SAT NAV/RADIO UNIT

[Robbydazzler]

Just bought a new Seat Toledo.The Sat Nav unit now has 8 vertical knobs rather than the 6 on my previous Rapid but more importantly it has no CD slot.The CD unit (and SD slots) have moved to the glovebox.This is inconvenient.Any knowledge/theories why this has happened?

 

Edited 17 September, 2015 by Robbydazzler

[chrisgreen]

It is a reflection of the fact that CD us in cars has dropped dramatically in favour of playback from iPods, smartphones and USB sticks.

You'll be surprised how many cars are now being sold with no CD drive at all.

Including a CD drive is still a selling point, but the reduced emphasis means it can be put out of the way as a separate unit (much like a multi changer used to be put in a glove box or the boot). Most people won't miss it (obviously it's a pain for anyone who still listens to CDs in the car), but it frees up space in the head unit to integrate other features (DAB, Bluetooth module etc) and reduces the number of moving parts from the main head unit that can break.

Sent from my iPhone 5S using Tapatalk, please excuse any typos.

[Robbydazzler]

Thanks Chris Green for the very clear explanation.As a complete techno phobe could I pose this question.Can I transfer my CD collection on to say an Ipod or even SD card and play them via the head unit?

[chrisgreen]

Yes, you absolutely can and it is quite simple. The iTunes software (that lets you load content into an iPod, iPhone etc.) actually makes this very simple - it'll detect if you insert a music CD into your computer (software needs to be running) and will ask you if you want to import it. It will even look up the CD name and track names and, if it can, pre-populate the info so you won't even need to key it in.

The resulting tracks you import can be copied onto an iPod, iPad or iPhone, or simply copied to an SD card (or USB stick if the new unit has a USB port) for playback in the car.

[PerArdua]

Thanks Chris Green for the very clear explanation.As a complete techno phobe could I pose this question.Can I transfer my CD collection on to say an Ipod or even SD card and play them via the head unit?

 

Yes - quite easily. I used a 16Gb SD card and copied my preferred driving tracks out of my ITunes library on my PC. Once the SD card is in slot 2 (SD slot 1 is reserved for thh Sat Nav data disc) all my music was there under 'media'. The unit shows all the artist and track info as well as the albumn artwork! Moreover, track details are relayed into the maxidot display in the binnacle and I can skip tracks etc using the end button on the right hand stalk (I don't have a multi-function steering wheel annoyingly). It's like having a 500 disc multichanger...

[PerArdua]

Yes, you absolutely can and it is quite simple. The iTunes software (that lets you load content into an iPod, iPhone etc.) actually makes this very simple - it'll detect if you insert a music CD into your computer (software needs to be running) and will ask you if you want to import it. It will even look up the CD name and track names and, if it can, pre-populate the info so you won't even need to key it in.

The resulting tracks you import can be copied onto an iPod, iPad or iPhone, or simply copied to an SD card (or USB stick if the new unit has a USB port) for playback in the car.

beat me to it!

[MickA]

I reckon that's a better arrangement, as Chris says who plays CDs these days.

I know my way around a computer but had to ask my son about transfering music to SD cards and USB sticks, it's so simple and much more convenient. Never had a CD in the slot on mine since the day I got it, just to test it was working but I have hundreds of CDs in the home, all my favs now on SD or USB media.

[Robbydazzler]

Thanks Gents for the excellent advice.I have managed to copy the contents of several CDs to my laptop and then recopy them to a USB stick and SD card via Itunes S/W.Each played successfully via the car head unit.Just one last naive question and I promise to go away (although the promise might not last for long!!) please.I have a 128MB SD card from a 10 year old camera on which I managed store about 4 tracks.My USB stick is 32GB which is good for loads of albums.The SD card seemed to store the tracks under the title of the album whilst on the USB stick the 4 albums I copied were all stored as a long list of tracks with no mention of the albums they came from.The question is this.....Is the fact that the tracks on the USB stored as a long list down to my lack of knowledge  or would I be better to buy a much greater capacity SD card that would store the tracks in the format I like?

            One supplementary question....I have all my CDs stored on the laptop already for playing via Windows media player but I seem to remember that I stored them in a "special" microsoft format (WMA?) which compressed them for storage but did not lose quality when they were played.I copied tracks in this format but the head unit would not recognise them.Is there any way of converting this format to something the head unit will recognise so as not have to reimport scores of CDs?

 

One thing I will acknowledge is that this new car is dragging me (screaming and kicking!!) into the 21st century and so far it doesn't seem such a scary place.

Edited 17 September, 2015 by Robbydazzler

[PerArdua]

I'm a bit of a luddite when it comes to all the various forms of file compression. I bought a 16Gb SD card from tesco for well under a tenner. probably even cheaper on line. My laptop has a built in SD slot too so it was very easy.

 

As for the file directories, I copied the tracks in their album directories (copy and paste the actual directory) so all the track information came with. It was all pre-populated by Itunes.

[glosrich]

Pop a CD into your computer, open Windows media player then rip the CD to the hard drive, check the rip settings, select mp3 format rather than wma and the bit rate.

Then copy the mp3 files to your SD card or USB stick.

[camelspyyder]

I'm pretty certain my Amundsen plays WMA, along with MP3 and AAC, because I just chucked a random disorganised 32Gb of music onto an SD card and it hasnt rejected any tracks.

[Chriswright03]

So that will be your entire collection of Val Doonican then Camel!

[chrisgreen]

I'm pretty certain my Amundsen plays WMA, along with MP3 and AAC, because I just chucked a random disorganised 32Gb of music onto an SD card and it hasnt rejected any tracks.

I'm pretty certain the Swing supports WMA, so it's highly unlikely they would have left support out of the higher spec units.

Sent from my iPhone 5S using Tapatalk, please excuse any typos.

[camelspyyder]

So that will be your entire collection of Val Doonican then Camel!

 

lol.

[JonBRapid]

I think the question might have been answered already but I used to have a 32gb USB stick (it was big in capacity but tiny in physical size) I left it in a enterprises car whilst looking for the new rapid :( anyway, the old car had the swing unit but it couldn't read MP4 files but could do most others. The Amundsen plus I now have has a 32GB SD Card and will play MP4 files And it sounds a whole world better than the swing unit!

[MickA]

^^^^ Can you still only pair up one phone to use over BT?

[JonBRapid]

Um I think it's key dependant... So when I drive it seems to pair automatically with my phone and when my wife drives (using her key, obviously) it seems to pair with her phone but yes only one at a time I think.

[JonBRapid]

I have to say the difference in sound quality is very noticeable to the point where I might just install the sub in this one and not bother with amping and replacing the front speaker! And that is a huge statement from me!