BRZ Navigation Audio Run Through

[eikond]

Thanks for sharing.

I have to say.. after watching your walk-through.. I'm pretty dissapointed about the functionality of the touch-screen. It had a terrible time registering your touches. It was very slow!

What a bummer!

Maybe I can take it out and sell it to someone else and get a pioneer unit that actually works

[MmmHamSandwich]

Originally Posted by Draco-REX

Warning, this turned into a rant in the middle of writing this:

It's my belief that the good programmers do the obvious and go to companies that develop computer software. So head unit interfaces tend to get designed by engineers and programmers that didn't make the cut. It's the only explanation I can come up with why head units are so unintuitive and user-unfriendly. Especially these days with hardware that's really cheap and really powerful.

Aha and Bespoke are Licensed Technologies! They aren't even all that spectacular, yet Car Audio companies need to go out of house to get something that's only a marginal improvement. It boggles my mind that companies like Pioneer and Alpine and Clarion don't think the interface between their product and their customer is important enough to develop.

Hell, the Clarion unit in my STI requires me to hold a button in for THREE SECONDS just to read the next chunk of a track title. And I don't have an option to make it auto scroll. What person thought it was a good idea for the driver to hold a button down for three seconds while driving just to read a few more characters??

And I still can't figure out why these companies aren't just throwing Android on the head units. Seems like a no-brainer to me. Honestly, the phones in people's pockets make most automotive head units look down right pitiful.

Think about it. Take your favorite head unit and imagine it's controls and interface as the audio app on your smartphone or iPod. Tell me you wouldn't immediately go searching for a better audio app.

I have always been disappointed by the lack of intuitive programming in car head units, and my disappointment only grows as technology increases but the car audio companies keep their heads in the sand.

My ideal head unit?

Full size Double-Din touch screen with Android that uses bluetooth, wifi, and/or a custom app to connect wirelessly with my phone and use it's on-board songs and internet connection. Give me google Maps and Pandora in my car. Literally make the screen in my car into another screen for my phone that happens to have an amp, speakers, and FM antenna connected to it. It shouldn't be difficult.

Sorry, this kind of got away from me.

Agreed on all accounts. Android has been barred from cars for far too long.

I am pretty disappointed by this video. Kinda looked like a turd. Very similar to my coworker's new Kia Optima navi which definitely didn't seem terribly great. His old accord's navi had a pretty decent ui it seemed once you learned it, it was quick to use.

We need something like this: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/15/a...ands-on-video/ (Skip to 1:10 for the video, because a touch screen display in your rear view is silly) The Clarion Mirage is said to be released this year as what I think will be the first production android head unit.

Gotta admit I don't like playing for in car navi knowing I am probably going to spring for the first decent in dash android unit. If only the FR-S had more preferable headlights.

[F1point4]

Originally Posted by meWant

which dealership was this at?

Gillman Subaru Southwest. I sat in an Impreza limited while filming this.

[F1point4]

Originally Posted by Dizz1e

God that's what I hated about my last touchscreen headunit. Having to constantly tap the down arrow 5 songs at a time and not being able to slide/scroll with your finger. Just look at what apple did with their touchscreen ipod/iphone... Can you control the songs being played with the iPod if you wanted? It really would of been something special if you could use the screen as an external monitor for the ipod to play videos and such.

The iPhone did it's standard "Accessory Connected" and wouldn't let me control music through the iPod. If I wanted to use the iPhone music app I would connect it to the aux jack via 3.5mm cable, but I'd lose seeing song details/album art on screen.

[F1point4]

Originally Posted by eikond

Thanks for sharing.

I have to say.. after watching your walk-through.. I'm pretty dissapointed about the functionality of the touch-screen. It had a terrible time registering your touches. It was very slow!

What a bummer!

Maybe I can take it out and sell it to someone else and get a pioneer unit that actually works

I agree; I think I'm going to redo the audio in the car right when I get it, warranty be damned.

All: Glad I could contribute, didn't know Zelda would be such a hit

[neutron256]

Originally Posted by F1point4

The iPhone did it's standard "Accessory Connected" and wouldn't let me control music through the iPod. If I wanted to use the iPhone music app I would connect it to the aux jack via 3.5mm cable, but I'd lose seeing song details/album art on screen.

You should be able to stream to it via Bluetooth from an iPhone or later iTouch. Then you should be able to control from the iPod/iPhone itself. That's what I plan to do. I'll have a dock but only for charging. I don't want to even have to take my phone out of my pocket.

[S2kphile]

Too much mainstream music (whack, imo)
Zelda orchestra theme music (win)

[Dizz1e]

Originally Posted by neutron256

You should be able to stream to it via Bluetooth from an iPhone or later iTouch. Then you should be able to control from the iPod/iPhone itself. That's what I plan to do. I'll have a dock but only for charging. I don't want to even have to take my phone out of my pocket.

You think playing through bluetooth would diminish the sound quality at all? I feel like hard wiring through the 3.5 jack or USB would provide the optimal quality sound and allow you to not have to worry about lapse in connection where the music cuts in and out.

[neutron256]

Originally Posted by Dizz1e

You think playing through bluetooth would diminish the sound quality at all? I feel like hard wiring through the 3.5 jack or USB would provide the optimal quality sound and allow you to not have to worry about lapse in connection where the music cuts in and out.

If you're an audiophile you might notice the difference, but I stream though Bluetooth all the time and think it works just fine. It's not like using the phone though Bluetooth. The EDR profile used for streaming music provides higher data rate and it's a two way connection so it shouldn't cut in and out. The only time I have a problem with cutting in and out is using turn by turn navigation from the phone. That that's probably because it's a Parrot after market system that works inline between the head unit and the speakers.

[MmmHamSandwich]

Bluetooth is probably better than a the headphone jack since the DAC in the car is likely better than the one in your phone. Unless there is some compression involved in bluetooth. Personally I plan to get a right angle usb cable and just keep my decommissioned iPhone dual locked on the underside of that cubby hole.

Should be pretty discreet. It's that or try to do an internal wiring scheme to completely hide the fact there might be a device wired up.

I used to have an old 2nd gen iPod. My friends would sometimes comment they thought it was funny I hid it when I parked as if I was worried about someone stealing it. They seemed to completely forget about the whole replacing your window thing.

[Scooby]

Originally Posted by MmmHamSandwich

Unless there is some compression involved in bluetooth.

There is. SQ wise Bluetooth is the worst option.

[86'd]

Originally Posted by Scooby

There is. SQ wise Bluetooth is the worst option.

That may be objectively true, but I doubt many of us could tell the difference.

Especially given road/engine noise.

I can't hear any artifacts on my wife's bluetooth stream and personally I think it sounds great.

More to the OP, the Nav looks really slow and clunky. It's a good thing I don't mind the FRS's stereo looks, because all I want is bluetooth and a decent sounding system.

[BoxeRZ]

I hope thats your 12 year old daughters Ipod.
Sorry for hatin', but come on!

[R0ME0]

Who makes the navigation unit for Subaru? Is it still Fujitsu?