New VRS Estate Ordered and Media Interface Questions?

[Watfordbrianskoda]

Hi All,

Just ordered my new VRS Estate from Citygate in Watford ????

Initial Spec for the Car

Race Blue

Diesel

Standard Cruise ( Had adaptive on a hire range rover (birthday present from SWMBO) and got annoying )

Canton Sound

Variable Boot Floor

Park Assist ( For Mrs when she drives lol)

Mitsumi

Maxi dot upgrade

Black pack

Winter pack

MDI ( dealer couldn't find on the system) might change to space saver wheel

Just awaiting build date confirmation.????

On the media interface, the dealer thought it's standard fit???? ????

Didn't fance the USB/aux combo to many leads around the centre. My brother has the mediamfittedmin his furby vrs. ????

The skoda car configurator shows available and yet the dealer cannot order, anyone else had issues???

Regards to all

Watford Brian

[gullyg]

Skoda website calls it AMI, the dealer I've ordered from Simpsons Preston call it mitsumi.

Certainly ordered in my car, although had to get it added as I didn't realise it was needed until browsing here.

[JerryT]

You can have the USB and Aux as standard or spec their replacement with the Mitsumi (sp) which is essentially the MDI that you find in the Fabia VRS.

It is unfortunately not as neat a solution in the Octy as it is in the Furby IMO.

[Robfab]

Just buy a short usb cable and leave it in centre console

[Slugmagnet]

Ordered a white diesel vrs estate from citygate in late July

Build week 44 apparently. Should be here mid November.

[meta55b]

What actually is this MDI ??? How does it work and what difference is it to what I have just now in my mk2 08 plate.

[JerryT]

What actually is this MDI ???.

Media Digital Interface I believe. It allows for full control of an 'i' device through the head unit and I suspect a MP3 player (only ever used mine with an i-pod.

[Robfab]

Whats the difference between USB and MDI are they not the same thing just with USB allowing various devices to be used?

Just done a bit of research and confused myself.

The car comes with the USB standard, what is that for if you need the AMI for iPhone/iPod ect

[gullyg]

Whats the difference between USB and MDI are they not the same thing just with USB allowing various devices to be used?

The USB appears to only support mass storage devices  (flash pens, hdds and mp3 players etc that show as such).  Connecting an iPhone into the usb appears to only show a warning saying the device isn't supported.

 

Personally I suspect the USB/AUX on the car is basically an MDI/AMI/Mutsumi cable that just happens to be fixed into the car, where as the AMI option is just an extension lead which then allows you to select (at another cost as it appears you have to buy the cables) a different output.

 

However another issue for myself is that I can't seem to find a Lightning cable for it.  This means I'll need to use a 30 pin to Lightning adaptor which I don't think supports video.

 

This thread has some info:  http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/281518-iphone-owners/

Edited 14 September, 2013 by gullyg

[Watfordbrianskoda]

Thanks to all replies

I've used the media / cable in my brothers Fabian VRS, and on the outside of the box it has a label as MEDIA. So when on the car builder the picture is shown as the Media Interface...

It gives full access to the iPod folders / playlists etc and all iPhone parts.. All accessible through the stork control on the steering wheel.

Just couldn't see the logic in USB / Aux combo. Especially with the leads etc around the gear stick area.

Regards

Brian

[Robfab]

I had the MDI in my Fabia vRS a couple of years ago then went to mk2 octavia vrs which only had AUX, i was considering getting a hard drive for the usb instead of using my phone but thought it would just work as usual.

Iv got a short lightening cable from amazon, just a cheap one so will try it but may not work then :(.

Would i be able to use as normal over bluetooth?

[Robfab]

Sorry to intrude this thread.

Could i add MDI/AMI when i receive the car it was built last week so wont be able to add it to the order.

[hkp]

There does seem to be a retrofit MDI kit on ETKA. You'd have to mount the MDI socket somewhere though - maybe in the glovebox?

[Robfab]

There does seem to be a retrofit MDI kit on ETKA. You'd have to mount the MDI socket somewhere though - maybe in the glovebox?[/quote

Would it not replace the original or is that built in and not a unit on its own?

[Farsider]

What kind of service did you get from Citygate? I purchased 2 VW's from Citygate Chalfont and High Wycombe before and the purchase and aftersales experience was not good. I swore never to buy from them again.......so I sourced my vRS estate from an independent Skoda dealer.

 

What were they like for you?

[hkp]

There does seem to be a retrofit MDI kit on ETKA. You'd have to mount the MDI socket somewhere though - maybe in the glovebox?[/quote

Would it not replace the original or is that built in and not a unit on its own?

It doesn't look like it replaces the standard USB and aux. it piggybacks on the quad lock on the back of the MIB unit in the glovebox...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gullyg]

Looks like it replaces the USB/aux on the configurator

[Robfab]

Looks like it replaces the USB/aux on the configurator

Hopefully the usb/aux will come out and is not built in

[hkp]

Picture from ETKA:

 

RRP is £270 odd.

 

 

P.S. This is under the Mk3 section of ETKA...

[Watfordbrianskoda]

Citygate it's hard really for me to say, as when they took on the Skoda franchise for Palmers in Watford some of the

staff went across.

But impressions I've got on the way the sale went wasn't a patch on Palmers even thou Bart has tried his best.

That's the thing on configurator it does show the replacement of the USB/aux with the media port, put it down on the extras for the car and then the dealer comes back and said that they initially couldn't find it and thought its down as mitsumi...

But really appreciate everyone's comments

[Robfab]

Been to the dealer today, iphone chargers through usb and plays songs through bluetooth with track names and playlists so I'm happy

[RoyalBlue]

I have just tried to place an order, via our leasing company, for the new vRS Hatch. Options I requested included the Columbus Sat Nav plus the Apple Device Interface (Mitsumi MDI). The lease company have just come back to say that I because I have opted for the Columbus I can't have the Mitsumi MDI!  Apparently someone from Skoda UK is going to ring me to explain why.

 

If this is really true, it is an absolutely absurd situation and a retrograde step from the Octavia vRS MkII. Over four years ago I ordered my vRS with Columbus plus Apple Interface and they were able to provide it with no problems at all. The socket is in the club box and I use the MDI lead to connect. My ipod works perfectly enabling me to charge it and to control it through the touchscreen on the Columbus - just what I want.

 

Why on earth would they design the new model so that this is no longer possible? Said lady from Skoda is going to have an awful lot of explaining to do tomorrow!

 

As someone else has already mentioned, the standard USB socket supplied is useless when it comes to Apple products as it comes up as not recognised. Yes, I could use bluetooth but 1) I won't be able to charge my ipod and the bluetooth will lead to accelerated battery discharge and 2) I won't be able to control the ipod through the touch screen on the Columbus and/or steering wheel controls. - far too dangerous to try to control through the ipod itself.

 

If this story turns out to be true, then I will be far from impressed. Indeed it will be a joke worthy of the bad old Skoda days. My car can park itself and use radar to keep me at a safe distance from the car in front but won't interface with Apple devices (unless I downgrade the Sat Nav)!!

 

 

[ollybroad]

I have ordered columbus and matsumi so have many others!

[RoyalBlue]

I have ordered columbus and matsumi so have many others!

 

That's interesting and I shall mention that to the lady from Skoda UK when she calls. Has your order been confirmed?

 

Anyone else had their order confirmed or come across the MKIII estate with Columbus and Apple (Mitsumi) Interface?

 

I will post details of Skoda UK response on here.

 

[barbalar]

Citygate it's hard really for me to say, as when they took on the Skoda franchise for Palmers in Watford some of the

staff went across.

But impressions I've got on the way the sale went wasn't a patch on Palmers even thou Bart has tried his best.

That's the thing on configurator it does show the replacement of the USB/aux with the media port, put it down on the extras for the car and then the dealer comes back and said that they initially couldn't find it and thought its down as mitsumi...

But really appreciate everyone's comments

I've ordered my new Vrs from Citygate too - I've found their service it be a bit hit and miss when phoning or emailing but face to face, they're normally really good. I bought my first Vrs from Palmers in 2008 before moving to Bristol and found them to be excellent. I specced the Mitsumi on my new car, they seemed to find it ok but they didn't know what alloy wheels were standard and it took a few phonecalls to get the red trim on the seats, as they didn't put that down on the order form. All I'm waiting for now is them telling me when I'm getting the car - ordered on the 4th August. I can wait but not forever.