Hey everyone!! Does the FT-90BT have the option to carry these services? If not if the MSN version visually better? Just from research it does seem like the xm weather would be alot better.

MSN Direct has replaced XM NavTraffic and Weather on the F-Series.

It's hard to say if it's "better", but most people tend to have more problems with signal reception of MSN Direct.

I was a user of XM Traffic and with the AVIC D2 for 2 and a half years until recently. The unit went bad and was replaced with a service plan from a local retail store and ended up with the F900BT in exchange.

I tried the MSN Direct service since it was free for the first 3 months. I have been trying to use it for the past 3 weeks and I must say, life was better with XM. The XM was great where it provided real time traffic immediately and provided a better visual on the map where it would highlight the roads in red, yellow or green.

For MSN, unfortunately the information is not so instantaneous. When browsing the different options such a weather, I usually get a display stating that local information is unavailable. Reception has been issue too. According to the status page, my signal for MSN Direct is very low or none while in or around NYC.

XM NavTraffic rocks! It's amazing how quickly traffic information gets updated on the map.

I have nav traffic and I have never seen any highways or roads highlighted any color. Maybe it my area that doesnt have good service. I have pushed the traffic flow button in the menu,, and most of the roads it is describing are like 40-50 miles away.

I do however see the caution signs pop-up for roadwork, accidents, blocked lanes but no on map flow highlights.

To see highlighted roads do you have to have a set navigation destination route programmed?

I have nav traffic and I have never seen any highways or roads highlighted any color. Maybe it my area that doesnt have good service. I have pushed the tarffic flow button and most of the roads it is describing are like 40-50 miles away.

 

I do however see the caution signs pop-up for roadwork, accidents, blocked lanes.

 

To see highlighted roads do you have to have a set navigation destination route programmed?

I don't know where you're located but my N4 displays traffic flow via colored bubbles with traffic speed information and other signage along all highways.

All the replies are great but can the F-Series display xm weather and traffic via the XM tuner?

All the replies are great but can the F-Series display xm weather and traffic via the XM tuner?

Your answer was already posted:

MSN Direct has replaced XM NavTraffic and Weather on the F-Series.

 

It's hard to say if it's "better", but most people tend to have more problems with signal reception of MSN Direct.

This will probably be the deal breaker for me and send me back to a Z series for my latest install. I can't imagine not having Nav Traffic in this city.

The MSN traffic is not that more expensive and if you by the for life price then after 3 years it works out cheaper than XM Traffic.

Just check out the coverage here:

http://www.msndirect.com/NavigationDevi ... b=Coverage

but MSN doesn't show traffic on the map, it just has a list of traffic notifications that take 3 or 4 button presses to bring up.

From what I understand the traffic does appear on the map. Check out page 51 on the manual.

F-series does show traffic on the map, just not with road color coding. More like what TMC enabled units do, with icons along roads. But this is not so much a feature of MSN Direct as of the navigation software, which displays the information in this manner...

Yes Boris, but does it show traffic "flow", or just incidents? I love looking down at my screen and seeing flow rates. It's like "hmmm....better not take the 60 this afternoon...it's all red and yellow." It's a life saver here.

Does anyone have any screen shots they can post?

No, it doesn't show flow speeds, at least not that I have seen. It does seem to take flow into account when routing, though.

So it should highlight bad areas of traffic, and you can tell by the icon's and road color.

If there is bad traffic it will highlight the road red, then look at the icons to tell how bad the red line is.

It's no live maps or google maps, but does work.

So it should highlight bad areas of traffic, and you can tell by the icon's and road color.

 

If there is bad traffic it will highlight the road red, then look at the icons to tell how bad the red line is.

 

It's no live maps or google maps, but does work.

Ravage, are you saying MSN Traffic does this? It will change the color of the roads according to flow rate like XM Traffic does? Does it also show separate sides of the road like XM?

I'm just saying what's in the user guide.

If you go to the pioneer website and download the user guide from there it shows you images of how the traffic is highlighted on the map and the screen where you can view all the details in a list.

I am also using MSN in the Phx Metro Area. When it works, it:

1. Puts an icon on the map showing congestion or accident

2. Colors the road red when congestion tied to the same entry showing the icon appears.

3. Shows different icons for congestion or accident

4. On the MSN screen provides a list of incidents, accidents, congestion and road closures that is easy to read and navigate.

Sometimes these notifications are quick (I am on the 101 and see the icon before the incident), sometimes they are not (I am on the 101 crawling along and then see the icon further along on the map) and sometimes they are not there at all. All in all, I have found it to be fairly accurate and helpful. The listing has helped me keep track of freeway closures on the weekends pretty well.

However, it does not always work. And if you are not in the solid green area on their coverage map on the web site, it is not very good.

Don

So if u have the GEX-P10XMT it does nothing...just music and news?

I've tried routing to my work knowing that exit from the highway have been blocked. msn direct shows that the exit from the highway has been blocked but when i route the map to work it still directs me straight through the blocked exit. does anybody else have this problem?

Didn't happen to me. Is it set in MSN config to recalculate route based on traffic info?

yeah I made sure to turn everything thing on msn options... but it still guide me right throught the x mark

I am also using MSN in the Phx Metro Area. When it works, it:

 

1. Puts an icon on the map showing congestion or accident

2. Colors the road red when congestion tied to the same entry showing the icon appears.

3. Shows different icons for congestion or accident

4. On the MSN screen provides a list of incidents, accidents, congestion and road closures that is easy to read and navigate.

 

Sometimes these notifications are quick (I am on the 101 and see the icon before the incident), sometimes they are not (I am on the 101 crawling along and then see the icon further along on the map) and sometimes they are not there at all. All in all, I have found it to be fairly accurate and helpful. The listing has helped me keep track of freeway closures on the weekends pretty well.

 

However, it does not always work. And if you are not in the solid green area on their coverage map on the web site, it is not very good.

 

Don

That is actually good to hear. It sounds like they may be getting to where they need to be. If MSN is slow, it must be the way they are broadcasting the data because XM, MSN, etc all use the same traffic flow indicators.

Oh yea...you don't need any traffic indicators for the 101. That should be colored red permanently! Let's hope the new HOV lanes open that up some, eh? The work they did on the 60 the last few years flat fixed that road.