mirak Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 I'm getting set to order a FFH, and the only question is whether to pay an extra $1000 for nav (I want everything else). I hear the actual navigation is nice - but I don't need it. I've got a separate Garmin. The reason I would consider paying for nav is all the other stuff you get with the nav unit. So, what is that stuff? A better display of music information on the bigger nav screen? Any better Sync interaction with bluetooth phones of iPod? A hybrid system display? How useful is it? What else do you get with the screen? I hear you can watch DVDs while the car is parked, but I don't really care about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundedo Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 Here are some of my favorites regarding the nav: 1. TravelLink. I find myself using the fuel and weather quite a lot. I only wish it would be able to give you sports scores while the vehicle is moving. ^_^ 2. Voice control. You can control damn near everything with voice... from climate, to nav, to TravelLink, to audio. It's great!!! 3. Informational. Obviously with the larger screen it can display more info. You get pretty much all the meta data when playing songs. Plus it makes browsing your music easier because you can scroll through your library just like on the actual device. 4. Nav. Ok, so I put it forth on my list :P The nav has actually been pretty good. One of the things I'm finding I like most is the integration in to the system. Sure, external navs are cheaper. I have a Garmin Nuvi that we use in my wifes car and it works just as well. But I can't voice control it and it doesn't play directions over the car speakers. You can plug it into the aux jack, but then you can't listen to your other media. Since I don't have a hybrid I can't speak to the system display. I know there are a few here who do so I'll defer to them. If you have the cash, I say get it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirak Posted July 6, 2009 Author Share Posted July 6, 2009 Thanks for the info. Please keep the posts coming. I'm especially interested to learn about (1) any hybrid system displays/stats on the nav screen, and (2) iPod and phone Sync with the nav screen. Can you touch-scroll through your music collection while driving, just like on an iPod? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundedo Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 Thanks for the info. Please keep the posts coming. I'm especially interested to learn about (1) any hybrid system displays/stats on the nav screen, and (2) iPod and phone Sync with the nav screen. Can you touch-scroll through your music collection while driving, just like on an iPod? Yes, you can. You can browse your music just like you can on the iPod. You can search by artist, genre, playlist, etc... I have 2 phones synced with the unit. It works great. There's full access to call history, phonebook and you can set up quick dials. If you're on a call through the nav and want to take it private just hit the privacy mode button. It transfers the call back to your handset. I can try and shoot a video showing you some of the nav stuff. But if you can, take a ride to a Ford dealer and ask them to walk you through the system. That way you can touch and see for yourself whether or not you want it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iNexxFear Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 Do note that one thing with the built in NAV system, is that ford disables certain items (like NAV input via the screen) when the car is in motion... This is for your safety, but can still be changed via SYNC through the voice input features. I can not complain, and after having a high end NUVI 850 prior to ordering this car with the NAVI systme in it.... I wouldn't want it any other way... My favorites: * The LARGE screen rocks * The controls to dial your phone via the screen input is very beneficial * Ability to have the 3 view screen from home (which is your NAVI, Radio and climate or equalizer) is very unique * The birds eye view in the 2010 is totaly amazing and brings in a new feature unlike that of any Garmin/Magellin or TomTom brand! * The NAVI system is very functional, your screen splits into two halves when you get a direction * The voice prompts/dings are very kind and useful as a single driver * The ability to set any other function like climate, phone or or iPod/music is useful * The screen can be used as a DVD system when the car is in park * The screen changes to the backup cam (if you have this option) * The voice recognition is VERY accurate (even for my quick speaking ways) The only con that I don't like, but gettign used to it slowly is if a constructon or other type item is found via Travel Link the NAVI system does a car horn sound. It's very distracting at first until you realize what it's for and who's doing it! That 1000 is well worth the investent, and brings it to the top of hte line systems like my 850! Besides the integration also allows the NAVI system to talk wit your car, for long areas without satellite reception (like the washinton DC tunnel) and fuel status.... Meaning that if your car gets low it can automaticaly integrate a refuel process enroute, and without a true satellite connection it can guess based on your speed and direction of where you are on that NAVI map. These are the perks about getting it, plus its covered by your car warranty and no one can steal it! I'd highly tell you for the long term investment and refund you'd get when you trade in the car to spend the $$ and order it with the car! I wouldn't order mine any other way now adays! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WPWoodJr Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Some other things that haven't been mentioned: You can display digital images from your camera Sirius weather radar is cool Album cover image displayed in Jukebox (maybe someday for USB music too) Easier to configure Sync system due to full screen interface Touch screen interface for making selections Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iNexxFear Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Some other things that haven't been mentioned: You can display digital images from your camera Sirius weather radar is cool Album cover image displayed in Jukebox (maybe someday for USB music too) Easier to configure Sync system due to full screen interface Touch screen interface for making selections Good Points! For got some of those... It's important to note that #3 comes from the Gracenote database on the system... If its a newer album this may not show. I think I also forgot about the 10 GB of HDD space for you to store your jukebox data to it... Since I haven't used it it's great... Also Aong with weather, alot of the other travel ink features like movies and such are great... But I do use the radar option the most. And overall the touch screen just adds to the car driving exprience... This and SYNC compliment one another so well it makes it fun to drive the car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirak Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 I went ahead and took the plunge. Ordered a 502A, white platinum. I actually kind of liked the more minimalist look of the non-nav console, but there were simply too many cool sounding features of the Nav system to pass up. The backup cam in the rearview mirror was kind of neat, but the larger display on the nav screen will be a lot easier to use. Also, I wonder if I can now swap out the rearview mirror for one with homelink? The nav itself seems pretty self-explanatory, and I hear it's really good. Do I still get the 6 CD changer with the Nav, or is that replaced by the 10GB jukebox? How is stuff added to the jukebox? What hybrid information is displayed on the nav system? How easy it to toggle between hybrid info, nav, music, and climate control screens? How much can I see at once? What is locked out while the vehicle is moving? Anyone know of a tutorial (video, preferably) going through all the features of the nav system? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelsonlu Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Do I still get the 6 CD changer with the Nav, or is that replaced by the 10GB jukebox? How is stuff added to the jukebox? No 6 CD-changer. The stuff is added to the jukebox by popping the CD into the CD player, going to the CD screen, and pressing "Record." It's an easy process. What hybrid information is displayed on the nav system? Basically, think of the Toyota-much-hyped-up screen showing transfer of energy from one system to another. You can also get efficiency history. In my opinion, it's neat visually but provides no particularly useful information that SmartGauge isn't already going to give you, and the SmartGauge display is more useful, anyway. How easy it to toggle between hybrid info, nav, music, and climate control screens? How much can I see at once? Basically, it's one function at a time, except for the "Home" screen, which splits the display between navigation, radio/media, and AC control. What is locked out while the vehicle is moving? Entry of addresses as well as searches for addresses, as far as navigation is concerned. TravelLink sports scores. I haven't played with the phone functions enough to remember what is locked out, if anything, there. Virtually nothing else is locked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mettech Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Can you turn the screen off or down when driving at night? Is it distracting when driving at night? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelsonlu Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Can you turn the screen off or down when driving at night? Is it distracting when driving at night? I don't find it distracting, but there is a night (darker) mode. Also, the screen can be turned off altogether. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirak Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 Thanks for all the info so far. Without being able to play around with the technology, I'm a bit nervous about how well integrated all of this stuff is. I'll have an iPhone, with all my music on it, which I'll want to sync via USB to the car so I can use voice commands or the nav screen to browse and play music. But I also want to use the iPhone for bluetooth calling. I've heard the phone can't do this when connected to USB. Is this true? If so, maybe I'll just have to put all my music on a thumb drive and connect that to USB, but that's kind of pain because I also wanted to use the USB to charge the iPhone. Then there's the 10gb jukebox, which I think basically acts as a harddrive-based CD changer. Can it store mp3s burned onto a CD, or does it only store full-size audio files? (This may not matter since I'll have all my mp3s synced through USB, but I want to know what I can do.) Is it also possible to play / browse music on the jukebox with voice commands or the nav screen? How much of that 10gb of storage is occupied by the nav software? Are any of the media touchscreen controls, such as scrolling through the jukebox or USB music library, locked out while driving, or is it just the nav stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iNexxFear Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I don't find it distracting, but there is a night (darker) mode. Also, the screen can be turned off altogether. I agree, I have my screen on automatic mode so it goes darker when the lights are on... It helps and doesn't get distracting... There are other settings as well which help control brightness and also slightly integrated with your dash lights... But if it ever did become a annoyance you can shut the display off so only the artists show on the bottom or completely off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iNexxFear Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Thanks for all the info so far. Without being able to play around with the technology, I'm a bit nervous about how well integrated all of this stuff is. I'll have an iPhone, with all my music on it, which I'll want to sync via USB to the car so I can use voice commands or the nav screen to browse and play music. But I also want to use the iPhone for bluetooth calling. I've heard the phone can't do this when connected to USB. Is this true? If so, maybe I'll just have to put all my music on a thumb drive and connect that to USB, but that's kind of pain because I also wanted to use the USB to charge the iPhone. Then there's the 10gb jukebox, which I think basically acts as a harddrive-based CD changer. Can it store mp3s burned onto a CD, or does it only store full-size audio files? (This may not matter since I'll have all my mp3s synced through USB, but I want to know what I can do.) Is it also possible to play / browse music on the jukebox with voice commands or the nav screen? How much of that 10gb of storage is occupied by the nav software? Are any of the media touchscreen controls, such as scrolling through the jukebox or USB music library, locked out while driving, or is it just the nav stuff? Mirak, you don't really need to worry all that much... The car/technology and sync play very nicely into all of this and hope my answers help you with your outstanding questions with what I know so far. First I am a iPhone 3GS owner, but don't use it for my music.. I have a seperate iPod for that... So I can only answer with what i know about with the features i use... With your iphone connected (mine in bluetooth mode) SYNC is responsible for all the voice commands... It will download your contact list so tha the phone list comes in and you can dial from there, or the navigaton of your music artists, songs, titles, genres and such are also indexed by sync. With the 3.0 iPhone software you can also use the bluetooth to stream media from you ipod or items like pandora. With my iPod, again sync works beautifully... However it never gets connected via the iPhone USB connector. That's about all I can offer on this matter... As for the jukebox... in the 2010 series, your NAVI screen is really a 40GB hdd system... They have allocated you 10 GB for user data... The other 30GB is reserved exclusively by the system.... This is to help alleviate the 2 disc slot requirements that older navi systems had where the navi data always needed to stay loaded in order to use the system. Since the system has no multi-disc holders once a CD is installed it gives you the option to record that CD to the drive.... This is totally an independent feature of the iPod connection but does about teh same stuff... I haven't heard of anyone taking and copying a MP3 cd and putting it on there, but SYNC MAY BE ABLE to handle that... otherwise it will just make it's own MP3 on that internal HDD of the available 10 GB allocated to you.... Everthing on the jukebox is fully navigatable via voice... Just like your clmate and everything else.... The ipod and jukebox functions are fully browsable while driving... The only lockouts that occur are text based entry of streets through the navi screen and movice listings through the Sirius travel link. All others are used through the screen... But becareful it does get distracting when you're browsing through you're music on a 8" screen... I would definately suggest using SYNC's features and use alot of voice, over the screen unless they're quick 1's 2's that you have to do... SYNC is definately your friend and you will enjoy the technology... Plus the booklet that is about the same size as your owners manual will educate you on all of this! It's pretty easy once done... Also once you get your car the'res the SYNC owner to owner group, SYNC online support, and also use the SYNC forum's for help with your iPhone/iPod multi use.... But some others find it easier to just buy a portable USB HDD like a WD passport and keep all your music on there and it will index it all, and no need to move data... (Though summer heat and winter cold can affect the drive if you're conditions are too extreme) Best Regards! Please let us know what else we can answer until you recieve your car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirak Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 Thanks. That's really all the questions I have now. I've read elsewhere that an iPhone can't be synced via USB and used as a phone at the same time, so if that's true I'll just sync all my music with a USB jump drive. Unless the jukebox is somehow superior to the USB sync, I probably won't eve use the jukebox. I am surprised the system reserves 30gb of space for the navigation. That must be one heck of a nav system! I can't wait to start playing with all this stuff. Now I've just got to figure out how to add Homelink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelsonlu Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Thanks. That's really all the questions I have now. I've read elsewhere that an iPhone can't be synced via USB and used as a phone at the same time, so if that's true I'll just sync all my music with a USB jump drive. Unless the jukebox is somehow superior to the USB sync, I probably won't eve use the jukebox. I am surprised the system reserves 30gb of space for the navigation. That must be one heck of a nav system! I can't wait to start playing with all this stuff. Now I've just got to figure out how to add Homelink. The jukebox isn't "superior" or "inferior"; it just allows you to save music to it so that you'd have access to it even when not having the CD/iPod around. I find it very useful myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundedo Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 No, you cannot record an MP3 disc to the Jukebox. It will only take "audio" discs which are just .wav files. And to a CD will only fit 70-80 minutes of music recorded like that. I know it, it's a PITA. I wish Ford had made it capable of recording MP3's since that's what all my music is but someone stated they did that for anti-piracy reasons :rolleyes: As for iPhone compatibility and usage, I would go to the SYNC site and see what others are saying. http://boards.synccommunity.com/n/pfx/foru...&listMode=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirak Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 No, you cannot record an MP3 disc to the Jukebox. It will only take "audio" discs which are just .wav files. And to a CD will only fit 70-80 minutes of music recorded like that. I know it, it's a PITA. I wish Ford had made it capable of recording MP3's since that's what all my music is but someone stated they did that for anti-piracy reasons :rolleyes: As for iPhone compatibility and usage, I would go to the SYNC site and see what others are saying. http://boards.synccommunity.com/n/pfx/foru...&listMode=0 So does the jukebox rip the CD to mp3s, or keep the full-size audio files? Full size files would only allow storage of about 12 CDs (which is still a lot better than 6-CD changer). Is the entire CD ripped or can you select tracks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryG Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 My '09 FEH Nav system and Sync works great with my iPhone 3G and you can even charge it with the USB port. Of course you have the 110V plug if you want to charge the iPhone battery with that. I have the Nav system in my '05 FEH also and would not buy a hybrid vehicle without it. The '09 FEH Nav system is much better but the '10 FFH Nav is even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundedo Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 So does the jukebox rip the CD to mp3s, or keep the full-size audio files? Full size files would only allow storage of about 12 CDs (which is still a lot better than 6-CD changer). Is the entire CD ripped or can you select tracks? I'm not sure what format it rips them into. And I believe it rips the whole CD. Once I found out it won't rip mp3 discs I decided to not fuss with it. Maybe they'll come out with a software update that will allow it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelsonlu Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 So does the jukebox rip the CD to mp3s, or keep the full-size audio files? Full size files would only allow storage of about 12 CDs (which is still a lot better than 6-CD changer). Is the entire CD ripped or can you select tracks? I've ripped about 35-40 CDs, and I think I still have about 75% of the space left. My guess is that it is similar to iTunes's compressed AAC in terms of space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelsonlu Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I've ripped about 35-40 CDs, and I think I still have about 75% of the space left. My guess is that it is similar to iTunes's compressed AAC in terms of space. As it turned out, I grossly underestimated how much I've ripped already. I've ripped 1165 tracks, and there is space for 1312 tracks left. Lots of space on that jukebox HD... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundedo Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 As it turned out, I grossly underestimated how much I've ripped already. I've ripped 1165 tracks, and there is space for 1312 tracks left. Lots of space on that jukebox HD... Are you converting your mp3's, burning and ripping? Or are you using the original CD's? I was thinking I could use a CD-RW that way I wouldn't have to buy a bunch of new CD-R's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelsonlu Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Are you converting your mp3's, burning and ripping? Or are you using the original CD's? I was thinking I could use a CD-RW that way I wouldn't have to buy a bunch of new CD-R's. I rip them from original CDs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirak Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 Based on track capacity, the jukebox is definitely ripping the CDs to an mp3 or similar compressed format. It's curious that the jukebox won't accept mp3s directly. The CD player will play mp3s, right? And, of course, mp3 can be synced via USB. So, I'm not sure where the "piracy" issue comes in. The vast majority of my music is mp3 only. I haven't bought a new CD in years. Still, I've got plenty of old CDs that I might want to rip to the jukebox. Having the album art on the nav screen would be nifty, I guess. In reading other posts on other forums, there is definitely some mixed information on whether an iPhone can be synced via USB and used as a phone (Bluetooth or otherwise) at the same time. I guess I'll just find out when my FFH and iPhone 3Gs arrive. If anyone has actually synced a phone to the USB, your advice on the phone's functionality while synced would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.