you are using the iphone as essentially a usb drive and doing the decoding on the headunit

So....music comes from your device to your headunit via USB? Zing!

..device or computer which is not supported by Apple..

For something that is unsupported they sure seem to like the idea.

Apple - iPod - Your new car and your iPod get along so well.

Exactly.

Tell me which pins of the USB connection are used for audio streaming?

It doesn't bother me how it works. It just does. Music through the head unit via USB and a standard cable. It's really simple.

[Maverick]

You say this in one breath, then in another you acknowledge you can get music from your device through your head unit via USB. Clutching at straws much?

Nope but I can't figure out if you're trolling or cannot understand really basic facts like I have explained time and time again about having to use a method not supported by Apple that can be disabled by an Apple update.

So....music comes from your device to your headunit via USB? Zing!

Once again this isn't streaming and it's not supported.

For something that is unsupported they sure seem to like the idea.

As Apple say most iPod ready units use a 30 pin cable SIMILAR to the one that connects to your computer. It doesn't say anything about using the Apple USB cable to connect to a USB port, in fact the photo shows a non genuine Apple cable being used to connect.

It doesn't bother me how it works. It just does. Music through the head unit via USB and a standard cable. It's really simple.

Sure it doesn't, you'd be back here whining about how an update to your phone stopped your iTurd from working and how dare VW use a non supported solution and how dare they tell you that you need a new headunit now to use it.

Seriously this seems to be the problem with Apple, they target people that can't think for themselves and those people then complain when they can't have everything work with their iTurd/iCrap or iPoo the way they think it should work. They don't care about the non standard interface or that Apple do not support the method of how they think they should connect so of course the rest of the world should bend over backwards to accommodate them.
(Apologies to those people that buy Apple and can think for themselves and accept that not everyone or everything is going to grovel at your feet just because you're cool enough to own an apple product)

[pat25d]

You say this in one breath, then in another you acknowledge you can get music from your device through your head unit via USB. Clutching at straws much?



So....music comes from your device to your headunit via USB? Zing!



For something that is unsupported they sure seem to like the idea.

Apple - iPod - Your new car and your iPod get along so well.




It doesn't bother me how it works. It just does. Music through the head unit via USB and a standard cable. It's really simple.

Can you please state again which ones work through USB?

From that apple link, BMW, Mercedes, VW, Audi and Infiniti definitely don't send audio through USB.

[brenno]

From that apple link, BMW, Mercedes, VW, Audi and Infiniti definitely don't send audio through USB.

OK

In the last month I have plugged an iDevice into a Hyundai, Volvo and Holden head unit and then CONTROLLED and PLAYED music via an ordinary cable via a USB port, whilst charging the device. It's abundantly clear to understand.

How it works - who really cares?

That it works is the issue.

That VW can't make it work without a proprietary cable is also the issue.

[Transporter]

Some are just too proud to admit they don't understand it or can't figure out how to use it and instead trying and using it for while just jump in and say that Skoda or VW needs to change the UI.

brenno you should give us some examples, which unit is better and in which way or just stop pushing your point. It's obvious that Maverick explained it very well and I have to say from my own experience that RNS510 is far better unit then anything in the current market, for me and for most VAG car owners. Even for navigation, which inbuilt or portable unit has dead reckoning with 10GB storage for maps to keep you on track when you don't have the satellites coverage?