Adding POI files to the COMAND SatNav System?

[Diesel Benz]

I'm not sure if you are referring specifically to the functionality of the BMW navi system but the TomTom Navigator with the safety camera alerts do alert you on approaching with 350 yards of the location of known safety cameras (i.e. safety cameras on their database stored as POIs on the system). The database do store the direction of the fixed cameras but obviously not those that are mounted in the central islands and have the capability to change directions. These are simply tagged as cameras for both direction of travel.

Programming such a function should be simple enough considering that that very function is core for all directional alerts on any navi systems... i.e. tha all important "Turn third left at the roundabout" alert as you approach the roundabout.

I was referring both, the BMW system that hardly would do the same as my speed camera warning application on my phone that does support those features you explain for TomTom. My point was more that the modified BMW navi DVD would not do all you would want for speed cameras. In any case, I don't think speed cameras are something OEM navigation devices would or should support.

 

[crockers]

I suppose that one needs an inboard HD to do this - so that data can be downloaded onto a memory stick and then added to the inboard HD.

Now doesnt the w204 have a onboard HD ?

 

[Diesel Benz]

I suppose that one needs an inboard HD to do this - so that data can be downloaded onto a memory stick and then added to the inboard HD.

Now doesnt the w204 have a onboard HD ?

You mean adding POI data to the BMW navigation device? No, the idea is to modify the DVD content and then use the modified DVD. Of course this would also work on HD based systems which (so far) anyway read the content initially from a DVD.

 

[Stan the Man]

I was about to post the same reference but to me it is misleading to say that BMW owners can add POI data, you still have to be a computer freak too.

One could claim that an MB owner and a hacker could do the same for MB navi discs but it would be more challenging as the current MB discs are encrypted while the BMW discs are not.

In my opinion the BMW approach isn't complete either, I don't think the navi device can be programmed to alert on approaching POIs of certain category and only if you are driving too fast and only if the speed camera is pointing towards you and not the approaching traffic.

I think you will find that current MB Nav DVDs are not encrypted, unlike Comand 2 Nav CDs which are.

 

[st13phil]

I suspect that we won't ever see an ability for Proximity Alerts on COMAND or any other MB SatNav kit because GPS-based alerts for speedcams are illegal in certain countries (Switzerland & Germany, to name two) even though they are perfectly legal in many other countries, including the UK. This "mixed legality" problem is most easily dealt with by not providing the functionality at all - however annoying that is for us in speedcam-infested Britain.

 

[Diesel Benz]

I think you will find that current MB Nav DVDs are not encrypted, unlike Comand 2 Nav CDs which are.

Well I have not seen too many of these, the W221 DVD did appear to be encrypted or do you know how to read it otherwise. I don't mean the normal DVD encryption, just that the data does not appear in plain text, you cannot find e.g. POI info like from the BMW DVD. Out of curiosity, if you have any info how to read the MB discs, I'd be interested even if I would not start playing with the content.