Just to be clear, it's not AMI that you can spec in these cars - it's Mitsumi, which used to be called MDI. I'm sure we'll be able to retrofit it somehow... It might be a while before a kit will be available I reckon.

 

 

Skoda's configurator says

 

"Electric interface for external use, without adapter line (AMI)"

 

However the Dealer called it Mitsumi, so now ever more confused

I'm just resigned to the fact that I'm not gonna know what I can and can't do with the iPhone until I get the car.

 

That seems to be the general way, it shouldn't be like this though. I've ordered Bluetooth+ but no real idea if I need it or not! I promise to give a full appraisal of my car, especially the options, when it arrives.

Skoda's configurator says

"Electric interface for external use, without adapter line (AMI)"

However the Dealer called it Mitsumi, so now ever more confused

Me too! My dealer has only ever called it Mitsumi or MDI! Perhaps AMI is the Czech name? Also talking to the dealer's tech today and he reckons its unlikely a Mitsumi will be easily retrofit table having had the dash apart on an Octy 3 ????

That seems to be the general way, it shouldn't be like this though. I've ordered Bluetooth+ but no real idea if I need it or not! I promise to give a full appraisal of my car, especially the options, when it arrives.

 

I've only spent a few days with my new O3. Today I was using the voice commands to control my iphone for the first time. I don't have Bluetooth+ and its main feature seems to be to use the cars internal aerials to improve mobile phone reception with a side benefit of saving battery usage.

 

The voice control try-outs I had today were largely successful. 2 out of 3 contacts from my contacts on the iphone were recognised without difficulty. Phone calls were placed successfully. This was all without any special training or effort!

 

My main finding in this area of iphone/ipod connectivity is that is you want FULL control i.e. you can use the car controls to make your music selection, it looks like you need the Mitsumi cable/special connector. You can definitely stream via Bluetooth to the iphone but definitely cannot select tracks or display cover art.

 

So far my only success at displaying cover art has been via the use of an SD Card in slot 1. The music tracks need to be in folders but the Amundsen wont display the cover art embedded in the MP3 file, instead the folder should contain a .jpg image of the folder art for the whole album and this gets displayed successfully.

Me too! My dealer has only ever called it Mitsumi or MDI! Perhaps AMI is the Czech name? Also talking to the dealer's tech today and he reckons its unlikely a Mitsumi will be easily retrofit table having had the dash apart on an Octy 3 ????

 

I think AMI stands for Audi Media Interface.

 

I've only spent a few days with my new O3. Today I was using the voice commands to control my iphone for the first time. I don't have Bluetooth+ and its main feature seems to be to use the cars internal aerials to improve mobile phone reception with a side benefit of saving battery usage.

 

The voice control try-outs I had today were largely successful. 2 out of 3 contacts from my contacts on the iphone were recognised without difficulty. Phone calls were placed successfully. This was all without any special training or effort!

 

My main finding in this area of iphone/ipod connectivity is that is you want FULL control i.e. you can use the car controls to make your music selection, it looks like you need the Mitsumi cable/special connector. You can definitely stream via Bluetooth to the iphone but definitely cannot select tracks or display cover art.

 

So far my only success at displaying cover art has been via the use of an SD Card in slot 1. The music tracks need to be in folders but the Amundsen wont display the cover art embedded in the MP3 file, instead the folder should contain a .jpg image of the folder art for the whole album and this gets displayed successfully.

 

Thanks for info it's really appreciated.  I was able to skip tracks on the test drive but didn't go into detailed test with the bluetooth.

 

Looks like it's standard bluetooth but AMI them.

On the Polish Octavia board they say that Mistsumi doesn't work with Iphone 5 (lightning USB). Could any of you confirm or deny that info?

Bit of info here

http://eshop.skoda-auto.com/cz/en/b2c/music-and-communication/connecting-cable-ipod-%28video%29-5e0051510cx/12

Not sure what the difference between the video and non video iPod cable is, at a guess the non video doesn't let you put video to the cars display (makes you wonder what the point is on the non video cable)

From what I gather looking at Audi forums etc an APPLE 30pin to lightning connector will work but might not for video.

Still very confused.

On the Polish Octavia board they say that Mistsumi doesn't work with Iphone 5 (lightning USB). Could any of you confirm or deny that info?

 I think they are right although Skoda UK told me that it would be compatible with iphone 5 from production week 45 onwards.

For a manufacturer that seems to excel in so many ways, I have to admit to being completely baffled at the dog’s dinner Skoda continues to dish up in it media and nav capabilities.

 

I’ve just taken delivery of my ex-demo Octavia III Elegance with the Amundsen head unit and, after only having a simple AUX input on my old Superb, was looking forward to the simplicity of plugging the phone into the USB socket.  First problem; I hadn’t noticed that the car had been upgraded to the Mitsumi interface. No problem, or so I thought, I‘ll just buy a Mitsumi cable for the iPhone. No such luck, despite the fact that the iPhone 5 has been out for a year, they still haven’t made a cable for it; so I got a standard 30 pin cable and a lightning adaptor. Doesn’t work – charges the phone but doesn’t recognise it as a media source.

 

I got in touch with Skoda customer services and their response was that there are no known plans to produce a cable or update the firmware. They didn’t say it won’t happen, just that there are no plans. Does Skoda have something against iPhones? It was the same with the Superb. It had Bluetooth, but didn’t support the iPhone until later versions.

 

I just don’t get why they have to make it so complicated. Other manufacturers manage just fine with a USB socket, or even a fairly simple combined USB/AUX adaptor that allows full control of the phone and a charging capability. Instead, Skoda have a USB socket that does next to nothing, or an over engineered Mitsumi socket and cable that causes more problems than it solves. Why???

 

And don’t get me started on the ropey Say Nav and the laughable voice control……  Just as well the rest of the car is good enough to make up for it.  

I dont understand why people dont just get the iphone, go into music, create a playlist either automatically or by making your own choices and streaming that via BT?  Thats what I currently do with my BT in my car, made up a few playlists, of 30-40-50 tracks and then just select a track and thats that, it seems to me that this Mitsumi would be a good idea if it wasnt being cocked up so much by Skoda, but for me and my new VRS I will just keep using playlists, so simple!!!  As for album art, cant get excited about that, £100 for a few fancy pictures displayed on the touchscreen??

I wonder what Bluetooth+ adds in to the mix for iPhone users. Still not clear on that one.

As far as I could see nothing

I wonder what Bluetooth+ adds in to the mix for iPhone users. Still not clear on that one.

As far as I could tell nothing! It only seems to give you better phone reception via an induction coil connected to the vehicle aerial in the wee tray in the centre console. That's why I never bothered spec'ing it, phone doesn't fit well in there while attached to a charging cable.

VW called it advanced telephone connection and charge £310! Bluetooth+ does seem slightly misleading as a name.

I could of course be wrong.

Did you buy a real apple adapter or a Chinese knockoff ? Might be worth trying a real

one if you used a knockoff.

I believe for 1 year after iPhone 5 launch apple didn't license any third party lightning cables etc. a cable should come through soon that will work. Hopefully.

Since iOS 7 and the last update came out only Apple certified cables will now work and charge the iPhones that use the lightning charger.

I bet any cables or connection system apart from Bluetooth will not use 'certified by Apple' cables with the apple official chip in them so won't now work.

As an aside do not buy any cheap cables off eBay now as you are just wasting your money until they get a crack for the 'certified by apple chip' !

I had an Octavia III as a hire car the other day and neither my iPhone 5 or my older iPod were recognised via the USB socket. One is using lightning connection and the other the older pin connection. Both are genuine cables. Both are recognised fine in my Peugeot 508.

I don't think this is a cable compatibility issue, it's a problem with the system recognising apple products as a whole.

Think this is amazingly poor. Especially if their option to get an iPod or iPhone costs £100 and then doesn't even support the new lightning connection. It must be a firmware issue.

Its not true to say that iOS7 prevents the use of non-apple certified cables. All iOS7 does is display a warning if the cable is not certified; after that, they work perfectly. Also, there are plenty of licensed lightning products available.

 

The media capabilities of the various Skoda interfaces (using the Amundsen head unit), as far as I've been able to determine are:

 

USB - charges an iPhone only - no music control - works on iPhone 4 and 5 and iPad.

Standard Bluetooth - allows music streaming with next/previous track function, shuffle and repeat controls. If you want to select the playlist in use, you have to do it from the phone. No album art display.

Bluetooth +  - Same a standard bluetooth (all the "+" does is improve the phone reception strength)

Mitsumi (MDI) - allows full access to media, including podcasts, playlists, selection by artist/album/genre etc. from the head unit. Does not seem to display album art (or phone contact pictures). Works on iPhone 4 only. Does not work on iPhone 5 with 30 pin to lightning adaptor.

 

I'm using the standard VAG MDI 30-pin cable, not the video version, and genuine apple cables.

 

I'm with Cameraboy; "Amazingly poor" just about sums it up. Not only is poor technology, Skoda seem to be unable to explain how it should work! (maybe if they ever produce a manual that doesn't seem to have been translated by someone with no grasp of either of the languages involved we might get somewhere...)

Edited 9 October, 201312 yr by Ewen.Bruce

Its not true to say that iOS7 prevents the use of non-apple certified cables

I think you will find it is very true, the majority of non certified lightning cables and connectors will not work not the old 30pin connector.

Google is your friend mate, there is a work around using USB power selection on phone etc however but sod doing that every time.

The 4S still charges on ios7 but my wife's 5 and my 5S will not on cheaper cables without the work around above.

You can buy other certified by Apple lightning cables from Griffen/Belkin etc that work, but I bet anything from Skoda will not be certified !

Edited 9 October, 201312 yr by Bullit

OK after having a good read I am confused on a few points.

Is it possible to use the iPhone 5 with the Mitsumi ? I have ordered it as I was assuming that the apple adaptor that converts the old apple connection to the lightning connector would work. Can anyone confirm if this is the case ?

Do we know if anyone has found removed the panel mentioned earlier in the thread to allow them to fit the Mitsubishi cable ?

Can anyone also confirm that there is voice control on the VRS as standard ? The demo car I drove was meant to be completely standard and it had voice control but I am looking for some reassurance.

Yes voice control is standard. Although I have to say its quicker just pushing buttons!

Soo any progress on retrofitting Mitsumi or finding a port on the bottom of the unit in the glovebox?

Ok, here is what I find in my vrs (Mitsumi) iPod, iPhone and iPad do not connect via the USB. They all charge but the media section remains greyed out on the USB bit. The only way I can play my music from any of these devices it by Bluetooth. And I can change track through the wheel. (No art though). The only issue I have is my phones a crappy samsung and my musics on my iPad. And you can only have one or the other connected. So the choice is hands free or music.

Ok, here is what I find in my vrs (Mitsumi) iPod, iPhone and iPad do not connect via the USB. They all charge but the media section remains greyed out on the USB bit. The only way I can play my music from any of these devices it by Bluetooth. And I can change track through the wheel. (No art though). The only issue I have is my phones a crappy samsung and my musics on my iPad. And you can only have one or the other connected. So the choice is hands free or music.

What head unit do you have? My Columbus shows art work via the Bluetooth connection to my phone.

What head unit do you have? My Columbus shows art work via the Bluetooth connection to my phone.image.jpg

Just standard.

Ok, here is what I find in my vrs (Mitsumi) iPod, iPhone and iPad do not connect via the USB. They all charge but the media section remains greyed out on the USB bit.

So with the Mitsumi do you also still have a standard USB port? Or have I misread this?

Edited 14 November, 201312 yr by Dalelfc89

So with the Mitsumi do you also still have a standard USB port? Or have I misread this?

No, something isn't right here, you either have the mitsumi or USB & Aux..... I suspect the op has the latter...