More and more people are getting HD radio installed in their cars. The reception is better, the sound is clearer, and there is a wider variety of shows and stations to listen to. So, if you have already purchased an HD radio for your car – or if you bought a car with a HD radio already installed – why get an iPod car kit?

                For one thing, with HD radio, the sound quality is improved over a normal radio but the sound will be poorer than an iPod kit; there are also commercials in between tracks. Sometimes the commercials are as often as every few songs, depending on the station. There is less static with HD radio compared to the standard FM or AM radio, but you can still have problems listening to stations; the station won’t fade out as quickly, but if you are too far from where the station is being broadcast, you won’t be able to hear it. This is especially a problem for people who often make long drives – searching for a new station every hour, because you’ve traveled outside of the previous station’s broadcast radius, can get pretty annoying. Obviously, neither the commercials, nor the geographical location, are a problem for someone who is listening to an iPod.

                Even though HD radio has a greater variety of programming than regular radio, it can’t beat the variety of programming that can be found on podcasts, and played through your iPod. With an iPod, you can always choose what you want to hear; if a song comes on that you don’t want to hear, you simply fast-forward. No more flipping through stations hoping to find something you’ll enjoy; you have control over what you want to hear, anytime you listen.

                The iPod is now more universal with the iPod Car Kit

Apple recently introduced two new iPod Touch models, the 32GB version and the 64GB version. Apples main marketing push for these iPods was built around the bases that the iPods are "50% faster than previous models". As usual, most forum users were scepticle. As we all know, word spreads quicker than ever before with the internet becoming more important to our life’s – this makes it easier for rumours to spread. It only takes one respected forum user to dislike or not fully believe an idea and you have mutiny! Once this has happened, other forum users take his opinion as gospel and it spreads like wild-fire.

This push from Apple had just this problem. However, we have had a few test models and have compared them to older iPod Touch models (1st and 2nd Generation). We found the following results;

• Boot speed was cut from around 25-35 seconds to around 15 seconds.
• Opening web pages was cut from 30 seconds to around 20 seconds.
• Loading games was also cut in almost half. Games included Rolando 2, Tap Tap, Spore and more.

I think thats pretty conclusive evidence that Apple are on the right track here!

These new kits also appear to work perfectly with the Dice and Dension iPod Car Kits and In Car iPod kits on first quick tests (although tests will continue to confirm)

Dension iPod car kits are a great option for those who want to be able to listen to their entire music library on-the-go. Dension has a variety of car kits available, ranging from a simple auxiliary cable, to an active dock which charges your iPod while it plays. Another popular model is the Dension ice>Link one, which works with virtually every vehicle, and plays your iPod via seven user-selectable FM frequencies. (Of course, with this model, getting great sound quality isn’t difficult to obtain, as its hard-wired connection into the radio aerial, and blocks out additional frequencies. The most popular and user-friendly models appear to be the Dension Gateway 100 and 300.

The Dension Gateway models (100 and 300) allow users to play music from their iPod (or any USB media player) through their car’s stereo. Users can choose to control their music and options through the Gateway user interface, located on the car’s dashboard, or via their iPod clickwheel. The Gateway also charges the iPod as it plays, and users can see album, artist and track title information on the dashboard screen (Where compatible), instead of having to look at their iPod’s screen while they are driving. Optional accessories include a Dension BTA1500 model (compatible with the gateway 500), which allows the user to make handsfree phone calls and play music stored on a mobile phone, or a Dension AVR, for playing iPod videos and DVDs. Available features vary, depending on the vehicle, but there is a Gateway interface that allows iPod integration available for just about every car.

We were contacted by a customer at the start of this month who was desperate to get his iPod working in his car. He had already been given false information by 4 companies and he saw his only logical route to be through his dealer (who you would expect knew his car and its options inside out & back to front). £1400 and two weeks (without his car) later, the only thing that he had extra to before his vehicle went over to his dealer was an even bigger headache!

The dealer had sold him a kit for nearly triple the price that we charge (we charge £140, the dealer charged £400) and then charged a whopping £1000 for installation which took an entire two weeks! When this was complete it turned out that the iPod car kit didnt even work! He took it back and had it tested, they agreed to swap it over. Still no joy! In the end, 3 kits were tested and none worked. Our customer managed to get his £400 back for the iPod Car Kit but they wouldnt pay up for the installation costs. This has obviously left sour grapes in the mouth of the customer who was understandably very annoyed. This is where iPod Car Kit Direct come in, proving that we are a long way ahead of the game when it comes to getting an In Car iPod.

We had a call around 9:15am asking if we could offer any advice. We obviously knew the vehicle very well having successfully integrated around 5000 iPod Car Kits into thus far. We knew exactly what the issue was and suggested we could sell the Dension Gateway 100 kit at £140 and install it for £50. Our installers went over to our customers place of work two days later and installed the kit within 1 hour. Fully tested and fully working.

Needless to say that our customer was extremely pleased that he could now play his iPod in his car. He is also pursuing the lost £1000 with trading standards and is very close to a happy ending.

This story goes to show that there really is no replacement for expereince. We dont like blowing our own trumpets but we have twice the experience than any of our competitors and have ben the only company to have been dealing with iPod Car Kits since the very first iPod Car Kit was designed.

Paralight are a small Aston Martin specialist company based in the Costwolds. They have been working on Aston Martin vehicle for many years and have now perfected the art of iPod integration.

Until Paralight decided to take hold of the Dension Gateway 500 MOST Fibre Optic system, iPod integration into Aston Martins was pretty much impossible. The Aston Martins use the same MOST fibre optic system as Volvo, Audi, BMW and Mercedes but with slightly different software. It has taken the techies at Paralight a few years to perfect the edited/updated software on the Paralight Gateway 500 but now its complete and working perfectly.

Paralight are so confident in this product that they are happy to guarantee the product FOR LIFE, including installation costs. They would personally fly out and uninstall the device and install a new device, leaving you with the absolute minimum of hassle.

This kit has all the features of any premium kit you would expect; full control from steering controls and from the stereo, ID3 tagging (track and album titles) information on the display, charging of all iPods including the new iPhone 3G and newer iPods.

Paralight are now working on a bluetooth interface (using Parrot hardware) which will integrate phone functions and hands free calling into your vehicle too.

It will work perfectly with all V8 Vantage’s from 05 onwards and DB9′s (all years) which were produced & built at Gaydon. If you need an iPod and Phone solution for your Aston Martin then this is certainly the kit for you!

View the Aston Martin iPod Car Kit here

The AVR is one of the latest products from the Dension production line. The AVR is the new Video Extender from Dension that allows videos from the iPod to be played on factory screens in the front and back of the vehicle (Where available). Dension modified the previous version of the kit (The AV Extender) to allow a greater user interface and functionality as well as state of the art technology to ensure that users can fully control the Audio / Video system within the vehicle.

The AVR only work’s with vehicles compatible with and has the Dension gateway 500 system installed. Vehicles such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes & Porsche (and a few others) with fibre optic systems can utilise the AVR’s functions to control the media being played in different screens within the vehicle. Allowing you to watch your favourite iPod Video in the front and lets the kids watch their favourite DVD in the back, cutting out all of the boredom, tedium and arguing usually involved in long vehicle journeys. In fact it’s likely that the only squabbling involved will be the choice of videos played.

Unfortunately the AVR isn’t compatible with the Gateway 100 and Gateway 300 systems as it requires the complexity of the Gateway 500 and the speed of the fibre optics to function correctly. However there is a possibility of an AV extender for the 100/300 being released in the horizon. But for now the Gateway 100 and 300 users will have to make do with their music collection for long drives.

Dension products are available from the number one Online iPod Car Kit Store

Dension is in the process of releasing CAN kits for several different vehicle manufacturers. The New CAN Kits offer the same functionality and features as the non CAN kits with one exception. The gateway 100 and gateway 300 CAN kits provide text information from the iPod on the cluster screen in the vehicle. This is something that has never been available before.

The Dension Gateway Can System utilises the Cluster screen on the Vehicle to show text and track information sent from the iPod through the gateway system. Vehicles will show the information in different forms depending on the cluster present on the vehicle.

The Cluster screen is located near the speedometer on the dashboard in Audi vehicles and is usually available in 2 forms, Red and White. The Red screen is much more common as it’s the factory standard where as the White screens are usually found as part of an optional upgrade.

The gateway CAN kits are still compatible with non cluster Audi vehicles; however the text display will only work with the Cluster system.

For more information regarding iPod Compatibility, Cluster displays, the CAN system and other iPod car kits for Audi vehicles please visit Audi Gateway 100 CAN

Dension has released the latest Gateway CAN kits for Volkswagen vehicles. The New Gateway 100 / 300 kits released provide text information on certain radios in newer VW’s. The Gateway system offers the same excellent sound quality and the ability to control your music through the iPod, stereo or steering wheel controls as well as charging the iPod. However the CAN system allows text to be played across the Cluster screen on the information panel. This can be found in different areas depending on which stereo was installed in the vehicle during production. However it’s usually located on the dashboard near the speedometer.
The CAN System operates and can be controlled in the same way and the previous Gateway 100/300 which are still available for the none CAN car systems, and allow different amount of text to be shown depending on the stereo system used.

Have you got CAN?

The Hi line cluster display usually is found in newer VW vehicles with steering wheel controls shows the text, If you have the Hi line and one of the stereos listed below its likely that you will be able to receive text information.
 
Compatible Stereos.
Radio Single CD RCD 210 (MP3 also) – MY09 Jetta, Passat, Touran, Fox, Polo, Golf, Tiguan & Sharan
Radio Single CD RCD 310 – MY09 Jetta, Passat, Touran, Fox, Polo, Golf, Tiguan, Sharan & Eos
Radio Single CD RCD 300 (Visteon) – MY05 Jetta, Passat, Touran, Fox, Eos, Polo, Golf, Tiguan & Sharan
Radio Single CD RCD 300 (Grundig) – MY05 Jetta, Passat, Touran, Eos, Fox, Polo, Golf, Tiguan & Sharan
Radio 6 CD RCD 500 MP3 (Panasonic)(5 keys along the bottom 4 on RCD 300) – MY07 Jetta, Passat, Touran, Eos, Polo, Golf, Tiguan & Sharan

For More information visit iPod car kit direct Volkswagen Gateway 100 CAN
 

iPods are one of the most successful inventions if not the most successful inventions in the last 10 years, Its one of a very few inventions that transcends generations. In my family I have one, my parents have two and even my grandparents have one (Admittedly they struggle to use it sometimes).  However this demonstrates the desirability, use-ability and functionality of them. Due to this invention It’s likely within 10 years most of the worlds music collection will be digital, with very few singles & albums released on CD or any other physical media.  With this in mind it’s important to realise now what impact this will have in the present and more so in the future.

There’s a growing trend within the car audio and entertainment market to connect the iPod into the entertainment system, through the car stereo. This allows access of all of your favourite music and videos (where compatible) at the touch of a button. With the use of these devices you are in control of what you listen to, when you want to listen to it, without having to change 100’s of CDs to switch from artist to artist.

Many aftermarket manufacturers already offer this function with their newer stereo ranges. However the vast majority vehicle owners do not want to remove the original stereo equipment and replace with an aftermarket equivalent. This is more evident in the case of the more luxurious and executive vehicles owners such as Audi, as it’s more difficult to integrate aftermarket systems into the more expensive and desirable interior. If this is the case for you there are more options available than you may have thought.
 
iPod Car kits are available for factory fitted radios, among the best are Dension and the US equivalent Dice. These devices connect into the CD changer usually found on the back of the stereo. When connected they emulate the CD changer but allow you to connect you iPod into the system. From here you can control your music selections from the vehicle steering wheel controls or from the stereo & navigate back and forward through albums while it keeps you iPod charged and ready for when you exit the car.

Kits are available for the following Audi Radios,

Chorus, Chorus II, Chorus Gen2, Concert, Concert II, Concert Gen2, Symphony, Symphony II, Symphony Gen2, Navigation Plus RNS-D, Navigation RNS-E, Navigation RNS-Low

Separate kits are required for the MMI, MMI Basic fibre optic systems.

The iPod’s popularity certainly has a major say in the Car audio industry today, not directly from apple but from the millions of iPod users. Due to the massive amounts of people who regularly use iPod’s on a daily if not hourly basis Car Audio Brands and Vehicle Manufacturers have had to redefine how car audio and entertainment works and what is expected from each component within the system.

Vehicle manufacturers are more aware of the demands of the public and use additional add-ons as a selling point in an aid to promote new ranges and vehicles. However the majority of factory iPod car kits are simply an AUX input into the audio system. This allows music to be played through the speaker system, which for some users is enough. However this option does not offer any of the more advanced features that aftermarket kits do.

So the big question is do vehicle manufacturers see a future with iPod car kits or are they waiting for the next big invention?

The investments from Car Audio Brands suggest that the iPod is going to be here for a minimum of several years. The larger brands such as Dension, Alpine & Kenwood have taken iPod integration to the next level, although in separate directions. Alpine & Kenwood have built fully iPod compatible aftermarket stereos, with new features such as imprint technology & HD screens that allow users to configure the components depending music quality and type. Combined with Made for iPod & iPhone you can get the most out of your iPod by finding and playing music and videos much easier than ever before.

Dension however has made larger strides by combining iPod technology with factory fitted equipment. The Dension Gateway range provides an iPod connection into your factory fitted stereo, ensuring that the original look is maintained. The Dension Kits also provide Steering wheel control for the iPod and music, Text display on a lot of vehicles including the new CAN cluster display vehicles within the VW & Audi Group and the retention of your CD Changer via a CD Retention Kit at additional cost.

However it’s the new components that Dension are developing that offer the greater indication of where iPod integration may be heading?

The soon to be released AVR is designed to work with the gateway 500 fibre optic kit allows different sources of entertainment to be played simultaneously, So for example the adults might want to listen to their favourite music in the front of the vehicle while the kids enjoy their favourite DVD in the back. This step is a major advance in the car entertainment world and will open up several avenues for further development in the future.

Another one of Dension’s products nearing completion is the Wi-Drive, this device when complete will allow you to integrate your vehicle into the wireless home network, and this has many advantages at first glance. Such as instant file transfer from computer to vehicle and vice versa. However this device holds many more possibilities than first anticipated. A wireless internet network connection can be made with the use of mobile USB dongle currently available from various mobile networks providing internet access to all of the users in your vehicle.

The possibilities of car audio and entertainment & iPod integration in the future are endless, devices such as the AVR and the Wi-Drive will open up many avenues for the next stage of development. For example;

Security devices could be invented that provide live streaming from the vehicle to your own computer monitoring your vehicles safety combined with “web cams” installed in your vehicle you could see exactly what happening to your car live.

Live streaming or the download of music and videos from iTunes could be played on TV screens installed in the vehicle through the use of the Wi-drive and AVR while you’re on your journey, simply select and go through your iPod to choose all the latest Apple iTunes has to offer.

Television channels broadcasting live online could be watch instantly allowing new entertainment channels to be integrated into future vehicles, controllable at various points in the car. Maybe the kids want to watch different TV channels? No Problem now.

One thing is clear, the Car audio and entertainment business is moving on. New and improved technology being created continually and the iPod certainly can be at the centre of it all.