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Off Topic Using a flash drive to play music in the Fiat 500

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Off Topic Using a flash drive to play music in the Fiat 500

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Minimalist

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I went to a Fiat dealership in the U.S. so I'm posting this in this forum. I'm not sure if Fiat's from other countries have USB inputs. The current U.S. ones do.

One of the things I tested was the USB and auxiliary inputs found in the glove box. When I play MP3 files from the flash drive, I can skip to the next song but I can't fast forward or rewind the song itself.

Has anyone else noticed that?

It's not that big a deal to me since I can use my MP3 player with my auxiliary cable and use fast forward if I need to. Maybe get a flat MP3 player with a screen and velcro it onto the dashboard if I get a Fiat.

I figure the Fiat radio or whatever it is can't fast forward or rewind MP3 song files because it's not quite like a media player program on a computer. Maybe it's not equipped to work with MP3 files with different bitrates or something. Maybe the makers were only able to get playback and file selection back and forth. Would that be the case here?
 
I tried that but it skipped to the next song on the flash drive right when I pressed the right button, and went to the previous song when I pressed the left button. Even when I held the button down. I tried all the other buttons.
 
Minimalist said:
I went to a Fiat dealership in the U.S. so I'm posting this in this forum. I'm not sure if Fiat's from other countries have USB inputs. The current U.S. ones do.

One of the things I tested was the USB and auxiliary inputs found in the glove box. When I play MP3 files from the flash drive, I can skip to the next song but I can't fast forward or rewind the song itself.

Has anyone else noticed that?

It's not that big a deal to me since I can use my MP3 player with my auxiliary cable and use fast forward if I need to. Maybe get a flat MP3 player with a screen and velcro it onto the dashboard if I get a Fiat.

I figure the Fiat radio or whatever it is can't fast forward or rewind MP3 song files because it's not quite like a media player program on a computer. Maybe it's not equipped to work with MP3 files with different bitrates or something. Maybe the makers were only able to get playback and file selection back and forth. Would that be the case here?
Click to expand...

European models have the Blue&Me with the USB input and more recently the AUX input.

Minimalist said:
I tried that but it skipped to the next song on the flash drive right when I pressed the right button, and went to the previous song when I pressed the left button. Even when I held the button down. I tried all the other buttons.
Click to expand...

I reckon you're still pressing the wrong button - it should be the up or down button on the right hand side of the Steering wheel. I have attached basic instructions. Note you can use Voice control on 'starting' the Media.

A more slick approach to controlling your music on the 500 is through a Tom Tom 2 Live which demonstrated on the attached clip and is covered from 3:20
 

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loveshandbags said:
A more slick approach to controlling your music on the 500 is through a Tom Tom 2 Live which demonstrated on the attached clip and is covered from 3:20
Click to expand...

Excellent I like this, where were you hididng this solution ? This is the solution to iPhone/iPod jacking by B&M. Out of the 2 choices aux or via charging cable, TomTom is the best solution.
 
arorat said:
Excellent I like this, where were you hididng this solution ? This is the solution to iPhone/iPod jacking by B&M. Out of the 2 choices aux or via charging cable, TomTom is the best solution.
Click to expand...

For those with an AUX input this might be another idea...

http://www.fiat500owners.com/forum/...ectronics/1158-bluetooth-audio-streaming.html

I bought this and it was great (only used in a house setup) but there is a reduction in the sound quality. It was only available on-line.

http://www.trustedreviews.com/Gear4-BluStream-RX-Bluetooth-Receiver_Peripheral_review
 
Are you talking about steering wheel controls?

I have found that the radio buttons allow fast forwarding.
 
loveshandbags said:
For those with an AUX input this might be another idea...

http://www.fiat500owners.com/forum/...ectronics/1158-bluetooth-audio-streaming.html

I bought this and it was great (only used in a house setup) but there is a reduction in the sound quality. It was only available on-line.

http://www.trustedreviews.com/Gear4-BluStream-RX-Bluetooth-Receiver_Peripheral_review
Click to expand...

Didn't think iPhone played via Bluetooth !! AirPlay is a good solution to home streaming but you need devices such as appletv, or a new amp that supports AirPlay. Airplay will prob get into most cars as its just an comms interface.
 
arorat said:
Didn't think iPhone played via Bluetooth !! AirPlay is a good solution to home streaming but you need devices such as appletv, or a new amp that supports AirPlay. Airplay will prob get into most cars as its just an comms interface.
Click to expand...

With the Gear4 Bluetooth receiver it is picked up as a bluetooth device by the iphone and can play music 'into' your music system using the AUX input. If you only have an itouch you can separately purchase an Gear4 dongle that's attached and gives it bluetooth capability (although there's no volume control).

I haven't got the Gear4 Bluetooth receiver at the moment (it's in a rental) but you connect up the AUX in the 500 and then power it using the USB socket or one of those 12V-240V transformers (least preferred).

In the house a smarter way to play music from you iphone is to connect your laptop to the music system and then control the laptop using the 'Remote' app on an iphone or an itouch. No bluetooth used here so the 'distance' is limited by your WiFi range.

I haven't used the Airplay setup (been tempted) but anyone who has bought the Airport Express (as a cheapie solution) have found it unreliable.
 
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