Morning all Now i have a new shiney Octy RS it has an SD slot in the dash for playing music....The quesation is that at the monent i use my ipod through the aux port in the arm rest and charge it using an old itrip, would be there be any benifit us the SD card instead? and if so is the an interface on the screen for me to choose songs or skip to albums? One further question, how easy is it the transfer my itunes library to said SD card?

I know this falls into both Octavia section and also tech section so please free to move if needed:)

Cheers

Kit

Using the SD card is massively better than using an iPod through the AUX socket.

You get all your songs arranged by Artist and Album and displayed on the Bolero screen, similar to how you would chose songs through the display on the iPod. (i.e click on your chosen artist and it brings up a list of their albums, click on that and you get the songs displayed).

It also displays the artist, album and song name of the song currently playing.

If your songs are all currently in iTunes (which mine were) it's a bit of a fiddle to get them on the SD card in a format which will be recognised by the Bolero but it's not difficult.

iTunes stores songs in .m4a format and you need to convert them to .mp3 for the Bolero.

If you do a google search you will find lots of free converters which will do this for you. I can't remember which one I used- I won't have access to my laptop for a few days but I can find out when I finally get access if you want.

Then it's just a case of adding each song manually to the converter and converting it. I saved the .mp3 versions in a new folder (car music or something like that). I then had to manually add the Artist and Album folders and arrange the songs into them.

Then once you have all the songs you want converted then just copy the contents of the 'car music' folder onto your SD card.

After reading the long thread on here about getting the SD card to work in the Bolero I put a single song in the main folder and all the rest within their respective Artist/Album folders.

I'm not sure this is strictly neccesary on Boleros with brand new firmware but it doesn't harm.

You then have an iPods worth of songs which are permanently in your car, no need to connect anything up, you never forget to bring it with you and you get full control through the stereo.

Absolutely brilliant standard feature in my opinion.

If you need any more help I'm not an expert but I can certainly explain what I did to get mine working perfectly.

iTunes can create an MP3 version for you without using a 3rd party tool

There's a reason I didn't use iTunes facility- I can't remember for sure but I think it was becasue you have to do each file individually.

Not great when you're transferring a couple of thousand songs!

Stevo...thanks for all the info but does it mean that i have to do each individual song one at a time? ive only about 13000!!!

K:)

There's a reason I didn't use iTunes facility- I can't remember for sure but I think it was becasue you have to do each file individually.

Not great when you're transferring a couple of thousand songs!

You definitely do an album at a time, but I thought you could just select all the songs you wanted and then create the MP3 version... Been a while since I had to do it though so i could be wrong...

Fortunately I have iTunes configured to import all tracks as mp3 files which simplifies using them for other purposes.

You definitely do an album at a time, but I thought you could just select all the songs you wanted and then create the MP3 version... Been a while since I had to do it though so i could be wrong...

You can do them all at the same time - i did mine like that

The downer is that you end up with 2 of each song in itunes and you the have to delete one of each to get back to where you where but i think i found that if you removed the files from disk with windows explorer and then tried to play them, itunes removes them for you.

Thus i just kept pressing next - took a while but not too bad

Morning all Now i have a new shiney Octy RS it has an SD slot in the dash for playing music....The quesation is that at the monent i use my ipod through the aux port in the arm rest and charge it using an old itrip, would be there be any benifit us the SD card instead? and if so is the an interface on the screen for me to choose songs or skip to albums? One further question, how easy is it the transfer my itunes library to said SD card?

I know this falls into both Octavia section and also tech section so please free to move if needed:)

Cheers

Kit

Before going to all this trouble, read this first. I can only say it is hours of my life i cannot get back.

DK

Maybe that's why I didn't use the iTunes method- I honestly can't remember!

Kit, you don't have to do them individually if you use a third party converter (and possibly not in iTunes either by the sounds of it).

Just load a few albums in, hit convert and wait while it does it. Will take a long time with 13000 songs but you'll get there!

On another note, there seems to be an issue with some new Bolero's where they will only read a certain amount of files- if there are more files than that on the card it just doesn't see them. I think it equated to somewhere in the region of 10Gb.

I've only got about 4Gb on mine so I don't see any problems. Perhaps something to be aware of though before you spend ages converting all your tunes.

EDIT: The thread linked to in dkgts post is the one I was referring to.

mmm technology makes things easier doess it!? After reading all the posts about converting files and links to card capasity ive decided id rather save all the hassle and continue to use my ipod!! Judging by the amount of fannying about that is needed i could drive to Belast, get the ferry to Troon, drive up through the Coe... have time to do the Bauchille, drive to Ullapool, see my folks for the night then drive all the way back in less time than it would take me to get my tunes onto a poxy SD card!!!....il start driving then

Kit

Seriously, it's really not that much hassle.

Download a file converter, tell it to convert a bunch of files and go away and do something else while it does it.

Spend an hour or so organising your files into Album and Artist and that's it. Really, it's not much hassle at all.

The people that are having hassle tend to be people with older Boleros and therefor older firmware versions. If yours is brand new like mine then it will work perfectly.

Admittedly if you have more than 10Gb or so then you may have problems but do you really need all of those files in your car? I have about 8Gb of music on my iphone and I was being realistic and only put on what I thought I was likely to listen to which amounted to about half of that. Do you really listen to 13000 songs on a regular basis?

Even if you do, you could have a couple of cards with half your songs on each and swap between. Would still be less hassle than hooking up an iPod.

Honestly, the SD card reader is one of the best features in the new Octavias, it would be a shame to waste it.

Alright il forgoe the trip to the Baucille and seeing my parents but woe betide it takes me forever to get the job done!!!

K:)

ps...does anyone know of a good file converter that they have used and would recommend?

Cheers

Kit

Maybe that's why I didn't use the iTunes method- I honestly can't remember!

Kit, you don't have to do them individually if you use a third party converter (and possibly not in iTunes either by the sounds of it).

Just load a few albums in, hit convert and wait while it does it. Will take a long time with 13000 songs but you'll get there!

On another note, there seems to be an issue with some new Bolero's where they will only read a certain amount of files- if there are more files than that on the card it just doesn't see them. I think it equated to somewhere in the region of 10Gb.

I've only got about 4Gb on mine so I don't see any problems. Perhaps something to be aware of though before you spend ages converting all your tunes.

EDIT: The thread linked to in dkgts post is the one I was referring to.

I've got 14.5Gb on a 16Gb card and as far as i know, it's all there - not checked everything, but the A's are there and so are the Z's and there's a lot of stuff in the middle

ps...does anyone know of a good file converter that they have used and would recommend?

Cheers

Kit

I'll try and remember to stick the laptop on tonight and get the name of the one I used.

I've got 14.5Gb on a 16Gb card and as far as i know, it's all there - not checked everything, but the A's are there and so are the Z's and there's a lot of stuff in the middle

OK to clarify.

ALl i wanted was to save Kit the hassle of changing the music and loading it onto the newly bought SDHC Card and then find it dosen't work.

I know some of you have 16gb of a 16 gb card and it works, but that does not make them all work. I have been down this road in a very detailed manner.

Kit please read below before you attempt to load the music if you have a brand new car. I small amount of investment in time now might save a lot of heart ache.

These are the relevant posts form that link.

The dealer has proved that all new cars there with the Bolero will not read the card beyond where i can read it. Some older cars there 59 plate and previous can. Therefore i believe the product has changed, although this has not been confirmed by either the dealer or Skoda UK.

I have been asked to obtain a 32gb SD card which i have ordered (32gb Class 10) and put all of my music on it so we can prove/disprove if the older models can read all the info.

In the course of the discussion i have been told the 'current' model can read a 32gb card but read only 2,000 files. However this is not my experience. Mine read over 2,000 files but less than 10% more.

Also i have been told that the Delphi manufactured unit is limited to 2,000 files, whereas the Bosch unit reads it all. This is an interesting comment as it sows the unit is manufactured in 2 different companies to 2 different specs. The confusion continues......

Again i will update when i have more info.

DK

and this

..to clarify what i am saying...

There are at least 2 different manufacturers of this unit (http://delphi.com/ & http://www.bosch.com...2/html/3506.htm) , there may be more. I assume the basic functional spec is the same, however it is fair to assume there are some differences in the parts used and one of these differneces is that the SD card reader in the Delphi model can read a 32gb card, but has a limit on the number of files (I assume to speed the reading up, and I guess they assume that most people don't have 32gb of music or won't tranfer it all at once).

Your assumption that the are differences in firmware is correct, but that isn't to say that the firmware is transferable from one machine to another. I guess what i am saying is that just because the Bosch unit reads 32gb, that doesn't automatically mean that the Delphi unit can be flashed with the Bosch software and everything will be sorted.

I am pursuing this with the delaer, but as mentioned below we want to prove or disprove whether the differences are as we assume.

To reassure you I am still of the opinion that it states it can read 32gb cards therefore the inference is that it will read all of the 32gb card. Also I did not invest in the MDI cable because i was assured by the sales guy (no longer there) that the card read 32gb.

and finally

So, over the weekend i converted all my music from AAC format to mp3 and then moved all music into album folders so there is only one line of folders for the unit to read.

The 32gb Class 10 card arrived on Monday so all the music was promptly put onto the card and then the card transferred to an old PC for the 'hidden' mac files to be removed.

I then visited the Skoda dealer yesterday to use the new card in the Bolero of the 59 plate vRS they confirmed this was a Bosch unit.

Well it took 15 minutes for the music to start and it started with the first track from the first listed album. I then wanted to see if the complete 32gb was being read, so pressed 'selection' and then the folder button at the top left and then it said "Please Wait". After about 1 minute the music 'clipped' and was not acceptable. After 5 minutes of trying to see the folders I gave up stating that it was not practicable.

So discussions with the sales guy ensued and we have agreed a 'repayment' for the SD cards and a split on the cost of retrospectively fitting the VAG MDi system.

I genuinely do not think it is possible any longer to read the whole 32gb's of the card. I believe VAG or Delphi have limited the reading of the card to 2,000 ish tracks so the unit has enough memory to read quickly enough to make the unit useable. The issue is that Skoda have is that they are not making anyone aware of this issue so people are not ordering the MDI unit as they think the SD card will substitute. Problem is it won't and they will have lots of unhappy customers.

I think this is where i bow out as i am happy with the resolution I have which is to have the choice of my music when i want it. I am sorry i have not been able to find a resolution that will satisfy everyone, but i guess the answer is that it is a discussion with your dealer to find your solution.

I hope this helps.

DK

mmm technology makes things easier doess it!? After reading all the posts about converting files and links to card capasity ive decided id rather save all the hassle and continue to use my ipod!! Judging by the amount of fannying about that is needed i could drive to Belast, get the ferry to Troon, drive up through the Coe... have time to do the Bauchille, drive to Ullapool, see my folks for the night then drive all the way back in less time than it would take me to get my tunes onto a poxy SD card!!!....il start driving then

Kit

Using an iPod through the aux simply does not compare to using the SD card slot.

I've noticed not all my folders are recognised but there's enough on it to keep me occupied. Interestingly there's albums on it that it won't read/display but usually when I put something new on it does which makes me think it isn't a headline limit on either SD card size or number of folders or overall data volume etc.

The converter I used was called (rather imaginitively) 'Free m4a to mp3 converter'

Download it from here

Using an iPod through the aux simply does not compare to using the SD card slot.

+1

u've got full control (through the unit or steering wheel controls) with an SD-Card.

with the aux input, u don't. all u have control over is the volume. u can't c the track details (artist,album etc etc).

u'll need to physically pickup ur ipod (or watever mediaplayer u've plugged in) to to control or view the the tracks being played.

thanks to the builtin 30gb hdd in the columbus & my sd-card, i gotten rid of all my CDs, and hardly use my iPod now (thanks to iTunes....stupid crap software!!!).

Edited 11 May, 201115 yr by JR RS

I much prefer using the SD card to plugging in the ipod. I like seeing the artist and track name on the screen and being able to change tracks, search for songs etc without picking up the ipod. iirc the converter I used was called Switch Sound File Converter and it was easy to use. I selected the tracks that I wanted, set it converting and when I came back to the laptop it had finished.

OK to clarify.

ALl i wanted was to save Kit the hassle of changing the music and loading it onto the newly bought SDHC Card and then find it dosen't work.

and all i wanted to suggest was that it could work.

I'm sorry it's giving you grief - you're right, there's nothing worse than spending a large amount of time doing something that should work and then finding it doesn't.

However, it's not a given that it will NOT work, but obviously from your experience it's not a given that it will work either. How you find out without trying though, I don't know. Any psychics out there?

Hope both you and Kit get it sorted to your satisfaction with out too much (more) effort.

Just for information, I use Sony Media Go for transferring files from iTunes to an SD card.

Nice thing is that it works with all iTunes files including the apple lossless format - useful as I have 90gb of lossless music.

When installed the software should pick up all of your music collection automatically.

You set-up your playlist(s), insert the SD card, select which playlist(s) to sync to the SD card (and what format/compression) and then walk away. The software goes away and converts the files & adds them onto the SD card.

Does take a while to convert 8gb for my card but then works brilliantly without me having to do anything. Full album browsing (mine creates folders as Artist then Album) & recognised the playlists on the Bolero.

Hope this helps.

Right oh ....a friend has given me a copy of something called XILsoft HD convertor which he has shown me how to use so might give it a bash later...quick question....is it best to copy my itunes file to another folder then convert them? Or will it make no difference?....As mentioned in another thread i started about itunes i now have been able to get all my tunes back off my pod and onto my itunes library Turned out it wasnt the USB port on the machine that was the problem it was the cable that was sh*gged!!

Cheers

kit

Hi folks. A couple of further questions re the SD slot.

I'm off to pick up my VRS on Saturday and have a nice 500 mile return journey to test it in

So some tunes would go down well, thus:

- What size of SD card are we talking about (there are several from micro to 'dinner plate' )

- IS the SD slot a standard fit or is it an option?

- Does the software recognise WMA files or is it just MP3?

thanks in advance,

Chris