I've done the forum search thing, and I know it's not officially supported. I don't really care if Pioneer supports it, I'd just like to figure out a way to get it to work.
So the question for the masses:
Does anyone have a working USB Hard Drive attached to this unit? If so, could you please use this thread to provide model/manufacturer and any technical details you had to follow to get this to work?
Thanks everyone!
There were multiple posts about that.
320GB Buffalo portable hard drive works OK, except for AVIC's tendency to (leisurly) scan the drive after startup, make sure that there actually is music on it, and 5-10 minutes later switch to it regardless of what audio source was actually turned on at the time.
NOTE: you need to supply power to the secondary power input on the drive. Head Unit does not provide enough current on the USB connector to keep the drive operational.
I've got 1.8" microdisk with 20 Gb HD connected to the USB and without extra power suply, (the power came by the USB ) and if I want I can also connect a 40, 80 120 or 160 Gb HD from this manufacturer but the price between the 20 Gb and the 40 Gb is so big here in portugal, that i've decided for the 20 Gb and i've already put a lot of mp3 and videos.
its a trekstor data station microdisk and you can visit the site in
I hope it would help you
1.8 is probably small enough that it can spin with the power F-series puts out. Mine is a 2.5 (notebook drive, basically) so it want more juice.
1.8 is probably small enough that it can spin with the power F-series puts out. Mine is a 2.5 (notebook drive, basically) so it want more juice.
I've also tried mine 2.5 disc at first time and didn't work because this tipe of disk needs extra power, but this trekstore 1.8 works real fine, and is very fast, you can't realize if it is a hd, or a card
is instant access to all folders and musics
I borrowed a friends WD Passport 2.5" drive, that came with a separate power supply. I ran that off an inverter, and hooked it up. The drive was 250GB, formatted FAT32, with about 100GB of music.
Results? It worked. But it was WAAAY slow. The results from BorisM (5-10 minutes to load) were accurate. It took forever, and the responsiveness of the unit was such that it was almost unusable. If it had worked I would have bought one the next day...as it is, I'll pass.
But these Trekstor drives look very interesting. It looks like they don't experience the same problems with the slow bootup times. Amazon has the 120GB for around $180, the 20GB is only $80.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=trekstor+microdisk
Rufisa, I presume you have all 20GB packed full of MP3's? I presume it doesn't take you the 5-10 minutes that BorisM and I saw with the laptop drives?
Thanks!
Rufisa, I presume you have all 20GB packed full of MP3's? I presume it doesn't take you the 5-10 minutes that BorisM and I saw with the laptop drives?
Thanks!
Well I´ve got my 20 Gb not full of mp3 because I have also music Video Clips, but 20 Gb is enoug and I can put a lot of music.
About the time, when the system boots the HD takes the same time as the SD +/- 20 seconds
when the system is already operational playing for example FM, and at this time connect the HD in the USB it takes 10 seconds to play which is in the HD.
If I know how to put a video direct to this forum I will make one, and show to all of you the perfomance of this HD.
with time probably I will do it, and put then on youtube
I didn't fill it anywhere near to all 300+GB... Need to start ripping my CD's. Don't know if it is going to get any slower with more data...
Good info. I could do with 40 gigs or less, no real need for video, probably 20 gigs would be fine. Nothing to add, i was just waiting to hear if this worked. Thanks for trying this everyone.
I was still considering getting a hard drive, until someone at my office put a 160GB 6th gen IPOD Classic up for sale for $200. Refurbished ones at Apple are still $250, new ones a lot more. I had ZERO desire for an IPOD until I got this headunit, just didn't see the point for my needs.
Anyway, he let me borrow it for a couple of days before I bought it, and I must say if you are considering buying a hard drive instead of an IPOD you are IMHO making the wrong choice (as I was). The IPOD controls are SWEET, voice recognition works fine for me....it's VERY cool. I currently have 130GB of data, about 18,000 songs. Original sync took about 10-12 minutes on the Pioneer, but after turning off the VR Catalog it only takes and extra 10 seconds or so to boot if IPOD is the source, no difference if I am on FM/XM/etc.
Pretty much all my music is on here now, so I have just run the wires into the glovebox and plugged it in never to be removed (unless I add more music later, etc).
Highly recommended if you can find one.
Yes, an ipod on an F-series is like 50 million times as user friendly as hooking up a hard drive to it.
Yes, an ipod on an F-series is like 50 million times as user friendly as hooking up a hard drive to it.
x2
I was still considering getting a hard drive, until someone at my office put a 160GB 6th gen IPOD Classic up for sale for $200. Refurbished ones at Apple are still $250, new ones a lot more. I had ZERO desire for an IPOD until I got this headunit, just didn't see the point for my needs.
Anyway, he let me borrow it for a couple of days before I bought it, and I must say if you are considering buying a hard drive instead of an IPOD you are IMHO making the wrong choice (as I was). The IPOD controls are SWEET, voice recognition works fine for me....it's VERY cool. I currently have 130GB of data, about 18,000 songs. Original sync took about 10-12 minutes on the Pioneer, but after turning off the VR Catalog it only takes and extra 10 seconds or so to boot if IPOD is the source, no difference if I am on FM/XM/etc.
Pretty much all my music is on here now, so I have just run the wires into the glovebox and plugged it in never to be removed (unless I add more music later, etc).
Highly recommended if you can find one.
Did you have connected your iPod when you powered your AVIC? Or you should reconnect it to for playing music? Is your AVIC continue play music from iPod like from CD when you power it while AVIC is loading.
First time poster... but Avic411 is an amazing source for info. I haven't purchased my F90 yet but plan to in the next couple days... a big part of my decision to go with the AVIC is the USB port. My intentions are to keep something in the vehicle with all 60plus GB of my MP3's on it.
Has anyone gotten any further in their trial and errors from this thread?
I like the idea of the 1.8" drive... a little pricey but not as much as an iPod classic.
Does the AVIC have to scan the drive each time the vehicle is turned on? Can that be disabled? and if so will it recognise the drive each time the vehicle is powered on?
iPods... not a fan. I do not walk around with earbuds in all the time. No need. I don't own a standalone MP3 player either. I despise iTunes. I tried it... WMP10 is way easier to me, much more user intuitive. My music is all 320k or VBR MP3. I maintain a network attached storage on my home network to deliver music to 2 laptops, 1 workstation in the garage and a PS3 optically connected to the Home Theater. I really don't want to change much.
Can I load an iPod with MP3's without using iTunes?
If so, Can I play these MP3's from an iPod with the AVIC?
Thanks in advance!
Nate
You will love the functionality of the IPOD with the F series. I have seen a USB connection with a Hard Drive on a friend's and noticed how hard it was to navigate. With an IPOD, you can go directly to the specific artist using VR or touchscreen, either way much easier than opening up various folders and after the song is over, trying to go to the next desired artist.
Well it is sounding like the iPod will be the way to go... to my dismay.
When a HDD is attached, can the AVIC play playlists (M3U) from it?
Can anyone more well versed answer the below?
Can I load an iPod with MP3's without using iTunes?If so, Can I play these MP3's from an iPod with the AVIC?
Nate
No, the AVIC cannot play M3U's from a hard drive. It's file/folder only. You can only browse the file structure. Same as with a SDCard or USB Stick.
For the other questions, I am not an IPOD expert, so I have no doubt I will be corrected if I am wrong. There were some 3rd party programs out there that could push files to an IPOD Classic (maybe others) with ITunes 5.x. Once the device/ITunes is at Version 6, however, you are pretty much stuck. You can use 3rd party to pull items FROM the IPOD, but not pushing files TO it. Apple locked it down. Mine was a version 6 when I bought it, so I did a little research on your same question and that is what I found.
If there is 3rd party out there that will do this, I'd love to know.
And for the record, and much of a pain as I think ITunes is, it's still well worth it. I haven't moved my IPOD from my glovebox in weeks, so the initial headache of setup is long behind me. Plus I do get some Podcasts and the like which I enjoy. I have never once wished I had a hard drive instead of the IPOD.
First time poster... but Avic411 is an amazing source for info. I haven't purchased my F90 yet but plan to in the next couple days... a big part of my decision to go with the AVIC is the USB port. My intentions are to keep something in the vehicle with all 60plus GB of my MP3's on it.
Has anyone gotten any further in their trial and errors from this thread?
I like the idea of the 1.8" drive... a little pricey but not as much as an iPod classic.
Does the AVIC have to scan the drive each time the vehicle is turned on? Can that be disabled? and if so will it recognise the drive each time the vehicle is powered on?
iPods... not a fan. I do not walk around with earbuds in all the time. No need. I don't own a standalone MP3 player either. I despise iTunes. I tried it... WMP10 is way easier to me, much more user intuitive. My music is all 320k or VBR MP3. I maintain a network attached storage on my home network to deliver music to 2 laptops, 1 workstation in the garage and a PS3 optically connected to the Home Theater. I really don't want to change much.
Can I load an iPod with MP3's without using iTunes?
If so, Can I play these MP3's from an iPod with the AVIC?
Thanks in advance!
Nate
i think u could , try this sorfware out imtooipod and u could take the music out too .
i think u could , try this sorfware out imtooipod and u could take the music out too .
Thanks. I just may have to give it a shot... I've all but purchased an F90 and used 80gb iPod. If I have to I'll load iTunes on one of my PC's... it really sounds like the iPod will be the better route considering the radio was designed to play nice with it already... damn shame. HDD's can be larger and cheaper. I saw a 250gb Western Digital Passport at Best Buy for $99... would've been a better way to go if the Pioneer engineers had thought of a better interface.
Sorry didn't mean to hijack this thread...
I hope somebody gets a HDD to work efficiently with the AVIC...
So the 160GB iPod is the way to go it appears. Question- Do they make a USB Y Connector so someone could put 2 of these iPods and get 320 GB of space?
So the 160GB iPod is the way to go it appears. Question- Do they make a USB Y Connector so someone could put 2 of these iPods and get 320 GB of space?
Yeah they are out there...search Google or Amazon for "usb y cable". Or you could get a usb hub. As to whether either of these will work with the AVICs I don't know, but it'd be worth a try.
It'd be nice to hook up my iPod and iPhone at the same time! Then I could always keep the iPod attached and plug the iPhone in whenever I wanted to use Pandora Radio through the stereo. Or be able to pop a thumb drive on there when needed. Hmmm...maybe I'll try this out myself when I get a chance...
As I understand it, USB hubs will not work with the Avic. I haven't tried myself, but I know I have seen this topic several times in the past.
Yeah I saw where people mentioned a USB hub wouldn't work but is a USB Y Adapter the same as a hub?
Has anyone found a way to have both the iPod and a hard drive (thumb drive) connected? I know hubs wont work, but someone mentioned a Y splitter... Any luck with that?
Has anyone found a way to have both the iPod and a hard drive (thumb drive) connected? I know hubs wont work, but someone mentioned a Y splitter... Any luck with that?
It doesn't work.