Does anybody know how the new SD card system works? How many tracks(CD's) does a 2 gb card hold? When playing will the screen show which cd and/or track is playing. Seems a lot cheaper than a 6 cd changer option - is this too good to be true!!

On the SD card you can only listen to MP3 converted files, so can you (Columbus not Bolero) also listen to burned DVDs (MP3 files).

An average MP3 song is about 3.5 to 5 Mb, so a 2Gb card should hold a couple.

All these files (from DVD and from SD) can be stored on the 20Gb HDD that is in the Columbus. The new Bolero has afaik no HDD and just a CD player instead of the DVD player in the Columbus.

The screen will show the files that are played.

Downside of the CD changer is, it cannot play any MP3 files. Only normal music files.

Imho, forget the changer. It is not up to date anymore (have one with my RNS510 and never use it).

The bolero also has an internal 6 disk cd changer and can play MP3 files from its own internal changer which is the same as the Audience HU in the octavia.

Do you know if Columbus can play movies from SD card?

No. Sadly, it can't. It won't play any video files at all. DVD playback is all you get.

It's the only real disappointment about the Columbus that I have.

Bagpuss.

Does Columbus unit come with preloaded speed cameras locations (POI - Point of Interest)? How can you upload updated list (SD card, DVD) and where from can you source it?

Does Columbus unit come with preloaded speed cameras locations (POI - Point of Interest)? How can you upload updated list (SD card, DVD) and where from can you source it?

The Columbus unit doesn't have speed cameras pre-loaded, but you can easily add POIs using the tool found here (needs Windows):

http://download.merc-benz.nl/rns510.poi.inspector.v2.5.zip

You might also want to have a read of the following thread:

http://briskoda.net/octavia-ii/columbus-mfd3-rns-510-custom-poi-tool-available/109775/

Bagpuss.

A 2gig card will hold around 30 CD's at a reasonable bitrate 160kbps, squeeze em down to 128's and I would think you will get around 50 CD's on the card.

Oh, and Fareham Man, if you go to Novatech right now, a 512k is 1.65p and the 2gig SD cards are about 5.58p and a 4gig is 8.81p stock up son, stock up

Any idea how big SD-cards Bolero supports?

Bolero supports a maximum of 2GB, the same as the Columbus.

Currently, there's no SDHC support, but in theory this could be added with a software update (HP have done this on some of their digital camera printers).

Bagpuss.

why fret on sd? it reads mp3 from dvd discs..

you can get 4GB SD cards that are not SDHC. in theory i reckon it will read these. read some stuff on the audi forum about new A4's reading 4GB even though technically they cant !

columbus as 18.2GB free for music. 30GB hard drive with about 12GB in use for satnav (i checked the actaully free space on the demo car i drove). transfer of files from SD to hard drive was a doddle - i didnt have the instructions and was only on a demo but worked it out in 2 mins. transfer of MP3 filed from a DVD to the hard drive is the way to go as 3 DVDs will hold more files than the hard drive has space for.

like someone said - why worry about SD cards !! use DVDs and the hard drive !

Interesting. Last time I tried to buy the 4GB non-sdhc the manufacturer had stopped producing them. It looks like Transcend have now started producing them again, so I'll have to give this a try. They're only £6.49 from PicStop, so I won't really be losing anything if it doesn't work.

I'd still like to be able to upgrade the hard drive, as I'm used to having nearly 300GB of music in the car, so dropping down to 18GB will be a bit of a bummer.

I reckon I know how to actually do the upgrade, as the partition layout on the disk is pretty straightforward. All I need is a donor unit to try it out on. Any volunteers?

I know that others on the VW forums have talked about this, but the advent of MDI has meant that most of them have gone this route. I might still do the same, but the MDI interface and wiring is over £200, so not exactly a bargain.

Bagpuss.

300GB is a ridiculous amount !!! do you rip it a very high bit rate. my entire CD collection only comes to about 20gb ? you obviously spend far too much time in your car listening to music !!! LOL

300GB is a ridiculous amount !!! do you rip it a very high bit rate. my entire CD collection only comes to about 20gb ? you obviously spend far too much time in your car listening to music !!! LOL

That's what i was thinking!!

How many tracks is that?

300GB is a ridiculous amount !!! do you rip it a very high bit rate. my entire CD collection only comes to about 20gb ? you obviously spend far too much time in your car listening to music !!! LOL

Sadly, I do spend far too much time in my car. My commute to work takes about 4.5 hours each way (although I only do this twice a week).

As for bitrate, I tend to use Lame VBR with max 320kbps, min. 192 kbps. The files are quite large, but not too bad. I've just got a lot of music. The fruits of a misspent youth at Uni. It took forever to encode it all!

I reckon I could get the core of my stuff into about 100GB, so will probably end up buying the MDI interface from Kufatec and then connecting up a laptop USB hard drive.

Bagpuss.

Any chance of cloning your old HD lol

Not sure that would be legal

Now if I happened to leave it lying around, and somebody copied it........

That's what i was thinking!!

How many tracks is that?

Total tracks is 44,175. Total running time is 162 days, 16 hours and 48 minutes.

Even with a 4.5 hour commute, it's going to take me a while to listen to it all.

Bagpuss.

Found someone with a Transcend 4GB SD card in stock, so bought it and popped down to my local dealer. Sadly, it didn't work in the Columbus. It seems that the 4GB non-sdhc cards are bending the rules, and the Columbus just doesn't understand them.

It's a shame, as this would have been very useful.

Bagpuss.

Found someone with a Transcend 4GB SD card in stock, so bought it and popped down to my local dealer. Sadly, it didn't work in the Columbus. It seems that the 4GB non-sdhc cards are bending the rules, and the Columbus just doesn't understand them.

It's a shame, as this would have been very useful.

Bagpuss.

If you can format the card in the actual unit give that a try, could work like a digi camera where it writes it's own instructions to the card 1st.