Skip (a CD) to the loo my darling

[Pitts Pilot]

I have a Comand (NTG1 -with the nav CD ROM in the boot).

My problem is that with either CD-R or DVD+R MP3 music disks the disk skips for 2 seconds at the beginning of each track, particularly once it’s passed the half way point on the disk.

Given the latter point, do you think there’s a problem with the laser or its arm, given its reading more quickly as the tracks are further from the centre of the disk?

I have tried burning slowly (at x1 to x4) various different CD and DVD disk makes, but without success.

The disks are Riken or Verbatim DVD +R’s or Riken –Rs, and the CDs are Verbatim AZO or cheap Maxells – doesn’t seem to matter.

I use Nero 7 Express and select the ‘Jukebox’ option to burn music DVDs. I have burnt them on two different burners, LG and Dell OEM drives.

Oh, and yes, I have tried Cleaner CDs, 4 different ones actually, including a ‘wet’ type. Still no joy

The Comand Handbook discusses playing MP3 CDs in detail, stating the smallest data (bit) rate is 56 KB/s, I use 192 KB/s (and tried both Variable Bit Rate, and Fixed Bit Rate), and that ISO 9660 Level 3 disks won’t work. No problem, I’ve stayed well clear of multi-session, packet writing, fragmented burning.

What’s troubling me is the way Comand skips the beginning of each track for 2 seconds as regularly as clockwork. I’ve almost (but not quite) got used to it!

To add to the conundrum, the original shop bought CD’s play perfectly, but they are not MP3’s, obviously.

Thanks

 

[GP801]

Could it be the thickness of the disc? The instructions for one of ours - I forget which - mentions a strict tolerance for the disc thickness.

 

[Pitts Pilot]

I thought disk thickness was an industry standard?

 

[GP801]

I think the recordable ones can vary. A friend had a problem with discs jamming in a cd changer. It turned out to be due to the extra thickness of some recordable discs.

 

[Pitts Pilot]

I think the recordable ones can vary. A friend had a problem with discs jamming in a cd changer. It turned out to be due to the extra thickness of some recordable discs.

Well, that's bizzare. First I have heard of the thickness as an issue.


I can't imagine why it would affect the laser, but I accept its a potential issue.


Besides, I'm using main Brand CDs and DVDs. I'll have to Google this and see which disks are thicker than others.

Has anyone had the same problem with a MB Comand? We all play backups and MP3s, after all?

Thanks

 

[corned]

I believe it will be the jukebox which is befuddling COMAND. This will add quite a few other file types besides mp3s which COMAND will not understand.

It understands data discs. Just burn the album folders containing the mp3 files and nothing else. Use a 'flat' folder structure, i.e. don't nest the folders.

So - the disc should only contain the same number of folders as albums, and the only files on there should be mp3s. Use disc at once and burn slowly. Finalise at the end of the burn too.

Do not do anything else!

Now, see how you get on with that.

 

[npuk]

Does it skip with an original cd / dvd?

 

[Pitts Pilot]

Does it skip with an original cd / dvd?

No, it plays fine with shop bought CDs.
It's with MP3s burnt to CD that's the problem.

 

[Pitts Pilot]

I believe it will be the jukebox which is befuddling COMAND. This will add quite a few other file types besides mp3s which COMAND will not understand.

It understands data discs. Just burn the album folders containing the mp3 files and nothing else. Use a 'flat' folder structure, i.e. don't nest the folders.

So - the disc should only contain the same number of folders as albums, and the only files on there should be mp3s. Use disc at once and burn slowly. Finalise at the end of the burn too.

Do not do anything else!

Now, see how you get on with that.

OK, I've just burnt a CD and a DVD-R as plain data, using Nero 7.

I’ve used the most basic settings - ISO9660, even with a limit of 8 characters for each song name.

Both disks still skip at the beginning of each and every track

 

[corned]

Bugger. I thought that might ease the situation.

I use DVD+R. Whether that makes any difference I don't know.

Ah - I've just had a thought. Someone posted on here years ago about the steps required to successfully burn a disc. I'll see if I can find it...

 

[Pitts Pilot]

Let’s say, for the sake of argument, there is a hardware fault with the CD player in my Comand unit.

Is it covered by my existing Tier 1 Warranty?

(I bought the car 2 months ago from MB Reading).

Thanks

 

[corned]

You may be able to, but proving that there is a definite fault in this case may be difficult.

Could anyone else you know lend a home-brew disc for you to try?

Just bear in mind that COMAND is notoriously picky about the discs it will play (or not). I use Memorex ones, which I thought were reckoned to be quite good. After a newly-burned disc is put in the car, it plays for a few months faultlessly and then gradually starts to have read issues. This happens every time. Eventually the disc is permanently unreadable - but only on the COMAND system. If I put it in any other player in the house - no problems at all.

Whether COMAND gradually 'fries' it I don't know, but this happens winter, summer or fall, so ambient temp is nothing to do with it.

 

[Pitts Pilot]

You may be able to, but proving that there is a definite fault in this case may be difficult.

Could anyone else you know lend a home-brew disc for you to try?

Just bear in mind that COMAND is notoriously picky about the discs it will play (or not). I use Memorex ones, which I thought were reckoned to be quite good. After a newly-burned disc is put in the car, it plays for a few months faultlessly and then gradually starts to have read issues. This happens every time. Eventually the disc is permanently unreadable - but only on the COMAND system. If I put it in any other player in the house - no problems at all.

Whether COMAND gradually 'fries' it I don't know, but this happens winter, summer or fall, so ambient temp is nothing to do with it.

When I first test drove the car, there was a small black lead with a 3.5mm jack plug hanging out of the side of the dash (mainly visible when the door was open).

This, explained the saleman, was because the previous owner wanted to connect up his iPod.....

Is someone trying to tell me something?

 

[John]

Ah - I've just had a thought. Someone posted on here years ago about the steps required to successfully burn a disc. I'll see if I can find it...

Might be me...

Either way... have a shifty at this PP!

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/electronics/108129-playing-mp3-music-w211-e-class.html

 

[Pitts Pilot]

Might be me...

Either way... have a shifty at this PP!

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/electronics/108129-playing-mp3-music-w211-e-class.html

I've tried everything suggested by the post you kindly pointed to, and no luck

I guess the iPod is the route for us NGT1 boys. Or of course, we could do what we have done for decades: have a black nylon CD case in the car filled with copies of the original CDs, so the Comand system only has to read a CD (albiet a copy)

 

[John]

Well, that was the next option for me.

If my DVD player refused to play MP3s, I would have recorded them to CDs instead.

You are still better off due to the number of MP3 tracks you can fit on a CD and there is a 6 CD changer to store 6 at a time - which is getting on for DVD territory.

I don't know much about the internals of your car but do you have a 6 CD changer somewhere up front?

Mine plays MP3 recorded CDs perfectly...

 

[Pitts Pilot]

Well, that was the next option for me.

If my DVD player refused to play MP3s, I would have recorded them to CDs instead.

You are still better off due to the number of MP3 tracks you can fit on a CD and there is a 6 CD changer to store 6 at a time - which is getting on for DVD territory.

I don't know much about the internals of your car but do you have a 6 CD changer somewhere up front?

Mine plays MP3 recorded CDs perfectly...

I've had a Comand Online "mCar" Bluetooth hands free unit installed, and this has a USB input that is fully compatible with an iPod, or even just a USB stick! (These units fully integrate with the Comand system, and its screen, steering wheel buttons, etc).


Because of the mCar unit I cannot go down the CD changer route, but I reckon I have got a reasonable setup with an iPod, although I have had some problems with garbled sound that I attribute to the optical connections on the mCar unit, as I have swapped out everything else - even changed iPods!


The above problem should be sorted soon by Comand online, so 'no worries'.


I think that with the pile of 'coasters' I now own, I'm going to Throw-in-the-towel and just accept that a 5+ year old CD/DVD player is OLD! and more importantly, very picky about what it is asked to read/play. Hey-ho