COMAND Online - 2013 C Class - Phones/iPod etc etc

[CubbyMK]

Right.... this could take some time.

The dilema - COMAND Online and its pros/cons with certain phone and digital music devices....

Basically, I have a new C350 on order for delivery end of October. I am aware of many of the features of COMAND online and am close to a decsion on what phone to purchase (as I am due an upgrade).

I am very aware of the Data issues with iPhone / Android and also the potential workarounds (such as BlueDUN for Android).

The current top plan is to get the following (for the reasons detailed)

Samsung Galaxy S3 (BlueDUN app allowing internet connection if required)
iPod Touch (part of iCloud network allowing me access to all my music (utilising the wifi hotspot option on the above handset..))

Still with me?

There is more.

Now, I cannot get any clarification on the way in which COMAND online plays music from an iPhone. If the phone can be connected and all of the music/playlists etc etc navigated via COMAND then that is a very attractive option. It means I do not need to buy an iPod touch just to play music in my car. Now, i know you are thinking why not use the SD Card to store your music etc etc and just get what phone you like. I have an answer for that. I spend alot of time driving around and away from home. I like the idea of being able to download music to my iPhone (or iPod touch) and have it immediately available in my car. Hows that...

One other deal closer would be Siri. Now, I am led to believe that the Siri integration is only a new feature ont he recently release A Class. Can anyone confirm this. What does it allow these lucky people to do? If by some stroke of true luck it is now a feature in ALL new COMAND online system it could very well seal the deal for the iPhone.

Am I over thinking this? YES.
Am I a geek? YES
Is it fair to want the best possible configuration for your personal needs? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSs

I thank you for reading. You may leave now

 

[@MARK]

Where is your music coming from?

My thinking is that if you have an Android phone for the data connection then why not team it up with a service such as Spotify giving you unlimited music in the car for the bluetooth audio capability.

Surely this combination is even better than your original idea?

I am also not sure you can use the wifi hotspot feature AND BlueDUN at the same time on Android

PS

I am doing all of the above on a Galaxy SII on a 2012 MY car so would expect it to work find on an S3 with a 2013 car.

Plus it will help drown out the rattles.

 

[sinewave]

It might be me but I can't get Siri to do a dam thing I ask, so I don't use it at all.

 

[CubbyMK]

Where is your music coming from?

My thinking is that if you have an Android phone for the data connetcionthen why not team it up with a service such as Spotify giving you unlimited music in the car for the bluetooth audio capability.

Surely this combination is even better than your original idea?

PS

I am doing all of the above on a Galaxy SII on a 2012 MY car so would expect it to work find on an S3 with a 2013 car.

Plus it will help drown out the rattles.

Im kinda stuck in Mr Apples' grasp as I have over 50GB of music in iTunes. There are options to export this music to other formats but it comes with so many licenceing issues i may have to leave the country and seek safety in a foreign embassy (topical)

Great idea though and one I hadnt thought of.

 

[CubbyMK]

It might be me but I can't get Siri to do a dam thing I ask, so I don't use it at all.

In your car or just in life?

 

[@MARK]

Im kinda stuck in Mr Apples' grasp as I have over 50GB of music in iTunes. There are options to export this music to other formats but it comes with so many licenceing issues i may have to leave the country and seek safety in a foreign embassy (topical)

Great idea though and one I hadnt thought of.

I see your point however you would only need to export any music that you can't find on Spotify not the whole 50GB which might make life a lot easier.

PS

I thought iTunes was now DRM free

PPS

I think I am obliged to point out that other music streaming services other than Spotify exist

 

[Deleted member 65149]

The new COMAND works perfectly with Mrs KE's iPod - just plug in the lead that's provided with the car and away you go. I can only assume it does the same with iPhone.

 

[CubbyMK]

I see your point however you would only need to export any music that you can't find on Spotify not the whole 50GB which might make life a lot easier.

PS

I thought iTunes was now DRM free

PPS

I think I am obliged to point out that other music streaming services other than Spotify exist

As a fellow technical person (I assume) you must surely understand the massive change to my current audio visual life solutions, everything is based on apple products from iPods, to apple tv to and iPad..... Its quite a swap to make!

Haha pppppppps I know exactly what you mean..... My current job doesn't allow such 'solutions'

 

[CubbyMK]

I see your point however you would only need to export any music that you can't find on Spotify not the whole 50GB which might make life a lot easier.

PS

I thought iTunes was now DRM free

PPS

I think I am obliged to point out that other music streaming services other than Spotify exist

I forgot to mention, the DRM situation is a bit complex, I believe from a friend that some media purchased before / after a certain date does not qualify for the new, more relaxed DRM rules

 

[CubbyMK]

The new COMAND works perfectly with Mrs KE's iPod - just plug in the lead that's provided with the car and away you go. I can only assume it does the same with iPhone.

That's good to know, thanks.

 

[@MARK]

It's for that very reason I have avoided going down the Apple route for many many years.

I know that once you go there, you are trapped for life.

Don't get me wrong. I have an iPad and an Apple TV but have been very careful in the choices I have made along the way to ensure that any digital media is not in an Apple exclusive format.

It did help however that I had started to build my digital music collection a long time before the iPod etc hit the scene. For many however they started out with Apple and are therefore stuck. My digital media collection is well over 3TB right now and I would hate to have to re-encode that in the future.

But I have had a quick look and I am guessing that all your music is in AAC format (forgive me as I am not an Apple expert). I can also see that iTunes and all Apple devices are happy running with the MP3 format as well.

It might take some time (but you can set this as a job that runs over night etc) but I would seriously look at converting your AAC format files to MP3 and then ensure that you only work with MP3 files moving forward.

And for the files that are copy protected etc then I understand that Apple will now let you download the same tracks again but without the DRM

This means that your media is now portable but still works with iTunes should you wish.

And finally, Spotify is also available for all your IOS devices (indeed Spotify on the iPad is amazing).

So a but of planning could see you get out of the Apple trap you are in but still be able to use all the nice Apple toys you have.

 

[CubbyMK]

It's for that very reason I have avoided going down the Apple route for many many years.

I know that once you go there, you are trapped for life.

Don't get me wrong. I have an iPad and an Apple TV but have been very careful in the choices I have made along the way to ensure that any digital media is not in an Apple exclusive format.

It did help however that I had started to build my digital music collection a long time before the iPod etc hit the scene. For many however they started out with Apple and are therefore stuck. My digital media collection is well over 3TB right now and I would hate to have to re-encode that in the future.

But I have had a quick look and I am guessing that all your music is in AAC format (forgive me as I am not an Apple expert). I can also see that iTunes and all Apple devices are happy running with the MP3 format as well.

It might take some time (but you can set this as a job that runs over night etc) but I would seriously look at converting your AAC format files to MP3 and then ensure that you only work with MP3 files moving forward.

And for the files that are copy protected etc then I understand that Apple will now let you download the same tracks again but without the DRM

This means that your media is now portable but still works with iTunes should you wish.

And finally, Spotify is also available for all your IOS devices (indeed Spotify on the iPad is amazing).

So a but of planning could see you get out of the Apple trap you are in but still be able to use all the nice Apple toys you have.

Thanks you kindly for the very informative response - I will certainly look into this a little more seriously now and let you know what I decide.

I am keen on the S3 so I'd like to go down this road, I also always said I wouldn't ever buy an iPhone...... Stupid as that sounds!

 

[@MARK]

I am keen on the S3 so I'd like to go down this road, I also always said I wouldn't ever buy an iPhone...... Stupid as that sounds!

To be fair, it's not the iPhone that I think is the work of the devil.

It's iTunes!

 

[CubbyMK]

To be fair, it's not the iPhone that I think is the work of the devil.

It's iTunes!

You are not wrong there.... I just configured iCloud too so I would feel like I'm going backwards